Unto the Realm of the Lord of Death
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That noble lady, mother of the gentle princess, would not rise from her bed. The minstrel of sorrow had painted her face with tears. Grief was heavy on her heart. Death seemed to circle around her desiring to steal away the sweet queen from her children just as it had ripped the unborn child from its mother’s womb in a torrent of blood. The first day, after her return late in the night from the healers of the White Temple, the princess was summoned to her mother’s side. Throwing herself at her mother’s side she wept like a child crying: “My mother, my queen, an evil has surely taken hold of our house! For how else could a woman as righteous and gentle as you be laid so low?”
The queen heard the pain in her eldest child’s voice and reached out with trembling hands. She held the girl’s face in her hands, a face of which the angels sang and the noble princes from far and wide came to behold. “Dearest daughter, the light of my world! Would that I could take away your distress! Would that I could show you sooth, for not as we have willed but as the Most High Lord has commanded both death, heaven, and hell so has he taken away the unborn babe of my suitor in payment for my sin. Alas for the wrath of Death not yet believing itself to be sated, desires my life as well.”
The princess wrung her hands and tore at her clothes. “Such a thing must not come to pass!” she cried horror and sorrow rending asunder both heart and mind. “Such a travesty cannot be allowed to come to pass. Forever shalt thou remain, the queen of good on this mortal plane. For never shalt I, thy only girl child, deny your place upon this world’s throne.” Before her mother could reply or refute her daughter’s words, the princess fled from the room, determined to find a way to stay death’s hand.
Alone into the dark night, the princess went out. Fear clung to her heart but she pressed onward. “Most High Lord,” she cried to the sky as she flew over the ground with speed unmatched by any except her brothers, the princes, “I beg of thee, give me faith and courage. My steps, they waver, but let me hold firm. I go to Death, I go with your blessing. I go to save the life of one who is worthy, guide me and forsake me not lest I fall to the evil I go to stay.” Warmth touched her heart and light lit the path before her. She knew that the Most High Lord was with her. She had no doubt of that in her mind.
Into the Realm of Death she flew. Light emanated around her, a holy light that drew the awe of all the dead and their captors. She came before the gates, the gates which no living soul may pass through. The Keeper of the Gate raised his great blade, a warning, a plead to turn back that fell from his lips. She could not, she would not. Her steps did not waver, held firm by the Most High Lord for she had gone to see the Lord of Death. It was the Lord of Death who gazed upon her first. He saw her as he saw all those who the Keeper attempted to ward off, some who came to their doom and others who seeking death, fled for life. Her beauty was such as he had never seen neither in life nor in death. For she was of a kind little yet known to the world for the princes had yet to make their mark. Mortal, divine, and demon was she, all three in a single frame never to be seen again on the earth.
A spell fell over his eyes. “Halt!” cried he to the Keeper of the Gate. “Halt!” cried he the Lord of Death. “For as in Death, I gave you purpose and life, so shall I charge you again. Bring unto me the maiden fair. Bring to me the sweet and gentle princess. Let life come before death. Light to illuminate darkness is she, a ray of faith in this land of doubt.” The Keeper of the Gate felt relief for just as the spell had touched his master, so had it touched the servant. And though he loathed to see the fair maiden touched by his master’s hand, he spirited her forth across the land of the Dead. All stared in wonder at the sight of life. So bright was she that many were blinded by her and those who could look upon her life, stared in awe of the beauty which had captured the hearts and minds of so many before.
The queen heard the pain in her eldest child’s voice and reached out with trembling hands. She held the girl’s face in her hands, a face of which the angels sang and the noble princes from far and wide came to behold. “Dearest daughter, the light of my world! Would that I could take away your distress! Would that I could show you sooth, for not as we have willed but as the Most High Lord has commanded both death, heaven, and hell so has he taken away the unborn babe of my suitor in payment for my sin. Alas for the wrath of Death not yet believing itself to be sated, desires my life as well.”
The princess wrung her hands and tore at her clothes. “Such a thing must not come to pass!” she cried horror and sorrow rending asunder both heart and mind. “Such a travesty cannot be allowed to come to pass. Forever shalt thou remain, the queen of good on this mortal plane. For never shalt I, thy only girl child, deny your place upon this world’s throne.” Before her mother could reply or refute her daughter’s words, the princess fled from the room, determined to find a way to stay death’s hand.
Alone into the dark night, the princess went out. Fear clung to her heart but she pressed onward. “Most High Lord,” she cried to the sky as she flew over the ground with speed unmatched by any except her brothers, the princes, “I beg of thee, give me faith and courage. My steps, they waver, but let me hold firm. I go to Death, I go with your blessing. I go to save the life of one who is worthy, guide me and forsake me not lest I fall to the evil I go to stay.” Warmth touched her heart and light lit the path before her. She knew that the Most High Lord was with her. She had no doubt of that in her mind.
Into the Realm of Death she flew. Light emanated around her, a holy light that drew the awe of all the dead and their captors. She came before the gates, the gates which no living soul may pass through. The Keeper of the Gate raised his great blade, a warning, a plead to turn back that fell from his lips. She could not, she would not. Her steps did not waver, held firm by the Most High Lord for she had gone to see the Lord of Death. It was the Lord of Death who gazed upon her first. He saw her as he saw all those who the Keeper attempted to ward off, some who came to their doom and others who seeking death, fled for life. Her beauty was such as he had never seen neither in life nor in death. For she was of a kind little yet known to the world for the princes had yet to make their mark. Mortal, divine, and demon was she, all three in a single frame never to be seen again on the earth.
A spell fell over his eyes. “Halt!” cried he to the Keeper of the Gate. “Halt!” cried he the Lord of Death. “For as in Death, I gave you purpose and life, so shall I charge you again. Bring unto me the maiden fair. Bring to me the sweet and gentle princess. Let life come before death. Light to illuminate darkness is she, a ray of faith in this land of doubt.” The Keeper of the Gate felt relief for just as the spell had touched his master, so had it touched the servant. And though he loathed to see the fair maiden touched by his master’s hand, he spirited her forth across the land of the Dead. All stared in wonder at the sight of life. So bright was she that many were blinded by her and those who could look upon her life, stared in awe of the beauty which had captured the hearts and minds of so many before.
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Basically, I wrote this back in the fall for my English class and thought I'd toss it up. Yeah the language is fairly archaic, but I felt it fit for the assignment in question since we were writing a little part of an epic. Of course part of this is taken off of a part of my life where my mother actually did have a miscarriage and I really was afraid that I would lose her.