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Christmas Romance

A young girl learns the power of love

By Amanda MoorefieldPublished 2 years ago 21 min read
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Christmas Romance
Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash

The well-lit interior of the room seemed to make the shadows of the individuals’ hood seem even darker. The name of the establishment “Eden’s Hall” seemed like a misnomer since the inside seemed anything but ‘Eden’. However, the individual knew that the one person who could help him find what he was looking for was inside. He traveled through the throng of sitting people, the tables placed so closely that is was a wonder any one could move around. However, he made his way towards the bar where there seemed to be the most activity. If he was going to find this person, the bar seemed like the best place to start looking.

The main fireplace was large, even though the inside of the room was still cold. Snow clearly melted in the heat, however it wasn’t enough to dispel the coolness as nearly every patron still wore their warmest outer clothing. There was a lone man sitting in a large, comfortable looking chair in front of the fireplace. Books seemed to surround the area, almost like a library but smaller, as well as three tables that were well used, but also lovingly kept up instead of left to rot. The individual took all this in as he dismissed the man who had barely three people sitting in the area with him. So focused was he on his mission that he didn’t notice until he pushed through the throng of people at the bar that the bartender was a woman and not a man.

The woman had long flowing hair that reached down to her waist. And this was no ordinary hair as traces of red and gold mixed in with the deep earth brown of her base color. The additions were clearly natural as the hues were too slight to be artificially added to the hair. Her vibrant green eyes seemed to change between leafy green to sea blue to stormy gray and every shade in between. Shelves of flasks sat on the wall behind her as she smiled at each man who called out an order. Her slim yet fit body moved as gracefully as water over stone as she moved from one end of the bar to the other. She filled glasses, took orders, and refilled other glasses quickly.

Finally there seemed to be a break in the chaos as she looked expectantly at him.

“Can I help you sir?”

Her voice was melodious, yet polite. A small gold band on her left hand told the world she was married, but to whom was anyone guess as there was no husband in sight to aid her. Struck dumb at the sight of her, he allowed himself to look at her fully. For some strange reason, her dress seemed alive. What appeared to be a vines and leaves patterned dress, actually seemed to be live plants covering her body from shoulder to foot. The only bare skin was her arms, neck, hands and head. Her cupid bow lips smiled softly as if she knew he was surprised at her appearance and was willing and ready to give him the time he needed to find his voice.

Finally, as if some spell had been broken, he seemed to find his voice as he looked into her face fully. It seemed as if he was looking at Mother Earth herself, but he told himself that no mortal could take on the appearance of divinity as he spoke.

“I am looking for the man who can lead me to a staff that will aid me on my journey.”

The woman wiped the counter as the men seemed to slowly shuffle away from the bar. “Well, that depends on what staff you may be talking about. There are many different ones out there that can aid the wielder, but harm others.”

The man, unable to stop himself, blurted at her “Why do I know you?”

The woman chuckled softly as she reached out and gracefully, yet lightly, touched the back of his hand. “I am Gaia, you know me because you’ve seen me before, long before your mother conceived you L’Gregly, I held you in safekeeping for just the right family to have you in their lives.”

The man, knowing now that he was indeed standing in front of divinity, stepped back as if he was going to bow. However, her gentle laugh had him stopping in mid-step.

“Please, stop, don’t do that. I’m a mere mortal woman now, thanks to the love of my husband Neor.”

The man blinked in surprise. “You are married to the great Storyteller Neor?”

Gaia laughed again, this time glancing towards the main fireplace, almost lovingly. The flames seemed to spark higher at her glance before she looks back at L’Gregly. “Yes. I know Neor. Why is it you seek him?”

“The staff I’m looking for hasn’t been seen in over 5,000 years. It’s the stuff of legends and it’s said that it reunites lovers if both individuals are alive.”

The rough male voice sounded from the fireplace. “So, you are wanting to find your girl huh?” A soft chuckle sounded from the large chair as the man, barely seen under his wide-brimmed hat that had a skull on the front, a ribbon around the bottom of the crown of the hat and what appeared to be vampire teeth along the edge of the worn brim moved further into the chair. “Yeah, I remember that particular staff, as well as the legend surrounding it. After all, I lived through it.”

A hush fell over the crowd as the man spoke. L’Gregly turned towards the voice and leaned against the bar as man continued to speak.

“Long ago, when the Gods ruled the world from their mountain, there were two individuals. But, memory grows dull. Let me just refresh things a bit.”

The man leaned forward, his strong hand reaching for a large tome that seemed to have a multitude of tabs along the edges. The hands caressed the cover lovingly before finding a tab and opening the book. Instantly the room seemed to change appearance as a scene seemed to open in front of everyone. The wooden walls seemed to take on a wooded appearance, as if they were all standing or sitting amongst the trees in the middle of spring while the leaves on the branches were just beginning to open.

“Anna, a princess from a land that no one had ever heard from, stumbled through the trees at first. She was in search of a blue orchid that only grew where the forest met the ocean. This was the only place where the goddess Aphrodite gave birth to her lover Poseidon’s children. The first steps of these infants caused these special blooms to grow, however no mortal could ever see the birth. The only evidence were the flowers.”

Anna, a blonde, slender girl who was barely out of the nursery herself, continued to make her way through the forests towards the direction of the ocean. She hadn’t gone far when the smell of the salty and briny sea hit her nose first. She knew that she could be anywhere within ten miles of the ocean and still smell the sea, but it gave her hope that she would find it quickly.

The vines and twigs on the forest floor seemed to shy away from her dress, as if Mother Nature herself knew what the girl sought and was aiding her journey. Anna, though without knowledge as to why, suffered from a debilitating sorrow. Her parents, so occupied with running the kingdom, ignored her and left her to her own devices. They had done this her entire life, and even though she had had a nanny, she never knew what love was, what it felt like. Her heart wept with sorrow as she felt like she was unwanted and unneeded in her family’s life. She wasn’t a son to be groomed to rule, she was a daughter. A female to be married off to the wealthiest kingdom for a treaty that would benefit her parents. Though she wasn’t spoiled, her parents believed in making her earn everything that came to her, she knew that her parents didn’t really need her, even though she had memories of their loving embraces when she was younger.

Her feet stumbled once more, and almost without a thought in mind, her hand reached out to grab something to steady herself. Under her hand, a gold-like wooden staff seemed to surge to her grasp. The staff was comfortable in her grip, though it tapered to a pointed end with a spiral twist to the wood, the grain seemed golden in hue. The staff seemed made for her, and only for her. Sending a quick prayer of thanks to Mother Nature, Anna grasped the staff firmly in her hand and continued to walk.

Now, this staff wasn’t some ordinary piece of wood. It came from the Golden Apple Tree that Hercules would one day seek. At this time, of course, he wasn’t even a glimmer in Zeus’ eye as the great Thunder God hadn’t even been thought of by HIS father yet. Gaia had sent it because it had healing properties that would aid the young girl in her journey. These orchids were special to the girl, as they were the only flowers that brought her joy all the time. Though she helped in the temple with tending to the young infants and children, the joy she received from that activity never lasted more than a mere handful of days, if not hours. She needed these orchids, as the Great Mother knew.

Hours seemed to pass quickly, and the smell of the sea grew stronger the further she journeyed in the forest. Still, the girl moved forward.

The path evened out as she walked, almost energized though she should have been tired. Soon, Anna found herself coming up on a small sea-town. The shanty houses seemed worn from the battering of the sea. Fishing boats were moored as the waves rolled towards the sea, however the dark clouds boded ill for anyone who thought to take to the seas.

Coming up to the edge of the ocean she heard arguing. Two men seemed to be having a disagreement, though one was clearly upset, he seemed resigned in the decision of the other. There was almost nothing to cause the man to stick in her memory, except for the hat he wore on his head. Nearly black, the deep purple, wide-brimmed hat wouldn’t normally be something to strike a memory for someone. But this hat was different than any hat Anna had seen or would ever see again. A ribbon wound around the base of the crown, nearly the same color as the hat itself though clearly a different fabric type. What appeared to be vampire fangs decorated the edge of the brim, which looked worn and well-used. A skull decorated the front of the crown as the brim sat low over the man’s head. His brown hair peeked from the back of his head since the hat didn’t seem to reach that part of his skull.

She shook her head, knowing that the coming storm was Poseidon coming close to the shore so that he could be there for Aphrodite when she gave birth. This occasion caused the seas to be too dangerous for any sea-farer to tempt Fate and travel on the waves. Anna looked to the skies, needing to see the direction the clouds were going so that she could go the opposite direction and arrive where the orchids she sought would be growing soon. She didn’t notice the strange man look in her direction, nor did she see him shake his head and go towards the buildings.

However, as soon as she faced away from the direction of the clouds, she saw them. The first cropping of these special orchids. Anna nearly dropped the staff in her haste to reach the outcropping of blooms. Once she reached them, the perfume of the blooms mixed wondrously with the smell of the sea. Before she could clip a few blooms, she saw another cropping of the blue orchids a few yards away from where she was. She knew she would need a basket of some kind to gather the blooms, however she didn’t want to take too long as the blooms wouldn’t last long in the winds that were rising quickly.

Almost before her eyes, the blooms that were further and further away slowly changed from blue to red. The ominous color seemed sacrilegious to her eyes. Anna knew instinctively that something was wrong with the Goddess. Red orchids, the color as deep as blood, began to litter the sand. The wind unexpectedly changed directions and began to head directly for the sea-town. An infant wailed, a child cried out in fear, the sounds of distress so easily translated by her many hours spent around the young caused Anna to start walking towards the town. Her feet picked up speed as she began running. The sounds of metal clashing against metal causing her heart to pick up speed.

Men appeared from nowhere, each one wearing armor and carrying a variety of weapons on their person.

“Every child under the age of ten and five are to be brought for trial immediately by order of the Great Sea God!”

The shout filled Anna’s soul with dread. She knew what it meant when a deity ordered a trial of children. Somehow Aphrodite had angered her lover, and now he sought to kill the children of the village she visited to give birth. An old woman cried out, “What is the meaning of this? Our children have no business with the Sea God!”

Before Anna could process the action, the old woman crumpled to the ground, her head thudding against the steps of one of the buildings.

“Any more questions? No? Then gather up the brats and let’s finish this.”

Anna, once filled with fear and dread, found her emotions settling in a way they never had before. Sadness didn’t swamp her over the death of the old woman, nor did fright for the children cause her to pause as she calmly walked into the village square. The smell of the sea with the perfume of the orchids seemed to awaken something else deep inside of her. A part of her that she thought might have existed, but was never too sure of.

Anna, the sad, depressed daughter of the local King and Queen found herself standing taller than ever before. Her normally expressionless brown eyes seemed to flash with the appearance of the moving earth. Her chin tilted upwards as she gripped the staff in her hand firmly and walked towards the captain of the soldiers.

“I have an issue with what you are doing.”

Her voice rang out over the winds, over the crashing of the sea waves, over even the sounds of the children crying out as they were being forcibly dragged from their mother’s arms. Her voice seemed to cause everything to still and be silent.

Slowly the captain turned around and looked at her. Expecting to see another villager, he was shocked at the sight of the young woman standing in front of him. Her long blonde hair blew freely around her face and shoulder, creating what appeared to be a cloud of silken gold to continuously move around her upper body. The golden staff in her hand appeared to glow as well, almost like molten metal, though she held it as if it wasn’t pulsating with life. Her brown eyes, which would normally be unremarkable, flashed with something he would never be able to describe when asked later about this fateful time in his life. She appeared as if she was royalty, though she dressed as if she was peasant.

“You have an issue with the orders of the Sea God?”

Anna stood her ground, her feet shoulder width apart as she nodded. “It is no secret that the Sea God comes here every spring to witness the birth of his children from his lover the Goddess of Love. However, the sacred blue orchids that only grow here after the birth of these children have turned to the color of blood. It is obvious that the Sea God has lost favor towards his lover, and seeks to harm her. However, he will not harm her through these children that are mortal. Not while I’m standing, breathing, and alive.”

The captain snarled at her, “And just who do you think you are?”

Anna held up her staff and pointed it at the captain. “I am the beloved daughter of Mother Nature. Devoted worshipper of her Divine Husband Uranus. I serve the gods that are higher and more powerful than the ones you worship. I carry their favor, and can call upon their strength to aid me in whatever it is I desire to accomplish.”

The captain scoffed before he drew his sword. “You are no more than a mere peasant. You have no power here.”

Anna felt something stir within her. A gentle voice whispered “Be still my Daughter, and listen well. One of Poseidon’s children have been born with death touching his features. His father accuses the mother of sleeping with the Death God. He feels that she might have also been with the mortal men here, and that is the reason behind her desire to always give birth here year after year. That is why the soldiers are here. You have the strength to overcome them, just believe in yourself.”

Anna paid no attention to the rest of what the captain had said as she listened to the voice who talked to her. The voice told her what moves the captain would use and how to counter them. After listening to the instructions, Anna realized that she did indeed know what to do, and when the captain raised his sword to strike her down, she lifted the staff to block him.

Time after time she blocked and parried blow after blow. The staff giving her a kind of ethereal glow and strength that she couldn’t understand, and didn’t try to explain. The villagers saw Mother Nature and Father Sky standing behind the girl, lending their strength to her. Never once did any blow land on or around her as she stood her ground. The children soon found themselves in their mother’s arms, the infants quiet as they were returned to their beds. The soldiers, who had circled the young woman and their captain watched as the visions of the Gods surrounding the young woman moved within the crowds and removed the children from the Sea God’s wrath.

Finally, the captain fell to his knees, his sword landing in the soft soil a few feet from his hand.

“I yield! I yield! The Mother and Father have clearly spoken and I cannot continue on.”

At these words a strange parting of the waters behind Anna suddenly occurred and a large, muscular man stepped out of the sea. He was a blueish-green hue nearly throughout his entire body, and instantly Anna knew this was the Sea God himself. However, instead of fear hammering away at her heart, she remained calm and serene.

Poseidon knelt in front of her, and in his hands a seaweed basket filled with blue orchids was lifted to her above his head.

“My apologies fair maiden, for I did not know my lover’s innocence until you fought so well for her.”

Anna blinked. “I didn’t fight for Aphrodite, I fought for the children. Though I would have fought for her if she had required me to do so.”

A female laugh tinkled from the left of Anna as a beautiful female came striding into view. Though no one else seemed to be able to see or hear her, Anna knew this was Aphrodite herself coming into the picture.

“Foolish mortal girl. While I labored to birth his children, we made a pact together. If any mortal could see us during the birth, then we would no longer remain together. For mortals are not supposed to know the secrets of the Divine. However, should a mortal, double-blessed by the Gods themselves, should ever come to the aid of the innocents, no matter what quarrel we may be having at the time, we would put away our differences and not only go our separate ways, but also adopt this mortal into our family to help love, raise, and care for our children for the rest of eternity.”

Anna blinked in surprise. “I am not double-blessed. Why are you telling me this?”

Poseidon stood up, the basket of orchids still in his hands while he gazed at her curiously. “Did you not know that the Mother and Father both fought by your side? Did you not realize that they both not only aided your journey, but also brought in the other Gods to stop my rage on your behalf?”

Aphrodite looked at the girl kindly, “You are blessed beyond measure, as you have been from the moment of your birth Princess Anna. You have a strength inside you that was waiting for you to embrace it.”

Anna stood for a moment, dumbfounded. At first she was unable to process what was being told to her. But, after a moment, she realized that it was true. She only felt at peace when she was able to be around the children and infants of the temple. The blue orchids brought her a clarity that she never had before, which was why she sought it out. These things calmed the inner sadness and feelings of despair that were brought on when she was away from the temple. The orchids of the divine and the children, who were closest to the Great Mother, all gave her an inner peace and strength she had never had before when she relied on others.

“I am Princess Anna, twice-blessed by the Mother and Father, adopted by the Goddess of Love and the Sea God.”

Smiling, the gods vanished and the villagers stood around Anna in awe. This one woman had saved them, by herself with the strength that was given to her from birth that she had not yet tapped into on her own.

“It was through her courage, and her love for the innocent children and infants that the village prospered and thrived. They enjoyed a longer lifespan and better living conditions than any other sea town ever in existence. As for Anna, she went back to her parents’ home and refused to abide by their rules. She had worked her entire life for everything she ever wanted or needed, and because of that she had the skills to dismiss the servants who treated her as free labor. As she grew older, she did take a husband. Because of the love Mother Nature had for Anna, the young Queen who took over her father’s Kingdom gave birth to many children. Her consort kept her happy with blue orchids collected from the sea town.”

Neor closed the book and looked at the young man who sat on the barstool. Standing up, he took the hat off his head and gazed at L’Gregly. “I just happened to be in the town when this happened, and her staff became imbued with the ability to bring happiness to the person who needed it. However, it doesn’t help you find your true love, it helps you find who you are.”

Gaia chuckled softly as she began wiping the counter once more. The scene of Anna’s life, lived so many centuries ago, faded from the walls as Neor gently placed the book on the table. Neor, on the other hand, smirked at the hooded young man. “However, I suspect you already knew that, since you are a direct descendent of Anna, aren’t you Mikhail?”

L’Gregly sighed and took off his hood. His golden blonde hair, so similar to that long ago woman who started his family’s legacy, shook as he thrust a hand through the strands to push them off his face. His eyes were a warm brown chocolate as he gazed at Neor.

“Yeah, I am. I was looking for the staff, not to look for my true love, nor to find myself, but instead I looked for it to return it to the family home. We don’t have much of Queen Anna, but thanks to your story I now know where to begin my search. I thank you.”

Neor merely tilted his head towards Mikhail and sat back down as the young man smiled and replaced his hood. Making his way out the door, he thought about the story of his great-something grandmother. He knew it by heart, because like Neor, he knew the remarkable woman from before he was born. She had chosen him from all the souls waiting to be born, because he shared the same traits as herself, and she knew her line needed her strength to be imbued back again. She was happy with the children of the gods, and didn’t want to be reborn as she was finally surrounded by those who respected her strength, her ideals, and sought her for council.

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