Cassandra and Eadmon or The Tale of the Clockwork Heart

 

I am going to tell you a story of love and loss and love again.  The story of Cassandra and Eadmon or The Tale of the Clockwork Heart

     The meeting was not intentional, no one had planned it, it just happened. Cassandra was in Madam Rosa's Millenary shop with friends looking for a new hat to wear to the spring picnic, when Eadmon came to pick up his Mother who was also shopping for a new hat. 

     No one introduced them, no one seemed to even notice Eadmon had entered the shop. He went straight to his Mother to let her know he was there with the carriage. The occurrence was ordinary and yet so extraordinary at the same time. Melissa, Cassandra's closest friend was turning to show her a fascinator when she bumped a cup of pins from the counter. 

     The crash startled everyone, Melissa was mortified. Cassandra began to pick up cup pieces and pins: at the same time Eadmon too was trying to gather together pieces. Neither one paying attention until both of their hands reached for the same piece, the cup handle. They both touched and dropped it at the same time. Cassandra seemed frozen. Melissa picked up the piece and added it to the pile in Cassandra's hand, gathered the other pins and pieces from Eadmon and commiserated with the shop keeper over the loss of the cup.

     Cassandra was still so stunned that she did not notice when Eadmon's Mother purchased her hat and the two of them left.

     "I am positive" Cassandra later told Melissa "that sparks flew from the handle. I could feel the tingle of aether energy enter my fingers, move to my hand, up my arm and dance around my heart." 

     The second encounter was also quite ordinary and not at all extraordinary. Cassandra was walking through the park with friends looking for a spot to enjoy the spring picnic. Eadmon was seated on a blanket chatting with friends from work. Was it just by chance that he should look up as she walked by? Their eyes met and Cassandra could feel once again the aether energy swirling around her heart. It was just a quick sensation and her friends quickly pulled her along to a spot among the roses.

And so it was, a chance encounter at the theater, dancing past each other at a ball, glances across a bustling restaurant; and always that feeling of aether energy would dance around Cassandra's heart.

It was chance, or was it fate, that once again brought Cassandra to Madam Rosa's Millenary Shop, this time to buy a new fascinator to wear to Melissa's wedding. Madam Rosa took one look at Cassandra and said I have the perfect piece for you. She brought out a lovely little white top hat decorated with the palest of pink roses and on the side of the top hat was the cup handle. Cassandra was speechless as Madam Rosa wrapped up the hat and sent her out of the shop, saying "We will talk payment another time.”

Cassandra wore the fascinator with a palest of pink dresses decorated with roses, to the wedding. It was there at the dinner afterwards that Cassandra and Eadmon were formally introduced, for he worked at the same Imaginarium as Melissa's new husband. 

He bowed low over her hand and gave it the most gentle of kisses, and the aether energy again ran from her fingers, to her hand, up her arm and danced with joy around her heart. As Eadmon looked up she could see that he too could feel the aether dance around his heart.

From that point the courtship moved quickly, though when they were apart Cassandra felt as if all the clocks in the land had been stopped. But then again they moved at lightning speed when they were together, robbing them of their time.

But time did continue to move and as their families joined together to plan the most perfect wedding the strain was beginning to show in Cassandra's eyes. She was over joyed, happier than she had ever been, but her heart was weak from a long ago childhood illness. She did her best to hide the strain from everyone. At long last the happy day arrived. It was a beautiful event, Cassandra wore the most lovely white gown and the veil was topped with the fascinator with the palest of pink roses and the teacup handle. That evening they danced and danced and the aether energy danced around their hearts to the same beat. 

When a reasonable amount of time had passed the happy couple made their way to their carriage and off on their honeymoon adventure. It was a perfect evening, Eadmon carried Cassandra over the threshold of the hotel bridal suite. He poured champaign and handed her the goblet. Cassandra reached her hand out but before she could take the goblet she collapsed to the floor. Her heart could not handle so much happiness.

Eadmon, stunned, dropped to the floor by her side and cradled her in his arms. Tears fell from his eyes as he said over and over "No, No, No."  He lifted her up and gently laid her on the bed. As he brushed hair from her face his hand touched the cup handle on the fascinator and he felt the spark. 

"Yes," he said, ....   " I could do it."

Quietly he left the room and placing the do not disturb sign on the door made his way out of the hotel. Everything he needed was at the Imaginarium. No one would be back till Monday. He had 48 hours, he was sure he could do it. Eadmon began to run, oh how he ran. When he got there he gathered up tools, supplies, gears and springs, bits and pieces. The work was slow and delicate but he pressed himself to move with as much speed as possible. Cassandra could not wait forever. 

At last it was finished. Yet it still need one final piece, a case to house it. But what. Then the idea hit him, and he ran off to find the glass maker. Eadmon explained what the case needed to look like and the glass maker said he would be able to create it. He reached for his supplies and was pulling out the red glass to begin the process when Eadmon stopped him. "No," He said, " it has to be of the palest pink." The glass maker nodded his head and began. When he had it finished he brought it to Eadmon. "It is perfect."   Eadmon took the two halves and placed the clockworks within. Once they were inside they sealed the halves together. The finished piece was carefully wrapped and placed in the bag holding Eadmon's tools.

Eadmon raced back to the hotel. Now came the hard part. He had to place the clockwork heart into his beloved's body. He carefully removed the damaged human heart and placed the clockwork heart in its place. 

The narrator interjects "I would explain the process but I have neither the medical or mechanical knowledge to convey the steps required."

Finally the work was finished.

Eadmon stepped back and looked at Cassandra, but nothing happened. Anguish filled his heart, for he could think of nothing else to do. Kneeling by the bed he took her left hand in his ever so gently. With his right hand he moved her hair from her forehead and gently placed a kiss. When his hand brushed against the handle of the cup he again felt the spark but this time it wasn't just a small spark. This time it was a jolt and he could feel the aether energy race around his heart, down his arm, to his left hand and into his fingers. The energy leapt from his fingers to Cassandra's, into her hand, up her arm and danced around the clockwork heart. The energy danced and sparked around the glass, but could not get in. Finally it found the way in; by circling her still human valve the aether energy entered into the glass heart and sparked the clockwork to movement. As the parts began to move, gears and springs, bits and pieces worked together to pump the blood through Cassandra's body and with it the aether energy flowed and sparked and finally made its way through every part of her, till her eyelids fluttered against Eadmon's cheek. 

He looked down into the eyes of his beloved and cried. 

Eadmon and Cassandra had a long and happy life together. Then well into his 80's Eadmon's heart did as all human hearts do, it gave its last beat. Cassandra dropped to the floor by his side and cradled him in her arms. Tears fell from her eyes as she said over and over "No, No, No." 

She took his left hand in hers ever so gently. With her right hand she moved his hair from his forehead and gently placed a kiss. The Aether Energy that been dancing from heart to heart leapt from his fingers to Cassandra's, into her hand, up her arm and danced around the clockwork heart. The energy danced and sparked around the glass, but could not get in. Cassandra did not want to live without her beloved, so the clockwork heart, ever so gently, shattered.