The turquoise rose of the princess

In a faraway land, a princess of breathtaking beauty dreamed of her Prince Charming. Many suitors came to the palace hoping to win her over, but none could catch her eye, and certainly not her heart. She wished for perfection, exactly as described in the fairy tales!

One fine day, her father the king asked her what he could do to attract the one who would be worthy of his daughter's hand in marriage. Whoever gives me a turquoise rose,” she said! The message spread to every corner of the kingdom, and everyone tried to find this precious treasure.

Many tried to find what wasn't available. There was the florist who showed up with a turquoise rose... This flower was shown to the princess, she looked at it for a moment and then poured her glass full of water over it, and the rose turned white just like this aspirant's face!

A few days later, an exuberant jeweller showed up with a rose he'd carefully cut from a turquoise stone. Confident that he had everything to win, he offered the rose to the princess. The princess, annoyed by the man's energy and poise, dropped the flower to the ground and the rose was smashed to a thousand fragments.

Weeks went by, and no one believed that such a flower could exist and that the princess's demand could be met. Then one day, she was sobbing by a pond. She found her existence boring and unfulfilling, without being able to share it with someone and experience true love.

A young man from elsewhere, who had been watching her for a moment, handed her his handkerchief and said: “Sweet lady, why so many tears on such a pretty face? Admire this magnificent nature that surrounds us, and listen to the chirping of the birds, how cheerful it is for the spirit!  

She raised her eyes to this kind man, at first blown away by the sun and after by his discrete beauty. Who is this gentleman I've never seen before, she thought! They conversed for a long time, talking about everything and anything. It was pleasant and simple after all. She felt listened to and understood afterwards.

- I'd like to see you again,” he told her, not knowing who she was, and even less what it would take to win her over.

- Do you think you'll be able to show up at the Palace with a turquoise rose, she inquired.

- Certainly,” he affirmed, confident that he would successfully accomplish this mission.  

The princess returned to her sumptuous residence with the ultimate conviction that she had finally met the perfect man for her! The crowd laughed as they watched this strange man riding a bicycle with a red rose... 

The king felt uncomfortable and couldn't find places to hide his discomfort, knowing the rejection he was likely to face, obviously, he didn't meet the requirements. Surprisingly, his daughter was glowing when she saw him coming with a rose.

- Father, isn't that the most beautiful turquoise rose there is? 

People didn't understand what was going on. But the princess hadn't suddenly become color-blind.

She stopped having infinite expectations, after all, and stepped into the unknown. She lived happily ever after with a man who made her see the kaleidoscope of life.