The Revenge of Lorelei
By: Ophelia LeNoir
A/N: I wrote this story as an assignment for a Creative writing course I took about three years ago. Because the assignment was to write a short story, I had to keep it short and keep the plot concise. I am thinking about turning it into something longer with more of detail explaining the reasons for the plotline, so I would like to have the opinion of the public on this, so please r&r. I appreciate constructive criticism- this means don't flame me, offer ways to improve upon what I have written. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy!
She had spent years trapped in that dark and foreboding dungeon, living only for her chance at revenge. Her pale skin was gaunt over her bony frame, making her as a walking skeleton. Her hair had turned a dull brown and hung limp and dead to her waist, but her eyes burned with fire. She would wait, even if it had to be for hundreds of years, she would wait.
Her dark and cold cell had no windows or gratings. She was isolated from the other prisoners, only having human contact when the guards brought her meals, and even they said nothing to her and left as soon as they came. Even their velvet-soled shoes were silent. The prisoner had given up counting the days long ago. She couldn't even tell when the day passed anyway. But she had seen many guards grow old and leave, and she had seen many replacement guards come and go over the years. The prisoner became accustomed to this life after so long, that she could hardly believe it one day when a guard awoke her from her sleep.
"Wench! Wake up, " the guard said, shaking her.
Slowly Lorelei turned to look upon him. "Am I finally to die?" she asked.
"No, " said the guard, " You are free. Mainly because no one remembers your crime."
"Sir," she began, "What year is it? I have been here without daylight for so long..."
"Fourteen-hundred and thirty-six," he answered.
Lorelei stood stunned. Three hundred years, she had been here. No wonder no one remembered her. They were all dead. Even her persecutor was gone, unless he had found some sort of fountain of youth. But his family had surly endured.
Lorelei was escorted out of the dungeons. As she walked out of the dark tunnel, the sun met her eyes. She screamed in pain, covering her eyes and turning her head away. After three hundred years of darkness, the sun is the harshest light to meet, yet at the same time, it was welcome. She had been with out the sun and nature all those years. She somehow began to lose years in the sunlight and nature. Or maybe the light was just playing tricks on the guards' eyes.
"Thank you, sirs, for your...hospitality," She spat, "I hope you understand if Idon't wish to make a return visit."
Lorelei left, glad to be rid of that dungeon. She made her way to the edge of town, hoping things hadn't changed too dramatically. If she was correct, there were woods on the edge of the town.
As luck would have it, the town, Shiremount, had not expanded much. An abandoned cottage stood next to the wood, however; far away from everyone and everything else. No one had entered that cottage for the last thirty years. Perfect for Lorelei to set up housekeeping. She would not be disturbed here.
Lorelei entered the cottage. A thick layer of dust had settled over the windows and the abandoned furniture, turning everything inside a depressing shade of gray. Lorelei sighed as she searched for something to clean with. Before the day was out, the one room cottage was slightly more presentable, and she had a fire going in the hearth. Making sure to keep the fire burning slowly, so it wouldn't die completely in the night, Lorelei slid into the tiny bed in the corner. It was nice to have a mattress to sleep on instead of a hard, wooden plank.
Lorelei stayed in the cottage alone for the next two weeks, gathering berries, wild potatoes, wild onions, and wild herbs for her food. It was simple fare, and she sometimes longed for meat, but it sufficed. The prison had supplied her with one outfit before she had left. The cloths consisted of a dark forest green skirt, an off- white shirt, and a black bodice.
One morning she was surprised by a knock at the door. Visitors were not high on her list of things she wanted at that particular juncture in time. She answered the knock, however, and was startled to find a young man who appeared to be seventeen at the door. He was short for a man, he had jade-green eyes, and hair as golden as the sun. He was thin and wiry, his hair was cut in a shag and he wore a green lace up shirt with cut off sleeves. His pants were deep forest green and were tucked into knee- high, lace up, black leather boots. He carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. Lorelei peered at him curiously.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, "I was hoping you had some work around her that you would allow me to do. I require no pay, except to stay in your shed, there. I am strong, although I am small, and I can hunt. Please, ma'am?"
Lorelei considered this for a moment. She could use some help mending the roof and some venison would be nice.
"All right. I do need some help around here. What is your name?" She said.
He smiled, revealing beautiful, deep dimples and a bright sparkle in his eyes. "Ravi," he replied, " And you, my employer are-?"
"Lorelei," she answered.
Ravi did indeed prove to be quite strong, despite his stature. The tiny cottage was soon a more welcoming sight, although no one would go there, claiming a witch had taken up residence in the house. That wasn't far from the truth. Lorelei was majick, but unlike a witch, she was immortal.
Lorelei had also been going through a transformation, much like the cottage had been. When she had left the dungeon, she had appeared to be in her forties. Some how she had lost twenty-five years, and was growing younger as each day passed. In spite of this however, she had not given up on revenge. There was a new king, the descendant of her betrayer, the man who had sentenced her to that dungeon, Prince Adonis.
Ravi sometimes took odd jobs in town to make a little money for the maintenance of the cottage and for food. Ravi was one of those jolly people who never have enemies and make friends out of everyone. Even Lorelei warmed to him in spite of herself. It wasn't hard for him to find work and he seemed to know everyone in town.
Lorelei would sometimes accompany Ravi into town. Not for work or for social activity, but to watch the castle. She studied the guards, sizing up their weaknesses.
"What majick spell would get them out of the way?" she occasionally thought to herself as she watched the guards, learning their movements. She was slowly developing a plan.
One day, as Lorelei was observing the castle, she was surprised by Ravi's voice behind her, "You are awfully interested in the palace."
"What concern is it of yours?" Lorelei shot back angrily.
"Wait, Lorie, don't take offense. I was just observing the fact that you watch the castle often. I never mentioned it, but I have noticed you do it every time we come into town." Ravi explained, "Care to share your reasoning?"
Lorelei's eyes smoldered as she looked hard at Ravi, but his face showed nothing for her but concern, compassion, and maybe even love. She had not felt love in so long. Her face softened as she looked down to study her hands.
"I fell in love once. A long time ago. He was a prince. Prince Adonis of Belgravia. He was very handsome. I loved him more than anything, and I thought he loved me too. At least it seemed like he did. He would sneak out of the castle to meet me. I had never felt more alive than when I was with him. But there was a law back then against my kind," her face grew angry suddenly, " I was outlawed. Anyone who associated with anyone like myself would be jailed. Even hanged. Adonis, he was royalty, he wouldn't have been in that much trouble. At most he would have lost his inheritance," She began to cry, letting three hundred years of emotion run down her face in salty streams, "I thought he loved me! But, no, he had me jailed, saying I had cast a spell on him. Saying I had intended to kill him! I wanted nothing but his love. I was thrown into an oubliette. Do you know what an oubliette is? A place to put some one you want forgotten. Had he killed me, he would have an innocent death on his head. Instead he chose to forget me. So I swore I would kill him. I swore I would have revenge," she stopped crying and regained her composure, "But he is already dead. His descendant, however, lives there, in that very castle. I still have my chance for revenge!"
Ravi was stunned. He knew she was cold, but murderous? He hid his shock and asked the question he already knew the answer to, "What do you mean, your kind?"
She eyed him suspiciously for a moment.
"Since that law has been abolished, I will tell you. I am Elvin," She said, proudly.
Ravi smiled. He had known that since the first time he saw her. Besides, what other being went from forty to twenty-three in a couple months. He nodded to satisfy her.
"Well," he said, "I have made a little money today. What do you say we buy some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight?"
Although he was flip, he still worried for the king, his nephew. How could he stop Lorelei?
Over the next week, Ravi worked hard to make Lorelei trust him. His efforts were paying off. He had drawn her closer to him. She wasn't afraid to talk to him about her life now. She would tell him everything. But he was still cautious about telling her about himself. She needed to learn that for herself, later.
Everything was going well at the cottage by the forest. Lorelei was even falling in love again, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, including herself. One day, Lorelei was sitting in the door way or the cottage, plotting and deep in thought, when Ravi came home to the cottage with a deer he had apparently shot that day. He put the deer down on the ground.
"Lorie," he said.
She gave no reply.
"Lorie?" he said again, louder this time, taking a step closer. She still did not answer.
"Lorelei!" he exclaimed loudly.
She still did not even glance in his direction. He did one thing he had hoped he would never have to. He read her mind. She was plotting," Guards change at noon. I can put a sleeping spell on them, and then find the throne room. The king will probably be there. I can render him helpless with another spell and the kill him."
Ravi had a feeling she would turn again to these thoughts. He knew now what he should do.
"Lorelei," he said, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder. She was startled for a moment, but she resumed her calm. She smiled up at him.
"Hello, Ravi," She said.
"Lorelei," Ravi began, "You were deep in thought. I called to you many times before you answered. What were you thinking about?"
She looked away, hardening her face. Even if Ravi hadn't read her mind he would have seen through that.
"The Prince again?" he asked, "Did you ever think that perhaps his descendant would be more open-minded? Elves aren't out-lawed anymore."
"How can the ruler be elf-friendly? The actions of the ruler are reflected in the people! They are certainly not open to majick folk." she replied.
"Perhaps," he said, " there is something about the royal family that the people don't know."
"Amada!" she exclaimed.
"Lorelei," Ravi said soberly, " I am not a fool and you know it."
Lorelei's eyes grew wide in disbelief.
"You know Elvish?" she asked.
"Yes, " He replied in Elvish, "There are things that you don't know about me, too."
"But," Lorelei said in Elvish, "How did you learn to speak so perfectly? Even your accent-"
He cut her off, and their conversation continued in Elvish,"Oh Lorelei, Lorelei! Was the dungeon so dark that it blinded you to your own people?"
"What do you mean, My Own People?" She asked.
"Lorelei, does it not seem strange to you that my ears are always covered and my stature so small? Lorelei, I am also an elf. I am three hundred years old," he said.
"You are?" she asked astounded.
"Yes, I am," Ravi replied.
"What did you mean when you said 'there are things about the royals the people don't know?'" she asked, reluctantly coming back to English.
Ravi grinned.
"Lorelei, would you believe me if I told you the Queen- mother is Elvin?" he asked.
"She's what?" Lorelei questioned.
Ravi continued, "Elvin. And my sister."
"Your sister?" Lorelei asked. Her head spun. The King was a half- elf!
"Lorie?" Ravi said, "Are you alright?"
"Y- yes. I just- I can't-"
"Hush" he said, "Lorelei, revenge is not for you. Lorelei, you are a lovely person. Times have changed. Prince Adonis is dead. He has been dead for many years. Forgive his family and live, Lorelei."
He paused, studying her face. She looked up, her black eyes searching his jade eyes for answers.
"Were you looking for me all along? You just showed up one day, without warning," Lorelei said.
"Yes, Lorelei," he replied, "I am from Avalon. Your family got worried after not hearing from you after so long. My family and yours are very close, so they sent me to find out what I could. I relayed what information I could find prior to your release. After you moved here, I hoped to bring good news to your family."
"Lorelei, " he said softly, "When I met you, you were empty of emotion. Now, you are young, vibrant, and beautiful. Your eyes are clear, your hair is dark and it shines in the sun." He stroked her hair and continued, " Your face was thin and pale. Now your cheeks have roses in them and they are no longer sallow." he placed his hand on her cheek, gently. "Lorelei, I have fallen in love with you. I love our conversations, I love talking to you and listening to you. Lorelei-" he paused considering, "I love you."
"Ravi, I-" Lorelei began, "I love you, too."
"Will you give up revenge and stay with me Lorelei? Come back to Avalon with me Lorie." he said.
Avalon?" Lorelei whispered. Avalon was her childhood home. Oh, to see her family again!
"Ravi, " she said, "I will."
They kissed to seal their agreement, and the two of them left Shiremount to start a new life together.