~*~One Unicorn~*~ Part II

Aurora stayed with the unicorn til the sun began to set in the sky and from the distance, she could hear her nursemaids calling for her. Promising him to return the next day, Aurora left and made her way back to the palace. As was customary, she was forced to attend dinner with her father and his guests, the king and prince of a neighboring kingdom. She's made plans to tell her father of her newfound friend after dinner but to her horror, the conversation at dinner turne to the hunt of the illusive unicorn. They talked of the healing powers in its golden horn and how a single drop of its blood could give everlasting life.1

Fearful for her unicorn's saftey, Aurora thought it wise to keep her unicorn's existance a secret to all save herself. Day after day, after her studies, she'd sneak away from the palace grounds and slip into her secret garden to spend time with her companion. She told him her every thoughts and in turn, he told her of his opinion on each. Many times they would simply lay in the emerald grasses beneath the shade of one of the many mighty oaks and simply talk for hours on end, never tiring of one another's company.2

Months passed and soon the lanky young unicorn began to take shake into a magnificent animal with long flowing locks of ivory and eyes deeper than the blue ocean itself. Princess Aurora too began to mirror her deceased mother's beauty as she transformed from a young girl into a beautiful young woman. But no matter the change in her appearance or his, the unicorn and Aurora reained close as ever and many a day they would race over the vastness of the secret gardens. It was on the unicorn that AUrora first learned to ride and it was on his back alone she found the most happiness.3

One afternoon a gift arrived for Aurora from the prince of the far lands. He'd heard of her beauty and had, on occasion, seen her riding with her father on some business matter. Not surprizingly, he soon fell inlove with her. But Aurora did not even look his way, nor seem to notice his existance, her love belonged to the unicorn and she took the jewels and ribbons and braided them into his long ivory forelock. Smiling at her handiwork she hugged his neck, "They look better on you anyway."4

He snorted softly, sending the braided locks dancing along his sleek neck as soft tones ask her, "Aurora, do you love me?", his sapphire eyes gazing at her with the same adoring innocence he'd had from the first time she'd seen him.5

She smiled and rubbed his muzzle affectionately, "Of course unicorn, with all my heart."6

He nodded his head gently, "Good, but lie my princess and surely I will die."7

"Then you will live forever for I shall never lie to you", and with that she kissed his cheek and slipped back to the castle.8

As the cold breeze began to blow, announcing the coming of winter, the prince from the neighboring kingdom came to spend the winter with the king and Aurora in hopes of getting the princess to fall inlove with him.9

Day in and day out he would attempt to catch her eye, leaving in the early mornings with his hunting hounds and returning in the evenings with many pelts in offering but she just turned her nose up to each and slipped away to her unicorn.10

As the winter months came, and the cold chill in the air prevented her from going out to see her unicorn, Aurora found entertainment in sitting by the roaring fire with one of the hunting hounds in her lap and listening to the many stories that the prince told her. Soon, even when the weather would permitt her to leave and seek out the companionship of her beloved unicorn, she did not. For Aurora had indeed fallen inlove with the kind prince. His stories facinated her and his rugged demeanor left her curious to know more about him.11

One day, while the prince was off hunting with her father, asking for Aurora's hand in marriage, Aurora remembered her unicorn and slipped into the gardens to see him.12

At first she didnt recognize him, her beautiful, magnificent unicorn had seemed to age centuries, his horn no longer glowed a brillian gold and his depthless sapphire eyes shown with saddness as he approached her. "Aurora, my love, did you forget me?" he asked, his tones still sweet and innocent as she remembered.13

"Never dear one" she replied wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek tenderly. Yet she knew her words were not entirely true, and from the sad look in his eyes, she knew he knew it as well.14

But he pressed on, nudging her gently, "Tell me Aurora, do you love me?"15

"With all my heart," she replied and stroked his neck tenderly.16

Saddness shown in his dark eyes at her words for he knew that they were not entirely true. "My dear princess you lie, and now it the time, I must die." he said pulling away from her and stepping slowly through the gateway and into the open sight of her father and the prince returning from their hunt. Before she could stop them, their well aimed arrows found their mark deep within the unicorn's ivory chest. With a painful scream, Aurora raced to the fallen unicorn's side, cradling his head in her lap as tears leaked down her face and mingled with his split blood that stained the white snow.17

With a heavy sigh, the unicorn spoke, "Now my princess, you know both pain and joy, truth and lies; the last thing you must learn is how to remember and let go." he said as with a final sigh his dark eyes dulled and his ivory form began to fade til nothing was left of the unicorn but a single puddle of his spilt blood.18

The princess never forgot her dear unicorn and on the day of her wedding to the prince she made her way to the place where her first love fell. To her astonishment and delight there where his crimson blood had once stained the white snow, grew a large rose bush with flowers of both red and white. A single tear trickled down her delicate facial features  as she plucked a rose of each color and added it to her bouque. With a soft "Good bye my friend, my love" she turned and walked away.19

The princess married the prince that day and they lived happily in her father's castle. A few years later, a daughter was born to them and, like her own father had done for her, went to special measures to ensure her saftey and happiness.20

One morning her daughter came to her and told her of an amazing dream, of a rose bush and a tiny white creature that had spoken to her in such soft tones. Aurora could not stop the tears that fell from her cheeks as she held her daughter close to her, "Then my dear, next time you see him, tell him the truth, for if you lie, then surely the little one will die."21