Tears of Adamas: A New Old-Fashion Fairy Tale Short Story Read online

  “And if I wished to stay, O King. Would you allow me my rooms and still my freedom?”

  “If that was your wish but…I am no king, my lady.”

  “What? Not chivalrous? Not kind? Not brave? Not a leader of the commoners? How do you say ‘not a king’?”

  Adamas withdrew a roll of parchment from the folds of her gown and clutched it in her hand. “And if I were Queen, by right or by writ, would you then be King?”

  Gennaios bowed his head to her and curled his fist over his heart. “With undying love and fealty, my Queen.”

  “My Father-King knew of the hardness of Poneros heart even when the boy was but a child. He prayed the heavens would send one who is strong. Someone with as kind a heart as his own. And within a fortnight, I slept within his walls, brought here by his own calloused son.” The maiden unfurled the roll of parchment and held it before the young man. “My father, the King, declared in this testament that I should succeed him as monarch.” At this, Gennaios took a knee and bowed before her. “Not even his own son knew his will. For my life, despite my gifts, would have been forfeit at his leisure.”

  “Gifts, Your Majesty?”

  A tear formed on Adamas’ long dark lashes and deposited on the tip of her finger. “Is it witchcraft to cry precious gems? Wizardly to draw the facets of tears into jewels? Demonic to weep a treasure? The father of my birth gave his life for the cause of this gift. My master slew him by the sword and took me hostage for his own gain.” The perfect, fiery diamond rolled into her palm and she dropped it into his hand. This one small stone would feed the kingdom for a month. And a single man for years.

  “I am your humble servant, my lady. No matter the fortune, I would not cause you to weep.”

  “Then arise, my King and let us take our kingdom.”

  * * *

  With the King’s will in hand, Gennaios and Adamas stood before the people. The high priest anointed them, first as man and wife, and then, King and Queen. The good people of Kalos Province cheered, overjoyed at the salvation of their children, and deliverance from starvation. The new King and Queen opened their coffers and fed all the peoples of the land. And when the coffers ran dry, they sold Poneros’ stolen tears of Adamas for more.

  * * *

  The next spring filled the countryside with the jewels of mother nature. Lavender scattered in the emerald fields, roses of ruby climbed the castle trellises. And the cries of a babe, a daughter, added music to the beauty. On that day, Adamas cried tears of joy—blush-pink diamonds warmed with a mother’s love for a child. Birthed in the throes of Spring, the child, Esmeralda, with glittering green eyes cried emerald tears.

  Gennaios was a good king, a kind father, a beloved husband. All he could do to stay tears from all their eyes he set his hand and heart to do. For never did he want cruelty to taint their hearts. Each year, Adamas shed the purest tears for her murdered father, for her murdered father-king, and a single dark, cloudy jewel for Poneros, that she cast into the darkness of the chasm. Kalos Province thrived all the days of Adamas’ and Gennaios’ reign, and under the reign of their benevolent children. And their kingdom lives on to this day—in the hearts of the good, and the kind, and the generous.

  Dedicated to all the good, the kind, and the generous people who have shared their lives and gifts with me.

  Did you know?

   Diamonds form in vertical pipes filled with igneous rocks.

   The hardness of diamond and its high dispersion of light gives the diamond its "fire", and this dispersion of white light casts it into spectral colors

   There is a weekly diamond price list released as the price of diamonds fluctuates

   The clarity of a diamond is measured by internal defects called inclusions

   There are mathematical guidelines for the angles and length ratios at which the diamond is supposed to be cut in order to reflect the maximum amount of light.

   The round brilliant cut is considered the optimum cut for a diamond that calculates the ideal shape to return and scatter light when a diamond is viewed from above. The standard cut has 33 facets on the crown (the top half above the middle or girdle of the stone), and 25 on the pavilion (the lower half below the girdle)

   Brilliance refers to the white light reflections from the external and internal facet surfaces.

   Fire refers to the spectral colors which are produced as a result of the diamond dispersing the white light.

   Scintillation refers to the small flashes of light that are seen when the diamond, light source or the viewer is moved

   Historically, some jewelers' stones were misgraded because of smudges on the girdle, or dye on the culet. Current practice is to clean a diamond thoroughly before grading its color

   Historically, it has been claimed that diamonds possess several supernatural powers:

   Panics, pestilences, enchantments, all fly before it; hence, it is good for sleepwalkers and the insane.

   It deprives lodestone and magnets of their virtue (i.e., ability to attract iron).

   Arabic diamonds are said to attract iron greater than a magnet

   In traditional Hinduism one should avoid contact with a diamond whose surface area is damaged by a crack, a crowfoot, a round, dull, speckled area, or which is black-blue, flat, or is cut other than the (ideal) hexagonal shape.

  Info from:

  Geology.com – Igneous Rocks

  Wikipedia – Diamond (gemstones)

  Wikipedia – Diamonds as an Investment

  Wikipedia – Round Brilliant Cut

  Wikipedia – Brilliant (Diamond Cut)

  Thank you for reading Tears of Adamas: A New Old-Fashion Fairy Tale. I hope you enjoyed my little story and will consider leaving a review for it. I was inspired by another author’s story (Ellen Mae Franklin, Tarkeenian series) in which she created a character, a fire sprite, who cries molten silver tears.

  I’ve included the following excerpt from my Sunshine & Daisies novel. Sunshine & Daisies is a ‘feel good, anecdotal anthology’ meant to inspire memories of happy days gone by.

  Sunshine and Daisies

  By Su Williams

  Summers were hotter, and longer, back when her feet were smaller. Back when shoes weren’t required, and her daddy sent her to the corner gas station with a dollar and an empty gas can, and she returned with gas and change. Those little feet were calloused against the gravel and sand, but she ran on tiptoes across the street on the crosswalk lines, and scaled from parking line to car shadow to keep from scorching her feet as she traversed the tar expanse of the parking lot. Sometimes, Mom gave her four bits (what kids today would call a quarter), and she, with her sister, would pad the two blocks on gritty sidewalks and try their acrobatic skills on the high curbs of retaining walls. Two little towheaded girls, obviously related, looked nearly like twins. The sun browned their skin and the asphalt scorched their feet; and the sweat that dewed their bodies only got worse when they got to the station because back then, they didn’t air condition such places. The pop machine in the corner hummed an enticing song, and their mouths watered in anticipation of the sweet bite of orange soda as it burned down their throats. The bottles rattled and clanked as the icy pop left the machine and another rolled into its place. It made their eyes water, that soda bite, but it was a welcomed pain. They stood in the sauna and shared the sweet nectar because they didn’t want to pay the five cent deposit to take the bottle off the premises. Once summer’s heat was quenched, they raced on blackened feet home—to Mom and Dad, and safety and love. And all that blackness and dirt ringed the tub that night before bed. Her soft pink toes slid beneath a light blanket that she’d kick off in her sleep, and Mom tucked her in, brushed still-damp hair from her eyes and kissed her dewy forehead. Murmured prayers of God’s greatness and for His safety bid her into sleep. Sleep, where dreams were about sunshine and daisies, hot feet and cold pop, and skinned knees and singing songs to a beady-eyed spider.

  If you’ve
enjoyed this work, please go to Amazon.com and leave a review. And if you’d like to read more of Su Williams’ award-winning writing, she has a 3 book young adult/new adult series from Dream Weaver Novels.

  Dream Weaver (Won the Bronze Medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards!)

  Vampires sparkled through the spotlight; then the zombies shambled through. Now, it's time for a new immortal. Dream Weavers are an ancient, arcane and almost immortal, with the power to command memories and dreams.

  Emari Sweet understands waking up in a cold sweat, heart pounding and screaming in fear. Night terrors plague her after the death of her parents and brutal assault. She slips ever farther into her own personal darkness. But Dream Weaver Nickolas Benedetti can’t stand by and watch as each of her screams tears another piece of his heart.

  Rock Star

  Ever wanted to have a chart topper?! Reviewer called Rock Star by Su Williams ‘a solid gold hit!’

  Emari lives the life of a rock star in an elaborate memory weave by Dream Weaver Sabre James; and faces her own mortality at the hands of Sabre's longtime nemesis bent on vengeance for the death of his beloved sister. Immortality and magic unearth treasures and secrets that some would rather keep buried. And the biggest secret of all could destroy everything.

  Breaking Normal

  Since her parents were killed in a crash, the only thing Em has wanted is a ‘normal’ life, but the magic and mayhem of her new life has spiraled her entire world out of control. ‘Normal’ doesn’t even exist for her anymore.

  Ms Williams is also planning more short stories in the Sunshine & Daisies anthology; a devolution zombie story called Devo; and a collaborative sci-fi/paranormal anthology with several international authors.

  You can connect with Su @ the following social media:

  Author FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DreamWeaverNovels1

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  Twitter link: https://twitter.com/DreamWeaver526