Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom, the heir to the throne was coming of age. His name was Dandelion and was praised by noblemen and commoners alike for his courage and chivalry.
One day the rumor was afloat that he had started looking for a wife. Contenders from all corners of the world were welcome to apply. Criteria for selection had been established: beauty, wits, and a sense of duty.
The first one to appear had such a dignified look that made her stand out. She carried herself with grace and purpose.
‘Welcome, milady’ the prince began. Such a thrill just to be in your presence! Tell me more about yourself!’
‘My name is Rose, your highness. I’m the queen of my land, where everyone pays me respects and obeys my orders. I wear red when I’m deeply in love, white when I am in awe, or yellow when I am jealous. My skin is soft and my scent can empower a man to do outrageous things just to get near me. But I also have a thorny side. Uniting our kingdoms and ruling over the whole world doesn’t sound all that bad, does it?’
‘My goodness, your words sure match your looks’ the prince retorted. ‘We’ll live and see.’
Next came a tall and slender young lady, exuding a faint, but fresh perfume.
‘I am princess Tulip. My family owns rich lands in the north and my subjects love me for always being frank and reliable. I am sensual and caring. Even my name can be spelled “two-lips” and I’ve been longing for a manly kiss for a long time. In my arms no worthy husband would ever get bored.’
‘Wow, you too know how to do business’ the prince conceded. ‘We’ll live and see’.
The prince was having fun.
Next came the haughty Lily with her convoy of toadies, and the exotic Lotus who hypnotized the audience, and Camellia the talented dancer, and Hydrangea of a thousand faces, and Chrysanthemum the sage, and Magnolia the generous, and many others.
It was getting dark. The prince invited all the guests for a huge banquet. Everyone was eating and drinking and enjoying the moment.
At some point during the feast, a manservant rushed into the hall and whispered something in the prince’s ear. He stood up and spoke so that everyone could hear:
‘Our neighboring country has declared war and their army is marching towards our gates!’
A deep commotion ensued and many of the distinguished guests were looking for a place to hide, cursing their luck.
The prince quickly got ready to lead the troops in battle. He asked for his sword and armor and led a cavalry charge into the night, to take the enemy by surprise. The battle was fierce and bloody, and at the break of dawn few had any energy left to keep fighting.
An armored enemy approached the prince and they engaged in a duel. Both were skilled and standing their ground, with tight defense and sharp, dangerous lunges. In the end, the prince proved a slightly better fighter and disarmed his opponent. He pressed them to take off the helmet and surrender or get ready for death.
But what a surprise! It was a girl!
‘Who are you? What is your name?’ the prince asked.
‘I am Edelweiss, fifth in line to the throne, and I came to show you women can fight too. My grandfather let me lead this army in battle. I grew up in the mountains and as you can see, I’m not scared of anything. Should you have lost the duel I would have taken your head, so please do the same. I accept defeat.’
‘You may have lost a duel but you’ve won my heart instead. So please let’s put an end to this bloodshed and go home. If you agree, I’m going to send messengers to the king, asking for your hand.’
… And they lived happily ever after.