The Midnight Bride

Have you heard the tale of The Midnight Bride?

Of course, you have, there’s a version in every inn and tavern and campfire within the entire continent. Some say it’s based on a true story but there is little to account for that.

They say there was a beautiful young courtier. Very beautiful. So beautiful she had the attention and affection of many noblemen including this one, particularly rich count, some say he was a duke or even a prince but either way he was her most persistent suitor, and either way she chose to marry not him nor any of them. Her choice was but a young scribe not long at court without much coin to his name and that name was mud to nobility. Nonetheless, she chose him citing that he was kind and he treated her as a person of mutual respect, unlike the rest.

So they were wed and for several months they were happy..until the count claimed to have been robbed and attacked in his home and accused the scribe. The trial that followed was a farce of epic proportions, supposed witnesses popped up left and right with fuller pockets, the jury consisted of the count's own men and the judge made the decision within hours. the scribe was put to death and before the corpse was cold, the count proposed his suit to the widow, mayhaps forced his suit is the better term, and yet right before that wedding could take place, she vanished. most presumed that she'd taken her own life.

Soon after that, everyone who had been involved in the whole ghastly affair: first the judge, then the guards who made the arrest, the servant who made the accusation of theft, all were found deceased in the same manner - having lost duels in the dead of night, eventually, a figure was seen leaving the murder scene in a bridal gown the color of the evening shade thus coining the term The Midnight Bride.

The identity of this figure was suspected but nothing was confirmed. Despite the vows pledged the vigilante proved hard to catch, the Bride was quick and camouflaged and an expert with the blade. The count led the investigation personally but uncovered little and when he finally questioned the missing courtier’s family all of them claimed to have not seen her since the execution.

One thing he did manage to uncover was that during their courtship, the scribe would often work so late that he’d meet his bride at midnight. With the puzzle finally starting to connect for the count the quest for revenge finally led to his door. Confronted by the Midnight Bride who revealed herself to be of course the widowed courtier, Cursing him and bidding him to take up the blade and face her like he didn’t have the courage to do to her love.

How the tale ends is always different depending on who you ask. Some say the bride is killed after she slays the count, sometimes the count defeats her and attempts once again to force the marriage only for the bride to slit her throat. There is, of course, the ending in which the midnight bride emerges victorious avenging her honor and the man she loves, but it’s not a very popular one.

either way, I believe the point still stands, You can separate people, and attempt to destroy them but you’ll learn the hard way that you can’t stop love from being any more than you can stop the sweet cold taste of revenge.