Title: The Legend of Lovers Lament
Author: Croll Baumoval
IsNaughty: False
Price: 580
IsUnique: False
WhenVarSet: 
Content:


[/font=2]

[/center]The Legend of

[/center]Lovers Lament



[/font=4]

[/center]

 The night is very dark. Wind gently ruffles the willow
trees. All is quiet, or it so appears, around the shores of
the small lake. Tamriel's moons reflect in the slightly rippling surface of the water. An owl's questioning
call echoes. No lights are shining from the castle nearby; it
appears deserted.

 As the night wears on and the planet's satellites moves
across the heavens, a faint glow appears near the castle.
The light slowly moves towards the lake, and upon reaching
the shore, stops. A figure, a beautiful woman by any
measure, stands looking wistfully into the dark water. Her
lantern flickers in the breeze, and illuminates her. Tears
are streaming down her cheeks; her gown, once beautiful, is
now tattered and stained.

 The surface of the lake becomes agitated, but not from a
wind as the night has become as still as it is dark. Slowly
from the water emerges the figure of a man, a warrior, fully
adorned in the armor of a knight on the field of battle. He
seems to float over the water towards the woman and stop
just short of her.

 "Madylina," the ghostly warrior intones.

 "My Lord, Gerthland," whispers the lovely Madylina as she
kneels. "You have come to me again."

 "Yes," Gerthland responds, "My days are long waiting for
the night in which I can see my love."

 The lovers stand looking wistfully at each other, unable
to touch, unable to kiss, unable to satisfy their unrequited
love until the first tinges of dawn start to color the
western sky. Gerthland drops something to the ground as does
Madylina as each depart. The waters of the lake again take
possession of the handsome knight and the beautiful maiden
walks slowly back to the castle. As the waters of the lake
settle into a gentle ripple and the light of Madylina's
lantern disappears, dawn breaks over the lake.

 On the shore are two beautiful roses--one crimson and the
other white as fresh cream. Ripples from the lake overtake the
two flowers and pull them into the lake leaving the shore
bare as it was in the hours before darkness fell.

 ...

 The townfolk around Gerthland Manor tell often of seeing
these lovers in their nightly meeting. The Boar's Bristle Inn
is always rumbling with conversation about them. Lord
Gerthland and Lady Madylina who were betrothed. Lord
Gerthland called to battle to defend the land. Hergen, the
castle's resident sorcerer, becoming enflamed with love and
lust for Madylina only to be rebuked by her. Lord
Gerthland's death on the field of battle. Lady Madylina's
death by her own hand at the news. Hergen's curse on both
their souls that will not allow them to rest until Madylina
will agree to become Hergen's consort even in death.

 Hergen, to this day, wanders the deserted halls of Gerthland
Manor hoping that Madylina will agree to his demands. And
the lovers continue to meet for a few moments each night on
the shores of the lake now known as Lover's Lament. 
