Coveting Desire

      Allow me to tell you a tale. A tale of Desire. Of Jealousy. A tale of Love and Magic, and Love that was unrequited.

      In the Gemstone Forest was a Village of stone homes with mossy thatched roofs. They farmed for what they needed and what they couldn't farm the Forest provided. The Villagers believed that if you Respected the Forest, that the Forest would Respect you in return. 

    This story begins with a Wedding. It was beautiful. Sheer fabric was draped over Tree branches and flowers were everywhere. The Groom stood at the alter with his Best Friend at his side. The Bride walked slowly down the isle towards them. Her dress was simple but still she seemed to glow. As the Bride and Groom were United at the Alter, the Holy Man began to speak of Love and Companionship, and Loyalty.

     The Groom's Friend heard none of it. He saw nothing. Only the Bride standing before him. He admired the way her hair seemed to shine and the warmth of her smile, as she gazed lovingly into the Groom's eyes.

    The Ceremony concluded and the Party began. There was much dancing and talk and laughter. But the Groom's Friend stood alone, watching her dance with her new Husband. 

    They had been Friends for years, he and the Groom. But jealousy had crept into his Heart, and the Man of Honor began to think thoughts that weren't very Honorable. How had this come to pass, that She should choose his Friend over Himself?

   The Man of Honor fell to drinking and the evening became a blur. The next thing he remembered, the Man was walking aimlessly through the Gemstone Forest. Stumbling was more like. He tripped over a large cluster of Prase Quartz, and found himself at the base of an abandoned Well, long since dried up and full of debris. 

    He stood up, and there, in the Old Well, the man saw something glimmer and shine. Out of the debris, he pulled an old jug. It was shiny, but crusted over with dirt, and there appeared to be some writing on it. The man went to rub the dirt off the jug. But instead of cleaning an antique jug, he instead summoned a Djinn.

    It appeared before him like a smokeless fire. "Master," the Djinn said, "I will grant you a wish if you but free me from my prison."

   "Grant my wish and I shall do so," the Man said.

   "Very well," said the Djinn, "What is it that you Wish, Master?"

    Without more than a single thought, the man told the Djinn that he wished for his Friend's Wife to be His Wife. The Djinn nodded. "As you Wish," said the Djinn. 

     The powerful being closed his eyes, holding his hands together. When he opened his hands again, there in his palm, was a golden ring. 

   "Put this ring on," said the Djinn, "And she shall be yours."

   The man, eyes glowing with greed, reached for the ring. The Djinn closed his hand. 

  "You must Free me," the Djinn said, and held his other hand forward. "Only my Master can remove this bracelet."

   "First," said the Man, "I'll be having that ring."

  He held out his hand. The Djinn nodded and placed the ring in his hand. It took him barely any effort to remove the corded bracelet from around the Djinn's wrist, and in the blink of an eye, the Djinn was gone, and so too was the bottle, now mysteriously shattered. Only the golden ring remained. The Man slipped the ring on his finger, a perfect fit, and returned to the Village.

    He found the Wedding there, still in full swing. But where his Friend had been, sitting in the spot of the Groom, the chair was empty. He took his Friend's place, next to the woman who was now his Wife. 

   Smiling, he reached over to take Her hand. She pulled her hand away and did not meet his gaze. The smile faded from his lips. At that moment her family prompted them to rise and dance. They stood as one and went to the dance floor. They began to dance slowly, but she still would not look at him.

    "What troubles you?" He asked. 

    Her eyes then met his, dark and piercing. She did not speak.

   "My Love?" Said He, "What is wrong?"

    "Do not call me thus," she whispered with venom.

    "But," He said as they danced slowly, "I love you."

    She shook her head. "I may be your Wife," She said, "But I will Never love you."

    He stopped dancing and for a moment a hard knot sat in the pit of his stomach. 

    "No," He said, "This isn't what I wanted."

    He attempted to take the golden ring off of his finger, but no matter how much he tried to remove it, the ring remained. For a moment he stood, feeling sick, looking over the gathered guests. And then he saw his Friend. His Friend, whose eyes burned with Love and despair, looking upon the woman who had previously been his Wife.

     He ran into the Forest, away from the Wedding and the Guests, and the woman who did not Love him, back towards the place where he believed the Old Well to be. He could not find it. No matter how long he searched, the Man never found the Old Well or the shards of the jug. No matter what he tried, the ring would not come off of his finger. The Woman to whom he was now bound in Marriage, would never grow to Love him. 

    Because he desired her, because he had been covetous, the Man was trapped in a loveless Marriage. She eventually left him, many years later, for none other than his Friend whom he had betrayed. Yet still the golden ring remained, and the man never saw the Djinn again.

     

    Thank you for reading this Story. I hope I've written it well enough, and that it was of interest to you. Please feel free to read my other Blogs, check out the Free Photos in the Gallery, and browse around the Shop. Until next time, Dear Reader