The Tales Of Esmeralda

Pre-Prologue: My Dearest Titania...

You see, most stories have a prologue so that they can tell you what happens before the story takes place. And I don't know many (or any) that have a pre-prologue. Well this one does.

If I told you the story of the prologue you wouldn't understand everything that's going on, so I might as well tell you the pre-prologue anyway! Understand? Okay. Good. Now, let's step into a magical world. Which would be our world thousands of years ago. And this took place in Greece...

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This pre-prologue takes place in Athens. You've all heard of it, right? It's a really popular place in Greece that was named after Athena seeing as it was her patron city. Still never heard of if? Look it up!

In Athens there lived a young girl named Titania (pronounced like 'titanium', but instead of 'um' it's 'uh'). She was beautiful, and everybody thought so. Of course, to a few amount of people it wasn't just her looks that mattered. It was what was inside, too. And everybody thought that she was beautiful there.

One guy, out of many, had his eyes on her. He loved her. His name was Christopher. And he was in love with Titania. The way her long black hair fell down past her shoulders. The way her dark sapphire blue eyes shined when she talked about something she loved. The way her skin lightly tanned during the summertime. He loved everything about her. Even her flaws.

And Christopher was unaware of this fact, but Titania was in love with Christopher as much as he loved her. She loved his dark blonde hair, light amber brown eyes, that little scar he had on his shoulder from when he was a baby. Everything. Everything everything everything...

One day, Titania was working on her parents' farm in the garden when Christopher thought that he would finally do it. Finally...finally...

He walked up to Titania.

"H-hey," Christopher said shyly to her (but obviously it wasn't in English). Christopher cleared his throat. "Hey, Titania."

Titania looked up at Christopher and smiled. She straightened up, and wiped the back of her hand with her forehead, which put a streak of mud on it. "Hey, Christopher. Whatcha doin'?"

"Oh, nothin'. I just...I just wanted to see what you were up to. That's all."

"Oh. Well, it's the same thing I did yesterday. And the day before that...and the day before that..." Titania sighed.

"You know, Titania, you don't...you don't have to do the same thing every day. In fact...you could do something right now that could change your life."

Titania raised an eyebrow. "Which would beee...?"

"Answering this question I have to ask you."

Titania studied Christopher's face. He half-smiled at her. She sighed. "Okay." She took her apron off and walked to the barn to hang it over a door with Christopher following her. "What's the question?" She turned around to see Christopher holding up an apple. Titania frowned. Then her eyes lit up as her face lifted into a smile.

See, in Ancient Greece if a man (well...usually) was asking a woman to marry him he would toss her an apple. And, uh...Christopher had an apple...

"Catch," Christopher said with a smirk. He tossed the apple at Titania, and she caught it. She stared at the apple like it was a hidden treasure found. "So?"

Titania smiled up at Christopher and nodded violently. "Yes! Oh my gods, are you kidding?! How could I say no?!"

"'Cause maybe you don't -"

"Love you?" Titania said calmer than before, almost like she was upset.

Christopher nodded slowly in reply.

Titania sighed. She walked closer to Christopher. "Christopher Manos. I know that usually the men say this first, but I love you. I truly do. And I will be your bride if you will be my groom."

Christopher smiled down at his beautiful new fiancé. "It would be my honor."

And for the first time ever, Christopher and Titania kissed.

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Now, you guys might be kind of confused. If this story is about somebody named Esmeralda then why am I telling you about Christopher and Titania? Don't worry. We'll get to that. You know...after the prologue.

Anyway, it was barely even a month afterwards that Christopher and Titania were married. Titania was now Titania Manos, as she chose (mostly) to take her husband's last name. The two then went on their honeymoon, and everything was glorious. And what made it even more glorious is that three months after the wedding Titania discovered that she was pregnant.

But I am sad to say that not everything was glorious forever.

Christopher and Titania had been married for five months when disaster struck. A warlord, by the fearsome name of Arsenio, came to Athens. Arsenio commanded his troops to burn everything to the ground, and to kill anyone that tried to stop them.

Titania ran to safety, thinking that Christopher was right behind her. She then heard her husband cry out in pain. She turned around, and saw Arsenio taking his long silver sword out of her husband's chest.

"NOOOOOO!" she screamed. She ran towards her husband as Arsenio completely ignored her. She kneeled next to him.

"No," she whispered. "Christopher... Christopher, wake up!" she yelled. Christopher opened his eyes slightly.

"Titania...my dearest Titania..." He coughed. He breathed heavier than before. "Please...if my child is a boy...name him...name him Xenos after his grandfather..."

Titania picked up his hand, and put it on her face. She cried into his hand. "I will. I promise."

Christopher nodded, a small smile on his face. He closed his eyes, and took a final breath.