"Love Destroyed"
It all started in a kingdom far away, in a court not unlike any other. What started as sweet love ended in pain. Two sisters fought for love and died for it. This is their tale.
Anne and Catharine Leogrance were know far and wide for their beauty. Anne, the eldest, was raven haired and ivory skined, with eyes like a storm at sea and lips like a red blossom. She was serious, powerful, and deep. The people loved and respected her, for someday she would be their queen. Yet she couldn't be more different from her sister Catharine. Catharine was a golden beauty, full of laughter and light. Her golden curls and brillant green eyes bounced with energy, and her rosy cheeks were always flushed with excitement. Catharine made the perfect princess; energtic, clever, curious, and determined. The two girls were opposites in every sense, yet as children, they were inseparable. Never would you see a golden haired toddler without her quiet, wise sister to guide her along the path.
More often than not, you would see a little boy with the girls as well. He was Sir William Boady, son of a powerful Duke, and Anne's best friend from the cradle. As a child, his red-gold curls often tumbled wildly and his bright blue eyes would sparkle with laughter. The three children were rarey seen apart, yet as they grew, things began to change.
The year William and Anne were twelve, William left to study as a knight. The girls longed for their friend to return, but soon after, Anne began preperations for her coming out. Her parents, both wonderful rulers, saw the kingdom as their children and their true daughters as tools to help the kingdom. So it stood to reason, in their minds, that twelve was the perfect time for Anne to begin her service to the kingdom.
It was in this light that the Queen swept Anne into a whirlwind of gowns, tea parties, and endless lessons on how to be a lady, and one day, queen. Anne was exicted by this new world and was soon wrapped up in it.
Meanwhile, poor Catharine was heartbroken. She had been abandoned by her greatest friends. It was not uncommon that first summer, to see a lonely nine-year-old wandering the palace gardens and mazes. She began to make a friend in herself, and soon began to enjoy the solitude. She taught herself what she thought she would need as a young lady, and longed for the day that she might enter the excitement of court.
So, with each of the trio on a different path, they began to drift apart. Anne and Catharine became aware of how very different their worlds were now, and while they enjoyed seeing each other still, things were never the same as when they were care-free children. Anne and William, however, grew closer still. Letters flew back and forth faithfully, and the monthly visits were much anticipated. Soon, Anne and William were deeply in love, just before Anne's eighteenth birthday. Her parents looked at the match as fitting, for as a young man, William was strong, quiet, kind, and deserving of their eldest daughter. Yet what stood out strongest to the king and queen was the alliance that could be formed should either of their daughters marry William Boady, for his father, the Duke, was both rich and powerful. They began to forget that it should be Anne who married William, for she truly loved him. It came to a point where either daughter was fine, so long as one of them did marry into the Boady house.
During that same year, fifteen-year-old Catharine was enchanting the court. Young, beautiful, playful, and bright, she was everything they could want in a princess. Soon, it was hard to tell which daughter was better loved, the elder or the younger.
That winter, just before the month of balls and celebrations began, William returned. Anne was overjoyed, and the two were always together, as it had been so long ago. Yet now, there was no cheerful Catharine to make a trio. She saw how the court favored the match; Beautiful Anne and Sweet William! What could be finer? Wiliam became known for his bonny blue eyes, for even as he remained quiet, his eyes danced with laughter. It was only with Anne that he truly relaxed and laughed long and loud.
Catharine observed all this quietly, for as a young woman, she was becoming shrewd. It was not long before a seed of jealousy was planted in her heart. She remebered how the older children had left her all alone, and now look! They were wrapped up in eachother, practically glowing with love. Catharine slowly began to see herself in Anne's place, so happy and joyous. She forgot how they were as young sisters, always there for each other, supportive, and the best of friends. She forgot that Anne did not really had a choice in her seperation; indeed, Anne had fought to remain with her sister before finally giving into her new role. Yet all that was forgotten as Catharine watched and waited, until she saw the one way to punish Anne, and that was William.
So Catharine began her little game; a smile here, a word there, always watching William and trying to catch his attention. Anne was blind to it, so wrapped up in love she was, but William saw Catharine and her subtle actions. He was a quiet young man, and didn't like to see people hurt, and so, he could not muster the courage to tell Catharine, who he saw as a sister almost, to stop and let things be. He was dragged along, torn between telling Catharine that he was loyal to Anne, no doubt hurting her deeply, and letting her think she was whooing him. All the while, Catharine grew more and more confidant and Anne remained oblivious to what was now becoming very obvious.
One unfortunate night, Anne and William were strolling in the intricate maze in the palace gardens, which they had loved to run through as children. Just as they reached the heart wihere a small bench was surrounded by a willow, Catharine rose from the shadows. Before Anne had time to react, she was pulling William towards her. Catharine murmered, "Come my love, come with me. It is our time now." William was tugging at his arm, but Catharine knew he would not risk harming a lady to escape her grip. Anne watched, momentarly stunned. When Catharine saw that William would not come with her willingly, she said, "Why do you hesititate so, my darling? Have our moments meant nothing to you? What of the loving whispers you promise me as we kissed? Have you forotten our love, our plans for the future?" At this, William cried, "Catharine, you go too far. I beg you, stop!" However, Anne was catching on. In her calm, powerful voice, she spoke. "William, what is she talking about? What is going on please? Why are you here Catharine?" Catharine merely pushed aside William's protests and laughed. "Dear sister," she lilted, "Have you been so wrapped up in your love that you have failed to see that it was not returned? Have you really believed that you shall marry William? No, that is not so. For he has loved me more than he will ever love you. He is mine now. Nothing you can say or do will ever change that now. It is over. You have lost William." Catharine was flushed, exillerated from her revenge, yet a small voice told her to stop her wicked game. It was worsened when she saw the twin columns of tears that slowly rolled down Anne's cheeks, but she brushed them aside, remebering how Anne and William had left her alone. Now it was Anne's time to be alone!
William finally broke away from Catharine and ran to Anne. "Please, you are my love! Do not listen to Catharine for she lies. I have loved you and you alone. Nothing will ever change about that. I cannot and have not loved Catharine. I have been loyal, I swear! Please believe me!" William was desperate to convice Anne, but the damage was done. At Catharine's words, an arrow had pirced her heart, and it was broken from it. Turning to William she whispered, "How could you? I loved you with my entire being. How could you do this to me, to us?" She walked slowly forward, leaving William behind her, approaching her younger sister. As she came forward, Catharine drew herself up. Anne stopped, barely two paces away and stared into Catharine's eyes. Catharine felt as if a beam of ice was pouring into her, scouring her body, searching for a reason, an answer. The sunddenly, it was gone. Anne had fled.
The next few days were terrible for everyone. The court buzzed with talk of marriage and the Midwinter Ball. When they saw Anne's pale face and William's haggard one, they began to wonder if there would be a marriage. Catharine provided them with ideas. She came up to William as often as possible, smilling from under her lashes, playing, laughing. William was too upset to stop her and merely turned away. All he wanted was Anne and had no interest in the sister who had caused them this pain, but the court did not know that. They saw Wiliam and Catharine, and began to imagine the possiblities of a different marriage, one between William and Catharine.
Two days before the ball, the Queen drew her daughters aside before they left for dinner and spoke to them. The Queen was never a very motherly person. Perhapse it came from her arranged marriage to the King. She had only come to love him over many long years of marriage, and so could not understand Anne's pain. "Daughters," she started, "This must stop. You are princesses and must behave accordingly. One of you will marry William Boady. I do not care which one of you does, but believe me, one will. You cannot risk this chance with sulking or improper behaivor. I expect to see some improvements. You must works this out. You are embarresing us." With this she left. Catharine followed, dancing along, eager to prove her desire to be that daughter, and after a long time, Anne followed slowly, with the heavy step of one who is heartbroken.
So on the night of the Midwinter Ball, an annoucement was made. The King and Queen had seen Catharine by William and decided with the Duke of Boady that they would make a fine match. With great pride, they addressed to court, saying that in three months time, Sir William Boady and Princess Catharine Leogrance would be wed. The court cheered and William protested, but Catharine held his arm and steered him through the throngs of congradulating courtiers. She knew she had won, and she was not going to let her prize escape. Again, she felt a tug at her heart as she saw Anne's icy features, but she swept past, up to her parents and the Duke. Anne merely sat, immobalized. She was frozn and could not take this piece of news in. It was only when her eyes met William's that her shield broke and she fled once again, tears streaming down her face.
Afetr many hours of dancing and feasting, the court parted, each member headed towards his or her own bed. Catharine however, went outside, claiming that she needed a walk to settle her mind. William silently followed her, hoping she might lead him to Anne. He was rewarded, for as she walked along what had been their favorite path, Anne rose from the shdows by the river. It was still rushing fiercly, too strong to be contained by ice. Cathrine stopped as her sister appeared. They were standing a few paces apart and their eyes were locked. Catharine broke the silence, saying matter-of-factly, "It is over Anne. You have lost. You have lost William and I have won him." At this, Anne gave a heart-wrenching cry and threw herself and Catharine. Thaken unawares, Catharine stumble backwards. She totterd on the edge of the river, stuggling for balance, but Anne had sealed off any feelings, so she stepped forward, always staring at Catharine. With one gentle push, Catharine fell into the freezing river, her screams muffled by the roar of the water as it bore her away. Immediately, the flood of feelings she had contained rushed back, and Anne reliazed what she had done. She was overwhlmed and confused. She had lost the two things she had loved most in the world, William and now Catharine. Slowly she drew herself up, and calmly, she stepped forward and stepped gently off the bank into the churning river, letting it speed her now lifeless body far away.
William sat in the shadows stunned. He was shocked by what had happened. His love was gone. His precious Anne was gone and would not ever return again. He began to walk, for he could not think what else to do. He stumbled along, calling for Anne who he loved like no other. Soon, he called for Catharine too, for she had been a sister to him. He forgot what had happened, what Catharine had done, and mourned the loss of his best friends. William walked for days and days, crying as the tears came. He did not care about anything else. He just kept walking, calling and crying for Anne and Catharine.
After many weeks, he came to a wide, empty beach in a bay. As he strode along the shore, he saw to figures up ahead. Running forward, he saw that two maidens lay on the sand, side by side, hands held tightly together, golden and black hair fanning out on the sand. Just as William collapsed next to them, a gentle wave slipped beow them and bore them away like leaves on water. The sea had taken them, sisters even in death. William sat on the shore for many days, watching the water, looking for his love. After a long time, he began to walk again, this time into the water. He would find them wherever they were and there he would stay. The sea was happy to oblige. It bore him away gentlly, until the trio was reunited in peace at last.
Back home, nobody knew where they had gone. Courtiers whispered and speculated as solidiers searched the grounds and gardens. After weeks of searching, everyone gave up. The radiant sisters, so different and so beautiful, along with sweet, quiet William, were gone. The King and Queen mourned their loss, but they were not truly affected by it. Their greatest regret was the posiblities lost, for they had no other children and children were wonderful tools for the kingdom. So they mourned publicly, and began to plan their next alliance. Soon, their daughters were merely a lovely story from long ago.
And so love died. It was fought over, lost, and lost again, but it died all the same. Perhapse elsewhere, far away from this doomed tale, love flourishes. Here, it faded away, like a wilting rose. Once it was beauiful, but alas, no more. Catharine had meddled with true love. She forgot her sisterly love for Anne and so broke Anne's heart. William was torn in two, stuck between Anne and Catharine without any say at all. In the end, they died and only in death could love live peacefully among them.