Tale of the girl who had a diamond for a heart
In this tale, a noble man prayed to the gods to grant him riches and power. In order to punish him for his greedy and selfish wishes, they granted his wife to give birth to a beautiful and strong daughter that was named Kalite. But where others have a heart, she had a diamond and it shone ever from within her with its own radiant white light.
With every passing day the light and beauty of the stone grew, and so did the girl´s beauty. Everyone adored her and none coul deny her any demand as soon as she had learned to speak. Also the father loved hier deeply, yet in his heart lingered the desire for the wealth and he could not help but beginning to love the stone with a greedy love. Torn by the love for his daughter and the heart-stone, he withered and aged before his time. Yet he remained bound to this world and left to watch his daughter become a young woman.
As the years passes, Kalite soon surpassed the beauty of any other mortal. Suiters gathered at her fathers court. Many gifts they made to her. Riches, rings and necklaces, animals, fine cloths, flowers. But none of them could stir the girls affection. For a stone for a heart - be it as beautiful as it may - shall ever remain a stone. And thus she was stone cold as was her heart. She loved not her parents nor her brothers nor any gifts great or small. She treated the servants cruelly as she did the animals. She broke her brothers toys with vicious joy.
And yet many, enchanted by her beauty, remained blind to her coldness. Many of the suiters she would keep for a while as a young women, toying with them as a child does with a wooden doll. But whenever she got bored of them, she would throw them aside, leaving them broken and never wasting another thought on them.
When she finally became a woman not only in statue and mind but also in age, there was a great feast made ready. At the wish of her father all should be perfect for that day. He wished only to make his daughter happy and to see her smile, even laugh. But he betrayed the knowledge of his own heart.
When the feast was at its height, suddenly a brilliant light flashed through the room, turning from blinding white to a brilliant red. And when the light receded it became clear that Kalite herself had been the source of the light. For as she had reached maturity, so had the stone. It had turned from white to red, seeming even more precious and perfect than before.
Then Kalite rose from the table, presenting a toast to her father. She spoke of the importance of that day and thanked her father for the glorious celebrations. All that where not fully aware of her cold heart where enchanted by her words, believing them to be spoken from true love and gratitude.
But all her words where mere distractions. In the end, when many had already stopped paying close attention and turned to another glass of wine, she finally pronounced herself sole heir to her fathers lands, riches and estates. At this her brothers lep up from their seats in rage. But Kalite drew a hidden dagger from her dress and set it on the chest of her father, threatening to kill him if her brothers would not swear fealty to her.
Then the sons leaped forward to protect their father. They slew Kalite, their very own sister where she stood. But they came to late. Already her dagger had pierced his heart and he drew his last breaths.
It is said that in that hour he placed a last task on his sons: to take the stone from Kalites chest and hide it in the mountains, where it would never been found and its light would not be seen. There they where to keep guard until one worthy of the stone would come to claim it.
With every passing day the light and beauty of the stone grew, and so did the girl´s beauty. Everyone adored her and none coul deny her any demand as soon as she had learned to speak. Also the father loved hier deeply, yet in his heart lingered the desire for the wealth and he could not help but beginning to love the stone with a greedy love. Torn by the love for his daughter and the heart-stone, he withered and aged before his time. Yet he remained bound to this world and left to watch his daughter become a young woman.
As the years passes, Kalite soon surpassed the beauty of any other mortal. Suiters gathered at her fathers court. Many gifts they made to her. Riches, rings and necklaces, animals, fine cloths, flowers. But none of them could stir the girls affection. For a stone for a heart - be it as beautiful as it may - shall ever remain a stone. And thus she was stone cold as was her heart. She loved not her parents nor her brothers nor any gifts great or small. She treated the servants cruelly as she did the animals. She broke her brothers toys with vicious joy.
And yet many, enchanted by her beauty, remained blind to her coldness. Many of the suiters she would keep for a while as a young women, toying with them as a child does with a wooden doll. But whenever she got bored of them, she would throw them aside, leaving them broken and never wasting another thought on them.
When she finally became a woman not only in statue and mind but also in age, there was a great feast made ready. At the wish of her father all should be perfect for that day. He wished only to make his daughter happy and to see her smile, even laugh. But he betrayed the knowledge of his own heart.
When the feast was at its height, suddenly a brilliant light flashed through the room, turning from blinding white to a brilliant red. And when the light receded it became clear that Kalite herself had been the source of the light. For as she had reached maturity, so had the stone. It had turned from white to red, seeming even more precious and perfect than before.
Then Kalite rose from the table, presenting a toast to her father. She spoke of the importance of that day and thanked her father for the glorious celebrations. All that where not fully aware of her cold heart where enchanted by her words, believing them to be spoken from true love and gratitude.
But all her words where mere distractions. In the end, when many had already stopped paying close attention and turned to another glass of wine, she finally pronounced herself sole heir to her fathers lands, riches and estates. At this her brothers lep up from their seats in rage. But Kalite drew a hidden dagger from her dress and set it on the chest of her father, threatening to kill him if her brothers would not swear fealty to her.
Then the sons leaped forward to protect their father. They slew Kalite, their very own sister where she stood. But they came to late. Already her dagger had pierced his heart and he drew his last breaths.
It is said that in that hour he placed a last task on his sons: to take the stone from Kalites chest and hide it in the mountains, where it would never been found and its light would not be seen. There they where to keep guard until one worthy of the stone would come to claim it.
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