Faerie tales are told to our children because they inspire something within them. They are stories of myth and magic and they deal with true love conquering all. This is such a story…

IOIOIOI

Once long ago, across an ocean in a time when magic was fairly common in the land there were two kingdoms that were constantly fighting. There was the domain of Castillia and Saksia. They were both ruled by kind and just kings, and both had children who were very young though they were born six years apart. King Alex and Queen Mary had a son named James Andrew, while Queen Moira and King John had a daughter named Ainslie Elsabeth. It was when Ainslie was born that the astrologers decreed that she would be wed to Prince James on her sixteenth birthday and that their union would bring together the two kingdoms forever.

King John, was most displeased when he heard this. “Our daughter cannot marry that brat of a boy.”

“Hush John,” Moira stated with a smile as she held her daughter close. “The astrologers have decreed it, but that does not mean that it must be.”

John turned to his wife, marvelling at her fire-blonde hair. “Really?”

She nodded, her blue eyes shining. “Yes my love. We can choose the fate of our daughter.”

“But Moria the astrologers decreed that we would be wed.”

The Queen nodded. “This is true…”

John sighed and collapsed beside his wife, his brown eyes clouded with worry. “We have no choice do we.”

Moira smiled and ran a hand through her husbands jet-black hair. “We always have a choice John,” she whispered. “And who knows, our children might not even like each other…”

“Perhaps…” John agreed.

Moira laughed but turned her attention back to her child, and sang.

My little girl, my sweet little girl, sleep now my little girl.

With your golden hair, and bright blue eyes you sleep now.

The moon is high, the night is gone and I hold you close.

A destiny waits for you my child, my little child, princess.

A boy awaits, cross the river dell and you shall be wed.

But sleep now, my little girl, sleep my little girl. Sleep

The moon is high, the night is gone and you shall dream sweet dreams.

So my little girl, sweet little girl, sleep now my little girl.

“That was beautiful,” John whispered as he watched his beloved wife lay their child in her crib by their large bed. “Can she escape her destiny?”

Moira shook her head. “She is to be the Queen of Castillia and Saskia combined John. She must wed the boy.”

“But he- his father,”

“The boy is older tis true, but his father was your best friend in your youth.” Moira pointed out knowingly. “And he misses you as much as you miss him.”

“I do not miss that oaf,”

Moira sighed as she climbed into bed. “Whatever you say my love, whatever you say.”

IOIOIOI

The following morning, while John and Moira were holding court the trumpets began to blare out, signalling that an important guest was arriving. King John sat up straighter in his throne and watched as King Alex, Queen Mary and their young boy, Prince James. Moria turned her attention to her husband and watched as he and his childhood friend embraced; the feud between them long forgotten. She then watched as the young prince with his mother approached them.

“Mary,” Moira stated with a smile. “Welcome to Castle Ruby,”

Mary smiled. “Thank you. Son, don’t you have a gift for the child?”

The young prince nodded reluctantly and held out a bouquet of flowers. They were forget-me-nots for the princess. “These are for your daughter,” he stated quietly as he laid them on Moira’s lap. “For the princess…”

IOIOIOI

And so, Princess Ainslie and Prince James grew up though neither of them knew that they were destined to be wed. And just a few days before she was to turn sixteen, she took the opportunity as she always did to explore the river dell between at the southern edge of her kingdom. It was a fine sunny day when she went out riding on her white mare in a simple peasant dress that was grew in colour. She rode until she came to her favourite place, a waterfall that not only clouded the area in mist but provided a wonderful place to think. Ainslie tied up her horse to the stump of a tree and sat upon the edge, watching the waterfall. It was her place to think and it was while she was sitting there that she began to sing.

IOIOIOI

Across the river, father back into the forest Prince James was in simple peasant garb as well. He was out hunting stag and he had gotten lost and separated from his men. He wandered the wood for hours before he finally found himself surrounded by a fine wet mist. It was then that he heard the sounds of roaring water. Knowing that he had to be near the river, he followed the sound and found himself on the other side of the gorge- with a beautiful woman across from him. Her golden hair was wet from the mist, as was her clothing. She was looking farther down the river and she was humming a tune he could not hear.

“Hello there,” he called out, but much to his horror the girl startled. She got to her feet too quickly and ended up slipping and falling into the mist below. “No!” James called out in horror, and then before he knew what was going on he found himself plunging headfirst into the mist, praying that there were no rocks to meet him.

Luckily there were none, and when he surfaced he saw the blonde hair of the girl floating away. Using as much muscle as he could muster, James swam downstream, with the current catching up to her quickly. She was unconscious- or worse and James knew that he had to get her to shore. And so he used all his might to swim against the current towards the shore. Yet it was no use, the river was too strong and he had to wait till the current forced him into a small pool that was calm. From there he was able to pull her to shore, and that was when he saw that she was not breathing.

“Oh no,” he whispered in terror as he brushed her sopping wet hair out of her eyes. “Oh please do not be dead.” Knowing what to do, James began to press down on her upper chest in the hopes for expelling the water from her lungs. He did that ten or so times before tipping her head back and breathing life back into her. That did the trick and she regained consciousness and began to cough up water. “Thank god…” he muttered as he helped the girl to sit up. “Are you alright miss?”

“Uh-” the girl groaned. “What happened?”

“I uh- startled you and you fell into the river.”

Her eyes snapped open at that and James found himself getting lost in the crystal clear blue-pools. “How did I survive?” she asked, getting equally as lost in his blue-grey eyes. “Sir?”

“I uh, dived after you and pulled you from the river,” James answered. “You are alright aren’t you?”

She nodded. “Yes. Yes I am alright. Thank you for saving me Sir….?”

“Oh,” James coughed and took the ladies hand. “I am Andrew.”

Ainslie smiled. “And I am Elsabeth,” she stated giving the man before her with the same golden-blonde hair as she had a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, for saving my life.”

James coughed awkwardly. “A gentlemen helps a lady in need.”

“Well I would not have been in need if you had not frightened me.”

James nodded. “Of course m’lady. I do apologize.”

“No need to apologize,” Ainslie stated with a sigh. “You saved my life.”

James smiled. “That I did m’lady. You are of Castillian birth?”

She nodded. “Yes,” she paused and looked around. “But I seem to be on the wrong side of the river…”

James smiled. “Do not fear m’lady, I will ensure that you can get home.”

“Oh I know I will get home,” Ainslie assured. “There is a bridge further down river. We can cross there.”

IOIOIOI

They walked in relative yet comfortable silence and they came to the bridge as Ainslie or as James knew her- Elsabeth predicted. “See,” she stated with a smile as she placed on foot on the bridge. “I told you.”

“I never doubted you,” James assured.

“Well goodbye,” Ainslie said haltingly. “And thank you…”

“Wait!” called out James as she stepped onto the bridge. “Are you sure that you shall be alright?”

Ainslie nodded as a mare came trotting across the wide and solid bridge. “Yes. That is Kiana, my mare. She shall take me home…” she turned to leave when a thought struck her. “…would you like to see something?” she asked.

“Now?” asked James. “While we are both soaked to the bone?”

“No!” Ainslie assured with a melodic laugh. “Tomorrow, meet me at this bridge just after sunrise. I would like to show you something.”

“What ever for m’lady?” asked James curiously.

“For saving my life of course,” Ainslie replied, and with that she sprinted across the bridge, climbed onto the back of her white mare and trotted away, leaving James not only alone, but smitten as well.

IOIOIOI

“You came!” exclaimed Ainslie the following morning as she led her mare to the bridge. “I did not think that you would come.”

James smiled and smoothed out the wrinkles in his forest-green tunic. “I am never one to back away from a gift of thanks, especially from a woman as beautiful as you.”

Ainslie blushed as she mounted her mare. “I am no woman,” she stated playfully. “I am not even sixteen yet.”

“Really?” asked James as he mounted his steed. “When is your birthday?”

“In four days actually,” Ainslie answered with a smile as she led the two of them down a winding path. “My parents say they have this wondrous surprise for me, but they will only tell me on the actual day.”

James nodded. “I understand, my own parents have been hinting at a surprise of their own. But I do not trust them, they are all together entirely too cheerful.”

Ainslie laughed. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No of course not,” James assured. “But Elsabeth, if your parents are the stoic type, strong and firm like the stone in which your house is built and they then begin to exhibit signs of joyfulness and a tendency to be excited would you not be suspicious.”

“I suppose,” Ainslie agreed as she led the way into a magnificent clearing that was covered with forget-me-nots. “Well, this is it.”

“Wow,” James whispered as he dismounted, and helped Ainslie to do the same. “This is a gorgeous meadow.”

“Breath-taking is it not?” asked Ainslie as she picked a few of the flowers and put them behind her ear.

“Very,” he agreed.

Smiling, Ainslie took his hand and led him into the field. “These are my most favourite flower,” she told him as they made their way to a large oak tree that stood in the centre of the field. “I have never understood why…”

“Well perhaps you were given a gift of them when you were a child,” James suggested, but all he got was a flirtatious smile from Ainslie as she took off running. Eventually he caught her and they both tumbled to the ground at the base of the large oak which was the only place in the entire field that was not covered with Forget-me-nots. James landed on top of Ainslie though he took special care not to injure her. Instead they just looked into the eyes of the other and although it only lasted a minute, it seemed to last forever. Finally they broke apart and Ainslie began to weave the flowers she was picking into a necklace.

“How did you end up on the other side of the river anyways?” asked Ainslie shyly.

“Well I am Saskian,” James answered.

“You’re…what?”

“Saskian,” repeated James. “Is that a problem?”

Ainslie shook her head. “No,” she assured. “No it’s not. I just spend all my day around the elders who speak of the old times when our two kingdoms were at war. Sometimes it is hard to forget that our two kingdoms are friends again.”

James nodded. “I understand. It is the same with me”

“How old are you?” asked Ainslie, changing the subject.

“I am twenty-one now,” answered James. “But I will be twenty-two in a couple of months.”

“Oh,” Ainslie stated with a sigh. “That must mean that you are married.”

James shook his head. “No, not yet.”

“Really?” asked Ainslie, her hopes flaring for she was beginning to fall for her saviour. “Why ever not?”

“I guess that I just never found the right girl,” he answered honestly. “At least not yet; but I know that she’s out there…somewhere….” he paused and turned back to Ainslie. “So Elsabeth, you must be engaged yourself.”

“No Andrew,” Ainslie answered as she continued to work with the Forget-me-nots. “I am not engaged.”

“Surely you must have suitors,”

Ainslie blushed. “Men have come calling it is true,” she answered truthfully. “But I am waiting for the right man to come along and sweep me off my feet. A prince even.”

James laughed. “I do believe I already did that,”

“You startled me off a cliff into the river,” answered Ainslie with a smile. “I would not call that sweeping me off my feet…and besides,” she added with a wistful sigh. “You are not a prince.”

But I am, he thought to himself but James knew that he could not tell her his true identity. “Well if I was a prince,” he answered trying to sound as nonchalant as possible while he leaned in closer. “If I was a prince then you would not be able to marry me anyway.”

“And why is that?”

“You are not a princess.” James answered simply.

But I am, thought Ainslie to herself but she knew that her parents would be most displeased if she told the man before her who she really was. “This is true,” she answered finally. “I suppose that it is a silly dream.”

James shook his head and leaned in closer. “I never said that.”

And then, as they locked eyes Ainslie found herself being suddenly kissed by James whom she knew as Andrew. The first kiss was tentative, but the second was boulder and he was just leaning in for the third when the air around them changed, causing a chill to run down Ainslie’s spine.

“Oh,” she stated sadly as she pulled away noticing that they had talked the entire day away. “It is late. I must be going…”

James nodded. “As must I, may I see you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” she agreed with a blush. “Right here in this very spot, after the mid day meal.”

“Elsabeth,” asked James as he helped her mount her horse. “Why are Forget-me-nots your most favourite flower?”

“They are my most favourite flower because they stand for true love,” she answered as she placed the necklace of woven flowers around his neck. “Do not forget me handsome stranger.”

“I could never forget you…” he whispered as he glanced down at the necklace before pulling off the ring on his small finger and placing it upon her ring finger on her right hand. It was gold with a Forget-me-not blue coloured stone. “I never will forget you…”

“Never ever…” Ainslie agreed as she looked at the ring.

“Happy Birthday,” James whispered as he mounted his steed and shared one last kiss with Ainslie before they both rode off in their respective directions. And know that I love you… he thought to himself as he watched her disappear into the forest, little did he know that she was thinking the same thing.

Oh Andrew… she thought dreamily to herself as she rode home to the castle. I do believe that I have found my prince after all…and I do not even mind that you do not wear a crown.