A red rose, a perfect beauty, no other kingdom can be proud
in it's perfect growing roses, except mine kingdom. Ever
since I remember myself I loved roses, the feeling of
receiving a rose is something special, the feeling of
sending a rose to someone you care is more than that, I felt
full within me, until that day.
People say that pride is the destroyer of nations, mighty
kings fall into an unending pit covered with the one of the
biggest sins of mankind, the pride. For me, the choice
between live and treasure is clear, I couldn't resist the
charm of that magical sword, the ancients said it brings a
never ending power to its Possessor. I gave up many lives in
order to get that mystical sword. A stupid quest against the
black & white dragon, many of my soldiers became dummies in
my own game in order to die and distract the mighty
monster.
As always the gods were corrupted and mean, spared nobody's
live, even their own. I knew it was coming, but still, I
didn't care, I had the sword in my hand ready to battle
again anything, I had just forgotten that the sword was made
by the gods, and they were ready to take it. As people say,
I was cursed. They destroyed the sword, and ruined the most
precious thing of all, the ability to touch.
The roses, my perfect roses, I couldn't feel them anymore, I
actually lost the ability to touch anything. I was called
the destroyer of flesh, everything I touched lost its grip
of life and faded away. My precious roses, each one of them
turned grey and fell apart, I lost my humanity, my tears
turned to stone as they reached the ground, cold grey
stones.
I was all alone, no one came near me. I was young, never
been loved before, neither cared by someone close.
Can't say that the gods were totally ungrateful, they needed
the people to worship them, so they made me immune to the
need of food and water, and they also gave me a pair of
gloves to cover my hands of destruction.
I was a fair king, the crowd loved me, still they were
afraid to come near me, I was a freak, a mutant, but their
king.
The curse wasn't all bad, it was a time of war, and we were
expanding, who heard about the immortal king who cannot die,
who heard about the one who defeated the army of a thousand
all by himself. "They can't touch you, so consider it your
lesson and your gift, when you'll understand it, then you'll
be cured", that was the only thing that they've said, and
then, vanished.
Immortal people don't change, but they are not the only ones
who live on earth, the pain was horrible, I saw them parish,
one generation after the other, and I thought it's because
me, I am a part of this world, I touch it with my lifeless
breath.
The years passed, and the world had changed, everything
except me, I ruled the known world, they were all afraid of
me, made me a king without a fight, there was no use in
resistance, the knew it. Their belief gave me the power to
go on.
It's amazing how humans can change, though I was in pain, I
haven't forgotten my duty, after all I am the ruler of the
known world. With no one to overturn me the mentality
changed, people realized there was no need in theft, murder
and greed, as myself. I felt like the man who fulfilled his
destiny, the gods were pleased, that's for sure.
A man who lives in loneliness many years without the ability
to touch loses his humanity and belief in life, the prophets
said I should wait but they kept on changing while I'm still
sitting in here, waiting for my answer, my savior.
There was the one, the blind prophet Marious, it was obvious
that the gods made him their messenger, a true one. "The
gods are pleased with you, my king. You have learned your
lesson, for that and for the good that you've done for your
people, you'll be forgiven. Our gift is your cure, in a form
of a special lady, her touch is your cure".
I sent my scouts in order to find that special lady, the
pure woman who can redeem me.
Many women were brought in order to cure me, but after the
first attempt they all refused to come near me, went back in
panic. She was a beauty, a young soul, I will never forgive
myself for taking her pure young soul away. She was eager to
help her king, but in the moment she touched me, she fell. A
few anxious seconds passed, she looked at me and said "I'm
sorry", that was her last breath, her skin started to lose
its life and color, soon after only ashes were left.
I stormed out of the castle, wanted to see no one, I wanted
to kill myself at the moment, took the life of an innocent
soul who just tried to help me. I cursed the gods and then
myself, what can be more painful than that.
I haven't found my peace, but I found a place to be alone.
When I was a boy I found a cave behind the magical
waterfall, when I wanted to be alone, I went there, a
shelter from the world, from the people.
One day, I was amazed to see that someone had found me,
Marious.
"What brings you here, my friend the prophet?"
"I am here by the name of the gods, my lord"
"I have no gods, they've betrayed me"
"That is not true, my king, I know your pain, that was your
final test, and you've passed it"
"Enough with these tests, I just want to be left alone"
He turned away and went out of the cave, after a few moments
he came back, but not by himself, another human was there,
holding his right hand.
"As I said, you've passed the test and you're forgiven"
The human appeared to be a young lady, a beauty I've never
seen, like my roses, my perfect red roses.
She kneeled and looked straight at my eyes.
"My king"
"Stand, woman, there is no need to kneel, what is your
name?"
"My name is Yael, I come from the distant lands of the east"

She reached her hand in order to touch me, I stepped back in
fear.
"No, I don't want to take the life of another innocent soul,
stand back"
I looked at her, she was glowing, her red hair was perfect,
arranged like a rose. I wanted to touch her by I knew what
will happen. I searched for the prophet but he wasn't
there.
"Don't be afraid, just close your eyes"
I closed my eyes and tears started to fall, I heard the
small stones hit the ground.
She took off my gloves and put her hands over mine. The pain
was horrible, I felt the blood bubbling in my veins, a felt
alive. In that moment she let go and I felt the emptiness
again. I opened my eyes and saw her lying on the ground.
"No, what have I done!"
I thought that was it, I took many lives in battle but this
was different, I felt her pain inside of me.
"Don't be afraid, my king, I was supposed to happen"
She became pale until she stopped breathing, I sat next to
her and hoped she was right. In those moments I experienced
a feeling that I haven't had for a long time, I was worried,
afraid she's gone.
The ancients once told the story of the phoenix, it returned
from the ashes back to life, she was that phoenix. Her body
started to shine, an aura surrounded her, her body started
floating in the air, her spirit regenerated itself.
She fell right into my arms, another peaceful soul. Marious
appeared, he seemed to be pleased.
"You have been suffering for a long time now, the gods
decided to reward you, this woman shall be you wife"
"I thank you Marious, and I thank the gods, thank you"

My perfect roses grew beautifully, the feeling of receiving
a rose is something special, the feeling of sending a rose
to someone you care is more than that. Yael and I were
happily married, a king and a queen, in the land of the
roses. She was my rose, every touch of her made me cherish
my life.