Summary

In a medieval-themed fantasy setting, the enigmatic White Midnight exchanges a series of taunting messages with her estranged husband, Dark Intruder, as he lays siege to her castle, leading to a playful yet tension-filled reunion.

Abstract

The narrative unfolds in a realm governed by White Midnight, a ruler with a captivating presence and control over her domain. As Dark Intruder, her husband, approaches with his men, she issues a bold warning, threatening castration and revealing her awareness of his intentions. Despite the animosity, there is an undercurrent of missed affection and familiarity between them. The story culminates in a battle of wits and wills, involving magical fountains and the goddess Fortuna, ultimately leading to a reconciliation between the two powerful figures, suggesting that their tumultuous relationship is akin to a game of chess with ever-changing outcomes.

Opinions

White Midnight views Dark Intruder's arrival as an unwelcome intrusion rather than a husband's return, indicating a strained relationship.
Dark Intruder is portrayed as a seasoned warrior, confident yet caught off guard by his wife's defiance and strategic mind.
The banner exchange between White Midnight and Dark Intruder conveys a mix of playfulness and deep-seated marital tension.
White Midnight's actions suggest she enjoys the mental and strategic sparring with her husband, finding amusement in their conflict.
The presence of the fountains with mystical properties adds a layer of fantasy and symbolism to the narrative, representing the characters' inner turmoil and desires.
The author seems to delight in the complex dynamics between the characters, using humor and the supernatural to explore themes of power, memory, and love.
The final interaction implies that both characters are entangled in a love-hate relationship, where conflict is as natural as their attraction to each other.

White Midnight

Through her looking glass, White Midnight scans the lands of her realm, She stands on the parapet of the highest point of her castle’s tower, her anger stirs up the winds, the winds frolic with the shock of white curls that frame her delicate features (the reason why she was named White Midnight), she has an ethereal presence that captivates all who come beneath the canopy of her heart-stopping aura.

She observes the horde of pestilence racing towards her domain. The plumes of dust obscuring her view as the hooves of their mighty steeds pound the ground with the urgency of their riders.

Her eerie laugh could be heard, reverberating outward, sending chills up the spine of the rider that led the horde, Dark Intruder…

White, turns to her trembling page and hands him a banner, hurrying him along with warning to hang on the gates of her castle.

Dark Intruder, pushes his steed hard, foam could be seen frothing from Pride’s mouth. One could not tell where Dark began and Pride ended, he rode his faithful steed with the surety of one who was born in the saddle. Dark, knew his men were tired and had promised them there would be no more raids — for a while. They would be able to rest and see to their personal needs, once they arrived at the castle, The Fountains.

He senses more then he hears the laugh, the hair on the back of his neck stand up like wire, as Pride shakes his head to and fro sensing his riders discomfort.

Dark, reaches the gates of the castle that has been barred to any and all outsiders, he dismounts, the earth beneath him quaking as he lands perfectly on the balls of his two feet.

He surveys the land around him, as his tired men begin to dismount behind him. He notices the banner on the gates, and approaches the gates stealthy, he senses something is not right.

He rips the banner off the gate and begins to read what is written in an elegant yet dainty scrawl.

Dark —

I’ ll be watching your arrival from the tower.

When you reach the moat to my castle, I hope you drown in it!

I am aware you won’t — since Pride and power is the horse you ride in on — I hear he is sure-footed — beneath the weight of your oppressive ardor, I can always hope though.

I’ll be watching you as you read my warning if you dare to enter the gates of steel, enter at your own risk — I have given orders to have you castrated.

Look up, I’ll be on the tower, flipping birds at the games you play, the games you deem sophisticated.

Did you assume I’d be playing Solitaire?

I expected your arrival, rumour flew before you, on the winds you petrified to stillness but one little breeze was able to escape — he whispered to me your strategy just before he expired on the chill of my response.

I buried the poor particle, just as I will you, with all the pomp and circumstance befitting his ignoble little heart.

I’ve prepared the pits —

I took your request to drink from my fountains under consideration,

I consider you unworthy

My answer is NO!

White Midnight —

Dark Intruder, reads the banner, stunned, he angrily rips the banner in two and tosses it to the ground, Pride crushes it beneath his stomping hooves.

He glances up towards the tower, his eyes make contact with a shock of white that waves in the breeze along with the finger, she sends in greeting.

His ire rising at the audacity of his wife’s antics.

Damn, but he missed her and he was thirsty, too thirsty.

Battle worn he knew this was one war he wasn’t going to win easily.

He turns to his page and requests vellum and a quill to be bought to him forthwith.

White —

I rode Pride long and hard to reach the castle, to return to you.

Is this the way a wife greets her husband on his return?

You are making me a look a fool to my men.

You don’t need to go to such measures I was already a fool for you!

Come now, open the gates, I’ve brought you baubles from the seige.

Did you drink from the fountain of Divorce, again?

White Midnight ponders the words she reads,

Husband? I have no husband. I never married.

How dare he play this role with her!

His reputation precedes him, he is a wily fox, just as I’ve been warned.

How does he know of the name of the fountain?

Dark —

Make camp, enjoy our hospitality, it will be short lived.

Since you seem to know of my fountains, I took a dip in the Fountain of Amnesias, I think, hmmm.

Dark stares dumbfounded at the vellum shaking with anger in his hands.

“Not again, she did it again”! he roars like a wounded animal.

White, watching from the tower, “Pfft, pfft’s”, in boredom, as something familiar niggles the recesses of her memory, as quickly as it fluttered before her eyes, it receded to some unknown part of her mind.

Dark, turns to his men (he will need and army, he’s sure)and rapps out orders.

“Men, this is war, the most important battle we will ever wage. Scale the walls but whatever you do, do not destroy the Fountain of Resurrection, because this time I am really going to kill her”

White, giggling, calls out to Dark, “Good luck with that because in my forgetfulness that is the first fountain I destroyed, I think”

“Dammit White, did you destroy the Fountain of Remembrance, too”

“I don’t remember, you buffoon”, she yells back at him, just before she turns into a mist right before his eyes.

“Hurry men, it seems White is inebriated, she probably drank from the Fountain of Triumph, too”!

Dark and his men breech the walls of his castle, correction, White’s castle (I hope she isn’t reading my mind) he heads straight for the fountains and stops before the Fountain of Give Me Strength, bitter is the honey, but sweet the poison — she’s worth it. He takes a deep draught just before he turns to face his adversary.

“Salutation’s Dark, meet Fortuna”, White, introduces him to the apparition levitating besides her.

“Fortune, favors the bold, I’ve drunk the Fountain of Victory”

“Aghhhhh, woman, I give up”!

“I knew you would, check-mate”, White responds just before she fly’s into his waiting arms, “what took you so long?”

“Whoever said, a man’s home is his castle, knew what they were talking about, I missed you”, Dark, whisper’s victorious, as he holds her tightly to him.

“It was me, Dark, I coined the phrase”.

“I know, love, I know”, he leads her toward the Fountain of Win-Win, it was great to be home, where the heart is, on second thought, he wasn’t that tired after all.