Dream of the Iron-Hearted Lovers

Not too far off from their village, under the warm afternoon sun, the two lovers sneaked off for a little bit of fun. The dashing young man began clapping a rhythm as the lovely young lady danced to her heart's content. Her laughing and cheerful mood were intoxicating to him as he joined her for a jig.

“Oh, how merry it is to dance with you,” he said. “My feet will never tire when you are around.”

“I too am having fun,” she said. “Let us dance into the evening, into the night, and until dawn.”

Their feet pranced and hopped with their laughter echoing throughout the plain. As much as she desired to continue her dance well into the night, she had to finally rest as she falls to the ground, and he too joins her.

While they lay down, he holds her hand which caused her to giggle. “I love you with all my heart,” he told her, “I desire you to be my wife.”

She was happy to hear those words, as much as she was also saddened by them. She releases her hand and sits straight up. “I'm sorry but that can't happen.”

He too sits up. “Why not? Let us talk to our parents. Surely, they will agree.”

“It's too late. I'm already arranged to be married.”

“What do you mean? When did this happen?”

“I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier but I'm destined to marry Erick.”

“Erick? He's the leader of the village over yonder.“

“Yes, and I am to be his wife soon.”

“This is deplorable. That man already has fifty-six wives.”

“I can't do anything. My parents will receive land and gold in exchange. They will no longer live in poverty.”

He gets up onto his feet. “This is degrading, to trade off their daughter for a mere bag of gold.” He kneels down. “I won't allow it. I want you to be my wife. I will cherish you for eternity. No other woman will do. You're the only one I love.”

Those words had pierced her heart. With tears streaming down her eyes she told him, “I'm sorry but I must go through with this. Let us never meet again, lest I do ill to my family,” and she runs off.

Returning to the village, she was about to enter her hut when she saw Erick visiting and speaking to her parents. He was sitting on a chair, twirling the hair on his chest, eating the leg of a cooked turkey. The last thing she wanted was to be seen and so hid herself by the wall of the house, watching from the window above her.

“I look forward to the wedding ceremony,” said Erick as he rubbed his rotund hairy stomach. “Do be sure she is on time. Send her one day before the wedding. Make her wear what I have prepared for her. It is a white silk dress with jewels around the trimming and a crown made of roses.”

“Yes, Sir Erick,” she heard her father say. “We will send her on time. Thank you for your dowry of five bags of gold coins.”

Erick tosses the barren turkey leg across the room as he belches. “Dear Sir, for your daughter, I would pay ten overflowing bags of gold, for she is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen and have been smitten by her beauty and grace. Shame that you would have to make her a harlot to support your family, but fear not, for she will be taken care of as my new bride. I will cherish her the most for a sweet and fragile flower such as her needs a gentle touch.” He shifts his body before letting out a most raucous flatulence. “But I will only give you five bags since you failed to send her years ago as I requested. Be gracious I gave in to your request.”

“Please understand that she was not of age at the time. Only recently did she become a woman.”

“Had you sent her when I requested, she would've been a woman for some time now. HO HO HO!”

“Kind sir,” she heard her mother say. “We are thankful that she has a fine husband with rich lands and much gold. Why if only we had our second daughter conceived at the same time rather than be in my belly right now.”

“That is not a problem. As soon as she is born, send her my way and I will give you another ten bags of gold and ten fine horses.”

“You hear that wife?” her father said. “Steeds!”

“As you may know,” her mother spoke again, “we could use some goats.”

“Then conceive another daughter,” Erick said, “and I will give you an entire farm.”

“Hooray!” Her father cheered. “Let us have as many children as possible. How about a son, Sir Erick?”

“A boy? That is not of my interest. Just send me all your daughters.“

All three were now laughing and being merry but all their daughter could do was cry.

In another village, the young man returns home only to be scolded at by his incorrigible mother. “You have been cajoling that girl again, haven't you? How about you start being a man and find yourself a wife instead of playing like a child? When will you grow up? If you must remain here, go out into the fields and till the land.”

He said nothing and just did as ordered.

He was joined by his friend as he was staying at their house in exchange of work. “Have you heard about Erick?” he started chatting. “I heard another girl is being taken away to be his wife. Sure must be nice to have so much money, to whisk our girlies away while we lads get stuck with all the work, huh? But he's so ugly, I don't think any girl wants to wed him, honestly. Why my sister would rather die than to be his wife, so she tells me. Whose to say the next girl will not regret this decision? But who will come to save her? Nobody, that's who. We no longer live in an age of heroes. That's all in the past, nothing but legend. Now it's all about obeying our lords and those who have enough gold to buy all our sisters and daughters. To think, perhaps, I was to be his next victim. For I have such pretty looks like a girl but have been blessed with masculine form.” He sighs as he dusts off his dress. “Still, if only there was one hero left who would free our women from the selfish men in power, then maybe we'd have a chance, us poor folk, huh?”

The dashing young man drops his plow. “Hero?” He says as he turns to his friend.

“Aye. Those gallant men who used to take down the monarchy, procure riches, and get the ladies. Alas, there are none to be had anymore. O woe to us women who cannot find a dashing hero to marry off and live happily every after.”

The dashing young man grabs his friend by his shoulder, “Tell me, where can I find a horse?”

Then, on the day where the young lady was sent to be wedded off, she sat on a cart being pulled by some of Erick's finest warriors. The man himself had joined them along with another older gentleman in fine robes with a great gem imposed on the right breast. This man was walking alongside Erick who was being carried by a donkey decorated in white silk cloth with jewels all around the lining and wearing a crown made of roses on its head.

“Sir Erick,” says the man in the robe, “as your advisor, it is my duty to warn you that it is unwise to see your wife before the wedding. You will welcome ill omens into your life.”

“Shut your mouth,” Erick spouts. After taking the last bite of the cooked pig, the entirety of the boar's skeleton crumbles when he tosses it onto the dirt road. “I've done this many times before and nothing bad has happened.”

“You have been targeted for assassination.”

“And they have not done a thing. Cowards, the lot of them.”

“Some of the parents are angry, claiming you have taken their daughters against their will.”

From the bag beside him, Erick takes out a roasted leg of a dog. “I paid them well. Even if they didn't consent, I still left a bag full of gold. I did no wrong. Isn't that right, Santa Mari?” He spoke of this as he pats the donkey's fore loins followed by a slap on her buttocks.

The troops were now going up a hill and when they reached the top, a horse suddenly appeared before them, raised on his hind legs rearing. The warriors didn't anticipate such a thing as they let go of the cart and jump out of the way lest they be trampled by the speeding horse. The advisor abandoned his master and the donkey managed to tip over the massive load of corpulence as Erick falls onto the ground on his rump. Incapable of getting up without the aid of his advisor, he tried to grab onto the donkey but she ran off. All he could do was gasp as the speeding horse tramples his face and sends him straight to Hell.

Rolling downhill, the young lady held on to the cart tightly as it picked up momentum, not even slowing down when it reached the base. In the path that the runaway cart was on stood a tree and she braces herself for an impact that will spare her from this miserable life further. She closes her eyes tightly but then hears the sound of a horse galloping closer. “Take my hand,” she hears as she looks up and sees her hero reaching out towards her. “Grab hold and we will run away to be together. I would rather die than live without you. If you so love me just as I have loved you, please take my hand.”

She could not stop the tears from escaping her eyes as she grabs his hand tightly and he pulls her onto his horse. She embraces him from behind as his steed runs wildly towards the horizon and beyond.

An agonizing neigh erupts from the horse as it raises on its hind legs and collapses to the ground. The star-crossed lovers were ejected and as they too join the horse onto the earth.

When the dust cleared, the young man saw an arrow sticking out of the horse's hind leg. His eyes turn to an archer putting away his bow and taking out his sword, running along with his cohorts.

“No,” the young lady pleads when the young man pulls out his sword, “you can't win.”

“I must for there is no other option. Stay clear and hide yourself.”

The warriors arrived with battle cries and he meets them with one of his own. Swords start to clash as he proceeds to engage in combat. A great strife was had as he takes them all on at once. His sheer determination was evident in how he managed to hold each one off as they struggled to get near him. It was an impressive display that she could not help but continue to watch and wanted to aid him. This led to her noticing the archer was once again aiming another arrow.

She jumps into the fray and pushes him out of the way of the arrow that did cut through the air and penetrated her heart. Falling to her knees, the young man reaches for her and was in time for her to land in his arms.

“Why didn't you run?” he says through his tears. “You should have ran and hid!”

“I'm sorry,” she spoke in a soft and calm tone, “but I too cannot live without you. And I'm afraid that my time has now come. I leave this world, but do not cry for me, because I shall wait for you in the afterlife. There, we will finally be together at long last.” Her eyes close, her mouth was agape, and her body limps.

“No! Please! Stay with me! Do not leave me for I would rather die than live without you!”

As if his words had conjured a challenge, one of the warriors had approached him from behind. Lifting his sword as high as he could, he swings it onto his backside.

The two lovers were no longer of this world.