• In a kingdom far away, there laid on top of the mountains, was a castle ruled by a queen. She ran her servants like animals, always working them until the point of exhaustion, many never made it past their first month of working for her, before going six feet under. But there was one servant girl who tended to the needs of the queen. She never scrubbed the floors with the other servants, nor did she prepare the meals
    for the council of the queens suitors. She only tended to the queens immediate problems.

    One day the servant girl was told to fetch a jester. The girl was hesitant at first, but went into the dungeon, and took a prisoner from the dungeon, and had him bathed, and clothed. Outside the queen's chamber the servant girl was in tears, the jester looked at her with a frown. "why does thou' fair beauty weep" the jester asked, fixing his jingly
    hat. The girls wiped her face and shook her head. The Jester frowned ,and lifted her head, looking into her eyes.


    "If i go in the chambers I will not perform best, without the origin of your tears" The jester said. The girl looked at him tried to smile and cried even harder. " The queen leaves no servant alive if they displease her, if ear I have taken ye to your grave" The jester frowned and glanced around. "Then I go to my fate with a face of beauty in my eyes" the jester smiled, caressed her cheek, and kissed her gently, going into the throne room. Several hours passed, not a noise was heard from the great hall where the queen resided. The girl sat out side tears strolling down her face as she surly knew the jester
    was dead.

    There she slept the next day she awoke in her chambers, but found a face smiling at her in her window widdling away at a piece of wood.
    the happy figure came down from the window, and handed the servant girl the wooden figurine, of two people dancing at a ball. "I never received your name M'lady, I am Jae, and you're right the queen doesn't take kindly to being displeased" Jae said a cut across his face, but he smiled as he looked in the girls eyes. The girl took a shocked gasp, and then let it out with a sigh, smiled, and said" Tia, I am Tia" Jae smiled, took her hand
    and kissed it


    In the passing days Jae and Tia met every night when the Queen was asleep. Each night Jae would have a new wound for failing to entertain the queen, and each night Tia tended the wounds. On the 3rd day of the fifth week since Jae's employment, The queen was in a particularly harsh mood.


    On that night Jae was juggling for the queen singing ballads of praise for her, shortly after ordering for her best knights execution for arriving late with a report, before then a waiter was hung for spilling some wine on the queens Green embroidered gown, just on the bottom hem of the dress, on the gold lace. Now Jae was entertaining the queen more so then usual, until he dropped one of the vases the queen had received from the King of Spain as a birthday gift. The queen was redder than the rats eyes that scurried across the floors of the dungeons. she ordered for him to be put in the dungeon, and he could leave when his punishment was done. He was down there for several months, left without food or drink as long as he could without falling in Death's presence


    "I want him to suffer!" The Queen said furiously, knocking over he goblet. "That vase was a favorite of mine, a gift from the king of Spain." The Queen came down from her throne and smacked Jae. The guards several feet away took a step back, exchanging nervous glances.

    Jae went to the floor, the other vases smashing into pieces. "I'm sorry my majesty, it won' ha-" The queen cut him off, "Won't happen again?" She said in a less than pleasant tone. "You'll be lucky to be able to walk after your punishment is through...Guards, take him to the dungeons, break his knees, and give him just enough food and drink to survive..." The queen turned on her heel, and made her way back to her throne, screaming for another goblet of wine. A guard picked Jae up, as another smashed both of his knees with the end of his halberd, and dragged him away to the dungeons, chaining him up, so he hung in the air. Jae's eyes hung open wearily, re-dreaming the queens anger for the third time this week.

    Down the corridor Jae heard foot steps, a turning of a key, and a cell door opening. Jae lifted his head to see Tia rushing in and inspecting him, looking into his eyes worryingly. "I feared the worst when you did not return, the watch told me what happened, and allowed me to come see to you.." She tore Jae's pants into shorts so she could get to his knees, and he screamed as she moved them into their proper places, and made makeshift splints so that they were not to move. She pulled out a small box, inside there was bread, a small portion of meat, and fruit. "Open up, you need to eat." Jae let his mouth hang open loosely, as Tia put the into his mouth small piece by small piece. Tia closed the box with no words spoken, gave Jae a look of pity, and left the cell. Jae hung in the dungeon, chained to the wall.



    Jae looked decrypted, his body looked skeletal. His stomach had shriveled under his ribs, "One, Two, Three, four....Eight" the guard counted, "Eight ribs" the guard laughed, locking the door shut. Jae Lifted his head, heavy bags had formed under his eyes, and wrinkles ran deep with worry across his forehead. He looked at his arms, not an ounce of fat or muscle left to be seen upon them. He could almost, quite frankly, slip loose his shackles, but lacked the strength, and the reason. He hung his head, and slept once more.


    Several more weeks past, Jae looking weaker and weaker, with each passing day. Tia visited three times a week to sneak him extra food, saying a blessing for him when she came, and when she left. On the final visit Tia paid to the dungeon, in her company, was the queen .

    The queen had a smile on her face as she entered the cell, but it quickly faded.... Jae never lifted his head to face the queen, nor Tia. He just hung motionless. The queen walked over to him, lifted his head, and checked for a sign of breath. When Jae let out a faint sound of air, the queen dropped his head to lay as was before. "Still alive...." she turned and walked to the cage door, and said "Very well Tia he lived
    until the appointed time, I shall release, for if I let him perish never shall you let me hear the end of it, but thine is to be his caretaker until he recovers, And when the said time come thine patient shall be taken to the midst of the military, for naught a better use for him than that"
    the queen spoke over her shoulder left the dungeon, and ordered for Jae's release. the guards came in, tore him from his shackle and chains, and dragged him to where Tia could make sure of his recovery.... The day was fourteenth of July in the year 1347.



    Fifthteenth of December of the year 1349.

    A horse rode into the castle's courtyard, where a knight dismounted , and walked to Tia, who
    was garbed in a purple, and green gown, and curtsied to the knight as he bowed.
    the knight took of his helmet, took Tia's left hand and kissed the back of it, still in deep bow. Tia giggled, smiling at the knight "Whence comes thou my fair knight" Tia said walking around him, inspecting him top to bottom, trying to suppress a smile. "From the front lines of France"
    he said suppressing the same smile of Tia's. "I have been sent hither, to escort your Ladyship to London, for her inauguration." The knight smiled, as Tia spoke. "And what is the name of a knight so willing to escort me to London?" Tia pressed her lips together as the knight answered

    "I am Sir Jae du York" he said, embracing Tia, kissing her deeply. Tia smiled, her arms around Jae's neck. "Oh how i have missed thee" Tia kissed Jae once more, "I thought the King would never request for your return" Jae smiled, and helped her onto his horse, and climbed atop it. "And believe not did you when he granted me his blessing, Yah!!" Jae said flicking the reigns and turned the horse
    around and leaving in a brisk walk of the horse. Tia looked at him her mouth slightly open, "Sure thou are not serious, he is allowing me to marry thee?" Tia said, breathing a sigh of relief " So off to Spain i am not?" Jae shook his head. " No longer bound for Spain" Jae said looking ahead.
    Tia smiled, moved closer to Jae, and wrapped her arms around his body, rested her head on his back, closed her eyes and smiled.

    The sun was soon upon them, halfway to London they arrived at the city of York, the gates opening flying the banners of England, peasants stood in front of Jae's horse, but parted as it came near, the villagers were screaming of plague upon the city. Jae flicked the reigns once more his
    horse at a faster pace, and rode into the town's Manor. There he and Tia dismounted, and made shelter for the night. Inside the hall of the manor was filled with fellow knights, nobles, and servants. as he and Tia sat at the table, Chickens, turkeys, and roast pigs laid across the table. Shortly followed by jugs of wine, and horns of fruit.

    As the feast went on, a servant began coughing, and collapsed to the ground. Jae began to
    rise to check the servant, but the Lord of York motioned him to sit back down, and motioned to have the servant removed. The servant's skin was pale, dark purple patches here and there, and what looked like boils forming underneath the neck, and armpit areas. Jae sat uneasy for the remainder of the meal.

    Jae, and Tia shared chambers, and Jae laid staring at the ceiling. Tia came to the bed in a long flowing velvet night gown, with lace hanging loosely off of it. She ran a hand across his chest, "what's wrong Sir Jae." Jae blinked twice and looked at her, smiled and said, "Nothing my love, Good night" Jae kissed her quickly, and closed his eyes. Tia sighed got close to him, and slept. They woke early the next morning. When the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Tia had developed a cough. Jae helped her onto the horse, and sat behind her handing her the reigns,
    "Here you go dearest, why not ride us to London" Jae said with a sympathetic smile. Tia smiled, and flicked the reigns the horse thrusting forward.
    Jae puts his arms around her waist, but kept his head back, and wept silently, as Tia's skin began to become discolored, and her cough worsened.
    By noon that day, they had reached London. The were greeted warmly by the king, and partook in the feast held in the princess' honor.
    ): Their wedding was held that afternoon, and that night Jae deflowered Tia, as was custom. In the morning Tia's healthy had worsened, and Jae began
    developing her symptoms. He refused all visitors to seeing his wife, with the exception of the physician who could do nothing but ease the passing.
    Jae thanked the physician who came once every other day, to check Tia's status on the 3rd day of the 2nd week Tia nor Jae could utter a word.
    Jae's gaze was fixated on Tia who stared blankly at the ceiling. The physician with tears in his eyes turn Tia's head to look at her husband one
    last time, put their hands in one another's and left. Some say Jae managed one final goodbye kiss before they passed away, but many tales
    run about with these two, all just as sad as the one before, but one thing is for sure, Their spirits would never part.....The End