The Story With No Ending

Jade walked outside the house and into the sun. It was a warm day in the middle of summer and the rays beat down on her shoulder whipping her skin with heat. Jade had a basket in one hand filled with a blanket to lie on and a book to read. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail that exposed her naturally tan shoulders.

Jade took in the scenery around her. It was acres of rolling green hills with big oak trees scattered all across. Right in the middle of the land was a large white plantation style house complete with a wraparound porch. It was her grandmother’s house; Jade spent the summer up at her grandmother’s ranch in Georgia every year.

Jade set her eye on the largest tree in the field and trudged up a hill to get to it. Her skin had already broken out in to a thin sheen of perspiration caused by the hotness of the day. As she made her way up the hill she remembered when she was younger, and she used to run around all over the land pretending she was in a far away kingdom. Sometimes she was a queen determined to ride into battle with her men, and sometimes she was a Native American hunting for any white men that dare wander onto her territory. Theses kingdoms and stories that Jade had made up in her head faded with her age and now those games seemed childish and silly.

Once she made it up to the tree she spread out the large red blanket on the grass in the shade of the tree. Jade brought out the book from the basket, it had no cover and no title, so Jade had picked it up from her grandmothers book shelf. Once as she was settled she closed her eyes and listened to the tree sigh in the wind. Soon her closed eyes closed off the world around her and took her away into its darkness of a deep slumber.

Jade was running. She was encircled with walls made out of green bushes about twenty feet tall. They were well groomed and every once in awhile she would see a random flower peeking out of the green. The sky had fallen into a deep purple. It was getting late; the sun was slowly falling down into the earth.

Jade looked down to see she was clad in a floor length strapless dress. The bodice of the dress a light shade of purple and was embroidered with dark purple beads that formed the shape of leaves which were all connected by swirls. The skirt of her dress was not silk like her bodice but it was the same light shade of purple. The skirt was made out of a mesh material that had pieces of fabric that hung in uneven layers around her legs.

Jade kept running even though she knew she wasn’t moving her own legs. She was trapped within someone’s body watching their life go by. Her hands grabbed at her dress and picked it up as she ran through what seemed to be a maze. She was lost, her feet frantically moved over the cobblestone ground making clicking and clacking sounds. She ran around corners only to come to dead ends. One wall was curved that led to a straight away. She followed it because it looked familiar. She ran and then took a left, her hazel eyes set on a little sliver of light peaking around a wall. She followed it and she came through an entry way.

“Oh, there is our little Aaricia!”

To her left was a young woman, right about to hit twenty, coming toward her. She had hair that was auburn and pinned back into an elaborate bun that showed off her long slender neck. Her dress was green and her bodice held large gems that started right below her shoulders and came down in two curved lines that ended with a point. Her skirt was silk and matched the same deep green as her bodice. Her dark eyes filled with light and excitement. Jade felt her heart sink at the excitement of her sister.

She came up and wrapped her arms around her in an embracing hug. She took a hold of Aaricia’s bare hand and led her to the crowd of people congregated in the garden. There were lamps, filled with only flame, hung everywhere providing light in the plunging darkness. The cobblestone ground held tables and benches and still had room for a dance floor. The women’s skirts brushed along the ground as they went about the motions of their dance to the violins and cellos soft melodies. A group of people had formed along the edges of the maze.

“She’s here everyone, I found my darling sister!”

Everyone laughed and greeted Aaricia with warm smiles. Her eyes set upon him as well as his eyes set upon her, those deep blue eyes that seemed to bore into her soul and strip her from all her lies. His chiseled jaw and the way he combed his dark blonde hair back caused thrills through her body.

“Okay so everyone knows how to play right?”

Everyone laughed and yelled ‘yes’ at him as he passed around two boxes, one larger and heavier than the other. Aaricia knew the game they were about to play in the castles garden. Everyone was to pull out a ribbon. There were two of each color and you tied it into a loose knot around your wrist. The person who had the same color as you was your partner; you were supposed to find them within the maze. However, you couldn’t just find the person and go, you were required to put on a mask as well. In the dark it would be ten times harder to find your partner.

Once everyone had put on their masks and tied their ribbons around their wrists they went about the circle to see who their partner was. Aaricia looked on everyone’s wrist for a red ribbon, she found one and looked to see who the wrist belonged to. It was Prince Henry; he smiled over to her, that sweet smile that made her whole body freeze. Before she could make her way towards him her father banged on his champagne class.

“To the happy couple Prince Henry and Lady Caroline, may your marriage be prosperous!”

Everyone with a drink in their hand took a large sip. Then her father dismissed the ladies into the maze first. All the girls, including Aaricia, flew into the maze in a whirlwind of lush expensive fabric. Aaricia ran, she didn’t know the maze by heart but then again neither did anyone else. However, Aaricia did know one way to get to a particular part of the maze.

Her feet took her to the curve that formed a swirl in bushes making a slight enclosing. She knew that Henry would run to the same spot she was hiding in now. It was their spot, the spot where they met each other in secret almost every night. Her heart pounded with just thought of him looking at her let alone touching her skin.

Soon enough a shadow appeared in the opening of the swirl. Her heart pounded beneath her bodice in anticipation. Her mind went to the dark thought of it not being him until he quickened his pace toward her. They both tore off their masks and once free of their masks, their lips smashed into one another with burning passion.

She had been waiting and dreaming for this all day long. The next chance to see him was all her brain could think about. His lips trailed from her mouth down her neck and to the edge of her bodice were her breasts were overflowing. He was careful not to leave any marks from his love bites. He knew the rumors that would spread if he did.

She had arrived to his castle a month ago. In that month he had been charmed by her every move and word. The way she danced with a slight smile never more never less, the way her hair was always done the same way, down with little strands pulled back in barrettes dripping with pearls. This goddess he had been waiting for his whole life came in the most unfortunate form of his fiancé’s sister.

Aaricia was happy that her sister was to be the future Queen of their flourishing country. She could not have wished for a more deserving thing for a creature so kind and generous with her love. Her sweet, innocent older sister introduced them the night they had arrived. There was an instant connection between them. They could both feel the deep passions of their souls. That night Aaricia took a midnight stroll through the maze. She had gotten lost just as she expected she would but she thought that she would be able to find her way out. She walked around until her feet were sore and her legs dragged on the cobblestone. She found the little enclosed swirl and sat down. That night Prince Henry found her on the ground. He sat next to her and they talked about everything that hit their minds. They headed back when they felt it was late and their absences would be noticed. They met every night in the same place from then on.

They kissed with passion that if it could ever be fully released would shake the stars from where they stood. He grabbed onto her hair pulling their lips apart, still longing for more.

“If I come to your bed chamber tonight will you accept me?”

His voice was low and serious as he looked into his lovers innocent hazel eyes. Aaricia knew what that meant. Women who accepted men into their bed chambers who they weren't married to were considered whores and shunned in society. She would not be a whore, so she gently shook her head no. Henry saw that little smile that played on her lips, she felt proud for refusing such temptation. He saw it in her eyes though; they held the same wishes and lust as his own.

“If I got to choose who to marry you know that it would be you. My heart will always and forever belong to you.”

Aaricia’s chest lifted at his words. Her heart and lust will always belong to him as well. If she could she would give up her body and soul to this man standing before her cupping her face. She couldn’t, it was not her place to give up such things, it was his wife’s place. Her sister would give him everything she couldn’t but desperately longed for. Aaricia’s place was with a husband that her parents would choose for her soon.

“I know, my love. My body sickens with the fact that this will be the last night we will ever meet like this.”

Aaricia’s chest clenched when he pulled away from her. His eyes filled with such sorrow and disappointment at her words. She knew that she couldn’t commit the sin of adultery, especially when his wife was her sister. She could barely withstand the guilt now. The way Caroline’s face lights up when she talks about the wedding and her new husband was too much bare. She couldn’t hold more weight by being the mistress of her husband.

“No, I love you! I don’t think that I can stand my burdens without your light to keep me grounded!”

His voice was forceful but never came louder than a whisper. He took her little hands into his own, and kissed them. Aaricia was overwhelmed by the weakness she caused on a man that was perceived as one of the most strong in the entire nation. He hunted everyday. He could and expertly handle a bow and arrow and hit right on the bulls eye. He was to be king to lead there great realm into fortune. Now here he was, a great and noble man, on his knees before her kissing her unworthy hands.

She collapsed down in front of him. She took her hands and moved them on his smooth face. She kissed him tenderly and with fervor that she had been holding back. She leaned back with him on top of her, her whole body filled with tingles from his hands that explored her and with the fear of getting caught. They breathed each other’s hot breath as their lust took over them. Henry’s hand ventured up her dress and she made a sharp breath that filled her lungs and almost hurt. Her head told her that this was not the proper place to lose her precious virginity. She knew what she was doing was wrong and that any moment someone could find them in a most indecent state. This fact only made her long for him more, she wanted him now. Aaricia knew that she could have him in this very second deep within the darkness of the maze. But she couldn’t. Her lips ventured to his ear and whispered for him to stop. He pulled back immediately to her commands. Henry’s eyes poured with pain and disappointment.

“We can’t do this Henry. Know that I want this with every fiber of my being but we simply can’t.”

Her voice spoke of reason just as Henry has always known them too. The opposite way of his thoughts which tended to be up in the sky. She was the perfect half of his soul. Henry had just found what would make his life complete and it was being ripped away from him. He knew he couldn’t run off because there was no possible way to escape his father. Once he was found missing he would send his army out looking for him. Henry was also the only heir to the throne; if he left he abandoned his country. Which was a scar on his conscience that he would never be able to accept.

“I will always love you, Aaricia.”

“And I will always love you.”

Aaricia watched as Henry took his hands out from under her dress. They went to the bush and picked out a purple flower to match the colors she wore. He held it up to her so Aaricia could see it then he pulled up her dress revealing her stockings that went up her thigh. He pulled at the material sliding the flower between the fabric and her warm smooth thigh.

“Something to remember me by, my darling Aaricia.”

She smiled as her hands went up to a strand of hair that was held by one of her signature clips. She put it in his hand and then enclosed it. The strand fell over her face.

“Something to remember me by as well, my love.”

They kissed one last time and this kiss was mixed with salty tears.

Jade woke up underneath the safety of the tree. Her face and skin protected by the shade. She awoke with a smile. She hadn’t had a dream with an actual plot in forever. Her dream inspired that old side of her that she thought had been lost forever, that childlike side that spent her days in the clouds and in faraway lands. She spent her remaining time under the sun thinking of the many different possibilities. Once as the sun was fading away over the hills she folded up the red blanket and put it back in the basket and picked up the un-read book.

When jade picked up the book heard a faint clinking sound. She opened it up to find that it was not a book at all it was really a box in guise of a book. Within it held a little barrette that was covered in pearls. It came with a note that was yellow from age.

To my dearest Aaricia,

You will always be my love story with no ending.

Love Henry