Distraught, was she, for, though she loved her home and the winged creatures who brought birdsong to her perch each morning, her heart knew that there was more, so much more, awaiting beyond the castle walls.
Against the King's wishes, she set out one day, barefooted and dreamy, lowered from the turret window by her four-footed companions, unsure of what awaited her below the whispy canopy of cloud.
Far beyond the castle, in a kingdom just beyond the river, there lived a young apprentice, tawny and rugged, having labored in the fields of his kingdom. His eyes were bright and curious, for, as the horizons disappeared over the endless golden fields, he knew, for certain, that there was more, so much more, awaiting beyond his kingdom borders. And so he set out, in search of what he did not understand, but felt compelled to find.
The fair maiden was transfixed with all that she saw. She ran barefoot through the meadows, swam in pools of water and sang melodies to the creatures she encountered along the way.
The young apprentice, too, spent his days wandering the hi-ways and bi-ways, skipping stones in the brooks and gazing up at the stars. Little did he know, as his face was turned up to the fullness of the moon, that a maiden would cross his path, lost in the enormity of the star-filled sky.
Their worlds would collide. They lay there until dawn, until the fog cleared and the scent of jasmine filled their lungs. The young apprentice reached for the young maiden, took her hand and led her to the edge of the meadow, where the horizon could be seen just beyond the heather. The maiden smiled at him, and they set off, seeking whatever lay beyond, in distant lands...together.
It wasn't a fairytale, but it had all the makings of one.
