Chapter 1—Violetta’s Origin

Unknown by humans there is a pristine planet called Oleander, which is untouched by time and decay.  This planet contains many mystical creatures and has spawned many folklore and legends on Earth but the story I am about to tell is completely true.

There is a place on Oleander called Rose’s Peak, a floral and decorative area of the magnificent iridescent planet.  Here lives the royal Calibras family who shares allegiance with the wood elves, of which the Queen is a member.  She herself is an elf and was born as a princess to the throne of the Bloodberry family.  Serena Elmwood Bloodberry had always been destined for greatness, but she never guessed she would be meeting a sorcerer from Rose’s Peak.  The Bloodberry family was very old and had been alive after the planet’s initial formation, but the Calibras family was also aged, in mortal terms.  This young man of Calibras birth was named Grundel Calibras, and he was a fine, honorable knight.  At first, the elves didn’t know what to think of a mortal man asking for an elf’s hand in holy matrimony.  But, Grundel had fallen for Serena since he laid eyes upon her.  He wanted to do anything and everything for her.  He knew his life would be empty without her.  But the high elder, Serena’s father would not allow Grundel to have his daughter’s hand until he proved himself worthy of her affections.  He ordered Grundel to go through the Tenebrae Forest and tame a couple of unfriendly griffins named Goliath and Golem.  Grundel was not frightened in the least because he had been in the wilderness before and lived off the land, in tune with nature.  This would be no different.  The lady Serena wished him luck before he left and gave him a necklace “for protection against evil spirits” which were rumored to live in the ominous Forest of Tenebrae.  Bowing humbly, the young sorcerer excepted the Lady’s gift thankfully and left for the forest, staff and his trusty self-made fighting sword Sentinel at his side.

In the Tenebrae Forest…

Golem and Goliath were brothers, raised from the same nest and since their birth they had been elected to keep the malevolent spirits inside the forest and kept humans from coming in.  The area beyond the forest was still unexplored, and no animal knew except for the griffins.
There was only one human foolish enough to have tried to explore the Tenebrae forest, and that was a wandering monk by the name of Lancaster.  Lancaster didn’t last long between the griffins and was soon consumed by the unfriendly spirits that lived in the forest.  The griffin brothers expected that no more humans would ever try going into the forest for a long time to come, but they were surprised to see a sorcerer approaching them. “Halt !  None shall pass the griffin brothers or thou shalt face a doom most terrible !”, Goliath exclaimed, his voice thundering. “I know this already, noble griffin.  I am a well-read man.  I have no quarrel with you.  All I wish is to tame you so I can prove myself worthy to my noble lady’s Father, Lord Bloodberry.”, Grundel stated, kneeling humbly in front of them.  “Ah, we know of the Bloodberry family, and ‘tis a great task he has asked of thee.  If ye do tame us, our family is grand, and new Guardians shall take our place.  But, none has ever tamed the likes of us !”, Golem shouted, his voice causing the ground to rumble below his big paws.  “We shall see, my dear griffins.  We shall see.”, Grundel said, withdrawing his staff and beginning to prepare for the battle of his life.   

The fight between Grundel and the griffins lasted for hours on end, but Grundel had bested them.  “We will be your Guardians from this day forth.  To this, we vow. Ye are our master.  Treat us well.”, the brothers promised.  Grundel knew he could trust the gargantuan griffins and inwardly they were gentle giants that would help him no matter what the situation or the circumstances were.  Two new guardians took the place of the original sentinels and wished their brethren the best of all things as the sorcerer rode on the back of Goliath as he entered the village of Anima, where Serena Bloodberry was awaiting the arrival of her brave sorcerer.  

When the Lord Bloodberry saw the courageous sorcerer on the back of Goliath, he was convinced that this man was worthy of his daughter’s hand.  None had ever tamed a griffin, let alone two at once, so this man was something of a marvel.  On that very day, Serena Bloodberry became the bride of Grundel Calibras.  There was a grand celebration commemorating their union and wishing Serena well as she went into the human world and lived with the Calibras family.  It would be a brave new world for her and Grundel would help her adapt to the mortal way of life.  In return, Serena would teach Grundel of the elfish life, language and music when they would return and visit her homeland in Anima.   

Before long, a young turquoise-haired, violet-eyed half-elf girl was born to the Calibras family.  Violetta Elmwood looked exactly like her mother and also inherited her father’s handsome smile.  Violetta was such a gorgeous child that Grundel had a feeling she would have to protect herself from those who were less than honorable. Even in this beautiful setting, there were those who weren’t exactly the best people to associate with.  But, Violetta learned this fact of life from a very young age, and she was taught how to wield her father’s Sentinel when she had enough strength to do so.  Both mother and father showed her how to use magic, how to survive in the wilderness and how to develop an eye for archery.  Serena was more adept at this since wood elves survived and defended themselves with the use of bow and arrows.  Before their eyes, Violetta grew into an absolutely stunning young woman who was quite independent.  Little did she know that she was going to meet an incredible young man who would change her life forever.   


Chapter 2—The Longstanding Friendship

Beyond Anima and beyond the Forest of Tenebrae there was a rural setting in the south known as Fiona.  Here, there was a gigantic castle that belonged to a unique family, even more unique than the Calibras family. Lord Romaine Calibras was a full-blooded werewolf.  Unlike the frightening tales you may be familiar with, werewolves on Oleander are gentle creatures that can be trusted to the care of herding sheep, cattle and pigs.  They prefer cooked meat rather than actually hunting it down as prey.  Plus, they are also very honest and very protective of their families.  Such is the case of Sir Romaine, who had been married to Natasha Marie.  Their son, Valentine, was pretty much of a nomad, like Romaine’s father Raglan.  But Valentine adored being out in nature, frolicking and communing with the local magic folk.  If he had to, he could protect himself with elements of Earth, Wind and Water and his magic staff, Draco.  

It was a typical day in Fiona, with hustle and bustle everywhere.  Dragonriders of the kingdom would come and go, and there was a stunning golden Dragon that guarded the castle just in case of an attack (which never really occurred).  Before leaving, Valentine bid farewell to Apollo the Dragon and set off to complete some errands as well as enjoying the clean, fresh spring air and a peaceful walk in the countryside.  

After getting the supplies she needed, Violetta was feeling quite parched.  From the town of Klein, Rose’s Peak was a day’s journey.  Knowing that there weren’t any streams nearby, Violetta thought she would stop at a local tavern and ask for a tall cold glass of goat’s milk.
She walked inside The Wandering Troubadour tavern and walked up to the barkeep.  “Pardon me, but might I trouble for some goat’s milk ?”, she questioned, bowing politely.  The barkeep was very impressed with her, and could recognize her royal symbol.  “For you, M’Lady, anything you desire.”, he said, quickly grabbing a chilled glass and a bottle of the finest goat’s milk he could offer.  Suddenly, some ruffians came in just wanting to cause some trouble trying to rob as many people as they could.  Violetta became upset with the robbers’ conduct and tried to stop them, but they decided to hold her hostage as well.  The leader of the group, Axe, thought it would be lucrative to keep the Princess for a token fee until they had enough to retire.  But, Violetta wasn’t about to let them carry her away.  No matter how hard she tried, Axe was quite a bruiser and escaping his grasp was impossible.  Before she was taken out of The Wandering Troubadour, Valentine walked in.  Instantly, he recognized the royal insignia on the Princess’ pendant.  “Unhand her your fiends !”, Valentine said, confidently.  “What are you going to do about it, Nomad ?”, Axe questioned.  “Let me demonstrate.”, Valentine answered, with a slight smirk upon his face.  His ruby eyes glistened as he cast his fire spell.  His voice was mellifluous, causing Violetta’s china white cheeks to turn magenta.  Axe and the rest of the ruffians were the deserving recipients of charbroiled posteriors, and they ran out of the tavern like there was no tomorrow.  “Thank you kindly, young Nomad.  I really appreciate what you have done for me. I doubt those 5 will ever come back to this tavern again.”, Violetta said, still red in the face.  She lowered her gaze bashfully.  It was hard to talk without stammering in his presence.  “I was doing my duty, Your Majesty.  After all, I am a Prince.  And as such, it is my duty to escort you back home, that is, if Her Majesty desires it.”, Valentine offered.  “I would be honored, Sir.”, Violetta responded, taking his hand and giggling almost uncontrollably.  The two introduced themselves to each other and left the tavern.  

Before Valentine could leave, Violetta’s parents were so impressed with him that they knighted him the very same day.  From this point onward, he had become a part of Calibras’ family circle, and a rather powerful figure.  “I hope that I can become acquainted with the Romaine family in the future, Sir Romaine.”, Grundel said, shaking the young raven-haired man’s hand.  Valentine grinned and nodded.  “Of course you will, Your Majesty.  But I really must be heading home.  My parents will be worried about me if I do not return by sunset.  Fare thee well for now, Lord, Lady and Princess Calibras.”, Valentine said, in a genteel manner, bowing before he set off for his homeland of Fiona.  



Chapter 3—Violetta Discovers Valentine’s Secret

It was a time of celebration in Rose’s Peak.  It was the traditional celebration of the first day of spring as well as the blooming of the premier roses of the season.  The festivities went long into the night, but unfortunately, the moon happened to be full at the very same time.  Valentine could feel the beast within him clawing and struggling to release itself.  From underneath his cloak, Valentine had always hid the presence of a black tail, but he was beginning to transform.  “Valentine, are you sick ?” Violetta questioned.  “I must go now, Your Highness. Forgive me for leaving so early.  But I really cannot stay.”, Valentine said, bowing quietly and fleeing like a black streak out of the public’s eye.  Violetta was very curious, since she had never seen him act so strangely before.  So, she followed him into the wilderness of Tarn, where many magical creatures made their homes.  

In the wilderness of Tarn, there was an absolutely gorgeous black wolf that had been lying down for quite some time.  Instantly, Violetta recognized this wolf as Valentine.  “I had a feeling that you were a werewolf for quite some time, Valentine.  Why did you want to hide it from everyone ?”, Violetta said, reaching down to her good friend.  “We’re outcasts.  A lot of people are afraid of us, even though we would never harm anyone.  We’re only defensive when we have to be.”, Valentine said, his eyes reflecting the pain he felt inside. “I don’t think that the subjects at the festival would be frightened of you.  To be honest, I think they would find you very charming.  So, come along, there is no need to be nervous.”, Violetta said, taking his satiny-soft paw in her hand.  Her gesture and her confidence in him moved Valentine.  The stories he had been told by his grandfather Raglan about the people in Rose’s Peak were going to be put to the test, but his anxiety faded when Violetta held his hand so lovingly and reassuringly.  

No one was afraid of Valentine when he returned to the party.  The people of Rose’s Peak had seen werewolves before, even though they weren’t that common.  The girls were rather attracted to Valentine but he could not be dissuaded from Violetta’s side.  His heart had always been hers since he first saved her from the gang of ruffians, but she didn’t realize it.
Violetta had been in love with him since that daring rescue, but neither of them had been able to voice their feelings for one another for a long time. However, the two were able to have more time together with the romantic atmosphere that was developing.  The crowds seemed non-existent.   Unexpectedly, Violetta embraced Valentine and held him close during the last dance of the night.  Valentine looked unmistakably incredible in the moonlight, his eyes afire with starlight.
“I hope this night never ends, ‘Letta.”, Valentine said softly into Viloletta’s pointed ear.  Violetta’s face became rouge and she bowed her head shyly.  “I agree, Valentine.  I feel more alive when I am with you.”, Violetta confessed.  In the midst of the jubilant crowd, the two newfound lovers exchanged a tender, passionate kiss.  Their existence as friends had become something more profound.  Even the watchful griffins, Goliath and Golem were moved to tears when seeing the two lovers hand in hand and lost in one another.   Would this be leading to a marriage between the Kingdoms of Calibras, Bloodberry and Romaine ?  There was a definite possibility.


Chapter 4—Kingdoms United

In the passing of one year’s time, Valentine had undergone the ceremonial test of strength and valor to prove his worthiness in order to wed Violetta.  Valentine was a Knight of the old code, and he lived for moments of challenge.  The Lord and Lady Bloodberry were particularly impressed with Valentine’s courage and offered him the honor to take their granddaughter Violetta as his bride.  Romaines from all around Fiona had come to see their young relative become married.  Calibrases as well were proud and honored to be a part of this union.  

Lord Bloodberry as the High Elder had the power to pronounce the two young lovers as husband and wife, and the Lady Bloodberry was in charge of blessing them on their journey throughout life.  As a couple for the first time, Valentine and Violetta exchanged vows of undying love, rings and a long, loving kiss.  Everyone applauded in approval of the newlyweds.  A new life awaited the two, including a castle of their own in the growing town of Greendale.  Greendale wasn’t too far away from Rose’s Peak, but a far distance from Fiona.  This mattered not, since the two would be thinking of dates to come back and visit the place of their origin, as well as their large families.   


Epilogue

As the years carried on, the Romaine family had an addition of two introduced into the world.  Their names were Darrius and Victoria.  Each child had been given the namesake of someone in the past that was important to the history of the couple’s families.  The two children were very small but they would grow bigger and stronger as time marched on.  Valentine had never pictured himself as a father, but he knew he would fulfill this role to the best of his ability.
Violetta was overwhelmed with joy to be a mother for the first time and she was looking forward to raising these children to come to know the traditions of the human world and elf world alike.
They would also come to know of the werewolf way, and learn everything they needed to know in order to survive in rural settings as well as urban ones.  

Greendale continued to flourish as more and more people came to live there.  The people came to know and love the Royal Romaine family and felt they were blessed to have such capable and wise beings ruling their countryside.  The youngest members of this family were becoming taller and smarter every day and just as tradition stated, they were beginning to become acquainted with their duties as future rulers of Greendale.  They could still be children and know of their serious responsibilities but they would follow in their parents’ footsteps.  


The End


By: Elizabeth Berndt
March 1, 2004