Monday, February 6, 2012

A Tale of True Love for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day. How the heck did a defiant priest become the basis for a holiday of lovers, celebrated with hearts and candy and engagement rings? There are many, many legends. My favorite claims that Valentine was jailed because he defied Emperor Claudius by marrying young men and women against the law--a law that said no young men were allowed to marry (in an attempt to boost numbers in his army.) On the eve of his execution, Valentine wrote "the first Valentine" to his beloved, his jailer's daughter (whom some legends claim was healed of her blindness by the saint) signing it, from your Valentine.

As that story goes, and all stories of Valentine, the man was executed and thereby martyred, attaining eventual sainthood. I don't like that ending. Not at all. Therefore, in Heroines of Fantasy tradition, we're going to turn things around a little and make it our own. Using this picture and the basic Valentine legend above, let's rewrite the story, and this time let Valentine LIVE!

Same rules as last time: FIVE LINES ONLY! No cheating. Please do not be offensive. Sex and/or violence is allowed, but please don't get too graphic. Posting ends midnight on Saturday, February 11th. I'll conclude with the last five lines, and post the whole collective story on Sunday, February 12th.

(picture removed)

And so it begins: the story of a boy and a girl, and love unattainable; at least, that is what their kin wanted them to believe. Her name was Adalaide, a maid small and slight even for her kind. He was Valentine, his temper wicked even for his. They met in the wood. They fell in love; and turned the world upside down.

Now it's your turn...

7 comments:

Karin Rita Gastreich said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karin Rita Gastreich said...

Adalaide was victim to a terrible curse

That had made her human, ugly and worse

No longer could she slither through the dark of the night,

Or hiss with joy at dawn's first light.

J.A. Campbell said...

Valentine would break the curse, his love to free.

He questioned mages, evil and fair, his wrath was felt by all.

Her parents discovered his quest, and away did they hide slight Adalaide.

Naturally, Valentine's fury, this act did invoke.

Clint Harris said...

Her memories of the days spent at her mother's apron strings were distant, as forgotten as the story of someone else's dream. She could not forget the days her wings came in, the awful ripping sound, the way the children screamed when she took flight. He had found her, his thoughts clear as mountain creeks in her mind. He thought in poetry. With a toothy grin and flashing scales, he had charmed her, even as the village burned.

Unknown said...

Bound in a cage of scales and fire, Valentine saw the smile of the delicate Adalaide as the key to his escape. Although he was born to this form, dying in it was not an option for him…but he could not do it alone. Desire to be with his love fueled Valentine’s machinations and dredged up his hatred for those that kept him from her. He would use Adalaide to gather the tokens that would change his monstrous form into one that could caress her silken skin, but that was not the end of his planning. First he would kindle his temper and fire against their own, against anyone who stood in their way, and rid the world of both fairy and dragon alike.

Terri-Lynne said...

Sorry to those of you who participated! We didn't get enough of a response to actually create a story. Wah! Just didn't work out this time. Ah, well--live and learn!

But thank you all!

Karin Rita Gastreich said...

Sorry the story didn't work this time, Terri! It was a great premise; maybe folks are just distracted by love right now...