G’night, Princess

The figure stood atop the hill, staring at the night sky and stars above. It wore a hooded black cloak and had been standing there since sunset. A young boy sat at the feet of the figure, with short hair that hung in his face just above his eyes.

He looked up at the figure, “Blaire,” he said quietly, noting her stance and look of deep concentration, he brushed his blonde bangs from his face, a futile gesture as they swayed back to where they were before, “What are you doing?”

Blaire looked down at the boy, pushing back her hood and letting her wavy brown hair cascade out of the material in a loose ponytail, “You don’t know?”

The boy shook his head, “You didn’t say anything when we left the last village.”

Blaire smiled softly and sat down beside the boy, “Well, then I have a new story for you this night.”

The young blonde’s eyes instantly sparkled with delight and curiosity, “What about?”

Blaire pointed up towards the sky, “Tonight you learn of a love story about a young woman who once romanced the stars.”

He pulled his legs in and rested his chin on his knees as he watched Blaire, paying attention to her gestures and her facial expressions, “A love story?”

She nodded, “A love story, Kay,” She pointed to one of the stars in the distance, “Do you see that star all the way out there, the one that sometimes gleams blue?”

Kay squinted and stared in the direction she’d pointed, seeing a glint of blue in the distance his jaw dropped open in awe, this being the first blue star he’d ever witnessed in all his years, “Wow…”

“That star is who our tale is about,” She began, “The only blue star you will ever find and it can only be found from this hill, because here is where our story originated.”

“Ori-..origin..ate..d?” Kay sounded out.

“It’s where our story began.”

“Oh…ok,” He smiled and nodded.

“That star is called Eruza, after the fascinating young woman you’ll be learning about,” Blaire said, “Eruza was anything but what most people expected from women, many suitors were after her beauty but were turned off by her intelligence and morbid sense of imagination.”

“Why is that?”

“Many a man didn’t want women who could think, just women who could cook and provide children. But Eruza didn’t mind,” Blaire said with a smile, “Because she didn’t seek out anyone, just the stars. Every night she would come out to this very hill, she would sit, just as you are now, Kay, and talk with the stars.”

“Talk with the stars?” Kay said, his face twisted in confusion, “Was she daft?”

Blaire laughed, “No, she wasn’t daft, Kay, she was lonely and the stars were her only real companions. She enjoyed speaking with the moon as well, but often times the stars were better for conversing, they knew far more than the moon, seeing as most were older than it was. But I’m beginning to get off topic. She spoke with the stars of her dreams, her hopes, and often times she simply spoke her mind.

“Her thoughts ranged from morbid thoughts concerning the after life to what it was like for one to have an out of body experience,” Blaire explained, “Even if it were raining, you could find her here, you know. It was on one such night that the stars finally did something slightly different for Eruza, well, one did anyway.”

Kay leaned forward a bit, “What did it do?”

Blaire leaned forward as well, as if sharing a secret, “It fell from the sky,” She whispered, pointing to a star that hung in the sky not a pinky’s width away from Eruza’s star, “And it came to her in the form of a young woman that looked to be about her age with long flowing hair that looked as if woven from silver silk. And she spoke to Eruza, speaking of a feeling this star had never felt before…”

Kay listened to Blaire trailed off, “Love?” He suggested.

Blaire smiled, “Exactly. This star called Ciunas spoke of a love so true and dear that it defied all odds. Eruza was surprised, it had known this star existed, but not once had it spoken, which is why she had named it ‘silence’. But Ciunas explained that it had remained silent for it enjoyed the sound of her voice and of her laughter, it had ached the times she would cry beneath the light of the moon and hide her tears behind the rain, and it had finally gathered enough strength to make this trek into the land of mortals.

“Eruza was hesitant however, though she knew this star spoke truthfully, she could only do so much, she had barely spoken with Ciunas, how could she ever have a relationship with one she knew so little about?” Blaire asked rhetorically.

Kay’s eyes were wide, “What did she do? Did Ciunas stay with Eruza? Please tell me she did!”

Blaire smiled at his eagerness and nodded, “Yes, Ciunas did stay with Eruza. She stayed with her for many days, speaking with the young woman and getting to know her better than any other star Eruza had ever spoken with. During this time, however Eruza did not come to this hill and it was not long before the other stars grew jealous of Ciunas’ time spent with Eruza.”

“What did they do?”

“Nothing,” Blaire answered, “Not for some time anyway. They waited until Ciunas had walked to the hill before the other stars used their strength and pulled her back into the sky. This was the very same night Eruza had agreed to meet under the stars and discuss her feelings with Ciunas.”

“So did Eruza ever get to tell Ciunas her feelings?” Kay asked, his voice showing that he felt sad that the two had parted.

Blaire shook her head, “In essence, no. Ciunas was taken from her before she could say much of anything. Ciunas might have been able to stay had she not stayed so long upon this land.”

“Why’s that?”

“A star is not meant to walk among us, young Kay, they’re meant to lend strength to us in times of need but remain in the sky. The longer Ciunas stayed here, the weaker she became. Which is why they had chosen that day to discuss they’re feelings,” Blaire said, “It would not be too much longer before Ciunas would have no choice but to return to the sky. As it was the other stars had no trouble plucking Ciunas from Eruza’s arms.”

Kay pouted, “They pulled Ciunas right out of Eruza’s arms? That was mean!”

“Yes it was, and Eruza cried for many a night for losing her love. She had barely spoken her confession when Ciunas had disappeared in tiny motes of light only to reappear in the sky as a star once more,” Blaire sighed, “She spent many more nights on this hill simply staring off into space, but she did not utter a word to the stars for their betrayal.”

“What happened after that, though?”

“After that Eruza slowly began withering away, and the more she withered the guiltier the stars became. Ciunas was powerless to help her love, being ripped so forcefully from one form to another was very draining and she’d barely had enough energy to sustain a human form for another week. So Ciunas pled with the other stars, asking them to stop watching Eruza slowly die, to do something. To make her one of them.

“They all knew it would be a painful process, it always was. But they knew Eruza would be happier among the stars, even after their betrayal, than she would be buried beneath the ground. So they spoke to her, though she did not speak back.

“It wasn’t until Ciunas spoke to her that she made any response at all.”

“Ciunas was silent the whole time?” Kay furrowed his brow in frustration, “Why didn’t she say something earlier?”

“It takes energy to speak, Kay, especially if one is speaking from a great distance,” Blaire explained, “It took time for Ciunas to gather enough strength to even say anything. And she speak she did, quickly explaining her long silence and then asking her is she would join them among the stars.”

“And did she?”

Blaire raised an eyebrow, “I’ll let that one go considering you’re tired, Kay,” She said, pointing to the blue star in the sky again, “Eruza and Ciunas are and always will be, my favorite stars.”

Kay laid back on the grass and nodded, “I think they’re my favorites too…Blaire?”

“Yes?”

“Are they happy? Ciunas and Eruza, I mean, are they…happy together?”

Blaire smiled, “Perhaps you should take the time to ask them before we leave in a few days.”

Kay nodded before stretching and pillowing his head on his arms, “Ok...”

“Good night, Kay,” Blaire said, watching him drift off into sleep.

He yawned widely, “G’night…princess…”

The End

A/N – Written for my significant other as I promised her a bedtime story. … G’night, a ghra’.