The Knight's Choice

A knight most noble; his name, Sir Percival, rode along the snaking path of the chalk white Mountain; his armour of silver and gold shimmering in the bright August sun; his hair, like burnished bronze, blowing softly in the breeze.
Up ahead, he saw the black tower; the palace in which the Lady Catilia was imprisoned long ago by the wizard Zedrik and, standing at a window of the tower and staring out, the poor lady Catilia herself, looking mournful.
As he approached the entrance to the tower that, while an open door way, looked as black as the cave of death, the Lady of the tower blew upon a trumpet.
"Hold, sir  knight", she called to him, "Do not enter the tower. For just as I am bound by a curse never to leave this tower, he who enters it cannot leave and must remain my companion for all eternity. Even this sparrow".
She opened a cage of gold by her side and took out a sparrow, showing it to Sir Percival.
"It once made the terrible mistake of flying into the window of my tower", she said with a deep sigh, a shining tear traveling down her right cheek, "But once it had entered it could never leave. Sad bird. Though it flung itself hard against the invisible bars of my window, it could not find a way through them and so has been my pet ever since".
"I know your sad tale, well Lady Catilia", said the knight, "But it afrights me not for I have come to live with you, until the end of all heaven and hell, within your tall tower of shadow".
Lady Catilia smiled.
"But are you sure, Sir Knight", she asked, "Do you make this choice knowing that you shall never again walk free outside my towers walls, never again set your feet upon ought but its grey granite floors; never again breathe the air of home. Though you may be a hero of great courage, Sir Knight, there is no dragon whose fire or bite compares to the sting of an eternal loneliness".
"I know it", said the knight, "But I shall not be alone for I shall have your love and company and that will make a blessing of my curse; for an eternity of your love would be like an eternity of riches; a source not of sadness but of joy and contentment".
The ladys smile grew even brighter.
"Well then, if you are sure in your heart, Sir Knight", she said, "Then bid farewell to the world and enter the door to my tower".
The knight, dismounting from his horse, threw his arms around a nearby tree.
"Goodbye", he said to the tree, holding its trunk tight in his arms, "For while I will often look at you from my window, I may never again graze my hand against your bark or leaves or branches"
Then he stroked the flowing white mane upon his horse.
"Goodbye, old friend", he said to the horse, "For though we have rode down many a more perilous path; through fire and storm together, this is one time that I cannot take you with me so gallop home my friend. My brother and sister I know will take good care of you".
Then, turning to face the towers dark entrance, he looked up at the bright face of the Lady at its window, her smile as bright as the moon is when perched upon the night and then, without one more moment of hesistation, he entered.
But then, as the knight was climbing the steps of the spiral staircase that wound towards the little room at the top where Lady Catilia was waiting, something magical began to happen to the tower for, suddenly, all of its bricks that were as black as the feathers on a ravens back began turning to gold that shimmered and sparkled brightly in the sun and climbing roses of pink grew round it aswell, opening their petals wide.
And then, when he had finally reached the top stair and pushed open the door of the Ladys room; running and taking him in a deep embrace, she said, "Free atlast"
"Free?", asked the knight, his face that had been stoical melting into confusion, "I don't understand".
"The curse that kept me a prisoner here is broken", she said, leaping like a small child with joy, "Broken by your choosing, willingly and knowingly, to share my prison for eternity; by you entering the tower; that was the key to unlocking the spell".
Then, to prove to herself that it was real and not a dream, she took her pet sparrow from its cage and threw it up into the air and, spreading its little wings out wide, it flew from her window, sailing up high into the clear open blue above.
Then laughing and leaping again like a coiled spring of excitement, she took the hand of the knight and she led him as quickly as she could down the spiralling steps of the tower until, finally, bursting from its door into the sunlight, she almost screamed with joy.
"Free! Free! Free!", she cried, whirling and dancing  like a clockwork thing of happiness and hugging the neck of the knights white horse and the tree he had earlier said fairwell to.
Then, last of all, she threw her arms around the knight and their lips locked in a kiss.
And then, ofcourse, they both lived happily ever after.