The Silver that haunts

Princess of the kingdom, born beautiful & bright;

of raven black hair & violet eyes.

She grew up as the realm's delight

until stares and whispers dimmed her light.

Within the castle walls, she longed to take flight;

Subtle as a breeze, came the knight,

Silver smiled and dusted in white-

Enraptured, she followed without a fight.

Euphoric and ecstatic were her days,

"Joys I have never known, even in a daze.

I shall live with him", she says,

our “no” goes unheard & I drop my gaze.

Trapped with him in a darkened haze,

Struggling within the endless maze,

Scratching at the shadows in a frantic craze -

He held her hands, whispering empty praise.

Lady of my dreams, where did you go?

From pattering of tiny feet to screams of rage

I remember them all, every spark & scar

Why? I cried, as ice filled my veins.

You arrived later, in tatters & tears

Anguished violet eyes met mine and we embraced.

Cracked & frail, you whispered -

“I traded prisons, not life; of my own making”

When he came, I screamed & clutched-

Holding you to my bosom, to never give away

But you pushed me away & held his hand

and I never saw life in those eyes again.

As I light your pyre, you join the ashes

The flames devour everything, but never my rage

The knight - the stupid knight - in all his powdery whiteness,

The choice you made that killed you today.

Grief sinks my heart as I enter your chambers

There he lies, at the table’s center

For a moment, I contemplate seeking his solace

Grief whispers one taste would help – just one.

Your pyre still smoked within my mind.

The same lie he told my sister.

The same lie he whispers to them all.

I left him to his vicious lies.