The Tale of the Unfinished Bargain
Oh, but mortals are so predictable, aren't they? Always eager to make a deal, so certain that they’ve outsmarted the one holding the contract.
But there is one rule, one simple truth that should be carved into every doorframe, whispered into every cradle: Never leave a bargain unfinished.
Of course, no one listens.
And so we come to the tale of Lord Edric Ravenshade—a man of wealth, charm, and just a hint of desperation.
He ruled a great estate at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, but oh, how it weighed on him! The debts, the feuding nobles, the ever-hungry shadows at his doorstep. He needed power. He needed influence.
And he needed me.
Oh, he tried to be clever about it, calling for a nameless sorcerer under the veil of night, meeting me in secret beneath the old yew tree. He offered gold. He offered land. He even offered a drop of blood, thinking himself bold.
I laughed.
"Gold?" I told him. "Land? Blood? Oh no, dear Edric, those are child's play. If you want real power, you must offer something more."
And so, he did.
He offered a promise.
A simple one, really. The moment he reached the height of his power—when he held the greatest banquet of his life, with lords and ladies singing his name—he would speak one word aloud, sealing his part of the deal.
I would give him everything.
And when the time came, when he stood at the head of his glittering court, when his goblet overflowed and the candles burned so bright they outshone the stars—
He faltered.
He hesitated.
And he did not speak the word.
A foolish thing.
Because an unfinished bargain is far worse than a broken one.
The castle still stands. The wine still flows. The feast never ends.
But the guests?
They cannot leave.
They dance and drink and laugh, their faces frozen in painted masks of joy. The music never ceases, the candles never burn out. And Lord Edric, oh, Lord Edric…
He sits upon his gilded throne, still waiting to finish his bargain.
Still waiting to speak the word.
But the price has changed now.
And I?
I always collect.
🪙🕰
