12th Day of Yuletide

The air was clear and cold, the sky a glitter with stars, and dancing across this shining backdrop the Northern Lights filled the world with mystical color.  The fire was quiet but merry and eyes turned to the sky-fire more often than the campfire.  The white woman stood side by side with the bard and together they faced the gathering.  He spoke as story-teller one last time.  “You have heard now the story of our meeting.  How we were brought together out of loneliness by the Voice from the Space Between Stars.  We stand now before you to share the promises we have hence made to each other.”  Aina the Winter Queen and Jarel Frost stood hand in hand before a humble fire and shared their vows with loved ones beneath a sky filled with winter light.  A Voice on the ground whispered to its brethren in the sky.

Vows of Winter Hearts

The Winter Queen cold and forsaken

Made herself known as Aina

A once mortal girl

Who had long tread the winter road

Alone,

Jarel Frost cold and proud

Remembered his mortal roots

From a time before

The long winter night

Had numbed his soul,

I, a Voice from the Space Between Stars

Was lost and alone

Gone mad in this strange plane

Somehow in my madness my song

Found hearts who resonated,

It was these twain who found me

Who, through their own emotions

Reminded me of my lost life

And though I dare not linger

I am proud to see them now,

No longer would any of us resonate

With that song I sang

So haunted and heartbroken

For it sent me home

And it brought them to each other,

Now they stand before us

In this the longest night

Sharing their love

With we who care

No longer alone.

“I vow to be your cold in the Spring,

To keep your memories in Summer,

To share your warmth in Autumn,

To be your song in Winter, my love.”

So swore Jarel Frost.

“I vow to be your anchor in Spring

To cherish our time in Summer

To return to your warmth in Autumn,

To be your song in Winter, my love.”

So swore Aina, Winter’s Queen.

They kissed before the gathering

As sparks spiraled up from the fire to the sky

Where the Northern Lights undulated ebulliently

Beyond which lies my home where I will return

To sing to them from the Space Between Stars.