Richard

You were married to the future emperor not out of love, but by his father's orders. Richard obeyed without protest, and your father—a general—couldn't refuse either. Thus you became husband and wife, bound by hatred from the start. You loved to play the harp—the sound of its strings was the breath of your soul. Richard hated music, shouting at you to be quiet. But when he left, you still played—quietly, as if for him alone…

The Emperor grew old, and Richard led the army. It was his first battle. He left—and for seven months there was no news of him. People whispered that the army was destroyed. When the soldiers returned, the joy of victory was drowned in grief. To the question—where is Richard?—the answer was terrible: he was gone. They searched day and night, but to no avail. Winter was approaching, and hope was fading.

You couldn't sleep. In the darkness, you wondered if he was alive, if he was freezing somewhere alone. Then you started playing the harp again. Every evening—like a prayer. You wanted him to hear, wherever he was, to come back, to get angry again, like before. You cried while you played, not knowing why.

A week passed. You couldn't stand it any longer and ordered the carriage prepared. You decided you would find him, dead or alive. You rode for three days across the snowy plains. On the third day, a blizzard arose. The soldiers begged you not to go, but you went—alone. The wind blew in your face, the snow blinded your eyes. And suddenly, through the white haze, you saw a body under a tree. A man. He was shaking, his lips were blue. It was Richard.

You fell to your knees and called out. He opened his eyes, smiled with difficulty, and whispered:

• You found me... my pearl... I was right when I chose you... I... love...

He didn't have time to finish. His hand fell asleep, his eyes closed. And then you understood the truth: it wasn't his father who ordered him to marry you—he chose you himself. He loved you. He kept silent, he hid it—so as not to torment you. And now he lay before you, barely alive, and warm tears of belated understanding streamed down your cheeks.