The King and His Love

    There once was a prince, who, by a certain chain of events, became king of a large kingdom. He was known throughout his land as a magnificent leader, he was handsome beyond what people thought possible, but what he was best known for was his skill at dancing. Yet, the king was not happy, he longed for a companion to dance with. All other women were either not good dancers, or would sell themselves to another man for money and jewels.

  So one day, the king went to his garden, and out of the mud he sculpted a woman. She was the very image of beauty, one who would be faithful, loving, and most of all, a wonderful dancer. The king breathed life into his creation, and the woman awoke, turning from mud, into flesh. The king helped her up from the ground, gave her flowing gowns to wear, her rare fruits to eat, and all of his love. The woman, in return, danced with him, gave him her undying love and loyalty, and vowed never to eat the Fruit of Death that grew within the king's garden. Only misfortune was said to befall those who ate one. The king loved the woman with all his heart, and, as the king had planned, they danced for hours each day. They danced with such grace, such skill, that people who saw them together would stare, entranced, unable to look away. The king and the woman were truly happy.

  But sadly, their joy would not last. Because the woman became curious about the forbidden Fruit of Death. She kept her promise never to eat one, until one day, when she was walking about the garden, a little boy came up to her, holding two of the Fruit of Death. The woman did not know where the boy came from, but she did not ask. The boy offered her a fruit, and said, "One fruit surely can't hurt." The woman took the fruit and bit into it. It was ripe and juicy. But immediately after swallowing, the little boy transformed into a witch.
 
  Startled, the woman fell back, screaming. The king heard her and rushed outside, to where the woman and the witch were. Upon seeing the king, the witch pointed  at the woman and chanted a curse, saying that as long as the king lived, the woman would not be able to enter the kingdom and she would be unclean.
 
  The woman and the witch disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the king alone in the garden. The king fell to his knees and wept, knowing he would not see his love again. He mourned for days without end. Meanwhile ,the woman became just as the witch said ,unclean. She sold herself for money, and could not step within the king's kingdom.
 
  Finally, the king made a choice, he could not let the woman suffer. So the king chose to take his own life. His death would free the woman from her sinful ways, just as the witch had said.The king went into his garden, a dagger in his hand. Then, in his garden, the king plunged the dagger into his chest. As the life bled out of him, the king, strangely, came up with a name for the woman, but he was dead before he was able to voice it.
 
  Almost instantly after the king's death, the woman, who was within a neighboring kingdom, felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Immediately, she knew what the king had  done, and she ran into his kingdom, no invisible barrier holding her back anymore. She ran into the king's garden and up to him. She held the king in her arms and sobbed, he had sacrificed his life to preserve hers. The woman saw the dagger within his chest and pulled it out, planning to take her own life. But then, out of nothing, the witch appeared. The witch screeched in victory when she saw the dead king, having wanted him to die. The woman begged the witch to bring the king back, but the witch replied, "The king's father was once my lover, but he left me, this is my revenge." Then the witch disappeared once more in a flash of bright light. 
 
    The woman, not knowing what else to do, got up and ran to the other tree that grew in the garden, the one that produced the Fruit of Life. She plucked a fruit off and ran back to the king, she then squeezed the fruit's juice into the king's mouth, and suddenly, life flooded into him. The king sat up slowly, and upon seeing the woman beside him, remembered the name he had come up with, "Eve." He breathed, and then embraced her.
   
  Shortly after, the king married Eve, making her his queen, and the king also arranged a hunt to track down the witch, and that ended in success. With the witch dead, the king and Eve were finally happy. They were now able to dance, and so they did.