Love’s Conquest
Long and long ago, there was a powerful king called Aragos. It was said Aragos, having once known love and happiness, and having lost it, became the greatest enemy of love and beauty who ever lived. He outlawed all forms of happiness and delight in his kingdom, declaring music and dance to be treason, and love to be an illegitimate cause for marriage. All unions were to be arranged by the parents of the bride and groom, and all celebrations were to be sanctified with silence.
The gods found these decrees troublesome, but none more so than Sweet Aymara, who found the two things dearest to her banned in one of the most powerful mortal realms. All the other gods saw her distress, and many were moved to right this wrong, for there is no one more loved by the gods than Aymara the Golden, the Jewel of Heaven.
Darmon visited Aragos’ kingdom first, and learned that
none but the king could alter his dread policies. Aymara’s brother whispered to counselors and nobles, but none had the power to change the law, no matter how swayed they were by Darmon’s words. As Aragos’ patron, Majestic Naryne paid him visits in his dreams and told him to move from his path, for nothing good would come of it in the end. Aragos refused, and convinced Naryne that it was his right as king to make such laws, for they did not strip his subjects of any of the rights granted them by the gods.
By the end, most of the gods had come to Aymara and told her there was little they could do to change Aragos’ path. Her parents Tinel and Zheenkeef both saw Aragos’ decisions as the sort of folly that yields greatness. “How will men know inspiration if they are never laid low? Contented lives rarely sow the seeds of invention,” her mother declared. “Heroes are born of dark times, and dark times are made by such men. Are we as gods to save the mortals from their follies and their splendor?” her father asked. And soon the other gods agreed, telling her that in this case there was no real harm done; after all, it was only music and love being denied, and all would be righted in the end.
The Sister of Song grew cold toward her family. Aymara the Golden said, softly, “I do not wonder at this, for all of you are jealous of my skills in music and love, the greatest powers that exist.”
Uproar arose in the hall, with some of gods shouting in outrage, and others laughing at Aymara’s absurd claim. Only Darmon and Morwyn were silent, for Darmon loves his sister well, and would not see her so basely mocked, and Morwyn felt in her heart that her lovely niece might have the right of it. Once the laughter and shouting grew still, Morwyn, gentle Morwyn, put her hand on Fairest Aymara’s cheek and said, “Oh, loveliest of children, you speak wisely, for indeed love and compassion are the most powerful of things. We forget this and think love a luxury, like bathing in pure water, when indeed it is the water itself, without which all things must shrivel and die.”
This was too much for many of the gods, and soon Terak rose up from his throne and declared, “Love is a fine thing, it is true, but the strength of flesh is greater by far. I will break this king, this Aragos, and show you what is strongest!” And though it set him against his own daughter, Tinel could not allow Terak to make this claim unopposed. Magnificent Tinel stood and declared, “Knowledge is greater than any fist, learning keener than any blade! It is within the mind that the greatest power is locked. I will show this king his folly and you will all know I speak true!”
And so, the gods assumed mortal forms and descended to Aragos’ kingdom. The full family of the gods came to open court. It was a grim and bleak affair, for Aragos had forbidden laughter, and all spoke in humble whispers before him. But when the chamberlain called upon Terak in his mortal form, the King of Heaven strode forth and spoke boldly. “Usurper of love!” he named Aragos. “You will lift your laws, or by my axe you will suffer. I’ll destroy half your kingdom with a single blow, and with each following blow destroy half of wat remains, until you yield this folly! Look upon me and tremble!”
And Terak suddenly cast off his mortal form, and revealed himself to be a shining lion of white and gold. There could be no mistaking him. All in the court knew Terak walked among them, and they trembled. But Aragos was unmoved.
“You are as clever as you are mighty, Terak, Marshal of the Heavens.” Aragos bowed his head. “I will slaughter one hundred oxen in your name, and burn many bolts of silk. But this thing you ask I will not do, for by your threat you prove it empty. You will destroy half of my kingdom at a time until you leave only a nib, but in so doing you reveal that you know the madness of destroying a thing to save it. You threaten to destroy in such a manner that there will always be half of something left, betraying that you do not desire to destroy my lands at all, for otherwise you would threaten to destroy them all. And if you do not wish to destroy them, what good is your strength to change me? For I will not change short of being destroyed.”
“Then I will kill you alone to save your kingdom!” declared Terak.
“For being a lawful king who cares for his people?” Aragos asked. “I think not! Let the haughty scribes and scholars say what they will about Terak the Mighty, he is no fool. You desire to see law and fairness prevail, and you know I am not evil. You will not kill me, for to do so will tell history that Terak is capricious and careless. I love you too well to believe you would be such as that.”
Terak then grew silent for a long while, but at last he blessed Aragos, saving face by laughing. “‘Twas a test I gave this hour, Aragos, and you have proved worthy! You show you love me well, and I have no quarrel with you,” Terak declared, and so departed. He was gone but a moment before a wandering wise man appeared before the king.
“You have shown that might is useless against you, great king, but I wonder if reason will prevail. For your decree is wrong!” But Aragos was wise and knew this was Tinel who stood before him. The two argued the fairness of Aragos’ law for many hours and, at last, Tinel conceded the point. Aragos showed the Keeper of the Keys that pain is only possible when one has something to lose. Joy in all its forms, particularly love, gives one a powerful thing to lose and, therefore, leads to the greatest pain. While it might not be kind of Aragos to outlaw music, dance, and love, it was certainly fair, for he was saving his people from pain, and was no hypocrite.
The two brothers bested by a mortal, the gods looked on in wonder. For Aragos had proven himself great among the mortals, and not the small-minded tyrant they had assumed him to be. But then from the back of the hall came a singing, glorious to the ear. And the court parted to reveal the fairest maiden any had ever beheld. She sat in one of the attendant chairs in the corner; in her lap was a silver lyre with a shell of lapis and chalcedony. She sang a wordless tune and her voice filled all who heard it with joy, except Aragos. He rose in his seat and commanded the guards to stop her singing, but they could not, for they were entranced by her glorious voice. So Aragos went to her side to stop her himself, but when he drew close and gazed upon her, he too fell into a deep enchantment.
The ice that once covered his heart was shattered, and he was soon sorely in love with this maiden fair. She was, of course, the Lady of Love herself.
The song completed, Aragos fell to his knees and placed his head in the lady’s lap. He wept for forgiveness, and she gave it to him. At once, he lifted his bans. When the word was sent out that his proscriptions against song, dance, and love were quit, Terak and Tinel protested. “You have proven nothing, Aymara, for you enchanted him with song and love!” Terak grumbled and, for once, his brother Tinel agreed.
“And you were fair when you threatened to kill him and destroy his kingdom? Ah, but it is no matter, for it is not in Aragos that you will see the true power of love and music. Look out now, Father and Uncle, at the people of this land. Free now of their king’s tyranny, will they take up arms to overthrow him in bitter rage, as you might, Uncle? Will they gather to debate a new government, and new laws to replace the old, as you would, Father?”
Of course, they did neither. For the many who had once played instruments of music went to secret holds where their gambols and viols and harps and gongs had been hidden away those many years. And when they beheld them, they wept with joy, and then gathered them together and made a great music that filled the entire kingdom. Even young folk who had always lived without music knew how to dance, delighting in the sounds of the instruments, and on every face shone a smile.
Aymara then accepted the apology of her father and uncle, for they saw then that hers had proven a greater power in this struggle. And to them she said, “Anyone may kill, Uncle, but if the heart is set, death holds no fear. And though I love you, Father, one cannot rationally argue for love, for love is beyond reason. All hearts, lovely and hardened, may delight at music, even those that have been set against it for many years. And
from music’s glory arises love, the most precious of things.”
Looking at Aragos, they knew it was true. For though he had professed a deep hatred for music for many years, he was now deep in love with this maiden who had played so sweetly on her lyre. And Aymara saw him then as the great king he might be, for he had stared unmoved at the white and golden lion of Terak, and unflinching, argued with her father. So, she took him as husband, and they gave one another three strong
sons and four fair daughters. And each of them loved music.
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