The following is a fantasy short story intended to capture the spirit of Christmas while exploring the themes of love, kindness, and hope during this peculiar time of separation and longing for loved ones and home.
Kingsmas in Pyre
15 Tevet, 3124
It was unusual for it to snow in Pyre, but on that particular night the intricate flakes of bright white fortune wafted down from light grey heavens and gathered on the ground beneath his feet, clothing the earth in a dusting of wintry beauty as Eliezer walked wearily home.
The city was always beautiful this time of year, bright and bustling with the strings of lights and decorations set out for the festival. The people of Pyre hurried about in search of the perfect gift for a loved one and the Kingsmen found their spirits lifted with the remembrance of their King. That night he walked as many men did with his feet a little lighter and his heart softly aflutter in hope. Despite his weariness, he was happy to be home and far removed from the haze of the city.
He felt the cold on his hand as it clutched the covered package with a shoestring bound to wrap it like a gift, but it was hardly a thought to him because of the warmth he felt gathered in his heart at the hope of its purpose. He lifted his eyes to the dim light of the library in the distance and smiled. It wasn’t always that he was able to return from the city, but this was one day he was especially glad to come home.
He hurried in his pace, the thoughts and cares of obligations lifted by the light which he beheld in the distance as it brought with it the promise of warm fellowship and greetings, friends, and a steaming cup of hot tea. Certainly, there was no better place for him to be this blustery night than there with them.
His glasses fogged as he opened the door to enter into the warmth, and he stopped to rub them on his coat, clearing the condensation.
He breathed in the sweet smells of Mira’s cooking and made his way stealthily to the kitchen, careful to remain quiet as he was mindful of the hour.
Eliezer peaked his head into the kitchen, grabbing the doorframe and leaning as he looked. There he found Mira and Ellis as they slaved tirelessly in the kitchen humming songs of Kingsmas merriment while they rushed around to prepare the feast.
“Elie!” Ellis proclaimed with his usual vigor as he happily caught sight of his friend. “Merry Kingsmas to you! Welcome home!”
He chuckled, his cheeks warming as he smiled, happy to see them, and he felt the joy rise in his heart. “Merry Kingsmas, Ellis, Mira. Happy to see you.”
“Eliezer, what a pleasant surprise,” Mira stated while dicing an onion for broth. “We weren’t sure you’d make it back, and I think that Dorcus was beginning to lose hope.”
His heart tugged at the mention of the thought and his stomach tossed with his deepening desire to see her. “You don’t happen to know where she is, do you?” he asked the kindhearted woman in the apron.
Mira laughed softly, her voice purveying her joy at the question. “In your study, I think,” the lady responded, looking back over her shoulder with grace, “I should have known you would be looking for her.”
His face flushed at the comment, his cheeks becoming hot as the redness of his heart spread over them. “Yes, well… thank you,” he muttered, lowering his head in embarrassment before ducking away and proceeding quickly down the halls of the underground quarters.
There was the faint glow of flickering candle light emanating from the open door of the office which he and Dorcus shared, and his heart leapt at the sight of it, the expectation of their reunion too wonderful for words. He hurried to the doorway and paused, glancing down at his gift wrapped hastily in crinkly brown parchment paper.
“Do well,” he whispered as he touched the top of the flattened gift lightly with his fingers, and with a breath he stepped through the door into the inviting warmness of candlelight.
There sat writing at the desk a woman slender, kind, and elegant. She was beautiful to look upon, and his voice failed at the sight of her as his heartbeat quickened.
Eliezer stood spellbound as he watched her at the desk scribbling letters unawares and the fires of love ignited within him. A fuzzy feeling tickled his insides as he considered her splendor with care and heartsick longing.
“Dorcus,” he spoke out softly, his voice brimming with awe.
She spun around and her blue eyes met him. “Eliezer!” she exclaimed excitedly, jumping from the chair and running to him, embracing him with joy and tears. “Oh, Eliezer… you made it!” Dorcus muttered happily with her arms thrown around him and her face pressed against his neck.
Eliezer grinned, his cheeks a perfect rose. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face affectionately into hers, gently nuzzling the side of her head. His nose sank into her soft silvery hair, and he took a deep breath, cherishing the sweet scent of his beloved friend.
“I am so very happy to see you,” he told her, leaning in to kiss his loved one’s cheek.
“And I you,” she anxiously assured him, blushing at his kiss. “Oh, I know you sometimes run into problems leaving the city, and while I’m glad you are so careful not to put us all in peril, I do wish to see you home,” she admitted.
It wasn’t always that she was so free and honest with her feelings, but he was glad for these times that she did tell him all that she had hidden away inside of her; so he held her in his arms and took her words to heart as he cherished the touch of earnest longing.
“You know I couldn’t possibly allow myself to be separated from you,” he told her, squeezing her body tighter, “not tonight. I want to spend these days with you. You know that… as much as I am able, but especially tonight.”
Dorcus breathed in deeply, seeming to calm, and he left his face pressed against her until he was confident that she was no longer trembling with the weight of tears and fallen expectation.
“I have something for you, a present,” he whispered, easing back and looking into her glimmering eyes with a hopeful anticipation of her coming joy. “I hope you find it suitable to your taste. You know how I love to see you happy,” he said, presenting her with the square and spineless package.
She turned her bright eyes up and smiled at him. “Eliezer, you shouldn’t have,” she said, pecking his cheek with a kiss.
Eliezer sighed, his heart suddenly overcome with a flood of joy filled tenderness. He couldn’t have loved her more if he tried. “Open it up,” he anxiously encouraged her.
“But it isn’t tomorrow yet,” the lady reminded him.
“Actually, it is. I’m afraid it’s gotten so late that it’s early,” he informed her, laughing.
Dorcus smiled, amused by him. “Well, I suppose I’ll just have to open it, then,” she said, taking the package and carrying it over to the desk.
She pulled at the shoestring bow with her long, delicate fingers, gracefully untying it, and the paper became loose without its string to keep it in its place. She peeled back the wrapping to the appearance of the dress which he had bought for her, and she smiled.
Eliezer quietly watched her as she reached out her hand to touch the gift and ran her fingers lightly over the soft blue fabric.
“Do you like it?” he asked, the fire of the lit candle catching in his orange-brown eyes.
“Oh, Eliezer, it’s beautiful! It looks just like the ones they make back in Rivdul,” she told him, marveling at the loveliness of the gift. “But how ever did you get it?”
“I took advantage of the recent church conference in Tyra as an opportunity to meet with Samuel in Sa’ar.”
She looked at him with a rush of astonishment. “Sam? You’ve seen him?”
“Yes,” he chuckled. “He is doing very well, and he was, also, very happy to help me find a reliable seamstress to make a dress for his sister while I was in town.”
“This really is from home, then,” she said, looking back at the dress with her mouth agape.
“It is.”
“Oh, Eliezer!” she said, hugging him. “That is much too sweet.”
He held her head close to his chest and hugged her. “Merry Kingsmas, Dorcus,” he said, touching his nose to her hair. “I know you’ve been homesick lately. I thought this might help. That… and the letter from Sam I have for you.”
Her head popped up and her eyes stared at him with eager expectation. “Do you really?”
He nodded, pulling from his coat pocket the envelope which Samuel had addressed to her. It was a little wrinkled from the travel and wet from the snow but still well preserved and just as legible as it had been when he got it.
Silently, she took the letter from him and opened it, delicately unfolding the subtly damaged page as she anxiously read with tearing eyes the warm words of Kingsmas greeting which her brother had carefully scribed for her.
“Merry Kingsmas, my dear,” he said once she had finished reading. “I’m sorry I was so late in coming.”
“Eliezer, you…” she paused, shaking her head at him in admiring disbelief. “You, Mr. Webber, are right on time, and you have made this a very happy Kingsmas for me,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and looking into his eyes with cheerful appreciation. “Thank you.”
So it was that Kingsmas in Pyre went on as it always did with joyful anticipation of the coming King, with families gathered round their tables then to dine, and loved ones come to celebrate together, with tokens of love being passed along from one to another in holiday cheer and brotherly charity, all in remembrance of the gift of a life which was given freely in the light of hope, joy, and restoration for all that was lost.