Sparkler Snapshots

VII | The Rose of a Dead Knight

"There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other. That word is England." – Winston Churchill

Date: April 23rd, 2017

Occasion: Saint George's Day

Country: England

Hint: Read the first letter of each paragraph downwards.

■ □ ■ □ ■ □ ■ □

VII | The Rose of a Dead Knight

Smears of white clouds brushed the blue backdrop of Silene, a town of lush nature. But with the blessings of nature also came curses, and this one prevailed in the form of a dragon. Each of its breaths expelled a cloud of plague, silencing heartbeats everywhere. To appease the beast, the folks of Silene lead two sheep to the countryside each morning, where the dragon tore apart their flesh. Once the sheep became scarce, however, they were forced to exploit another source of dragon food. A sacrifice cruel beyond words. They fed the dragon the youth. Their own children.

A terrified audience watched as a tall man reached into his hat. His fingers grasped a piece of paper, pulled it out, unfurled it. Everyone knew what was on that paper. A name. The name of a child. It could be anyone's child. No one was safe. On the left of the man stood a young boy, clutching his mother's hand, knuckles white. Tear tracks streaked their faces. He was the first chosen for today. The second was moments away from being announced. The tall man raised his head, his curtain of hair falling away. For the first time, the public saw his skeleton cheeks, which were drained of color, and once he read out the name, they discovered why.

It was the King's daughter. No one could have foretold such an incident, that the child of the most powerful man in the land would be sacrificed by the cruel lottery organized by his own subjects. It was rare for a nation to see much of their royal superiors, but Silene was an exception. Each morning, the latter visited a string of houses, delivering loaves of bread and chirping a friendly hello to passers-by. She spent lots of time in the paddocks, stroking the sheep, every one of which flocked around her, bleating for her attention. But at this moment, no one could meet her eyes.

"No!" the King cried as the princess picked her way towards the boy who was first chosen. Anguish flashed across his weary face, where wrinkles were beginning to develop. He rose from his seat beside the tall man, his proud features reduced to panic. The King's outburst silenced the whispers of his people, whose eyes were laced with guilt. "Not her," he said, terror cracking his voice. Even his daughter faltered in her step, her sky blue dress billowing in the sharp winds of dawn. "I will offer you anything in exchange for her life. Half my kingdom, with my gold and silver. Take it all."

The adults considered it, for they were eager to familiarize themselves with the taste of riches. But once they caught sight of their children, who had seen so little of the world, some shook their heads, while others wrapped an arm around their children. Seeing his argument was lost, the King sobbed, rushing to his daughter and enveloping her in one last embrace. She met his teary eyes with a mask of bravery, lips feathering his cheek with a final kiss. Once the King finally released his daughter, she was whisked away to prepare for the sacrifice.

Getting ready for the event was torturous, the princess thought. Layers upon layers of white silk were forced upon her, the gown trailing limply behind. Once the princess was zipped up, she was ushered towards the lake where the dragon lived. The area was undisturbed, grass swaying in the breeze, the lake smooth as glass. It was hard to imagine that a ferocious dragon had snapped up a young boy here an hour ago. The princess inhaled the crisp air and waited for the beast to attack, sweat beading her palms, though her jaw was set in resilience. If she were to die, she would be killed with honor. She would die with her chin raised.