Once in a humble town lived a beautiful young lady who believes on prince charmings. She strongly hoped for a handsome royal lad will come and offer her marriage. Since childhood, she waited and waited and waited until she grew impatient that she decided to left her parent's house and town to seek for her prince.
In search for her prince, she journeyed to different towns, cities and countries, but she never found what she dreamed for. She had also experienced hunger, thirst, loneliness and illness during her search. Still, no prince at sight.
One day on her determined search, the young lady found a grand palace on top of a cliff. This palace is over- looking a salty lake where a mythical creature is said to live. The girl's face brightened upon seeing the palace.
"Maybe this is an enchanted palace and an evil mage or a wicked witch lives in it," the young lady thought. "If I enter that palace, I will be get caught by this evil one and my knight-in-shining-armor will come and rescue me."
Equipped by this thought of being a damsel in distress, she hurriedly entered the dim-lighted palace. Upon entering, the girl shivers not because of fear but because of her intense adventurous will.
She entered every room of the palace and every room amazed her. On one room, she found a great collection of robes and capes. On another room, a superb dining table with utensils made of fine gold. And on the other were framed portraits of royalties. By this time, the young lady changed her impression on the palace.
"This is not a witch's lair nor an evil mage place, well, this is a king's palace." exclaimed the mesmerizing lady.
While she walked on the hallway with statues made of silver and gold, she decided, "I will wait for the owner of this palace for maybe the owner of this grand place is a handsome young king that had set out for battle. If I keep this place 'til he have returned, maybe he will decide to marry me." So the young lady stayed in the palace.
One week have passed and still no royal lad came, but she still decided to wait. While she is waiting, the young lady tended the palace. She made a flower garden near the palace and kept everything in the palace spic-and-span. What a good palace-steward she became!
Five years have passed, still no king or knight came. The young adventuress decided to leave the palace for she has given up waiting. After that five years of living alone in the palace, she left it with regrets for she is not as beautiful and youthful as before she arrived there. Truly, age and loneliness scars anyone's beauty.
Not as enthusiastic as before, she continued her search.
She sojourned on different places and met ladies with age same as hers. She envied them because they have found their own prince charmings and became queens, duchesses, princesses and baronesses.
Finally, she arrived at a diverging road. One road is wide and bright, the other is cold and dim. The cold and dim road is going to a strange woods. Suddenly, the lady's enthusiasm was regained. Her imagination really flourished.
"Maybe, this woods is an enchanted one. If I enter this woods, I will meet a handsome young wizard and be a wizard's wife," she assumed.
With excitement, she followed the road to the woods, not imagining the dangers set before her. Little did she know, the woods is the lair of the big, bad and mad wolf. It is almost too late for her to realize it. Aside from it,The wood is a maze where you can't get out easily.
In the woods, she met the ferocious wolf. She was pursued by the wolf and almost become the wolf's luscious dinner. But luckily she escaped the woods where the wolf can't follow her anymore. She survived with a broken arm and deep wounds in the limbs and torso.
A farmer saved her from the road and help her to recover. The lady decided to return to her town, disappointed and regretful for all her fantasies.
The young tired adventuress journeyed back home. Upon arriving at their house she almost can't remember, her family welcomed her back. She offered them her apologies and told the lessons she learned.
On the night after she returned home, a fine town's man knock at their door. It was their neighbor's son. The tired young lady (not anymore young and youthful) entertained her visitor.
"I know that you will come back. I've been waiting for you. The time you left home, I have loved you, but it is not yet the right time. Now, you have come back. It is now the right time to ask you for marriage." The man expressed his love for the lady.
The lady was shocked but still happily accepted the man's offer. They were married after a month. She lived not so happily after that, for she lived full of regrets.
Once in a humble town lived a married lady who believes that prince charmings are not for real.
End Note: When I was a child, I am fond of fairy tales. But things really changed. Fairy tales teaches us hopes, but false hopes---assumptions that can really give us regrets.
*This story was first posted as a note in Facebook.
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