The horse’s muscles churned themselves with maximum effort and turned up the dirt beneath its hooves in its speed. Clinging out of an unexplainable thought that were he to hold the reins tighter it might make the horse go faster, the rider was doing everything he could to impose upon the steed the ominous standings of this ride’s withering time limit. He couldn’t sweat or breath, thinking was out of the question, fear and dread had submerged his brain into a primal machine that had only one goal. That goal was impossible; he had to reach her before she died.

Beloved Adam,

Should this letter ever reach you then I am already dead. You were right my love, I should have stayed in Solace where I was safe and loved. My dearest husband is in fact no more than a monster. Most recently he has given away our land to the Bandit King and we are fleeing the countryside. Night after night we run, and night after night I wish I were by your side in that giant tree we used to climb as children. I think about it, and you, when I’m alone at night, no one by my side.

This whole ordeal is no more than a series of terrible mishaps. Leaving Solace, marrying him, telling you I didn’t love you. I lied and this is where it has lead me, to my inevitable death at the hands of a marauding bandit lord beside a sniveling worm of a man who I was foolish enough to betroth. I only wish that I could turn back time and make all the dead ends meet and the wrong paths right.

Time grows short and we are entering the Western Highlands, if I do not finish this soon there will be no one to bring it to you. I love you forever and always Adam, before the stars and the moon I declare you my true love and pray that my lies may not have stung you too deeply that you may never forgive me. Do not come for me, for I fear that you may not find my body. My dearest is leading us to an inevitable attack and I know that there is no escaping it, only he will not listen to me…you always listened to me…I love you Adam.

Forever and always,

Serena

Collapsing in the final breath of life, the horse had run itself to death and its rider was already pulling himself from beneath its body. Luckily the horse had gotten him far enough, he was in the Western Highlands and adjacent to the highway all noble carriages used. Bruises from riding and pains from hunger hindered his path, but he was unstoppable. Adam met up with the highway and from there he ran, ran harder than he had forced his fallen steed to run. His body was dead, but his spirit kept moving, pushed him forward towards the goal. He could see Serena’s smiling lips, could see her happy and healthy and grateful he was there.

Lying on its side near the road was a carriage, a few useless contents spewed about the dirt. Perhaps she still drew breath between those beautiful rosy lips somewhere within the carriage. Pulling himself up enough to open the door and peer down into the small room he saw what deep in his heart he knew he would see. Stumbling back, a broken wheel from the carriage caught his foot, sent him falling to the ground. He couldn’t feel his body; he hadn’t eaten since he had set out on this trip some week ago. Adam closed his eyes; they wouldn’t open again, no matter how hard he tried to force them.

Beloved Serena,

I write this on my deathbed before your lifeless corpse, and yet I know you will receive it. Those years ago when you left Solace I told you that it was okay, and that I didn’t love you the way you thought I did. I was wrong to have lied to you my love, because you are why my heart beats. Thinking of you far away in the city, and then with that loveless pig of a man, some times I wanted to go and take you back. I thought you were happy, it was what kept me sane, but as I received your first letter I could tell you were diseased by sorrow.

You were never happy with him, and I was never happy with her. I feel sorry for having brought them into this, complicated their lives with our lies. Often times I wanted to ride to you and tell you it was all a lie and that I loved you and that there was nothing in the world I wouldn’t give to have you by my side. Times in Solace have been peaceful, but even in peace a life without love, without your love, is meaningless to me, to anyone.

Time grows short and I can feel the darkness sinking in. You are never far from my thoughts and always in my heart. I came to you so that I could save you, but when I finally realized that was impossible, I knew that I could be content in dieing by your side. Whenever you need me, I will be there to come to you, if only…if only you had told me sooner, why? Why did you not let me know the peril you were fraught with? It is all part of the lies we lived, the lies that consumed us. I will love you forever and always Serena, till the day that we may see each other again and then I will love you for an eternity more.

Forever and Always,

Adam

Love is a binding contract that is empowering beyond recognition and it signs itself. One can never choose who one loves, but one can choose to accept them and to live a truthful life so that one may always be ready to sacrifice for them and in that end, gain so much more. Blessing and curse, love is a dangerous game that unravels the lives of many young and old alike. As youths we can never grasp it entirely and in old age we are often too stubborn to ever accept the truth. Always be truthful and always be willing to sacrifice oneself, because if one is willing to sacrifice, then one will never have to.