A man without his woman is never truly whole, and thus, no King.
King Hercules of Edinburgh had everything.. wealth, power, and a kingdom that loved him. It was time for him to get married. In search of his queen, Hercules had met noblewomen from every corner. Many Kings from distant realms offered their daughters, hoping to forge alliances with the powerful Edinburgh, but none could meet the King’s heart. Years passed, and with each one.. the King grew lonelier.
On a Winter night, Hercules saddled his horse and rode away under the cover of twilight, leaving everything behind.
Through towering mountains, golden fields, and kingdoms away from kingdoms, Hercules rode far away to the end of the maps, and then further into the unknown lands. A week further and he reached a village on the edge of an ancient forest. There, he stopped at an unusual mud house and knocked gently on the wooden door.
An old man answered, eyeing him with curiosity.
“Please,” Hercules said, his voice tired but kind. “May I have some food and water?”
The old man hesitated for a moment, then called inside, “Leharee, bring some food and water for our guest and his horse.”
A young woman emerged, carrying a wooden tray with warm bread and a clay cup of water. She was unlike any woman Hercules had ever seen.. not adorned in jewels or fine silks, but wrapped in simple linen, her dark curls tumbling over her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes, like autumn leaves, quiet, and strange. When their hands brushed as she gave him the cup, a strange feeling settled in the King’s chest.. soft, unexpected, like the first fire on a winter night.
“Kind sir, may I stay the night? I have a long way ahead.”
The cloudless sky faded into black. Hercules stayed in the village, drawn to Leharee in a way he couldn’t explain. He sat outside her home, wrapped in blankets against the cool winds that grew from the dark woods ahead of the village. Speaking to the stars and the almost-full moon, that night, Hercules was an ordinary man falling in love.
As the sun began to rise, Hercules knew that she was the one.
“I wish to marry you,” he said, his eyes full of life.
Leharee’s father, who saw them quietly, took him away from her and spoke. “You do not know what you ask, traveler.” His voice was gentle, but firm. “Leharee is cursed. On every full moon, she fades away.. becoming nothing but a shadow.. until dawn.”
Hercules frowned. “That cannot be true.”
The old man sighed. “Stay another night but do not dare touch her when the time comes.”
Hercules agreed and patiently waited for the full moon night to prove him wrong. All day, Hercules spent his time talking about his war stories and his childhood. Leharee laughed easily, without pretence, and for the first time in years, Hercules felt at peace.
The day had passed. Twilight deepened. The stars began to show up. The full moon rose.
Hercules sat beside Leharee, their hands intertwined. As silver light spilled over the village, he felt her grip weaken. She trembled, trying to breathe normally. Then, before his eyes, she was fading, her body dissolving into darkness, leaving only her shadow stretching against the wall.
“Leharee?” he whispered, his heart pounding against his ribs, each beat a desperate plea. He reached for her, but his fingers met nothing.. only the cold, empty space where she had been.
The shadow moved. It stretched toward him, its shape.. shifting as if reaching for his hand.
Ignoring the warning from her father, he lifted his fingers toward it.
A sharp chill ran through him the moment his skin met the darkness. His heart clenched, as if he were being pulled into the cold depths of a place he did not belong.
Then, for the first time, she spoke, her voice, soft, sorrowful, and caring.
“Let go.”
With all his strength, Hercules pulled back. The shadow trembled, then fled.. melting into the night.
All night, Hercules sat by the door, his eyes fixed on the empty space where she had vanished, his heart aching. The night stretched endlessly.
Then, as the first light of dawn kissed the earth, the air shimmered.. soft and golden. And there she was. Real, and whole again.
“You stayed,” she whispered, her voice trembling between disbelief and quiet joy. Her fingers, warm as the morning sun, reached for his, as if afraid he might disappear like she had.
Hercules took her hand, pressing it firmly between his own. His throat tightened, his heart aching with the weight of all he almost lost. “I always will,” he vowed, his voice raw with love, the silent promise that no force.. not even the moon.. could take her away from him.
They were married soon after, and Hercules brought Leharee to his kingdom. But even as she sat beside him on a golden throne, guarded by thousands of soldiers, he never forgot what the moon could take from him.
So, on the nights of the full moon, he made no royal decrees, held no feasts. Instead, he would light a lantern, lay out blankets, and sit on the floor of their chambers. As the moonlight fills the room, she would fade again, leaving only her shadow beside him.