A Princess Fable
“Tell me of
your wondrous
stories”
she begged.
“You could always make
my
heart aflutter,
as on a precipice.”
“Smiling,
holding out
your hand,
tempting me to
the
escarpment.”
Once upon a time there was
a Princess so lovely, so beautiful, that her very presence disturbed
the tranquility of her father’s kingdom. Even as a child she
mesmerized the royal court; her father the King had to raise his
voice to break the spell she held over his lords and ladies. Very
little work was being accomplished in his daily audiences and the
King had to find other diversions for his daughter. The choices were
few as her guards, though heartfully devoted to her welfare, proved
unable to perform their service when in her presence.
The
Princess seemed to awaken a feeling of tranquility wherever she
appeared; the food vendors and farmers in the marketplace would fall
mute and become statue-like as she strolled by. She soon learned not
to smile in public, the faintest glimmering of happiness on her face
brought such joy to the common folk that they swooned and collapsed
at the elation that filled their hearts.
As the Princess grew
to be a young woman, the King could no longer allow her freedom of
movement in his kingdom. As much as he loved his daughter he was
responsible for the wealth and security of his kingdom and the
Princess` very presence produced only happiness and stupor in his
subjects.
The King thought to himself, “Oh, if only the
Queen hadn’t died giving birth to our daughter. She would know
what to do.” The Princess was an only child which intensified
the King’s worries. What would happen when he died? Princess
Elaina`s beauty engendered slavish devotion throughout the land, from
the highest lord to the lowliest peasant, yet their love for her
seemed to drain their life’s energy.
And so it came to
pass that the King had a beautiful castle built on the highest
mountain in the country. He surrounded it by a large moat and
defended it with a cadre of his personal Royal Guard who were
forbidden to enter the castle. Within were the Princess Elaina and
her personal servants, who through close personal contact over many
years were able to serve her while remaining upright if not overly
alert.
On the Princess` birthday, in July of each year, the
King issued a proclamation to all of the neighboring royalty. If any
young man of royal blood was able to remain sensible and alert while
in his daughter’s presence for one hour he would be granted the
Princess` hand in marriage. Within two years every eligible bachelor
from all of the neighboring kingdoms had presented themselves to
her.
One young Prince, from the kingdom of Neder, seemed to
have not succumbed to her beauty and the King’s hopes were
raised for a marriage. The Prince had taken a magic potion given to
him by his court sorcerer which clouded his vision. He was able to
approach the princess and sit closely by her and, as an hour in her
presence was nearing, he boldly spoke to her.
“My dear
Princess Elaina. Your father has promised your hand to anyone of
royal blood who is able to withstand the temptation of your beauty
for an hour. It has now been fifty five minutes and I remain alert
and by your side. May I have your consent to this marriage?”
Elaina
spoke the one word “Yes” and the Neder prince fell to the
floor in a deep swoon. In his high anxiety, he had never considered
the love and happiness that one simple word from her would release.
After the Neder prince’s failure there seemed to be no one left
who had the temerity to be in her presence.
Until Siegfried!
Siegfried’s reputation
preceded him wherever he traveled. A renowned poet, there were many
myths that surrounded his heritage. It was said that he was the
grandson of Wotan, the great warrior King who ruled all of the mighty
kingdoms across the ocean.
With Nothung, the magical sword he
was able to forge in order to slay the evil dragon Fafner, Siegfried
roamed the world in search of his destiny. His grandfather had
granted Siegfried many virtues including an inability to know fear
and it was this fearlessness that led to his confrontation with
Wotan.
The great King was aware of his grandson’s
destiny and confronted him when Siegfried was about to embark on his
journey across the ocean. Siegfried did not recognize his grandfather
and insolently broke Wotan`s spear with one blow from Nothung. Wotan
withdrew, leaving the fate of the world in Siegfried’s
hands.
In the new world Siegfried disguised himself as a poet
and traveled throughout the lands, always on the alert for
circumstances that would allow his destiny to be fulfilled. His
reputation as a poet spread far and wide and he was granted audiences
in the Royal Courts of every country. And so it came to pass that
Siegfried learned of the plight of the beautiful Princess Elaina; he
traveled to her land and was granted an audience with her father the
King.
Siegfried explained to the King how he had learned of
his destiny. When he had slain the dragon Fafner, on drawing his
sword from the corpse, his hands were burned by the dragon’s
blood. He instinctively put his hands to his mouth and upon tasting
the blood was immediately able to understand the song of a woodbird
that had perched patiently while Fafner was slain.
The bird
explained that Siegfried would one day meet the most beautiful of
princesses, one who was so lovely that she lived her life as if
surrounded by fire. Through his words he would capture her love and
they would fulfill their destinies. The King was very excited by the
tale told to him and he asked Siegfried to reveal their future to
him. The young Prince could only reply that the woodbird had left him
with the omen that their union would bring “light-bringing
love, and laughing death”.
The King was puzzled. “Do
you understand the meaning of this omen?”
“No, my
Lord. I only know that my destiny and that of the Princess Elaina are
intertwined.” Siegfried bowed to the King, asking “Sire,
do I have your permission to present myself to your daughter?”
The
King placed his hand upon Siegfried’s shoulder. “My son,
it will be my greatest pleasure if you were to win my daughter’s
heart. Go to her now, and Godspeed!” The King hurriedly wrote a
short note and gave it to the Prince. “This note will grant you
access to Elaina`s castle. Present it to the guardian of the moat and
the drawbridge will be lowered.”
Siegfried withdrew from
the King’s presence, rushing to mount his horse for the ride to
the Princess` castle. By the time Siegfried reached the castle the
sun had descended behind the mountain on which it was standing. As
Siegfried paused, pondering the significance of his meeting with the
Princess Elaina, a small woodbird called to him from a rosebush
directly in front of him.
“Coo, coo”, it said.
“Have you come to face your destiny, Siegfried?”
“I
have, dear bird. Yet I must ask you for assistance. Can you explain
these words to me, ‘light bringing love, and laughing death’?”
“Coo, coo”, the
woodbird responded. “I see you remember me, oh Prince. I will
offer you half the puzzle. You must sleep here tonight and approach
the castle just before dawning. At first light you must be at the
Princess` side. If you awaken her with a kiss, Elaina`s powers of
beauty may be muted. In her languor, you may use the potency in your
poetry to win her heart.”
“Oh, thank you, kind
bird. And what do you see of my chances?”
The woodbird
replied, “Coo, coo” and flew away into the night sky.
The next morning, just before
dawn, Siegfried presented the King’s note to the guard of the
moat. The drawbridge was quickly lowered and Siegfried entered the
castle and was given instructions to the Princess` chamber. He
dismissed the guard at her chamber door and softly, silently opened
the door to the Royal rooms.
It was very dim inside, the only
light coming from the dawning just now blanching the night sky.
Siegfried crept to the bed sitting directly under the open windows,
smelling the perfume of jasmine that was growing ivy like on the
small veranda.
Looking down on the bed, Siegfried was able to
distinguish the form of a young woman lying on her side facing the
night sky. Her blonde hair seemed to shimmer on the pillows as it
reflected the sun’s first awakenings. Eyes closed, the Princess
breathed softly, just the hint of a smile on her lips.
Siegfried
bent closely to her and gently kissed that smile. He could feel the
Princess stirring at his touch and he spoke the words that he begged
would win her heart. “Please don’t be afraid, my
Princess. Your father the King has granted me permission to try to
win your heart. Before opening your eyes, I beg you hear my
words.”
Elaina lay still, only a quivering on her lips
confirming her wakefulness.
“Last evening while
approaching your castle, I was met by a woodbird who sang to me from
a rosebush. It spoke of your beauty and told me to awaken you with a
kiss. The bird also said that I should try to win your love with the
voice of my heart. And so, hear is my appeal."
"My
name is Siegfried; I am a poet and a warrior. I have never felt fear
before this day. It is such a strange feeling! And what is it that
brings me to my knees in supplication? Only a brushing of your lips,
the merest tasting. I fear for my happiness if I was forever denied
that pleasure. And yet I am more fearful for you. I hope you can
understand, it is our destiny to love each other. There is no one
else on this earth that will be more faithful, more passionate to
you. My heart vibrates at the thought of us. Can you feel it? A
murmuring within you, like a woodbird`s call, ‘Coo coo---coo
coo’. I come to you at dawn’s light to protect my soul
from bursting.”
Siegfried withdrew from the bed,
standing at the open windows. “Elaina, oh such a word! A name
to inspire the poorest soul, yet here I stand, babbling on, saying
nothing. I must try one last time.” Closing his eyes, sensing
only the sweet smell of jasmine, Siegfried continued:
Lovingly,
I
kiss your lips,
Caressing
So soft
I’m afraid of
bruising.
Your hair,
Blonde as wheat,
My fingers
long
to glean.
Eyes smiling
Sparkling---
Dazzling
my
heart.
As he stood in the gathering
light, Siegfried felt a tingling in his right hand, then realized
Elaina had risen from her bed and was standing beside him. She had
placed her hand in his and had moved closer to him. He could feel a
gentle pressure where she had encircled her arm with his, then felt,
with all his senses, the rapture of her head resting on his
shoulder.
He turned his head to her, just inches, and the
smell of jasmine was replaced by her fragrance. The redolence drew
him to the Princess` hair and he breathed deeply of her. His sigh
seemed to release the moment she looked upwards at him and Siegfried
gathered her in his arms. Their first kiss was gentle, just a touch,
then their eyes met. Siegfried kissed the moisture escaping from her
eyes, then held her closely, his left hand gently immersed in her
hair.
“Oh Elaina, how I’ve longed for this moment.
Could you love me?”
“I do love you, Siegfried.
With all my heart and soul.”
“Then, we will be
married, my love?”
“Yes, my darling, but first,
the words.”
“I love you, my Princess, and I will
do everything in my power to make you proud of me. With you by my
side, our destinies will be fulfilled.”
As he spoke
these words, a black butterfly flew through the widow and alighted on
Siegfried’s arm. Elaina drew back with a gasp and cried, “Oh
no! Please don’t visit us now!”
Siegfried brushed the
butterfly off his shoulder and said “Don`t be alarmed, my love.
It’s only a butterfly and can’t harm you.”
“Oh,
but Siegfried, it spoke to me. Didn’t you hear it?”
“No
my beloved. And its words?”
“Just these, ‘light
bringing love and laughing death’. Do you know its
meaning?”
Siegfried drew Elaina close to him. “It’s
nothing to concern you, Elaina. Just an omen I’ve heard twice
before. Words that might have had power at one time. But no longer.
Our love renders these foolish words meaningless!”
Although the Princess remained
alarmed at the spoken words of the black butterfly, Siegfried drew
her attention to a treasure he took from his pocket. Opening the
drawstrings of a small leather purse, he withdrew the most
captivating golden ring. The ring seemed to draw the dawn’s
rays directly into itself, its glimmering making it seem almost
alive.
Siegfried took Elaina`s left hand and slipped the ring
on her finger. “This ring, along with my magical helmet, are
the only spoils I allowed myself after slaying the dragon Fafner. As
long as you wear it, our souls will never be apart.”
As
the couple embraced there was a knocking on the door, followed by the
laughing voice of Elaina`s father. “Come, come, you lovebirds.
The sun is risen and you have been together since the cock`s crow.
May I announce to the Kingdom that we have a marriage?”
Elaina
ran to the door, opening it and falling into the King’s arms.
“Oh father, please tell the world of our love and allow our
union as soon as possible.”
The King beckoned Siegfried
to his side and led them both to the gates of the castle. Three
horses awaited, including Elaina`s beloved Sebastien, and surrounded
by guards the royal party rode to the King’s castle. At the
morning audience of his Royal Court the King announced his daughter’s
marriage to the foreign Prince, to be celebrated in two month’s
time.
Amid the jubilation there was one man who seemed more
subdued. The Prince of Neder felt foolish and envious. “That
should be me by the Princess` side”, he thought. “This
man hardly knows her and is a foreigner to our lands. I swear to God
that this marriage will not take place, in sixty days or ever. Two
months time will allow me to travel across the waters and learn all
that is needed to know to defeat this Prince. Siegfried is but a man
and every man has a weakness. His secret will lead to his death and
my marriage to the Princess. This I pledge to all that is
Sacred.”
The next two months found the entire Kingdom in
a whirl of preparation for the long anticipated day. The King issued
a Royal proclamation officially announcing the marriage and inviting
the Royal Houses of all the known Kingdoms to join them in the
celebration. Princess Elaina was very busy planning the festivities
with her entourage and Siegfried filled his days with hunting in the
forests of the kingdom.
The first few days he found it
impossible to be alone as wherever he rode he could feel eyes upon
him, the savior of the Royal line of the kingdom. In order to gain
anonymity and some time to himself, Siegfried began wearing Tarnhelm,
the magic helmet he had taken from the dragon Fafner`s plunder. While
wearing Tarnhelm he could assume the identity of any man and he found
the freedom it allowed him invigorating.
About a month before
the wedding he was spending the morning trailing the spoor of a wild
boar in the deep forest when he was forced to give up the hunt by a
thick bramble of blackthorn bush. Siegfried bowed to the ending of
the trail, acknowledging the boar’s cunning and he sat beneath
a giant oak tree to have his lunch. After eating he leaned against
the oak tree and closed his eyes, thinking of his love, her visage
now his constant companion.
He was awakened from his reverie
by the chirping of a woodbird. “Coo coo” it said and came
to rest on the blackthorn. Siegfried smiled as he recognized the bird
that he had met twice before. “Good morning, little one. How
did you know it was me?”
The little bird seemed to
smile. “Hail, oh Prince, you must remember. I was with you when
you slew Fafner the dragon and first put on Tarnhelm. Its mysteries
cannot disguise you from me. And I must congratulate you on your
engagement. Princess Elaina wears the magical ring
proudly!”
Siegfried smiled at the little woodbird. “The
ring of the Niebelung holds no magic for me, gentle one. Only my
Grandfather Wotan can unleash its powers. Its only enchantment to me
is the happiness it brings to my love’s eyes.” Siegfried
sat upright, staring at the woodbird intently. “Gentle one,
will you now tell me of the meaning of the second part of the omen,
the words ‘and laughing death’?”
“This
much I can tell you, oh Prince. On the day of your wedding someone
will die. The last thing this person will hear before expiring is the
killer’s laughter.”
It took all of Siegfried’s
control to remain sitting as he asked the little bird “Is there
some threat to the Princess? Will someone try to harm her?”
The
woodbird replied “Coo coo” and flew over the blackthorn,
disappearing down the boar’s trail.
A week before the wedding, the
Neder Prince returned from his trip to the lands across the waters.
In his wanderings he had stopped in many towns, offering reward for
any information about Siegfried.
Although his fame as a mighty
warrior was known far and wide, very little was known of Siegfried’s
personal life or heritage. However his informants generally agreed on
one fact; the Prince must travel further east until he reached the
banks of a mighty river. It was in this land where the tales of
Siegfried’s heroic exploits had first originated.
The
Neder Prince traveled another four days before reaching the banks of
a majestic river. It was early evening and exhausted, the Prince fell
asleep next to the water. Some time in the darkest night he was
awakened by the sweetest song. At first he thought he must be
dreaming as the roaring of the river would drown any human voices.
However, as his eyes adjusted to the dark, the Neder Prince saw a
glowing in the river. Within the light were the figures of three
women staring at him and softly singing.
“We are the
Rhinemaidens, owners of the magic ring. That which has been taken
from us. Have you been sent to help us reclaim our future?”
The
Prince was enchanted by the beauty of their voices and confessed “I
may have knowledge of such a ring. Could it be in the possession of
the hero Siegfried?”
The Rhinemaidens sang in reply, “We
have heard the tale of Siegfried’s slaying of the dragon Fafner
and of his taking ownership of the ring and of the magic helmet
Tarnhelm. Oh Prince, do you know where Siegfried can be found? Can
you help us regain our ring?”
“I will do all I can
to see that you once again possess the ring but first, tell me more
of the magic helmet.”
“Tarnhelm has the power to
permit the wearer to assume the figure of any human, the better to
hide from his enemies.”
The Neder Prince smiled and
asked, “And are there tales of Siegfried`s strengths and
weaknesses?”
The Rhinemaidens seemed to confer, though
no words were spoken. “You will help us? You will return the
ring?”
“I give you my word as Johann, Prince of
Neder. With your assistance I will defeat Siegfried and gain the hand
of the Princess who is wearing your ring. The ring will then be
returned to you.”
Replying, the Rhinemaidens sang, “The
hero’s greatest strength and weakness are like hand in glove.
He is able to wield the great sword Nothung because he knows no fear,
a gift granted to him by his grandfather, the God Wotan. To balance
this endowment Wotan left him with but one weakness; since a man who
knows no fear will never retreat, the only way he can be harmed is by
direct injury to his back.”
“Thank you, ladies of
the Rhine. I will return with the magical ring.” Feeling
energized and refreshed, Johann bowed to the Rhinemaidens and turned
to mount his steed. As he was preparing to begin his journey home he
heard their final song.
“Heed this, oh Prince. If you
are approached by a Wanderer with a broken spear or a dwarf named
Alberich, continue on your way. In either of their hands, the golden
ring could cause the end of the world.”
The Neder Prince returned home
without incident, arriving one week before the Princess` wedding. He
had just enough time to complete the preparations for his
revenge.
On the day of the celebration, Johann arrived at the
Cathedral with his father the Neder King. The Nederland was of such
importance that their entourage was given the prized first pew to
view the wedding. Moreover, as an attempt to assuage any ill feelings
over Johann`s rejection as the Princess` suitor, the Neder Prince had
been selected by the Princess` father to be best man.
After
seeing his father seated, Johann joined the wedding party in the
waiting rooms at the entrance to the Cathedral. Siegfried and his
ushers were gathered in the smaller room to the right and Johann
approached the groom.
“Good morning Siegfried. What a
perfect day for your wedding. I just want you to know that I have no
hard feelings towards this wedding. You have won the Princess` heart
fairly and it is my great pleasure to serve as your best
man.”
“Thank you, Johann” replied Siegfried.
“Your father is the King’s most trusted friend and I’m
proud to have you bear witness to our wedding.” Siegfried
extended his hand in greeting and Johann shook it as the Princess`
father entered the room.
Taking advantage of the opportunity,
Johann spoke, “Since the Princess is already wearing the golden
ring, my opportunity to serve you as best man is limited. Please,
Siegfried. At least let me carry your helmet Tarnhelm to the altar. I
pledge to guard it with my life.”
Siegfried seemed
undecided but under the mounting marital pressures he gave Tarnhelm
to the Neder Prince before turning to greet the King. Johann smiled
within himself, “With Tarnhelm, my plan is complete and only
awaits the moment!”
As the King left the room the
Cathedral’s bells began pealing, announcing the wedding
procession. The ushers lined up and began their walk down the aisle,
Siegfried being preceded by Johann carrying the magical helmet
Tarnhelm.
As they waited at the altar the bells silenced and
an orchestra in the balcony began playing a wedding march. The
Princess` attendants strolled down the aisle, strewing jasmine
flowers in memory of Elaina`s first meeting with Siegfried.
The
Princess arrived at the altar on the arm of her father who placed her
hand in Siegfried’s. Dressed in a pure white gown, simple in
its sophistication, Elaina wore only three adornments; her Princess
crown, her mother’s pearl necklace and earrings, and the golden
ring. She carried a small bouquet of jasmine, which she gave to her
maid of honor who was standing at her side. Elaina and Siegfried
bowed to each other and turned to face the Cardinal standing in front
of the altar, the maid of honor and best man at their sides.
Before the pledge of vows, the
Cardinal first consecrated the marriage with the celebration of the
Holy Mass. When it became time for the wedding party to receive Holy
Communion, the Sacrament that allows the communicants to receive the
Body of Christ, the Prince of Neder knelt next to Siegfried.
As
the Cardinal approached him with the Sacrament, Johann seemed to reel
and he fell backwards, breathing heavily. Two groomsmen and his
father’s physician rushed to his side but he recovered quickly
and again took his place beside Siegfried. The Cardinal approached
him again with the Holy Eucharist but Johann bowed his head, refusing
the Sacrament. He spoke “I’m sorry. I think it’s
best that I don’t receive the Body of Christ. My stomach
remains queasy.” Siegfried faced his best man with a quizzical
look, then turned back to the Cardinal.
The rest of the
ceremony was uneventful and as the Cardinal pronounced Elaina and
Siegfried man and wife, the entire church erupted with cheers of joy
and happiness. The fainting incident seemed forgotten as the audience
awaited the wedding party’s passing so that the celebration
might begin.
As the newly married couple finished the
procession and arrived at the entrance to the Cathedral, Johann
approached Siegfried, “Before you greet your guests with your
lovely wife, may I have one minute of your time? It’s very
urgent!”
Siegfried frowned, then nodded, and the Neder
Prince directed him to the private room they had used before the
ceremony. Siegfried kissed his bride and told her he would be back in
a moment, then entered the room. Johann followed, closing the door
behind them.
The moment the door closed, Johann
fell to his knees. “Siegfried, I have a confession to make. My
jealousy of Elaina`s love for you had overwhelmed my reason. It was
only when I was to receive the Holy Eucharist at your wedding that my
eyes truly opened to my calumny. In my state of envy and dishonesty,
I was unable to accept the presence of God.”
Siegfried
helped Johann to his feet and bade him to continue. “Oh Prince,
I’ve traveled to your homeland in order to learn of your
weaknesses, to know the means of defeating you. At the great river in
your country I was awakened from sleep by the music of the
Rhinemaidens. From them I learned of your defeat of the dragon Fafner
and your capture of the golden ring and the magic helmet from his
lair. I am aware of Tarnhelm`s power and I was going to use it
against you. You see, the Rhinemaidens told me of your one weakness;
that your Grandfather Wotan left your back vulnerable to death since
he granted you the power of fearlessness. I was going to embrace you
and use my knife to slay you, then use Tarnhelm to take your place.
As Siegfried, I would tell my Father that I had left Neder for
adventure since I had failed to win Elaina`s love. In that way, I
would truly take your place at the side of the Princess forever. Your
body would be hidden here until late this evening when I would
dispose of it.”
Siegfried was shaken by this news, but
asked, “It is at least possible that you could have slain me,
but surely you didn’t think that the Princess wouldn’t
recognize the differences in our character?”
“I
didn’t think that far, Siegfried. My jealousy consumed me.”
On the verge of tears, the Neder Prince continued. “It was only
when I was to receive the Body of Christ in commemoration of your
wedding that I was able to see the ugliness of my soul.”
Siegfried
moved closer to Johann, placing his hand on the Prince’s
shoulder. “Come, Johann and join the festivities. The courage
you have shown in this confession has earned my forgiveness.”
Johann
bowed to Siegfried and replied, “Thank you for your
forgiveness, oh Prince, but I have much more to tell of the
Rhinemaidens. The lives of you and your bride may be in mortal
danger! The golden ring holds the answer!”
Siegfried put
his arm around Johann, leading him to the door. “I believe you,
but the celebration and my wedding night await. We will
speak more of this on the `morrow.”
As Siegfried put his hand on the
doorknob, he sensed a quick movement behind him. Johann pounced
quickly and Siegfried felt the dagger penetrate his back, his place
of vulnerability. The last perception he had as darkness overcame him
was of a laughter, joyous yet malevolent. After moving Siegfried’s
body to a closet that was practically invisible at the far recess of
the room, Johann donned the magic helmet Tarnhelm and exited the room
to meet his bride.
Elaina was standing in a reception line
between her father and the King of Neder. Johann, now
indistinguishable from his nemesis Siegfried, kissed Elaina on the
cheek and approached his father, the Neder King. Johann bowed to the
King and spoke, “Your Majesty, Johann has asked me to speak to
you. To spare any embarrassment, he has decided to leave us before
the reception. I did my best to dissuade him, but he felt that his
earlier rejection by Elaina may mar the day’s happiness. He
said not to worry; he was going on a solitary hunt and would be home
in a matter of weeks.”
The Neder King replied “Thank
you, Siegfried. That sounds very much like my son, always thinking of
others. I accept his decision and I say let us make haste with the
reception. I know that you must want to complete the formal
ceremonies so that you and the Princess may be alone.” Smiling,
the King continued, “After all, even an old man like myself
remembers his wedding night.”
His son, disguised as
Siegfried, bowed to the King and took his place in the reception line
next to the Princess Elaina. He smiled and took her hand, feeling the
power emanating from the golden ring on her wedding finger.
As soon as possible, the newly
married couple stole away from the reception and withdrew to the
Princess` quarters in her father’s castle. Her bedroom was
festooned with the scent of jasmine, an odor that Johann was not fond
of. He opened the doors to the patio to let in fresh air, then
approached the Princess.
“Finally alone, my dear. And I
have something for you.” Johann as Siegfried withdrew a small
box from his vest pocket and presented it to Elaina. She opened the
box to reveal a beautiful diamond engagement and wedding ring set.
“My Princess should be wearing rings befitting her status, not
that little ring of gold I gave you for our engagement.” He
took her left hand in his and started to remove the ring from her
finger.
The princess looked at him questioningly, “But
Siegfried, this little ring of gold signifies our love. I have no
want of other rings. Our ring of love is all that I wish to
wear.”
Johann put his arms around her and drew her close
to him. “As you wish, Elaina. Let’s say no more of it.”
He bent down and kissed her passionately.
After more than a
few seconds, Elaina withdrew from the kiss and stared into Johann`s
eyes. “Is everything all right with you Siegfried? You don’t
seem yourself.”
“I’m fine, my dear. I think
it may be this infernal smell. This room is infested with jasmine
blossoms, their odor is overpowering.” Johann sat on the bed
after further opening the patio doors. “Come sit by me, Elaina.
It’s time for bed.”
As she sat next to him Johann
pulled her roughly to a supine position next to him, then moved his
body over hers. As he brought his face to hers, Elaina put her hands
in his hair and pulled the helmet Tarnhelm from his head.
Instantaneously, Johann appeared as himself.
“What have
you done with Siegfried?” Elaina asked as she stood up from the
bed.
Johann approached her, stating “I’m sorry,
Princess. You are too late to help Siegfried and if you know what’s
good for you, you will hand over the ring.”
As the Neder Prince brought his
dagger to her throat, he spoke. “It will be difficult to
explain your death, my dear, but as the grieving newlywed and
widower, Siegfried will bathe in the tears of his nation. It matters
little to me; which do you value, the ring or your life?”
Elaina sobbed and took the golden ring from her finger and threw it
onto the patio, where it lay among the jasmine.
As Johann rushed to retrieve the
talisman, a small woodbird alit, took the ring in its beak and flew
to the edge of the patio. It hovered perhaps a foot from the patio’s
railing, behaving more like a hummingbird than a typical woodbird. As
the bird seemed to tease him forward, Johann approached the patio
railing and reached forward to where the woodbird was arcing. It
hovered just out of harm’s reach and Johann slowly turned his
body to face left, thereby freeing his right hand holding the dagger
to reach further over the railing. The woodbird seemed to sense the
change and began to widen the arc of its flight away from the patio.
Fearing the loss of all his dreams, Johann tensed and as the
woodbird`s arc narrowed his distance to the railing, the Neder Prince
extended his daggered hand in one fell swoop towards the woodbird.
The bird stopped his progress in mid-flight and Johann was carried
forward by his momentum over the patio railing, landing three flights
below on a ground of tiled paving.
The woodbird flew to Elaina`s side
and dropped the golden ring next to her hand. The bird perched on
Elaina`s shoulder and whispered in her ear “Coo-coo”,
then flew out the patio doors. The Princess sat, unable to move, but
when the bird repeated this ritual three times she roused herself and
followed the bird to the patio. The bird flew directly to the side
door of the chapel and perched above the door, staring at the
Princess. “Coo-coo”, he said, “Coo-coo”.
Princess Elaina opened the door
and followed the bird inside. The bird flew directly to a darkened
area of the chapel and seemed to hover above a closet door. Lighting
her way with the golden ring, Elaina sped to the closet and said a
prayer as she opened it. Lying on the closet floor was Siegfried’s
body; inert, unmoving.
The Princess sobbed as she fell to the
ground, cradling Siegfried’s head to her breast. “Oh,
dear Lord, please help me. I must save him!” As she kissed his
lips, the ring touched his face: Siegfried’s eyes flickered as
he suddenly gasped for air. Elaina felt him struggling, trying to
rise, then falling backwards in a faint. She quickly took his hand
and placed the ring on his wedding finger. In seconds she could see
the color returning to his face.
Siegfried opened his eyes and
smiled when he saw Elaina holding him, her lips close to him, her
tears watering his cheek. The Princess kissed him and spoke “My
love, what did he do to you? Are you feeling well enough to speak?”
Siegfried seemed to gain energy as he remembered the plunging of the
knife in his back by the Neder Prince. He felt his back, moist with
blood, yet could feel no pain.
