True Love's Journey

This is a work of fiction; however as I am a priest of Sheela Peryroyl and love is an important topic for me this is also a story of my observations and feelings on the nature of love.

It is a tale nearly as old as time. From the gods to us mere mortals, love is one of the foundations of the world. There is the love of each other, the love of family, the love of friends and the love of the paramour. Most powerfully of all is the love of one's true love; the one who stops our heart with a glance and who's smile brings to us the greatest delight. The love for whom we would move the planes themselves to keep safe. This is but one such tale.

They came from distant lands; their lives so very different. She was raised alone, without the love of family to keep Her warm. Yet even without this She grew to a young lady with a heart of gold and a passion for Her peoples and Her friends. He grew to a life more privileged, yet for all of that His emotions were His own; hidden behind a veil of seriousness and stoicism. Both of them in time found wanderlust in their hearts and sought lands afar. She picked up Her bow and He His blade and in time fate drew them together on a yet more distant shore.

Time passed.

Their first meeting was chance; stumbling upon each other in a land far from their homes. Within each of them their heart skipped a beat at a smile, and then words were shared. The first whispers of interest, the desire to be friends, to know one another a little bit more. Together the two shared an adventure into the darkest of holes, coming out alive by the strength of His blade and the speed of Her bow. A bond of comradery began. A bond of friendship which would in time blossom into love.

Perhaps they were always in love, drawing them across the leagues from home in order to meet and discover it.

Time passed.

Their first warm embrace came some time later. It was as if by mutually unspoken agreement that the two stepped forward arms wide. Their arms wrapped around each other and pulled tightly. Warmth, comfort, love. The embrace lasted seconds, minutes, hours, days. The world came to a stop; each feeling the safest they've ever felt in the other's embrace. Each feeling the most loved they've ever felt. They both knew there was more than attraction, there was the truest of love ready to blossom. Yet both were still too shy to take the leap, to make themselves truly vulnerable to the most harrowing of pains. What if they were wrong? But how could they be wrong when this felt so right?

For both, the world felt more alive. They were in love and so the world was more colourful. From the chirps of the birds to the music of their kin the sounds were more beautiful; the art of the world and of nature was more vivid and food more rich. Their world was alive in ways it had never been before.

Time passed.

It happened after another one of their trips, yet another dire place to visit. After a dangerous journey it was time to revel in life once more. Drinks were had along with joyous conversation and then a comfortable silence by the crackling fire. In unison they both turned to each other and realized how close they were sitting. Shy smiles to each other as their eyes met, a small flush of the cheeks. They leaned forward slightly, their lips touching. The world ended. All the world went silent as if holding their breath to not disturb the moment. All they could hear and feel was each other.

It would be the first of many kisses shared by them, as they finally expressed their love for each other. They would be together. Their hearts were one and soon so to were their spirits. She had shown Him true love and breached His veil of seriousness; breaking through to the smiles beneath. He has shown Her that She was important and meant more to Him than the entire world. They both knew that they would be together, that nothing could separate them.

Time passed.

In a great party full of friends, the two were wed. She looked so dazzling in Her apparel as to make many jealous of Him; and He looked so handsome that many swooned as He passed. Before all the gathered they both spoke their vows. Layers and layers of love written and spoken in each word, bringing tears to many eyes at the beautiful poetry of it. Before their gods they stood side by side as they became husband and wife and they shared their first kiss as newly weds.

The room rejoiced followed by many hours of joyous merrymaking. The two were loved dearly by their friends, yet no love could come close to the love they held for each other. They loved and cared for each other more than the entire world.

Time passed.

Grey hairs one morning were met with the same smiles as every other morning. The world was perfect for the two in love. Their hearts and spirits now one, forever and beyond time. Their passion for each other had never dimmed, nor had the compassion given to each other in the high times and the low. They had stood together and weathered every storm, through tears of joy and grief; through smiles and frowns. Two that had stood alone in the world now stood together. They would move the planes themselves to be there for each other, to protect, to care and to love.

Time passed, and love continued on. Perhaps they had always and were always in love, drawing them across the leagues from home in order to meet, to discover and to flourish in it.