And as my grand-daughter settled on the floor in front of my recliner chair, she begged me for a story.  She asked for a love story, the kind of love story that doesn’t end happily.

“But Mary don’t you want a love story with a happy ending?”

“But Grandpa, why would I want a happy love story? Love never ends with happiness, that’s why half of all marriages end in divorce.”

“Hmm… well that is true; okay I’ll give you a tragic love story.”

Mary sat cross-legged and silently waited for her grandfather to begin.

***

Long ago, in a land not that far off from here was a man -granted a young man- who was in love. Anthony Montgomery was in love with the most beautiful man in the entire world. A man so beautiful that he captivated many of the female hearts, but also of Anthony’s heart.

This man was Sir Daniel Rayne; arrogant, articulate, confident, handsome, and vain. Yet he did have a reason to be vain, he was just so beautiful. He’s turned down every marriage proposal and every prostitute in his path. But there was no way he could turn down Anthony without breaking his heart, shattering it like glass. You see in this day and age of time; a man loving another man is considered disgusting and sinful, and Sir Daniel cannot be seen as sinful, he has his reputation a stake. Daniel is just too good to be with a woman, yet alone Anthony- a man.

One lonely day, Daniel was taking a stroll outside the kingdom. He knew the land like the back of his hand; he wasn’t a man who got lost easily. The bitter winds bit at his pale flesh, and made his long, thick black hair whip him in the face.  His mind was in turmoil – total crisis mode. He needed the fresh air to de-muddle his head.
How was he supposed to tell Anthony that he did not love him?
How could he tell him that he finds the very mention of his name nauseating?
It wasn’t that Anthony was an ugly, in fact he was quite stunning; with his hard jaw line, and tanned complexion. He was nearly as good-looking as Daniel, but no, Daniel could love nobody.
He sometimes pondered how he could be honored with such a title as the most beautiful in all of the lands. Daniel hasn’t been near a mirror since his mother’s tragic death. He couldn’t bear to look at the face of a murderer. Daniel hadn’t killed his mother, it was a chain of accidents that led to her eventual death, and he still blamed himself.