Adele's Stories

Once upon a time, for all fairy tales, no matter how tragic, must begin with once upon a time. A young prince was hunting in the enchanted forest, but what he found was much better than any simple game. For in this forest lived the maiden of the blossom tree. The tree stood in the center of the forest and was impossible to miss, for it was the tallest tree in the forest and was covered in blossoms the color of the sun. The maiden was born of the forest and lived in the blossom tree. 

The young prince, who we will call Edmund (although some people will claim he was called Peter which is very absurd for no one was called Peter in those days), was tracking a deer (though some say it was an enchanted rabbit, which is highly unlikely for they do not exist) when he stumbled upon the tree. The maiden was sitting in her tree and singing a lilting song of which no one knows and caught the eye of our young Prince Edmund. The prince stood at the base of the tree and silently admired the maiden. Her long fiery hair was crowned with a ring of flowers and her emerald eyes shined as bright as a star. 

When the maiden finished her song Prince Edmund called up to her, “Fair maiden! Your voice is simply lovely! I would be honored to know the name of such a beautiful maiden such as yourself!”. Frightened, the maiden retreated farther up into her tree. The prince begged her not to be afraid and come down to speak with him. “There is no need to be afraid. I only want to know the maiden who has stolen my heart with her song!”. The maiden did not move from her spot in the tree, but she did give him her name, though no one knows what it was for the survivors at the end of this tragedy wanted at least one part of her to be sacred (Some will tell you they know her name for they are descendents of the prince, but they are liars). After learning her name the prince bowed deeply to her and smiled his most charming smile. While his smile would have enchanted any other girl in his kingdom, the maiden seemed to be unaffected. 

The maiden’s indifference to Prince Edmund only made him all the more entranced with her. He bid her farewell and promised that he would be back in the morning. True to his word he came back the next day with full intentions of asking the maiden to marry him, unaware that she was already promised to the fairy king. When Edmund arrived at the tree the maiden was not there for she had left early to collect berries hoping to avoid the prince. But unfortunately the prince went looking for her and found her by the berry bushes. 

“We meet again my love! I have come to ask for your hand in marriage.” He bowed again and tried once more to enchant her with his smile. The maiden turned to look at him. Drawing all of her courage she told him, “I will wed you never dear prince. I am promised to another. The fairy king and I love him dearly. I could never love you.” Angered, Prince Edmund lunged at her.

Startled, the maiden began to run. The prince chased after her and she called out for help from her betrothed. Prince Edmund only laughed. “You think a little fairy can protect you? My kingdom is stronger than any fairy’s could ever be! You  will be my bride!” The maiden never made it back to her tree. Prince Edmund had captured her and taken her back to his palace. He placed her in a room far in the back of the castle and locked the door. Terrified, the maiden began to weep. She gathered her tears in a jar and convinced a dove to take them to the fairy king as a plea for help. (Though some will claim it was an eagle for it would be easier for them to carry a jar of tears) But the tears never made it to the king for the prince shot down the bird and the jar fell and shattered in the forest. 

Her tears sank into the earth and from them bloomed a gold flower that guarded the forest from evil men like Prince Edmund. Afraid the maiden would try again the prince married her immediately. The maiden’s heart yearned for her home in the forest and she fell ill. It wasn’t long before the fairy king noticed his betrothed was missing and sent his best fairies to search for her. 

When one came back with the news that she was taken the king gathered his army and advanced on the kingdom. He and his fairies decimated the kingdom until the king found her in the palace. Knowing his love was ill the king began to bring her back to the forest. But the prince followed them and attacked the fairy king at the entrance to the forest (some will say they fought at the palace, but that is illogical). The king placed a kiss on the maiden’s head. A kiss filled with pure love that guarded the maiden while the two royals fought. By the time the battle was over it was too late. 

The maiden was dead and her tree had wilted. Only the king’s kiss remained. The king took this kiss into his heart and vowed never to love another. No one knows who won the battle, the prince or the king. But all we do know is that the forest will always be protected because the maiden’s one true love was the forest. And her last dying breath was a wish that the forest would always live. A wish that the sun granted to the last daughter of the blossom tree.