Yellow Mama E zine

The Emerald King and The Ruby Queen 

 

by Maddisyn Condora

 

 

20 years have come and gone, yet I can still remember it, every detail of it all. The cloud of cigarette smoke, the stench of stale alcohol in the air, the dirty ashtrays all along the bar, loud laughter and arguments of patrons, the music on the jukebox playing the same ol’ songs over and over, like some sick joke on Groundhog Day. But then like a ray of beautiful light of the morning sun shining through the window, the door opened and with nothing short of unapologetic grace and stature walked in what I would instantly recognize as the part of my soul that had been missing. 

 

Before either of our mouths could utter a single word, or our minds could comprehend what was happening, instant recognition of our spiritual bodies, souls as some say, found each other again after what felt like centuries apart. There was an almost overwhelming sense of calm that came to the air, that no one else seemed to feel but us. 

 

Our eyes met, and the story of us began. We both were overcome with an undeniable sense of completeness, our earthly bodies feeling light, and for the first time in this lifespan we both knew, understood even, what being completely seen and heard like never before felt like, but yet neither of us had spoken a single word. 

 

She saw strength, dominance, pain, yet compassion, surrender, healing. He stood as the most intriguing contradiction she had ever laid her eyes on. She saw understanding in a way she never imagined possible. She saw everything she desired to be, and in that moment, she found what she had been searching for her whole life; acceptance, to be truly and fully seen, heard and ultimately understood, with no words needing to be spoken, as if their souls spoke their own language that only they could decode and interpret. Like identical twins, sharing the same soul but split into two bodies. Feeling each other's fears, happiness, anxiety, pain, they understood each other so deeply sometimes more than they understood themselves. 

 

He saw her scars, physical as well as emotional, but not as weaknesses or ugliness, but as undeniable strength, a mind and body that had been at war her entire life, but yet still found a way to bring love, laughter, and joy to the ones she held close.  He didn’t shy away from her inner demons as everyone else before him had done, marking her as a villain to be destroyed. No, this warrior saw beauty behind her scars, pain behind those dark, almost blacked-out eyes, light in her darkest moments. He saw a Queen that had not sat high up on a throne, but yet a fellow warrior, who had lived her entire life on a battlefield, just as he had done. 

 

Apart they were strong, intense, and unbreakable. But together they found to be a force to be reckoned with, no one or nothing could or would stand in their way. With just a gaze, the other instantly knew what the plan was, and with swift motion and impeccable timing they stood back to back, shoulder to shoulder, and fought whatever war had approached them. They protected each other with such devotion and undying loyalty, as they both knew if one would fall they both would fall. Neither of which was an option. 

 

He, her Emerald, the symbol of enhanced intellect, emotional balance, patience, and unconditional love.

 

And her, his Ruby, the symbol of protection, from evil spirits, negative energies, the only one who could and would protect him with her own life on the battlefield as well as behind closed doors. 

 

The bond shared between the two was deeper than either had ever known to be possible. Their similarities drew them closer, but their differences are what made them untouchable; they lacked in self what the other had mastered, and in such taught the other, not through harsh words or a damaging hand. But through laughter, quiet nights, philosophy, and patience. 

 

They held themselves as well as each other at the highest of standards, not to discourage but to force the other to rise above and be forged into who they were truly meant to be. 

 

Through the years what started off as a brief encounter of two souls, grew into something so beautiful and pure that it still remains a mystery, how 2 damaged souls, riddled with scars and looked down upon from society, exhausted from battle were able to pull each other from the trenches and now sit in the Kingdom that they built together from blood, sweat, and years of tears. He, as her Emerald King, and she, as his Ruby Queen.

 

 

         Maddisyn is a full-blooded Italian Jersey Girl, who holds a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant degree and has worked in the Medical Field for over a decade. She is a mom of 4 humans, two snakes, and 2 rats. She loves the night, darkness, astrology, and anything related to the underworld. She invites readers to delve into some of the darkness of her mind; she writes about challenging and life-altering experiences that have made her poetry dark and unnerving, yet very relatable to many.

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        Luke Lester is an artist and writer from Victoria, Canada. He has recently been published in Absolute Underground, Black Petals, Flash Fiction North, Paragraph Planet, Ultramarine Literary Review, and Yellow Mama. More of his art and writing can be found on his blog: The Other Place.