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Description
"Our souls are one. Our bodies are one. Heaven knows the Creator foresaw this centuries ago and inspired our ancestors to walk their path towards it."

"... yet even if this is true, Meiliketh will hunt us for seeking this out. Aren't you frightened?"

"A little. Only for you, though, for I know not where my battles will take me."

"Where they will take us, you mean."

"Kaly..."

"You'll need me by your side, my love. And with the Three's guidance, may it be even fruitful."

"And when that time comes..."

"I will be your wife, Evy. Yet let's not keep the priestess waiting any longer. She wants to see a kiss."

-- Evaryr & Kalysia

There was no turning back now. Marked as traitors to the Ailyrenai Kingdom, Evaryr and Kalysia were forced into hiding where few dreamed one of the Unseen Ones' greatest military leaders could bear to be as the realms of his kin knew one of its darkest eras in history. Yet after saving his bride to be from the hands of death the Mad King wanted for her, a short, happy moment in the couple's lives unfolded as they sought out the blessings of a priest to see them finally wed. Although they were lovers for many years before, they knew it was time to declare themselves married before God.

And so they did, in secret, as they exchanged their vows in a lake that had long been blessed by the Three Sisters as a holy place where no one questioned Evaryr's commitment to baptise himself and his bride with an exchange of vows, eternal in their meaning and memorised well in their hearts. And so they re-emerged from the waters there as husband and wife, now and forevermore as equals, knowing themselves thereon as one body, soul and mind. There was no way a Phoenix King or any of his blind followers were going to separate them anymore. Only failure found those who dare tried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I know... this artwork in itself is nothing particularly amazing by my usual standards, but the purpose for it is to celebrate the original nature of Saint Valentine's Day. It is a nature that has, sadly, been forgotten by most people in this day and age... and why? There are few days in this world anymore that are remembered for what they originally stood for. I'm sure I could inspire an argument by pointing a blaming finger to the soulless, secularist environment that we as a people have long accepted into our world at face value, over the past few decades, but I wouldn't have the patience for anyone trying to defend what 'Valentine's Day' has become, because... just don't. It's a shallow notion and you don't need a special day like this to remind your love how much you care for them...

Instead, learn some history. Learn why the priest, Valentine, became a martyr. Learn why Emperor Claudius II forbade his soldiers from marrying women, to make them stronger men on the battlefield, and how Valentine secretly wedded young couples despite this till a time where he refused to give up his faith in Jesus and was clubbed to death and then beheaded for it. Doesn't sound like what's celebrated for Valentine's Day in our times? Well, who would have thought there was more to it than just flowers and candy? This is why I respect the day's selfless origins, and why I no longer feel need to feel miserable whenever I look to the calendar and mark another year of living only as a single man. There are better things to think about anyway, like writing more character lore and stuff!

Anyhoo! That all said, hope your day was one of happiness and love.

Artwork // Evaryr // Kalysia // Nelri // - © Kristopher P. Love

Description
"Our souls are one. Our bodies are one. Heaven knows the Creator foresaw this centuries ago and inspired our ancestors to walk their path towards it."

"... yet even if this is true, Meiliketh will hunt us for seeking this out. Aren't you frightened?"

"A little. Only for you, though, for I know not where my battles will take me."

"Where they will take us, you mean."

"Kaly..."

"You'll need me by your side, my love. And with the Three's guidance, may it be even fruitful."

"And when that time comes..."

"I will be your wife, Evy. Yet let's not keep the priestess waiting any longer. She wants to see a kiss."

-- Evaryr & Kalysia

There was no turning back now. Marked as traitors to the Ailyrenai Kingdom, Evaryr and Kalysia were forced into hiding where few dreamed one of the Unseen Ones' greatest military leaders could bear to be as the realms of his kin knew one of its darkest eras in history. Yet after saving his bride to be from the hands of death the Mad King wanted for her, a short, happy moment in the couple's lives unfolded as they sought out the blessings of a priest to see them finally wed. Although they were lovers for many years before, they knew it was time to declare themselves married before God.

And so they did, in secret, as they exchanged their vows in a lake that had long been blessed by the Three Sisters as a holy place where no one questioned Evaryr's commitment to baptise himself and his bride with an exchange of vows, eternal in their meaning and memorised well in their hearts. And so they re-emerged from the waters there as husband and wife, now and forevermore as equals, knowing themselves thereon as one body, soul and mind. There was no way a Phoenix King or any of his blind followers were going to separate them anymore. Only failure found those who dare tried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I know... this artwork in itself is nothing particularly amazing by my usual standards, but the purpose for it is to celebrate the original nature of Saint Valentine's Day. It is a nature that has, sadly, been forgotten by most people in this day and age... and why? There are few days in this world anymore that are remembered for what they originally stood for. I'm sure I could inspire an argument by pointing a blaming finger to the soulless, secularist environment that we as a people have long accepted into our world at face value, over the past few decades, but I wouldn't have the patience for anyone trying to defend what 'Valentine's Day' has become, because... just don't. It's a shallow notion and you don't need a special day like this to remind your love how much you care for them...

Instead, learn some history. Learn why the priest, Valentine, became a martyr. Learn why Emperor Claudius II forbade his soldiers from marrying women, to make them stronger men on the battlefield, and how Valentine secretly wedded young couples despite this till a time where he refused to give up his faith in Jesus and was clubbed to death and then beheaded for it. Doesn't sound like what's celebrated for Valentine's Day in our times? Well, who would have thought there was more to it than just flowers and candy? This is why I respect the day's selfless origins, and why I no longer feel need to feel miserable whenever I look to the calendar and mark another year of living only as a single man. There are better things to think about anyway, like writing more character lore and stuff!

Anyhoo! That all said, hope your day was one of happiness and love.

Artwork // Evaryr // Kalysia // Nelri // - © Kristopher P. Love