Posted on Sunday, 17 August 2003
It was getting dark when Elizabeth Darcy returned home from a walk with her daughter Emma. A cool breeze made her shiver and caused Emma to raise her little arms up to her mother. "Mama, cawwy Emma. Emma cold..." Her voice trailed off.
Elizabeth smiled at her daughter's use of baby talk, her little treasure always used it to persuade her Mama to obey her little commands. Giving her a loving smile she picked Emma up and enfolded her in her warm cloak to protect her from the wind. "Here, that should do it, sweetheart. Are you feeling warm now?"
The little girl planted a kiss on Elizabeth's nose and gave her a grin. "Emma vewy wawm now. Emma loves Mama!"
"Darling, are you forgetting the R-sound? Mama picked you up already. What else does my little angel want?"
Emma yawned and embraced Elizabeth's neck with her little arms. Just as Elizabeth got comfortable with carrying her daughter through the garden Emma stirred again and got very excited. "Mama! Mama! Look! Beautiful!"
"What is beautiful, my love?" Elizabeth's tried to follow her daughter's fingers but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just then Emma started to squirm and jumped to the floor. "Mama, look! Little light up there! Shining, like Emma's blonde hair!"
Finally Elizabeth beheld the object of Emma's excitement as she kept searching the clouded sky. Despite some dark clouds the Evening star was shining brilliantly. Bending down to Emma she took Emma's little hands and smiled at her. "Emma, that's a star. Can you say 'star'?"
"Stwar!" the little girl tried.
"S-t-a-r!" Elizabeth repeated slowly.
"Starw!" Emma crowed with a grin.
"Almost, Emma. Try it again. S-t-a-r."
"S-sta-rr!" Emma repeated, smiling at her own success.
Elizabeth clapped joyfully at her daughter's effort. The little girl giggled with delight and started clapping herself. What a little wonder she is, Elizabeth thought as she listened to her daughter repeat the word star over and over again. "Come now, sweetheart. It's bedtime! Papa will be worried about us."
"Love Papa. Emma see Papa!" The little toddler's eyes shone as she was talking of her beloved father. Though as stern and formal Mr. Darcy used to be in public, with his little daughter he was another man. His study had become her favourite room, only when he wasn't at home Emma could be found in her large toy room and it wasn't until his return that Emma would smile the loving grin which reminded him of his beloved wife in so many ways. It was a revelation to watch them playing, for Emma the proud Mr. Darcy became a "doggie", "horsy" and sometimes even a "kitty".
"William....." Elizabeth whispered into the cool air. "I love you so... Thank you for giving me this little angel..." Emma's inquisitive voice interrupted her reverie.
"Mama, what is star? Mama, tell Emma!" The little girl gave her a sincere smile, her eyes were waiting for her response. And, as usual, a fairy tale came to Elizabeth's mind. She herself was far too ignorant to give a specific reply and even though her fairy tale wasn't correct regarding the point of science she decided to tell Emma the fairy tale. She would have been bored by science at this age, better keep her interest stimulated by a fairy tale.
"Mama will tell you a fairy tale about the Evening Star as soon as we're home with Papa. Alright?" Elizabeth picked her daughter up to get home faster.
Emma's lips started to quiver. "I bad? Emma wants fairy tale now..." A tear welled up in her eye.
"No, my love, you weren't bad. But Mama wants to tell Emma and Papa the fairy tale. Don't you want Papa to hear Mama's fairy tale?"
Emma grinned and kissed her mother sweetly. "Papa hear fairy tale. I share!"
Elizabeth smiled at her daughter's obvious love for her father, but how could anybody fail to love this wonderful man? Her love for him increased with each gaze, each caress and each word by him. It was almost like in a fairy tale...
-------------------------------~~-------------------------------
As they arrived at Pemberley Darcy was waiting for them in the hall. Not being used to his wife's being late he was worried and when he finally had her in his arms again he felt immense joy. Even when she only went out for a walk he missed her, and, of course, Emma. After kissing his wife lovingly he picked Emma up and kissed her blonde curls.
"And here's my little rose. Aren't you tired, little one?"
"Mama stowy. Emma and Papa listen!" Emma insisted.
"Well, if Mama has another story for us lets listen!" Darcy smiled at his little daughter. At this the toddler made herself comfortable in his lap and pressed her face against her father's broad chest.
"Love my Papa! Love Mama! Emma so glad!" she sighed gently.
Elizabeth and Darcy caught themselves drowning in each other's eyes; both were too moved to speak instantly. Finally Darcy swallowed the knot in his throat and kissed Emma's cheek. "And Mama and Papa love their little rose. I think Mama is ready for our fairy tale?"
And indeed she was...
Once upon a time there was a little kingdom on this earth. Its king was good and wise but he was growing old and hoped that his only child, a fair daughter named Rosmonda, would marry soon. But Rosmonda had already refused all the princes who had dared to ask for her hand in marriage. Every time her words were the same: I am deeply sorry, but you're not the one my heart is yearning for. Years passed by and the old king grew more impatient and saddened. Rosmonda was still unwed and seemed to be determined to remain so.
One evening, when he found his daughter dreaming in the moonlit garden he gave way to his sadness.
"Oh Rosmonda, my fair daughter, who is it that your heart is longing for?"
Rosmonda's large blue eyes were wet with tears as she stared into the dark night. "I know not," she replied sadly. But he has lit a fire within me that nothing on earth can stifle! He who as yet remains veiled to my eyes has become the guiding light of my soul. Unlike no other being on this earth he has touched my inner self, I will have him or shall remain lonely for the rest of my life."
"Roamona sad! Emma sad!" Emma wailed sadly.
"Emma, my darling, just listen to Mama's story. Mama will make it good. I promise!" Elizabeth reassured Emma.
One night when Rosmonda was strolling through the moonlit garden of the palace she met someone very special. Right at the pond where the moon was reflected so beautifully there stood a handsome young man. His features put Apollo to shame, he was all dressed in silver and blue. Eyes as black as the darkest night were gazing right into her soul, her heart melted at his magic. Despite the fact that she didn't even know his name Rosmonda knew that he was the one. Her heart was racing and yet she felt so peaceful and safe in his presence.
"Greetings, fair maiden!" The young man smiled at her.
Rosmonda gave him a delighted smile. "I'm pleased that I have finally met you!"
"Were you waiting for me that long?" He kissed her white hand.
"All my life!"
"Fair maiden, I have a favour to ask of you. Will you help a man in need?" His voice was silvery and yet masculine.
"Anything, fair prince."
"Come every night for three days. On the last night bring me one of your tears and I shall be free."
Rosmonda didn't ask why he needed one of her tears, she didn't even ask where he came from. As she saw him leave she felt just one desire, to know his name.
"Fair prince, will you reveal your name to me?"
He turned around and came back to her. Kissing her hand he refused her request tenderly. "You shall know in three days. Do you trust me, fair Rosmonda?"
And trust him she did. In the following two nights they met at the pond and shared times too beautiful to describe. A love that goes beyond the thought and imagination of human beings took flight and revived the beauty of Rosmonda. On the third day she had prepared a lovely white and silver gown just for their last and most important meeting. It was then that her father told her that at that night a ball would take place to honour her. His quiet hope was that she would find her husband-to-be at this ball. No matter how much she cried and begged, her father insisted that she had to appear at the ball. There was no time for her to steal away to the pond that evening and after making her appearance in her white gown she was occupied by dozens of suitors. The hours went by, soon it would be day. Before sunrise Rosmonda cried bitter tears at her broken promise. Knowing that there was no time left to go to the pond she went outside for some fresh air after having escaped from a dance. Tears as pure as diamonds flowed down her cheeks and as she gazed at the far away pond she saw a light brighter as the sun. Magically drawn to the light the crying princess started to run like she had never run in her life.
Not her father, not the princes and certainly not the ball could hold her back now. As she reached the pond she saw the prince lying in the grass, he was barely breathing. When one of her tears fell on him he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"Rosmonda! You came. You didn't forget!"
"I promised!"
"I must leave you now. No, do not be sad. Your tears saved me. Come back tomorrow night and watch the sky. There you shall see me. I am called Evening Star..."
-----------------------------------~~--------------------------------
Nobody but her had seen the light. She felt relieved and happy about the prince's rescue. And when she kept her promise in the following night she wasn't only mesmerized by a starlit sky but by one glowing star which seemed to be shining for her alone. In her heart she could her the young prince's soft voice.
"My beloved Rosmonda, now you know who I am. Forgive me for troubling your heart for so long. But only by you could I be redeemed, the curse was finally broken. I love you so, I can't tell you how much. But I shall not rob your father or your kingdom of you. Please, live your life and when the time has come you shall be close to me and we'll never part again."
Rosmonda told this story to her daughter and so it moved from mother to daughter to this day. And when you look up in the sky you might see Rosmonda and her prince sparkling for you and everyone who harbours goodness in her heart.
"And thus, sweetheart, the Evening Star came to the sky. And with him his Rosmonda and so many loving souls. And who knows, perhaps Mama has heard the story from someone close to Rosmonda."
"Mama and Papa stawrrrs!" Emma mused.
"Well, perhaps, my little rose. But now it's really bedtime. Do you want Papa to put you to bed?" Darcy asked, taking Emma in his arms.
"Yes, pwease. Emma tired."
"Say Good Night to Mama and Thank you for the fairy tale, sweetheart."
Emma planted a kiss on both of Elizabeth's cheeks. "Thanks, Mama. Love Mama. Gowd night." Her baby talk was enchanting.
"Good night, my angel."
Elizabeth went outside in the garden where Darcy joined her soon. "William, I'm so happy right now...."
He took her in his arms and kissed her neck tenderly. "So am I... Elizabeth, your fairy tale was so moving..."
"You know that I was looking for my prince just like Rosmonda?"
"And? Did you find him?"
"No, I married you instead." she gave back with a smile. "What good is a prince if it means living without you?"
"Elizabeth, I love you." he whispered, kissing her lips.
"You're the guardian of my heart, now and always."
Their love took wings in the light of the Evening star and the little star close to him...