Lady Oxhona and Lord Gretam : A love story for the ages

There once was a great strong and handsome knight as his father the Lord Ayden and    
Grandfather the Lord Rezikia before him were, He was known to his people as Lord    
Gretam and he devoted himself to the realm to whom he swore an oath to one of the    
most powerful army's  in all the lands. A master swordsman, one by one they fell to    
his blade, assassin like he was. King Malichor took him as a boy at the age of ten,    
after his father, Lord Ayden was executed for being a trader, a story fabricated by    
King Malichor to take the revenge he had sought forever it seemed years. Now, orphaned Gretam had    
no choice but to stay with the ruthless King to be raised as his own. You see, both as young    
men fell in love with the same girl and the Lady Trenaly chose young Lord Ayden, the most    
handsome of all her courters. Gretam's blade was made from the finest steel to be found, the    
handle was adorned with crimson jewels and gold, his armor exquisitely made by the finest    
smith in all of the kingdoms. He was praised as a bold and brave defender of the people and    
the crest of the dragon he bore on his red cloak. It seemed he would never fall but there is no    
room for perfection in this world, King Malichor had seen to that when he made Gretam a Knight    
knowing he would never be able to be with his true love and marry. There was once a great and    
noble knight, and this is the story of how he fell. This knight loved a beautiful wood elf    
girl named Oxhona, with eyes of green that gleamed like cut gemstones and hair as black    
as the raven. Oxhona loved Greatm in turn, and it seemed their love was the only thing    
Gretam devoted himself to, above the oath he took as a knight defender of the realm    
under King Malichor, an evil and vile creature.  And in that oath he took as a knights gaurd,    
he was not allowed to marry. Whenever he would return to the kingdom from an expedition,    
the first thing he would do is find his love Oxhona, but the king had many spies from all over,    
so they had to be so very cautious. If caught both faced an un-formidable fate, death to    
a noble knight. If the king or anyone found out    
he was in love with a wood elf, even though she was royalty among her people, a crime    
it was to love a human and she too would face exile or death, if caught. And her father    
King Tunare despised King Malichor with every fiber of his being. One night while walking    
home from the Druid Temple, a group of Malichor's men grabbed his beloved wife and drug her    
to an ally, beating her beyond recognition and putting a blade through her. He became    
bitter and possessive barely letting Oxhona out of his site, she had become his whole world and as    
she came of age, her looks mirrored that of her mothers. Startled from sleep one    
morning, Gretam found himself gazing up into the face of his beloved and she    
whispered to him with a tear in her eye, "Why did we have to meet at the wrong    
time and place?" As she looked at her love, laying there, in his eyes she    
could see the years of pain weighing on his soul. For weeks she has wondered    
about this cruel wanting as if she were human. As they sat there deep in conversation,    
Gretam clutched his sword, knowing his life he may soon have to forfeit but vowing    
to himself he would not go easily. To his surprise, Oxhona merely smiled at him    
knowing her father was seeking to destroy him and her heart sank. How cruel    
fate is, she thought, bringing me my dream and then wanting to take it away.    
He quickly had to leave her chambers before her father came calling for her to    
join him for their morning meal, they said their goodbyes. She was    
knelt down resting by his side, he took her head in his hands and placed a hand on    
her cheek, she nuzzled her face against it, and he steeled himself for what he must do.    
With one swift motion, he plunged his bade into her back. She died in his arms, and    
only when the light had finally fled her eyes did he pull out a knife and cut her heart    
from her chest. It seeped a black fog and was unmistakably covered in cryptic    
magical symbols. He lifted his knife high, but before he could drive it down into    
the heart, he felt something stay his hand. He glanced up and saw the king, her father,    
above him, smiling once again that terrible smile. "Thank you for retrieving this,    
noble knight," and in a soft voice Gretam muttered, "I don't understand, You told me...    
You sent me. Why?"  "Only because I thought it would be more fun this way," said    
the King. "And now I have my brother's, King Malichor's loyal knight, and he will not    
think to betray me." And again Gretam asked, "But why send me?" He demanded.    
"Because", said the King, "Now I believe, I will soon have one less knight to worry    
about filling my brother's ranks." and, "This was so much more fun than killing you."    
King Tunare took his daughters heart from Gretam's hands and disappeared.    
Gretam sat for hours with Oxhona's body in his arms, through the night and    
into the next day; before finally a group of villagers pressed forward peering in    
to see what had become of the couple. Gretam could not speak to tell them anything    
and it condemned him to guilt. Before an execution could take place, Gretam    
slipped away, intent on pursuing the murderous knight to the end of his days. None of the villagers    
ever saw him again, but now and then a story would find its way back of an unkempt    
knight of old living in the wilds, crying out for someone named Oxhona, and begging    
for forgiveness.