The king sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the flickering candlelight as if seeing another time, another place. The princess waited, sensing the weight of the tale he was about to share.
“Tonight,” he began softly, “I will tell you of Elnaz, the Pari who fell in love with a poet. Her story is one of beauty and sorrow, of words that wove their way into her immortal heart.”
The princess’s brow furrowed. “A poet? Did he write of her?”
The king smiled faintly. “Not at first. Elnaz lived in a secluded valley, far from human eyes. Her days were spent wandering among fields of wildflowers, her heart untouched by the fleeting lives of mortals. But one day, she heard something that stopped her in her tracks—a voice, soft and rich, reciting verses that seemed to carry the weight of the stars. She followed the sound and found him.”
The princess leaned forward. “Who was he?”
“His name was Arash,” the king replied. “A humble poet who had traveled to the valley seeking solitude to mend his broken heart. He sat beneath an old oak tree, a worn journal in his hands, as he spoke aloud to no one in particular. His words were a lament for the love he had lost, but they were also filled with wonder at the beauty of the world—a beauty that seemed, to him, eternal and untouchable.”
The princess’s expression softened. “And Elnaz was moved by his words.”
“She was,” the king said, his voice tinged with emotion. “For the first time, she felt the stirrings of something she could not name. She did not approach him at first, content to watch from afar as he wrote and recited. But one day, Arash looked up and saw her. He was struck by her beauty, believing her to be a vision or a muse sent by the heavens. And when she finally spoke, her voice like a song, he was captivated.”
“Did she tell him what she was?” the princess asked.
“Not at first,” the king answered. “She feared that he would see her as something other than the woman she wished to be in his eyes. Instead, she listened as he shared his hopes and fears, his dreams and regrets. In turn, she began to reveal pieces of herself, though she kept the truth of her immortality hidden. Their bond deepened, and Elnaz found herself drawn to the warmth of his humanity, even as she knew the cost of her love.”
The princess’s gaze dropped to her lap. “And then she chose to give it all up for him.”
“Yes,” the king said. “But it was not an easy choice. Elnaz had always cherished her freedom, her ability to wander the world without ties or burdens. Yet, in Arash, she found a kind of beauty that rivaled the immortality she had always known—a beauty found in vulnerability, in the fleeting moments that mortals hold so dear. When Arash confessed his love for her, she could no longer deny her own feelings. She revealed the truth of what she was and what their love would mean.”
The princess’s voice was quiet. “And he accepted her?”
“He did,” the king said, his tone firm. “Arash loved her not because of what she was, but because of who she was. They were wed in secret, their union a quiet celebration beneath the same oak tree where they had first met. For a time, their love was a source of endless joy. Elnaz inspired Arash’s greatest verses, poems that spoke of love’s power to transcend even the greatest of barriers.”
The princess hesitated. “But it didn’t last.”
The king’s gaze turned somber. “No, my dear. Elnaz soon discovered that she was with child—a daughter. She knew what this meant, but she did not regret her choice. To her, the love she had shared with Arash was worth any price. When their daughter was born, Elnaz’s strength began to fade. Arash, though heartbroken, stayed by her side, caring for her and their child with unwavering devotion.”
“What happened to him after she was gone?” the princess asked.
“He continued to write,” the king said. “His grief became his muse, and his verses spoke of a love so profound that it could never be forgotten. His poems became known far and wide, though few knew the true story behind them. He raised their daughter with the same love and care that Elnaz had shown him, ensuring that her spirit lived on through their child.”
The princess wiped a tear from her cheek. “Do you think Elnaz ever regretted her choice?”
The king shook his head. “No, my dear. Elnaz understood that love is a kind of immortality all its own. Though her life was brief, the love she shared with Arash left a legacy that would endure for generations. And in the end, she found a beauty in mortality that even eternity could not offer.”
The fire crackled softly, and the princess sat in thoughtful silence, her heart heavy with the weight of the story. She could almost hear the echoes of Arash’s verses in the stillness of the night, a reminder of the love that had inspired them.