Then was there feasting and laughter, and Flame, son of Flame Speaketh Modestly Lokus, told many tales of far countries—of strange customs, and cunning of husbandry and handicraft; of wars and the courts of Kings; of mightily mountains, of great seas and the storms thereof, wherein he himself had laboured mightily with the men of the ship that they should not perish all.
And for that all he spake on these matters was shrewd and well taken, and modest withal, King Telwyn, listening, marked with gladness the manhood that had come to this youth of the isle of sea-surge and fire-bloom. And he was right well pleased, also, that the troth-plight of his daughter was returned The Queen Taketh Note with clear eyes and noble bearing, and courtesy and readiness for all that made speech with him.
And Queen Ellaline, in the wont of elder women, had eyes to the way of Flame with his wine, the which he took gladly, as becomes a man, but not overmuch; and she was content. Roseheart, sitting beside her mother, the Queen, had thought for none but her troth-plight lord whom she loved; yet marked with pride his thought and courtesy for all that sat at meat with them. There was that in her which remembered with joy and tenderness how that he had thought aforetime only of themselves Roseheart Hath Pride and their love; but now was she proud that her lord was become a man among men, for well she knew that with all he said and did in any wise, there ran always the music of his joy in her, and the love of his soul for hers.
XI
The Shadows Grow Long NOW when they had eaten and drunk their fill, and had had much talk withal, the shadows had grown long, and bird-song rippled the air in the wont of sundown. Wherefore King Telwyn bethought him how it would be pleasant that the four of them, the Queen, the Princess Roseheart, and her troth-plight lord, Flame, should walk in the forest for a space, ere yet they returned to the castle. Queen Ellaline Speaketh But Queen Ellaline said to him, "Nay, my lord, shall not thou and I return to the castle alone? Well I wot these twain have much to say, each to the other. Were it not well that they should walk apart in the forest in the cool of the evening, if that be their wish?"
And King Telwyn smiled thereat, saying, "Well, well! Certain it is that I am but a stupid man, and thy woman's wit in the right of it." And therewith he bade the young pair go apart as they wished for the space of an hour or two.
But ere they went their ways, Flame raised to his lips the Flame Showeth Gratitude hand of the Queen, and kissed it, forasmuch as he was grateful to her exceedingly that she had had thought and remembrance of the need of young lovers to be alone together.
Whereafter, the King and the Queen having turned their steps to the castle, Flame and the Princess Roseheart wandered in sweet content in the path that led to the Pool, where aforetime they had found their love and their destiny.
And when they were come thither, they found there, fluttering like butterflies in a shaft of sunlight that came under the trees and among the stems Roseheart Radiant thereof, children that sported about the Pool. And these, forsaking their play, clamoured about the Princess Roseheart, in sweet rivalry of her love and her touch. And forasmuch as his beloved stood now in the shaft of sunlight, radiant, starry-eyed, with little children about her knees, Flame, the Giver of Dreams, worshiped her in his soul, and stooped him to the earth that he might seize the clay thereof, and mixing it with water from the Pool, fashion the likeness of her. But though mightily he strove, the cunning of his hands was withholden from him, and he might not.
Then the children, seeing it was The Dusk Cometh late, flitted away to their homes, and the sunlight grew faint and fainter, until the dusk was come, all suddenly. And as the twain stood a little apart, each from the other, there passed between them, as she had been a night-moth, Wur, the Old Gray Woman of Shadows, whose eyes were as misty pools at twilight, her hair like cobwebs matted, and her garments as the wings of the dusk. And momently there was upon them a chill as of the winter-death.
Then did Flame know in his heart that he must tell his white-souled love, Roseheart, of the moon-woman in the desert. And his heart shook at thought Hand in Hand of her grief and trouble thereat. But being a true man, and strong for the more part, he knew that it were an ill thing to set forward the time of saying that which must be said. Therefore he took his love by the hand, and led her to a mossy bank, whereupon they sat them down, hand in hand. After a little he said: "There is a thing that I must tell thee, but because thou art a maid and innocent, I know not if thou wilt understand."
And seeing his trouble she answered him gently: "Meseems thou couldst not do anything I would not understand." Flame Confesseth Drawing her close within the shelter of his arms he said, "Thou believest that I love thee as my heart's blood?"
"Verily," she made answer, "that must I needs believe, else could I not wed thee." Then because he was silent a space, as one thinking, she said, "What is it that thou wouldst say to me?"
With quick words then he spake on this wise: "Know then that there was a woman—a witch that made herself as a woman of moonlight, beautiful exceedingly, that I should follow her. And forasmuch as mine eyes and my blood are as the sea, I Speech Faileth Himmight not refrain, for my weakness, but followed her as the sea the moon. And we came into the desert, and there remained for a space." Then did the speech of Flame fail him, for that he knew not how to say that which must be said.
And Roseheart looked upon him shrinkingly, and put away his arms, and rose, and stood away from him. And in her eyes that had held stars, there came a mist, as when the heavens grow dull with that which is not storm, but more like to sickness. "And thou—" she whispered, "didst thou give thyself to this woman?" Life Dishonoured "Yea, but in the way of the flesh only," he answered, shamefast. "I know not if a maid can understand."
Then was Roseheart silent a space, whereafter she said slowly, "Meseems that therein lay the sin of what thou didst. Hadst thou given thyself body and soul, thy sin against me had been greater, but methinks then would it have been less against the Lord God, whose gift of life thou hast dishonoured."
Then spake Flame eagerly, "But I told thee she was a witch-woman. Thou rememberest the Radiant One?"
The Radiant One "Aye." The Princess Roseheart was grave and sorrowful. "When that I turned me away from the moon-woman I saw the Radiant One, and she came and said naught, but shed her light upon the woman, and I saw that she was not beautiful, like the moon, but a hag, and leprous. Wherefore, looking about me I saw the bones of the dead. And I rose and fled away from that place."
"Thou didst well."
Then was Flame filled with terror that though she spake in all gentleness, his love Roseheart was become as a stranger to him. Straightway he went to Flame Shamefast her, saying, "Canst thou not forgive?"
"I know not," she made answer, with the weariness of one in mortal pain.
Then he sought to put his arms about her, and draw her to him, but she looked at him as one in surprise, and therewith he feared to touch her. And he fell upon his knees, and buried his face, shamefast, in the hem of her garment, and wept that he had so wounded her whom his soul loved. With all gentleness she put him away from her, and went apart. And her eyes were dry, but her heart bled, so that she was as one sick unto death.
Thoughts of Torment Her thoughts pricked her with torment, that her lord whom she had worshipped kneeling, as is the wont of women, was proven but a weak creature on whom she might not lean for strength, for that he had it not. And it was bitter to her that he whom she had thought to be a man such as the Lord God had meant in the making of the world, had been but as a child, or blind, that he had been deceived by the moon-woman. Wherefore her heart, that had shrined a god, was now empty.