1800

Looking up at the grey stone walls of the castle, Michael was lost in a daydream of the only thing that kept him wanting the sun to come up the next day. He just stood there, looking, hoping to get a glimpse of her pass by one of the windows that held her back from him.

When they were children they played in the courtyard of the castle but as time went on the common folk were no longer to pass the gates, so now he awaits for the short times that she can sneak out to the wall and spend a few precious moments with her.

It was just after noon and Michael was hiding under the cover of the small bushes near the gates of the castle looking at the guards as they were relived by the new men in armor. He wished that he was a knight. He would be in the castle guarding her, the one that he would goto the gates of hell to protect. Every ounce of his being, every drop of blood, every breath he takes is of her, for her. But once again she was not able to get to the wall to see him. He had a tightness in his throat and his eyes began to glass over with tears.

"Until our next moment my love, I await." Michael said.

He slowly moved along the musty cold wall to the forest where he could get away without being seen. As he walked through the thick under brush he thought to himself of the times they had spent together and the friendship that grew into a devoted burning love. And as always he wondered if she was thinking of him and if her love still burned as his did. Then he finally reached the small grass hut he called home.

As he pushed back the deer skin flap that served as a door a pleasant aroma of drying herds filled the air. A dim glow from the fire slowly dying out was the only light leaving it hard to maneuver around all the things he had drying. With a heaviness on his heart he placed a piece of wood on the coals, sitting on a reed mat he closed his eyes and began to breath deeply. In seconds vivid pictures of her filled his head pushing a grin on his face. He began to remember the past, seeing her as a child then growing into the beautiful lady that she has become now and the heaviness left his heart. Slowly he concentrated on her fair skin face sending her energy from the center of his being. He began to remember a time when they had gotten away from the guards and snuck down to the river. They sat by the mossy river bank and talked fo what seemed for days, he listened to every word she spoke like it was her last. Michael was lost in her eyes, lost in her voice, and lost in her beauty.

Noticing that Michael seemed as though he had stopped breathing she slowly leaned toward him and gently placed her lips against his. Jumping back startled, Michael fell on his back laughing, he opened his eyes to find she was standing above him. Slowly he stood up without thinking placed his arms on her waist slowly pulling her toward him. First her thighs pushed against him and his back began to sweat. Then her chest pressed against his and he could feel the excitement of her nipples, then he tipped his head to the side and with the softness of the wind kissed her. Her hands caressed their way up his back to his long brown hair and she pulled him closer to her. Michael's knees went weak and buckled. As he fell back to the ground she placed one leg on each side of him slowly lowering her self on top him placing her hands on his muscular chest leaning forward yearning for those gentle lips once again. Shaking, he began to unbutton her blouse and she began to slide her tongue behind his ear. In the heat of the afternoon sun they laid next to the river making love till the moon broke over the horizon.



On the other side off the forest within the walls of grey stone Elizabeth was sitting in front of her mirror brushing her hair when the all but familiar sense fo Michael surrounded her. She stopped brushing her hair and closed her eyes.

"My love, I am sorry for I could not get away." She thought. "I can no longer wait to be with you it's tarring my heart."

"I know, mine does the same." She heard.

"I can feel you surrounding me with your love, it is comforting." She said.

"We must be together soon or I will die. I can no longer be without you." She cried.

"I know." He replied."The day you get to the gate is the day we will be together, I promise."

"Goto the court yard when the moon is high and await for a gift from the heavens." He said,"Until then my love you are my every and only thought."

"I will and my heart awaits until the next time."She sighed.

That night when the moon was in position Elizabeth went to the court yard. She sat under a oak tree near the fountain where they played as children. Michael had found a precious amethyst and made it into a necklace for Elizabeth. When he got to the wall on the side of the court yard he wrapped the amethysts in a piece of silk and whistled like a dove as he tossed it over the wall.

Feeling that Michael was close Elizabeth ran toward the wall. Then there was a thump on the ground next to her followed by the dove call. Wanting to cry out to him but not wanting him to get caught she sat against the cold musty wall and wept holding tightly the gift in the silk wrapping.

Years pasted and they only got to see one another by they closing their eyes. Michael became a healer within the small village and in time stopped going to the wall. Still through meditation he connected with Elizabeth every night and their love never died even as time went on.

Late in the spring Elizabeth became ill and was close to passing. No matter how sick she became she would not let go. One night while Elizabeth was trying contact Michael again she felt a hand on her fore head. She used what energy she had left and opened her eyes to find her daughter Anna sitting next to her wiping the sweat from the face.

"Momma why do you hold on so?" She asked.

Shaking, Elizabeth tried to lift her hand which held a tattered silk cloth. She closed her eyes and when she went to try to connect to Michael a warm comforting feeling came over her. She opened her eyes for the first time in months with excitement peering down the hall smiling.

Everyone look with question as a old beggar with torn drabs slowly scuffled up the hallway. A guard stepped in front of him and asked him to state his business. The old man pointed to a chair off in the corner and with a raspy voice told the guard to sit. Not knowing why the guard walked over a sat in the chair.

The man made his way over to Elizabeth slowly sitting next to her he looked into those all to familiar eyes, she gazed deep into his as well. Michael leaned toward her kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear,"My love, we will be together as I promised, now go so that I may join you." Then he placed his hand over her eyes closing them as he pulled his hand away.

"Who are you?" Anna demanded.

"My child," Michael whispered,"I was once with, and will be again, with your mother."

He turned and began to walk away. Everyone else was morning over the passing of Elizabeth and they did not realize the old man had vanished.



Upon returning home Michael lit his fire and sat in front of it to warm himself. While sitting there he reached into his pocket and pulled out the silk cloth and opened it. The amethyst was still warm for Elizabeth grasp. He took off his drabs and laid on his bed placing the amethyst over his heart he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes Elizabeth was there by his side.

"The wait is over my love, come, let's go home." She said smiling.

Michael took her hand and they walked down to the river in the high of the moon.

Anna and the guards arrived to the small hut and found the old man that was in the castle with her mother dead on his mat lying on the floor. After looking at what little he had in the hut Anna found some writings that Michael had made when he was younger about her mother and himself, one which described their time at the river.

As they began to leave Anna thought she heard her name whispered from the direction of the river. She and the guards walked down to the water only to find nothing but the waves quietly hitting against the muddy banks. Watching the moons reflection on the almost still river Anna felt as though she was being watched from behind. Spinning around quickly she got a cold chill but there was nothing there, so she decided to leave. As she began to walk away she stepped on something in the moss. Anna bent down and picked it up turning around to see what it was in the moonlight. When the moonlight shown over her shoulder the silk cloth her mother was holding when she passed was now in her hand and there was something inside it. With the soft sounds of doves cooing in the distance she slowly unfolded the silk to see what it held.