Life, Death, and Strange Encounters

Isaac’s POV

I took Johanna to see my favourite place. While we were there, a unicorn appeared to us. I couldn’t believe it at first. Johanna doesn’t know what this truly means, since she’s not from this world. When a unicorn appears to a couple, it means that they’re meant to be together forever. It is the most powerful blessing we could receive.

Even withouth the blessing of the unicorn, I would know that she is the only woman for me. But she is human and I am immortal. Therefore, the only way to keep her next to me is to…
…Marry her.

When we got back to the castle, I left Johanna to amuse herself for a while, since I needed to talk about my thought with my father. I didn’t tell her anything yet, deciding to ask for my father’s opinion first. I tried to acknowledge the fact that our relationship with Johanna was still very young and marriage was something of extreme importance, especially in the life of the crown prince. But this human girl had managed to make me forget all traditions and I wasn’t ready to lose her. Ever.
Knocking softly, I pushed open the door to my father’s study. Fortunately, he was there. When he lifted his gaze from the papers he had been going through before I interrupted, his eyes held a knowing look. I must say, I sometimes found it quite unnerving that my father was able to read me like an open book…

“You have something you need to discuss, my son?“

I nodded. “Something very important.“

My father chuckled. “I gathered as much.“

Sighing, I decided to just come forward with what I had been thinking about."Father, I love Johanna with all my heart. I want to be with her for the rest of my life, which, in this case, means forever."

The king gave me a long, piercing look. "Why don't you marry her, then?"

My eyes became wide as saucers. "But...We've been together for such a short time. Wouldn't it be strange? I mean, I was thinking about asking her to marry me before I came to see you, and I would in a heartbeat, but... There are certain traditions. People would disapprove, I'm afraid, and as the future king, I need to keep up a good reputation."

Sebastian smiled. "My son, I see the way you two look at each other. In a different situation, I would definitely tell you to wait, but she is human and so she doesn't have much time. If you want to be with her, there is no other way – she must become immortal. That can only happen through marriage. If your love is pure and you are sure about it, then I think you should ask her to marry you.”

“If you approve, I will ask her to marry me on the day she needs to go back. Then, maybe, she will not leave.”

My father smiled. “Go for it, son, and I wish you all the good luck in the world.”

Johanna’s POV

I woke up the next morning and squinted my eyes in the sunlight. That’s probably what woke me up in the first place. Turning around, I came face to face with Isaac’s bare back. Smiling to myself, I brushed my fingers along his spine. This seemed to work as a great wake-up technique, since he suddenly turned towards me and smiled. “You are beautiful.”

I giggled. “I love you.”

He brushed his lips against mine. “Love you too, sweetheart.”

Yawning and stretching, I jumped off the bed. “Shower time!”

First, I ran to the wardrobe and picked out a red summer dress and red ballet flats to wear. Then I made my way to the bathroom, leaving Isaac still in bed, laughing at my sudden joyfulness.

When we were both ready to start the day, we met with Lucy and Damien on the way to breakfast. Upon entering the dining room, we saw that the king and queen were already there, accompanied by a man I did not know.

The unknown man seemed rather strange. He had a unique aura surrounding him – he seemed ageless. It is difficult to describe him; his features seemed to blur together when he moved. His long white hair fell over his shoulders. But his eyes… His eyes were crystal clear and as blue as the sky. He looked up when we entered and his eyes locked with mine. I felt a strange pulling in my heart when I gazed into his endless blue orbs.

Sebastian and Lania stood when we entered. “Good morning, children! Please, be seated and enjoy the wonderful breakfast.”

Isaac and I sat down, facing the royal couple. I had to sit next to the strange man I did not know. Before taking my seat, I threw a questioning glance towards him, which did not go unnoticed by the queen. She laughed musically. “Oh, Sebastian! We forgot to introduce Isaac’s grandfather to the girls.”

Lucy and I looked at each other. THIS was Death himself? As if hearing my thoughts, the man looked into my eyes again. “Yes, I am Death. It is nice to meet you, Johanna and Lucy.”

His voice gave me goosebumps. It was low, but yet as musical as Lania’s. Suddenly, he stood. “Unfortunately, I must leave now. I have… certain duties to attend to.”

We all stood with him. Before he started towards the door, he turned to Isaac and I once more. “Good luck, children.” With that, he walked out the door and I must note how it opened and closed by itself when he passed. Death truly was a strange man, and the power I felt before lingered in the room.

Now that the guest had left, we sat down once again and enjoyed our breakfast.

“What are your plans for today?” Lania inquired.

Isaac and I looked at each other. We hadn’t thought about that yet. Lucy and Damien on the other hand, had plans ready. Damien chuckled and sent a glance towards Lucy. “We were supposed to go for a walk in the woods and see if we can find any tree nymphs.”

“Could we join you?” I asked, “we could have a picnic later.”

Before Lucy or Damien could answer, Isaac took my hand. “Sweetheart, I know what we are going to do today. But it’s a surprise.”

I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway. “Isaac, you know I don’t like surprises.”

“You liked the last one,” Isaac said and winked.

“Yeah, but-“

“No buts. I can assure you, you will love what I’m going to show you.”

I sighed playfully. “If I must…”

Seeing Isaac’s pout, I burst out laughing. “Isaac, you know I’m only joking! I’m sure I’ll like it, no matter what it is.”

He smiled at me. “Very well, since we’re finished with breakfast, let’s head out. Father, mother…” He nodded to them and we left the dining room to go outside.

I was rather surprised when Isaac led me towards the city. What could possibly be waiting for us there? We were in a magical kingdom and the city was filled with strange places and creatures. Still, when we came to a building that seemed to be an ordinary house, I looked at Isaac questioningly.
“Looks can be deceiving, love,” he said, and winked. We stepped into the dark hallway of the building.

When the door closed behind us with a bang, the hallway was suddenly lit as the lamps on the walls started glowing. A little man with pointy ears and blue skin appeared in front of us. He was an elf, an elf of the blue race, it seemed. I had started learning about the creatures living in this world from Isaac, asking questions when encountering a new species. And this small man was exactly like the blue elves were, short, pointy-eared and obviously very blue. When he saw Isaac, he bowed so low that the tip of his hat almost brushed the dusty carpet on the floor.

“My Prince! What a surprise seeing you in my humble home. Of course, it is a pleasure! And who is this lovely lady that is accompanying you on your journey?” His big yellow eyes bore into mine, but the moment he saw I was looking back at him, his eyes fell to the ground. A sign of respect.

Isaac nodded his head when the elf looked up. “Nice to see you again, Gewain. This is Johanna, of the human race. She is my girlfriend.”

The elf’s eyes went wide and for a moment he forgot all about the etiquette, as his eyes went over my frame which was almost two times as tall as his. “A human in this world? In the name of the two moons! I would have never thought I’d see a human with my own eyes! What can I do for you, my lady from the other world?”

Isaac spoke up again. “We are here for your astonishing work, of course. I have heard you make these special magical bracelets…”

The elf nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, the Bracelets of Truth, you mean! Oh, but these are of great power. Are you sure you are ready to see what lies underneath the surface?”

Isaac looked at my confused face and smiled. “I am sure.”

The elf nodded. “Very well then, come, let’s go to my workplace.” He led us through some more corridors and finally we came to a wooden door about the same height as me. Strangely, it didn’t have a handle. Gewain pushed a golden ornament in the center of the door and it opened. We walked through it, Isaac bending down to fit the door frame, and came to what appeared to be a jewelery shop.

Gewain started running around the workplace instantly, looking for materials he needed to make whatever that Bracelet of Truth was. Soon he came back to us with nothing more than what appeared to be just two silver balls. Although this wasn’t normal silver, since it was sparkling and seemed to be glowing from the inside. He placed one into my palm and the other to Isaac’s. He then glanced at my now utterly confused face.

“My human lady seems to be confused. Prince, does she know what the Bracelet of Truth is?”

Isaac glanced at me and smiled. “I don’t think she does. Would you explain it to her, Gewain?”

The elf bowed. “Gladly. Milady, spells and a small marble like the one in your hand make the Bracelet of Truth. The substance you are holding is found in the caves under the mountain of Aglazia, in the northern part of Avalon. In essence, it is solid white magic that has gathered over thousands of years from small specks that fly into the air every time someone utters a spell. Some of these sparks find a way into the cave where they gather together to form a mass you see in your palm. It is not easy to get but it is very powerful. From this mass I can create Bracelets of Truth. It takes a secret spell only a jewelery master knows and the outcome is something very special. The moment a couple comes into my shop and requests Bracelets of Truth, I give them two of these marbles and say the words. With the help of magic, the solid mass begins to twist and turn around the persons’ wrist, forming two identical bracelets that picture the bond between these individuals. It is different every time and can bring great joy or great sorrow. You see, when the glowing bracelets maintain their silvery white colour and are mostly symmetrical, it shows that the bond between those people is pure and unbreakable. The more anomalies, the more fragile is the relationship. That’s why it is called the Bracelet of Truth. Not many people are brave enough to see what lies beneath.”

I looked at Isaac, terrified. Did he not trust me? Did he really need to check if I was the right woman for her? But then again, I was flattered that he seemed to be sure about this and I was anxious myself to know about the bond between us, to see how strong it truly was. I knew for a fact that my feelings were true and burning in my heart, and therefore the fear slowly started to disappear. I had nothing to be afraid of.

Isaac smiled at me. “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. Our love is unbreakable. The bracelet is just a special way to always keep reminding us of that.”

I nodded and smiled back at him. “Let’s do it.”

My lover chuckled. “You heard the lady, Gewain. Begin.”

The elf started chanting. The marble in my palm shook and became warm, then liquid. I squeezed my eyes shut, vowing to see the result when this was all over. I did not want to see the possible colour change that would suggest we are doomed. Still, I could feel the liquid magic twisting and turning, climbing up my palm and circling my wrist.

In what seemed like only moments, it was over and I opened my eyes. I saw that Isaac had moved in front of me and was smiling. He took my hand and lifted it, so that I could see it. A cold jolt went through me when my eyes fell upon the now cold bracelet around my wrist. It was the purest silver I had ever seen and completely symmetrical. It was impossible to describe the pattern; it was an endless circle of vines that created the most beautiful arches.

Tears started flowing down my cheeks when I admired the work. My heart also swelled with joy, because now the ever-truthful magic had confirmed what Isaac and I had known for a while – we were meant to be.

After thanking Gewain a hundred times – he refused to be paid, saying that seeing our happiness was all he needed – we decided to eat lunch in a café somewhere in the center of the city. At first I was surprised that Isaac walked down the streets being so carefree, as if he wasn’t the Crown Prince and was just a common citizen, but he said that it was different for “celebrities” in the magic realm – nobody came to bother him, because they respected his privacy.

“But what if somebody wants to hurt you?” I inquired.

Isaac chuckled. “I am protected by invisible magic. Don’t worry about me, love, let’s just go eat.” I sighed and took his hand.

We sat down in a lovely small café that was quite empty, so Isaac and I could enjoy the company of each other privately. During our meal, Isaac told me more about his life in this world, how it had been when he was just a child hundreds of years ago. These little details never ceased to amaze me! While he was talking, I gazed out the window, watching the many colourful people passing by. Suddenly, a jolt went through me. I was sure I saw Jonathan, clad in black clothes. That’s what made me notice him in the first place, since everybody in this world seemed to prefer vivid attire. But the next moment, he was gone. A strange, ominous feeling did not leave my heart as I pulled my eyes from the window. “Isaac, I think I just saw Jonathan.”

Isaac looked at me, wide-eyed. “What? It can’t be! He wouldn’t dare come here, I told my parents what he did.”

I shook my head. “It was him, I’m sure of it. Please, love, let’s go back to the castle.”
He nodded and we quickly walked back home. He draped his hand protectively around my waist as we hurried to safety.