“Chivalry”

Description

The Quote:

“Because God’s gifts put man’s best dreams to shame.” ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861

The Story:

A small procession of knights are guarding a beautiful lady as they traveled. They pass through a wooded area, all green and earthy, birds , dappled sunlight, it’s early morn, fresh, still, a little cool, so the heavy horses have steam coming from their nostrils. The lady, unknowingly drops her beautiful scarlet scarf, a following knight, sees the flash of red as it falls from her presence and swoops it up with his sword. The bunny is noticed by the knight, but he ignores the game, touched by it’s soft beauty and timidness. Not wanting to disturb the “magic” of the forest at this moment, he spares the small creatures life. He is strong and powerful, battle tested, but his heart is full of compassion and gentleness for those things so much more vulnerable than himself. He is secretly in love with the beautiful woman he is guarding, but the knight holds honor and duty higher than his own desires, and keeps this love locked in his heart. She has been bequeathed to another, and his coming forth would do nothing but make an unhappy situation for her all that more unbearable. With his silence he sacrifices of earthly desires for the higher ideals of his soul.