PIRIN

The bride that was promised

The bride that was promised CHAPTER I

Here follows the tale of the vicissitudes of Theoson the goldsmith, loved by the Gods, as it was told by King Helewen and written by Nhalfòrdon-Domenir:

In the early centuries of the Third Age, a bee-keeper called Sigh-Ymramar lived on the fishy shores of Hèrodin. Sigh-Ymramar, a widower at an early age, nevertheless had a smart and strong son called Theoson, who at thirteen had learned the art of gold-smithing.

When the young man turned seventeen, the village where they lived was devastated by a tidal wave and a large portion of the shoreline was swallowed by the sea. Even so, father and son managed to survive, also saving some goods, and migrated north, where they stayed at the place of the relatives of Sigh-Ymrarar’s deceased wife. The hosts provided them with a place to live until they could buy a house in the suburbs of Sandovelia, which was then but a little town made of stone and wood buildings, with only a fortified castle where now the royal palace stands. Sigh-Ymramar also bought a workshop in town, where Theoson could keep his gold-smithing business.

At that time the Kingdom of Sandovelia was ruled by King Bhali-Woesiskanka, from the Aries household. The King had a daughter suitable for marriage, the bride that was promised to prince Makhbel of Oghenvill. Nonetheless, it unexpectedly happened that the gracious princess, whose name was Atthù-ath-Hir, fell in love for the young goldsmith Theoson.

Theoson

It occurred that the princess had gone with her handmaid to Theoson’s workshop to commission him the jewels she was going to wear on the day of her wedding to prince Makhbel, and as soon as she saw the handsome foreigner, her heart was stolen.

Therefore, after a while, with the excuse of collecting the jewels for the wedding, princess Atthù-ath-Hir sent her handmaid to Theoson’s workshop inviting the young man to follow her. Theoson agreed and the handmaid led him to the noblewoman’s apartments by passing through a secret corridor in the castle. As soon as she and the young man were alone, the fair Atthù-ath-Hir confessed her feelings to her beloved, who, burning with passion, proved to strongly reciprocate her. And how does it end?

Theoson, feeling proud, asked the King for the princess’ hand in marriage, but the monarch burst in a thundering laughter. “Fool! Do you not know my daughter is already promised to prince Makhbel of Oghenvill? Besides, what do you, dog, have to offer to a King’s daughter? Consider yourself lucky if I do not have your head cut after such an outrage!” Then he had the guards take him, commanding them to throw that insolent out! Theoson left the castle in a very bad mood and came back to his country house, where he told everything to his old father. His parent tried to console him, but then rebuked him, telling him for such an outrage he might have been sentenced to death.

Meanwhile, at court, Atthù-ath-Hir complained to the King, telling him she would never marry prince Makhbel, for her heart belonged to Sigh-Ymramar’s son. The King tried to persuade her in every way, explaining her he would not allow her daughter to marry a baseborn man. The princess insisted, asking him to test Theoson, but the strict Bhali-Woesiskanka was impossible to convince and the discussion was over.

Princess Atthù-ath-Hir, partly out of hopelessness, partly out of revenge toward her father, stopped eating for many days. Upon seeing his daughter starving, King Bhali-Woesiskanka was caught by a sense of despair, but he did not change his mind concerning Theoson, and in his heart he was devising a plot to get rid of the suitor without being hated by fair Atthù-ath-Hir. Therefore, after a few days, unable to stand the sight of his daughter crying and complaining all day long, the King had the young goldsmith brought to the throne room, telling him he had had time to think and maybe he would consent to his marrying the princess, upon one condition. Following his daughter’s advice, the King of Sandovelia had decided to test the Theoson, but Bhali-Woesiskanka knew too well the love token he would ask the boy to fetch was unattainable to a baseborn and that, even if he had accepted the task, that would mean his death. Thus he spoke: “Listen, lad, to what I have to say. I accept to give you my enchanting daughter, princess Atthù-ath-Hir, as your bride, provided that, before a year is past, you bring me a lotus flower from lake Mystir. What do you have to say?”

Princess Atthù-ath-Hir

Theoson agreed without even thinking about what he had heard and asked the King for a further guarantee of his word. Bhali-Woesiskanka, although angered by a similar request, had to keep his anger at bay, for he had the princess carefully staring at him, and feigned his approval. He had his vizier issue a proclamation, and the vizier, as soon as he had written the text and had the King sign it, handed the scroll to Theoson. The young man immediately put it in his sack, and left the hall with a curtsy…

The brilliant goldsmith ran home to old Sigh-Ymramar and told him everything had happened to him. The old bee-keeper, at hearing what his son had come to tell him, was astonished and despaired. “Fool!” he said. “Have you not realized the King is sending you to certain death? He wants to get rid of you!” Theoson was surprised: “Father, I shall accomplish the task I was given, and marry princess Atthù-ath-Hir!”

The young man ignored what exactly the King’s request entailed, but his father was not late in bringing him back on earth: “The lotus flowers of lake Mystir only grow in the far realm of Lothriel. A land encircled by the highest and steepest mountains of the East. The road to get there crosses hostile countries, full of dark forests, hills haunted by monsters, and steep slopes beaten by storms, and rocky spurs frozen in the grip of the eternal snow… but, even if you managed to overcome any peril, thereby coming to the thriving paradise that the bright God Ghaladar created as a home for his bride – the realm of Neverwinter – and here you were even granted to pick one of the unsullied, sacred water lilies, you could never return to Sandovelia in time before the end of the year, because, in case you have forgotten, only a few months are left before winter solstice!”

Brave and deeply in love, Theoson told his father that, may the Gods help him, he would overcome all trials and come back in time, bringing back a divine flower of lake Mystir. At that point good Sigh-Ymramar understood the seriousness of his son’s intentions and thought that, maybe, the Gods might really look at the honest young man’s plans with favourable eyes.

Therefore he gave Theoson his blessing and, after disappearing for a while in the messy and dusty attic of that country house, he emerged thence with a chest in his hands, which he carefully put down before his son on a worktable. He took from there a pair of leather shoes, which looked cheap. “These shoes, my son, belonged to a druid, long ago, and have marvelous virtues. They do not fear any consumption, they do not slide on ice, and most importantly they allow their bearer to walk rapidly, without feeling any fatigue”.

Then, Sigh-Ymramar produced from the chest a pouch in jute, which contained a dragon-tooth, and on its gold-plated root there were four tiny gems, some motives historiated in watermark and a ring wherein a lace could be inserted and which could then be worn as a pendant. “This dragon-tooth shall protect its bearer from the attack of wild beasts, lurking in the shadows of the woods, ready to assault unwary travelers”.

Eventually Sigh-Ymramar, with great care, from a tiny, red as sealing wax, casket, entirely padded in silk, produced a golden bee of the finest workmanship, with ruby eyes. Theoson was amazed at seeing that incredible jewel – which must be worth a fortune – in his father’s hands; but he was even more amazed when, by reciting the formula of a spell, the old man made the golden bee fly, as it twirled, humming, in the room.

“This precious insect will show you the way to any place you might wish to come to. All it takes is to read the signs it makes in the air by flying. Half a circle, when the arch goes up, means you should go East; a whole circle clockwise means south; half a circle with a downward arch to go toward sunset, and an anticlockwise circle to head North”.

Theoson affectionately thanked the old man, asking him how he came to possess those mystic items. “The druid I was talking about was my grandfather. I received the dragon-tooth from a noble Southern warrior shipwrecked, after a storm, on the coast of our village. I had saved his life and given him a roof and hot meals until he was fine and once more able to leave in order to return to his country. The golden bee, instead, is the gift I received from an Elven Queen I freed from a Sprite’s spell, which had turned her into an orange-tree. So remember, my son, be generous and always offer your help to whomever asks you for it”.

Mystic items

The next day, Theoson left Sandovelia, heading towards the far realm of Lothriel…

Helewen interrupted his tale, when he saw that Domenir had already written a lot, the hour was late and he also had other businesses to attend. He took his leave from his foster-son by promising to continue the narrative the day after. Domenir put down his pen and put the leaves in order. Even though he was impatient to learn about the outcome of Theoson’s story, his hand was tired. He thanked the old gentleman and asked him where to put the written papyri. Helewen, who had not yet thought about that, looked around with an undecided face, then he realized that the Dwarf Crodarewen might look for a leather folder lying, still unused, in a dresser in his office. He took it from the hands of the servant and gave it to Domenir, who put the handwritten pages therein.