A Royal Tragedy

“Renesmee Evergreen, I love you. I love you so much. Every morning since you told me that you liked me… I’ve woken up feeling like the happiest toad in Frozil. Every morning— but not today. Today I wish you had never met me.”

…

         Renesmee sat, perched on the side of a large oak, and took out her dew-drop mirror to examine herself. Her big, frog eyes blinked in the reflection. Not too bad… I won’t be the ugliest frog at the Winter Festival tonight. The Winter Festival was a big deal every year. Tons of fellow frogs, toads, squirrels, bugs, song birds, and even foxes attended it. You had to look your best to keep up a good reputation in the forest of Frozil.
         But this ball was even more nerve-wracking than usual. Tonight was the night Renesmee would propose to the love of her life. If all went well, she would be made the happiest frog in all of the world. Oh, how Renesmee hoped.
         But now was not the time to get all worked up, she had to get ready! Renesmee crawled over to her closet; just a small hole in the oak that was filled to the brim with things. She plucked out her favorite knitted cardigan, a special garment that was spun by a good spider friend, Annette. She slipped a ring made from daisy petals and reeds into a hidden pocket of the cardigan. Then, all that was left was to rub some daffodil perfume on and venture down to where Geogie lived…
         Georgie’s abode was a humble little nook at the base of the oak tree, a home much like other toad houses in the area. When Georgie spotted Renesmee approaching, her eyes lit up and the smile on her face became brighter than ever.
         “Rene!”, Georgie gasped.
         “Geegee!”, Renesmee gasped, equally excited. It appeared that Georgie had decided to wear her elegant lilypad vest coupled with a dainty orchid choker. Rene jumped from the side of the oak and straight into Georgie’s embrace. The two hugged and Renesmee quickly apologized for her lack of sleep while Georgie exclaimed adamantly that Rene was the most beautiful thing she had set her eyes upon all day. Renesmee argued the same for her lover, however, including that Georgie was the most beautiful thing she’d seen in her life.
         The argument of who was the most beautiful went on for a short while before the two decided to hop their way to the Winter Festival.
         The festivities were set up in the coziest little clearing, right on the edge of a stream. The ground was frosty and the stream was already frozen over. Tables and chairs made from tree bark that had been spun together with spider webs were grouped at one side of the clearing, near the food and refreshments. Some early partiers were already seated or up dancing. Others were skating atop the frozen stream.
         Georgie nudged Rene as they entered, “Good thing we got here earlier than last year. Maybe we can get a good table.”
         Rene nodded and hopped over to a cozy bark bench right by the food table. Everything was perfect. The pair munched down on some delicious fly gumbo and socialized with friends. However, when the two went to skate on the stream, Renesmee noticed that Georgie was quieter than usual.
         “I think that fly gumbo hurt my stomach.” Georgie fibbed but she could tell Rene didn’t buy it. “Look, I have something to tell you that’s really important later tonight. I’m just worried about how you’ll respond, that’s all. Let’s just have fun for now…”
         Renesmee tilted her head curiously, “I have something I’ve really wanted to tell you tonight, too. How about we both tell each other when the sun sets a little more and the lightning bugs come out?” Georgie agreed to this proposal and the two went back to their bark bench more weary than before.
         Rene watched her lover drink down a seventh cup of juniper wine. Could it be that Geegee wants to ask ME to marry her tonight? Renesmee chuckled at the idea and grew increasingly excited about popping the question. What were the odds?!
         Georgie seemed to want to do and try everything that the festival had to offer this year. They had a portion of every dish possible, talked to nearly everyone present, drank a lot of juniper wine, and Georgie even wanted to dance. Georgie hated dancing! Renesmee was thrilled at the rare opportunity and enjoyed every moment of it. They spun, hopped, twirled and made fools of themselves on the dance floor but had too much wine in their stomachs to care. And when the sun had fully set and the lightning bugs flew high, the lovers took to the frozen stream once again to reveal their truths.
         They stood far from the other attendees’ prying ears and just sat, looking at each other for some time. Rene pipped up to ask who would speak first but Georgie quieted her, wanting to take in the silence for just a little longer. It was that comfortable kind of silence one can only experience when you truly and deeply know one another. The kind that comes about from the mere presence of someone you love. Both Renesmee and Georgie knew that what they were about to say tonight could change things. Forever. It felt wrong to interrupt the precious moment but it was even worse to hold everything inside. Georgie cleared her throat to finally speak.
         “Renesmee Evergreen, I love you. I love you so much. Every morning since you told me that you liked me… I’ve woken up feeling like the happiest toad in Frozil. Every morning—but not today. Today I wish you had never met me. ” Rene felt her pulse heighten at that last sentence and couldn’t believe her ears. Georgie turned away from her lover, looking briefly up at the lightning bugs before continuing, “I have been lying to you. Not about everything. But I didn’t actually grow up in the bogs and my last name isn’t Swampson… and my parents aren’t dead.” Georgie’s voice faltered.
         The ring in Renesmee’s cardigan seemed like too heavy a weight to carry at that moment and she felt on the verge of vomiting. She shook her head and tried to speak but her words were as incomprehensible as her thoughts. How could this be real.
         “My full name is Georgina Oakleaf Acornia… of the Acornian Empire. They wanted so much from me, I ran away but they found me after so many seasons. I can’t keep running. I have to go back. I have to be their queen. And you can’t come.”
         Rene wiped away the tears that had begun to form around her eyes and practically screamed, “NO. Nonononono! Georgie… this can’t be true. It CAN'T. Why would you lie about something like this… I just can’t believe–”
         “Renesmee, stop. It is true. I have to go. I have to go now.”
         “Why? We can run away. They will give up sooner or later, they must!”
         “You don’t understand. This is the sixth place I’ve run to. Frozil was my last hope, you were my last hope. You’ll be in danger if they think you’re hiding me from them. It would be considered treason–”
         “Please, please, please, I can’t do this without you. You’re everything…everything to me.” Renesmee couldn’t finish all that she wanted to say as the tears choked her words away. Georgie wouldn’t look her in her eyes.
         “I have to go. Don’t follow me. Don’t contact me. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt because of me.” Georgie was crying now, too, and Rene tried to give her a hug but she flinched away. “You will find someone else who will make you happy…”, Georgie wanted to say it with more conviction but instead the thought seemed to trail off and she finally turned away, slowly hopping to the opposite side of the frozen stream. As she reached the edge, toads that Renesmee had never seen before appeared from the foliage and her lover disappeared into the night.
         Renesmee sat trembling and the tears just wouldn’t seem to end. She wanted nothing more than for the ice beneath her to crack open and swallow her into the water’s icy depths; to carry her far, far away.