The lord of Kamenický castle ruled over his people strictly, even cruelly. However, he had a son who was the opposite of his ruthless father. He was brooding, dreamy and of a dove-like nature. He loved the woods, the fields, the romance of clear nights, the twinkle of stars, the flowers.
It was a beautiful spring day. Everything breathed happiness and new life, blood sang hymns of love. The young lord of the castle went into the woods to revel in the resurrection of nature. The forest welcomed him with open arms, and the young lord of the castle breathed his heart out in it like a man from whom a great care has fallen. He was very happy here, as only a man of a tender heart with a clear conscience can be. His handsome face beamed directly with a sort of unearthly joy. By and by he looked off into the distance, and then the image of some unknown woman, frightened by him, and endowed with all the beauty of feminine tenderness, appeared in his mind.
For hitherto he had sought in vain for such a woman, he had longed for her in vain. She was nowhere to be found. Although there were dozens of the most beautiful maidens in the castle, more than one would have laid her pretty head devotedly on his shoulders with love and gratitude. No! He had never seen such a woman. And the farther he went, the more he longed for her.
He sat down under a gnarled oak tree and his thoughts spun of their own accord. They flew as if they would catch up with the mirage of his heart and bring it in the form of a frazzled woman to his feet. And the forest prayed piously its romantic prayer. How he would have loved to bring this mirage to his heart, how he would have caressed it. He fumed with betrayal, as if he had been caught in some illicit act. The young lord of the castle had not even noticed that clouds were gathering in the sky, that the sun was shrouding itself in blackness, and that the harbinger of a storm hung over the land.
He was brooding, thinking and forgetting himself and everything that was happening around him. Suddenly it flashed, thunder struck, and a heavy downpour was let loose. The youth jumped up violently and ran away to a village near the forest. The storm went wild, and the rain poured down like a shower. Exhausted and soaked to the skin, he staggered into the first cottage that came his way. The cottage was the property of an old widower - a peasant who lived there with his only daughter. They both looked astonished at the drenched youth. The old man looked at him in silence for a long time, frowning; it was evident that he was thinking very hard about something.
„But, after all, he is a young lord, the son of our castle lord!“, he cried, after much thought, and threw himself meekly at his feet. The young man picked him up.
„Don't worry so much, I was in the woods and since it was pouring down and it was further to the castle than here, I ran here.“ he said with forced cheerfulness, though he was shivering with cold all over.
„Knife, girl, smoke so the young master can get warm and dry!“
The girl ran off, blushing all over her face, into the woodshed. And in a moment she came back with a big bag of dry chips. The young master's eyes rested with relief on the beautiful girl. Her figure was plump, stocky, her face was oblong, ruddy, and from it two bright blue eyes looked out upon the world with a sort of joy. The longer the young lord of the castle looked at her, the deeper the image of her sank into his heart, and the more strongly he persuaded himself that this unbroken beauty was the ideal of his dreams, whose voice he had listened to in the rustle of the woods, whose image he had painted in his soul with rainbow colours, and for whom he had longed for so long a time.
The rain ceased drumming on the windows, the sun showed its bright face again, and the young lord of the castle, thanking heartily for the hospitality, took his leave of his good hosts. He clasped warmly the little hand of the peasant's daughter, and went away to the castle, thoughtful, but overjoyed.
Hey! Hey! Hey! How light around his heart now, how free he feels now, how he would like to dance and sing and embrace the whole world in exuberant abandon! For today he has found the one he has been looking for so very long.
He had found his dream, his desires had been fulfilled ; his whole life up to that point seemed to him to be only a great preparation for this solemn day.
„I love, I adore, I love,“ echoed in him as he ran to the castle.
And the next day, though it was no longer raining, he came again to the cottage, and the third day again, and slowly the poor cottage could not contain the great love of the two young people.
And not even a week had passed, they were already listening to the sound of the forest together, tying flowers together, dreaming together a great dream of unprecedented happiness. They decided to reveal the secret of their hearts to their parents and ask their blessings.
The swarming son stands in some strange embarrassment before his father. His father's eyes are shining with belligerence, determination and cruel intransigence. Even just looking at the face of the only son does not soften this strange look. It was already in his blood. „Well, what is it you want to tell me? Tell me, but tell me quickly, for I have many other things to attend to, why have you come to me at such an unusual hour?“ asked the father, and at this moment there seemed to be a little laughter in his hard eyes, and his face seemed to have softened.
„Daddy, don't be angry with me, but I have come to tell you very important news. I am in love with a certain beautiful girl and I would like to marry her.“
„That's nice! Well, come closer, for I've thought of it myself. I'm getting old, you've grown up, we must take care of the woman, so that our glorious family doesn't die out.“
„And I've already got my bride picked out, Daddy, if you only knew what she's like...“
„How, what, did you choose the bride yourself - without me?“
„Yes, and she's the most beautiful whore in the whole country.“
„Who is it then?" asked Dad irritably.
„The daughter of a peasant in the village!“, replied the son, fuming.
„A peasant?!“, my father exclaimed, jumping up from his chair.
„Don't be silly, or I swear to God I'll hit you!“ he added in a very irritated voice. The son stood meekly and silently before his father, and his father's red face grew redder and redder as he dialled. After a long silence, the father burst out laughing.
„The son of a castle lord and a peasant's daughter! Are you not ashamed to come to my face with this? Ugh...!“
„But I love her immensely!“
„Larry-larry, what love!?“ laughed my father.
„I'll give you a peasant, you nincompoop! Take note that in two days you will be betrothed to the daughter of the lord of the neighbouring castle!“
„But father!“, cried the unhappy son, throwing himself at his feet. „Father, I love her!“
„What business is it of mine? But now I'm working! I've already made sure you can't get out of the castle on your filthy flings. March, I don't even want to see you anymore!“
The young lord of the castle staggered out of his father's chamber and was seized by convulsive weeping in the corridor. All his plans had collapsed, all his happiness lay in ashes, all his dreams were scattered, and all that was left was a glowing sorrow.
He sank to the hard floor and fainted.
„Helen, Helen!“ his lips whispered as the servants crucified him.
In the castle, all the windows are illuminated. Music is playing, dancing and singing. The betrothal of the unfortunate son of the castle to the beautiful daughter of the lord of the neighbouring castle is celebrated. The son is pale and silent. He answers his fiancée's questions absent-mindedly. His thoughts are with the beautiful Helen, who is now standing on a high perch and gazing intently, with merry eyes, into the illuminated castle windows. She has seen the face of the beloved youth and sees him... sees... his betrothed embracing him.
Source : www.hornatorysa.com
