...LOVE...

He loved her. So he adorned her with precious stones collected from throughout the solar system, fine gems the colors of every spectrum of the rainbow, valuable metals gathered from the farthest reaches of the globe and wooden trinkets hewn by expert craftsmen that legends tell of. He put elaborately decorated coins of untold value in her purse and wrapped her in fine linens, elaborate silks and exotic lace. He graced her head with twisted braids and fluttery ribbons and put expensive embellishments in it. He coated her milky, smooth skin with luxurious oils and royal balms and drizzled elegant perfumes down her neck. He kissed her from head to toe and embraced her in his unequivocally strong arms. There was no other treasure that he held higher than her.

Because of him, she put away her ferocious appetite for annihilation, obliteration, elimination and eradication of all that stood before her. She softened in her Spirit and laid down her blades that thirsted for blood and her ropes that delighted in strangling the necks of those who offended her. She tamed her beast that was trained to bite and tear the flesh from her opponents. She retired from demolishing the structures that chambered her enemies and halted poisoning the streams that brought life water to them. She ceased tearing up the gardens and chopping down the orchards that fed the children of her foes. Her heart turned from elaborate schemes of destruction and was lured towards knowledge and understanding of curiosities and aspirations of sensuality. And because of him, she was safe.

She loved him like she had never loved before. She wrote him extravagant sonnets and endearing poems that made sunsets cry. She gave him gifts of exotic birds that twittered echoing melodies and spectral butterflies that fluttered and floated with their hypnotic colors trailing tracers of wonder behind them. She embroidered his cradling pillows and down-filled blankets with slumber spells to protect him while he slept and kept the nightmares from oozing into his dreams. She even bestowed him with mystical candles whose dancing flames could not be extinguished by any force except his will and whose heat always radiated with perfect balance so that it was never too hot, nor too cold. She delighted in him and the dignity that he displayed towards her rewarded him with every miniscule fiber that she was composed of; she freely gave her body, soul and mind to him.

In the shadow of the evening moon, she would caress his head and the soft locks of his hair while he rested his head in her lap. In the fractal morning sunlight, she would greet him with a smile and a kiss as soft as petals. When he thirsted, she would bring him sweetwater, strong ale, or chilled tea that she had made with wild roots and dried leaves that she had gathered from the forest and drizzled honey from her bee hive in the garden he had given her. And when he hungered, she would prepare for him feasts of wild beasts, hearty vegetables she had grown in her garden, luscious fruits from the orchard and crunchy nuts from the countryside she roamed through. She would embellish his plates and made sure they were never empty until he had his fill of all he could eat. And when he could eat no more, she would bring him his pipe filled with crystalized green leaves and sat at his feet while he would laze in tranquility, completely satisfied with the nourishment she had tributed him with.

Challenges came and went and trials attempted to tear them apart, but the spell of love that encased them could not be broken. Cherished and prized, jealousy was sure to rear its ugly head at their love, but it could not devastate them. Angels and demons marveled at their love. The leviathans of the deep heard tell of their love and would inquire of the other sea life to tell them more. The eagles would soar lower just to catch glimpses of their love and would fly far to promote the spectacle of love they witnessed just to keep it alive amongst the nations of the world. From the greatest beasts to the tiniest of creatures, from the stillest tree to the wiggliest vine, from the wettest rain to the hot-baked sands of the desert, all would long to witness the lore of their love. Whether it was to learn and observe in wonder or to seek to destroy and rid the world of it, the essence of life was drawn towards their love. But love never fails.