Sacred Lake

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a princess in a far-off land. She was beautiful and sweet, and spent her afternoons wandering in the woods, searching for the Sacred Lake. The Sacred Lake was known throughout the kingdom to be an enchanted place, though no one remembered exactly where it was.

Several years before, a little boy named Roy who lived in the village had been playing by the side of the bank and fell into the water. A forest pixie, who had seen the boy fall in, struggled to help him to the land, but she was too small and weak to save a human boy. The pixie changed him into a water sprite to save his life.

One day the princess, wandering through the woods, came across a little clearing and heard a great splashing behind smooth green reeds. She had found the Sacred Lake! The splashing frightened the princess, so she knelt low and crept among the reeds along the bank, peeping through the leaves. Her heart flew into her mouth.

There, a man played in the shallows as if he were born to the water. Great muscles rippled along his back as he dove down in the water, only to resurface, laughing his joy. His head flung back as he shook the water from his hair, his mouth curved, relishing in the pleasure of the sunshine and water.

Diamonds danced on his skin, and the clear blue-green of his eyes seemed a part of the water itself. Strong thighs pushed out into the depths, and his broad expanse of chest glided through the water as he swam in the afternoon light. The princess gasped in awe and fear, for she had never seen a man so beautiful, or so naked before. Abruptly the man stopped and swung around, staring directly into the reeds where the princess lay, trying to press herself into the sand so she would not to be seen. But he had seen her.

He dove under. "Please, wait!" cried the princess, and rushed up to edge of the lake, kneeling at the water's edge. "Please, I'm sorry I was spying! Please don't go!" And as she looked at the surface of the clear water, the reflection of her face was changed into that of the water sprite.

She gazed at his beauty. His dark hair curled about his head as floating seaweed, his eyes very green in the pallor of his white face. She reached out a shaking hand to touch the softness of his lips, but instead of feeling the warmth of his mouth, her fingertips sunk in the water, scattering the image of him away from the crystal surface of the lake.

The princess screamed in fear. "No! Stop! I can't swim!" the princess cried frantically, as she tried to keep herself on the bank. But the hand kept pulling her into the water.

"You know I can't live in there with you! I'll die!" the princess pleaded, but the hand did not stop and she felt her skirts begin to fill with water. "But you could come out and live with me," she said quickly, and the hand let go.

The princess clung to the reeds as her sodden skirt weighted her down. She pulled herself on to the bank and waited for her heart to slow. When she turned back to look at the lake she saw the water sprite staring at her calmly. "Will you come out?" faltered the princess.

The next day the princess came back to the Sacred Lake with three gifts: a loaf of bread baked with a ribbon of the purest golden honey, a tapestry woven out of golden threads, and a golden lute. She laid the gifts by the side of the bank and waited for the sprite to come. The sheen from the intricate pattern of the tapestry was nearly blinding, and the smell from the bread intoxicating. She picked up the lute and played a soulful tune in the spring air. As the sun went down over the tops of the trees, the princess grew desolate.

She threw down the lute, crying, "Oh, water sprite, why do you not come? I brought you all the gifts I have." She bent down to the water, pressing her hands to the surface of the murky depths, but no image appeared. Huge tears rolled off the princess's cheeks and into the water. "Don't you know," she whispered, "that you are loved?"

The princess, intent on her grief, did not feel at first the gentle caress of fingertips on the underside of her palms. As the fingers glided over her hands seeking, reassuring wrists rose above the water. The princess grasped the hands and pulled with all her might. Strong arms emerged that unclasped her hands, only to throw themselves around her in an embrace.

His head emerged, and laughing green eyes looked up into her own, exultant. She threw her arms around his chest, finding his skin wet but warm, and felt his heart beating close to her own. He rose out of the depths of the lake, his eyes never leaving her face. They held each other in the shallows a long time, until he led her over to the bank and gently laid her down in the sand... And they lived happily ever after.


	Sacred Lake By Kyara Caledonii Copyright March 1, 1997 ***All Rights Reserved. Story cannot be reprinted/reproduced without Kyara's permission.* Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there lived a princess in a far-off land. She was beautiful and sweet, and spent her afternoons wandering in the woods, searching for the Sacred Lake. The Sacred Lake was known throughout the kingdom to be an enchanted place, though no one remembered exactly where it was. Several years before, a little boy named Roy who lived in the village had been playing by the side of the bank and fell into the water. A forest pixie, who had seen the boy fall in, struggled to help him to the land, but she was too small and weak to save a human boy. The pixie changed him into a water sprite to save his life. One day the princess, wandering through the woods, came across a little clearing and heard a great splashing behind smooth green reeds. She had found the Sacred Lake! The splashing frightened the princess, so she knelt low and crept among the reeds along the bank, peeping through the leaves. Her heart flew into her mouth. There, a man played in the shallows as if he were born to the water. Great muscles rippled along his back as he dove down in the water, only to resurface, laughing his joy. His head flung back as he shook the water from his hair, his mouth curved, relishing in the pleasure of the sunshine and water. Diamonds danced on his skin, and the clear blue-green of his eyes seemed a part of the water itself. Strong thighs pushed out into the depths, and his broad expanse of chest glided through the water as he swam in the afternoon light. The princess gasped in awe and fear, for she had never seen a man so beautiful, or so naked before. Abruptly the man stopped and swung around, staring directly into the reeds where the princess lay, trying to press herself into the sand so she would not to be seen. But he had seen her. He dove under. "Please, wait!" cried the princess, and rushed up to edge of the lake, kneeling at the water's edge. "Please, I'm sorry I was spying! Please don't go!" And as she looked at the surface of the clear water, the reflection of her face was changed into that of the water sprite. She gazed at his beauty. His dark hair curled about his head as floating seaweed, his eyes very green in the pallor of his white face. She reached out a shaking hand to touch the softness of his lips, but instead of feeling the warmth of his mouth, her fingertips sunk in the water, scattering the image of him away from the crystal surface of the lake. She waited for him to reappear, her fingertips trailing in the water, beckoning him to come again. Suddenly, a hand rose out of the depths and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the water. The princess screamed in fear. "No! Stop! I can't swim!" the princess cried frantically, as she tried to keep herself on the bank. But the hand kept pulling her into the water. "You know I can't live in there with you! I'll die!" the princess pleaded, but the hand did not stop and she felt her skirts begin to fill with water. "But you could come out and live with me," she said quickly, and the hand let go. The princess clung to the reeds as her sodden skirt weighted her down. She pulled herself on to the bank and waited for her heart to slow. When she turned back to look at the lake she saw the water sprite staring at her calmly. "Will you come out?" faltered the princess. The water sprite looked at her for a moment longer, his expression unfathomable. "You will need to bring me a gift to break the spell," he said, and disappeared under the water. The next day the princess came back to the Sacred Lake with three gifts: a loaf of bread baked with a ribbon of the purest golden honey, a tapestry woven out of golden threads, and a golden lute. She laid the gifts by the side of the bank and waited for the sprite to come. The sheen from the intricate pattern of the tapestry was nearly blinding, and the smell from the bread intoxicating. She picked up the lute and played a soulful tune in the spring air. As the sun went down over the tops of the trees, the princess grew desolate. She threw down the lute, crying, "Oh, water sprite, why do you not come? I brought you all the gifts I have." She bent down to the water, pressing her hands to the surface of the murky depths, but no image appeared. Huge tears rolled off the princess's cheeks and into the water. "Don't you know," she whispered, "that you are loved?" The princess, intent on her grief, did not feel at first the gentle caress of fingertips on the underside of her palms. As the fingers glided over her hands seeking, reassuring wrists rose above the water. The princess grasped the hands and pulled with all her might. Strong arms emerged that unclasped her hands, only to throw themselves around her in an embrace. His head emerged, and laughing green eyes looked up into her own, exultant. She threw her arms around his chest, finding his skin wet but warm, and felt his heart beating close to her own. He rose out of the depths of the lake, his eyes never leaving her face. They held each other in the shallows a long time, until he led her over to the bank and gently laid her down in the sand... And they lived happily ever after. Finis**