Once Upon a Time,

There was a beautiful, beautiful girl. The very image of beauty! Many loved her, but did not reach for her, because she was unattainable to them.

She never did fall in love, not with the common lot. She'd received many suitors and requests for marriage and they all began to blend together after a while. She wanted something new.

She liked to walk around the homes near hers, picking weeds for the older folk and picking flowers to make crowns for the children.

A man had seen her doing this, and she had seen him too. He was handsome, very handsome, and his attire shone with wealth. She wanted to know more about him.

She greeted him simply and made small talk as they passed, but nothing more. This led men to leave letters on her doorstep, and never failed to pull them in. They wanted more than a chat, they wanted a conversation. She would tease them like that.

She waited days and days for his letter. Every time a flowery note showed up at her door she'd smile, but it would never be signed with his name.

She waited months and months, almost years for his proposal. It never came.

She set out on a journey. A silly journey. A whim.

The big mansion on the hill over the town must be where he lived.

She stepped her way up the stairs, the many, many stairs. The door that finally greeted her was many feet taller than her. She could only knock with a small hand.

The man himself answered. Oh, what delight she felt! What joy! Their long awaited reunion!

"Excuse me Miss, not to be rude, but have we met?"

She was shocked, like a harsh slice to her heart. She turned with a tear and rushed down the many, many steps.

At the bottom of the stairs laid a wide, rich patch of grasses. Beautiful flowers grew there. Beautiful flowers.

She knelt at the ground and let the tear fall. One, and another. And a few more after that.

Oh, she cried. And each tiny tear took root.

She went back to her routine life. She picked weeds for the elders and made crowns for the kids and smiled at the handsome men that passed her by. She thought, how sad, that she may have to settle for them.

Until the day like most others, when she stepped out to her front stair, and saw a much different flower than before. Small and many and blue like the tears she remembered of that day, and the small paper tied to the stem of the bouquet was lined with golden thread.

"My dear, I may have forgotten you then,

But return, and I will remember you.

Let us meet for the first time,

Once again."

She gently touched the red wax seal. This was the king's seal. She was overjoyed once again. Immediately, began making her way to the big house on the hill.

This time when she made it to the top of the many, many stairs, she was surprised to see that the king had created a garden full of the beautiful blue tear-flowers he'd sent to her. She knocked on the door with a small hand and to her delight, the king opened it once again.

They exchanged pleasantries with bright smiles and shared a dinner, before finally retreating to the garden to watch the stars.

"What are these flowers?" The girl asked. She plucked one and placed it in her hair.

"These are your flowers. You brought them to life. Don't you remember?"

She shook her head.

"When I forgot you-- I apologize, that was the worst of me-- you cried there at that patch of grass, didn't you?"

She nodded yes, remembering how sad she'd been compared to how happy she was now.

"These flowers grew where your tears fell."

"Really? Is that true?" She laughed happily.

"It is." Came the reply.

"What on earth are they called, then?"

He smiled and took her hand, placing a crown of the blue petals she didn't notice him making on her head.

"Forget-me-nots."