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Determinedly, Caroline stood up from the mirror and went to open the bridal suite door. On her way out, Caroline collided with her mom.
Determinedly, Caroline stood up from the mirror and went to open the bridal suite door. On her way out, Caroline collided with her mom.
“Whoa, watch out,” exclaimed Evelyn. “Where are you rushing to?”
“Whoa, watch out,” exclaimed Evelyn. “Where are you rushing to?”
“Hey mom, I’m sure you have a really meaningful story, but I need to go get married,” rushed Caroline.
“Hey mom, I’m sure you have a really meaningful story, but I need to go get married,” rushed Caroline.
“Relax, you’ve still got fifteen minutes. I’ll be quick. Beside,s I’m walking you down the aisle, so you can’t get there without me,” joked Evelyn.
“Relax, you’ve still got fifteen minutes. I’ll be quick. Beside,s I’m walking you down the aisle, so you can’t get there without me,” joked Evelyn.
Caroline turned to her mom. She looked so nice dressed up in her blue mother of the bride gown. Ever since Caroline’s dad had died, Evelyn had raised her. There was no one else in the world whose opinion and approval meant more. ‘
Caroline turned to her mom. She looked so nice dressed up in her blue mother of the bride gown. Ever since Caroline’s dad had died, Evelyn had raised her. There was no one else in the world whose opinion and approval meant more. ‘
“Okay, Mom,” smiled Caroline, “I guess you’re right. We can talk while we get in line.”
“Okay, Mom,” smiled Caroline, “I guess you’re right. We can talk while we get in line.”
“Perfect,” replied Evelyn, “I’m happy to see you looking so ready to get married. I heard you were having a bit of a meltdown.”
“Perfect,” replied Evelyn, “I’m happy to see you looking so ready to get married. I heard you were having a bit of a meltdown.”
“Just a little case of cold feet. You guys helped me see I was being crazy,” replied Caroline.
“Just a little case of cold feet. You guys helped me see I was being crazy,” replied Caroline.
“Caro, you’re not crazy,” admonished Evelyn. “Getting married is a big deal. It makes sense that you’re nervous. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I have a little story for you.”
“Caro, you’re not crazy,” admonished Evelyn. “Getting married is a big deal. It makes sense that you’re nervous. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I have a little story for you.”
“I knew it. Go ahead, Mom. I’m ready,” smiled Lauren.
“I knew it. Go ahead, Mom. I’m ready,” smiled Lauren.
As they began to walk from the bridal suite to the outdoor ceremony space, Evelyn began her story.
As they began to walk from the bridal suite to the outdoor ceremony space, Evelyn began her story.
“I have an old Chinese legend to tell you. Once there was a beautiful princess. This princess lived happily with her mother in the palace. The two were all each other had. As time wore on, the queen became concerned. She wanted her daughter to have someone worthy to take care of her. When she brought this up to her daughter, she responded, “I don’t need anyone else. I have you.” Still the queen insisted. She told her daughter that she could set any task she wished and the suitor who could complete it would be her husband. Reluctantly, the daughter agreed.
“I have an old Chinese legend to tell you. Once there was a beautiful princess. This princess lived happily with her mother in the palace. The two were all each other had. As time wore on, the queen became concerned. She wanted her daughter to have someone worthy to take care of her. When she brought this up to her daughter, she responded, “I don’t need anyone else. I have you.” Still the queen insisted. She told her daughter that she could set any task she wished and the suitor who could complete it would be her husband. Reluctantly, the daughter agreed.
That night she met with her childhood friend, the gardener’s son.
That night she met with her childhood friend, the gardener’s son.
“I don’t know what to do,” fretted the princess. “What task should I set? If I test for wit, he could be cruel. If I test for wealth, he could be untrustworthy. If I test for bravery, he could be cold. How do I know what to do?”
“I don’t know what to do,” fretted the princess. “What task should I set? If I test for wit, he could be cruel. If I test for wealth, he could be untrustworthy. If I test for bravery, he could be cold. How do I know what to do?”
“Well,” reasoned the gardener’s son, “if you picked something vague, you could judge the suitors yourself.”
“Well,” reasoned the gardener’s son, “if you picked something vague, you could judge the suitors yourself.”
With her friend’s advice in mind, the princess went to her mother the next day and told her the task. The suitor that could bring the princess a blue rose would win her hand. Time passed and no suitors were able to complete the task.
With her friend’s advice in mind, the princess went to her mother the next day and told her the task. The suitor that could bring the princess a blue rose would win her hand. Time passed and no suitors were able to complete the task.
Eventually, a wealthy merchant became impatient. He wished to marry the princess for her wealth and offered a florist a bag of gold to deliver a blue rose. The florist cut a white rose and stuck it in a glass of water mixed with blue dye. When the rose turned blue, the florist gave it to the merchant who in turn presented it to the princess.
Eventually, a wealthy merchant became impatient. He wished to marry the princess for her wealth and offered a florist a bag of gold to deliver a blue rose. The florist cut a white rose and stuck it in a glass of water mixed with blue dye. When the rose turned blue, the florist gave it to the merchant who in turn presented it to the princess.
Holding the rose dripping with blue dye the princess scowled at the merchant. “You have given me a white rose that is only dyed blue. I don’t want a dishonest husband; I would have one that’s true.”
Holding the rose dripping with blue dye the princess scowled at the merchant. “You have given me a white rose that is only dyed blue. I don’t want a dishonest husband; I would have one that’s true.”
Next, a brave and powerful warrior decided to try his hand. He rode into a neighboring village and threatened to kill half the population until someone presented him with a blue rose. Frantically, a jeweler sculpted the warrior a blue rose out of a sapphire. Pleased, the warrior rode to the princess and presented her the jeweled rose.
Next, a brave and powerful warrior decided to try his hand. He rode into a neighboring village and threatened to kill half the population until someone presented him with a blue rose. Frantically, a jeweler sculpted the warrior a blue rose out of a sapphire. Pleased, the warrior rode to the princess and presented her the jeweled rose.
Staring at the warrior’s cold eyes, the princess frowned. “This is not a rose. It’s hard and unyielding. I want the gentleness of a rose’s petals.”
Staring at the warrior’s cold eyes, the princess frowned. “This is not a rose. It’s hard and unyielding. I want the gentleness of a rose’s petals.”
Next, a powerful wizard decided to try his hand. He knew a marriage to the princess would make him the most powerful man in the kingdom. Using his magic, he created a box with a hologram of a blue rose inside. When he presented it to the princess, everyone watching was entranced. Finally, someone had found a blue rose.
Next, a powerful wizard decided to try his hand. He knew a marriage to the princess would make him the most powerful man in the kingdom. Using his magic, he created a box with a hologram of a blue rose inside. When he presented it to the princess, everyone watching was entranced. Finally, someone had found a blue rose.
The princess reached out to take the rose in the box, only for her fingers to pass through it. “This is no rose. It’s an illusion. I don’t want a husband who would trick me.”
The princess reached out to take the rose in the box, only for her fingers to pass through it. “This is no rose. It’s an illusion. I don’t want a husband who would trick me.”
The next day, another suitor came to try his hand, the gardener’s son. He walked to the throne room holding a white rose. Around him the courtiers laughed, for how could a gardener’s son win the princess with a white rose? When he reached the princess and handed her the rose, the blue light from the stained-glass window fell on the petals turning them blue. Smiling, the princess took the gardener’s hand.
The next day, another suitor came to try his hand, the gardener’s son. He walked to the throne room holding a white rose. Around him the courtiers laughed, for how could a gardener’s son win the princess with a white rose? When he reached the princess and handed her the rose, the blue light from the stained-glass window fell on the petals turning them blue. Smiling, the princess took the gardener’s hand.
“Finally, someone has brought me a blue rose. A suitor who is honest, kind, and patient. We shall be married tomorrow.”
“Finally, someone has brought me a blue rose. A suitor who is honest, kind, and patient. We shall be married tomorrow.”
The two were married the very next day and lived happily ever after,” finished Evelyn.
The two were married the very next day and lived happily ever after,” finished Evelyn.
“And what perfect timing. I can hear the music. It’s time for your bridesmaids to start walking, so I’ll be quick.”
“And what perfect timing. I can hear the music. It’s time for your bridesmaids to start walking, so I’ll be quick.”
Evelyn pulled a blue rose pin from her purse and carefully pinned it on Caroline’s dress above her heart.
Evelyn pulled a blue rose pin from her purse and carefully pinned it on Caroline’s dress above her heart.
“The lesson here is obvious. You and Michael are a team now. You get to make your decisions and face the world together. I couldn’t be happier to walk you down the aisle,” Evelyn finished tearily.
“The lesson here is obvious. You and Michael are a team now. You get to make your decisions and face the world together. I couldn’t be happier to walk you down the aisle,” Evelyn finished tearily.
As the music began, Evelyn pulled Caroline’s veil over her face and the two started their walk down the aisle. Underneath the veil, Caroline smiled tearfully when she spotted Michael fidgeting at the end of the aisle. Her mom was right. He was her partner and she couldn’t wait for their life together. The moment was perfect and it was time to say I do.
As the music began, Evelyn pulled Caroline’s veil over her face and the two started their walk down the aisle. Underneath the veil, Caroline smiled tearfully when she spotted Michael fidgeting at the end of the aisle. Her mom was right. He was her partner and she couldn’t wait for their life together. The moment was perfect and it was time to say I do.
Author’s Note: I based this story on an old Chinese folktale, The Blue Rose. When I was researching stories to fit my suitor test theme, this was actually the first story I picked. The plot is surprisingly progressive with the princess already having the agency in choosing the task for her husband. She also shows cleverness in her rejection and acceptance of the various blue roses that she is given. I also love the surprise twist of her perfect match being a childhood friend and a gardener’s son. A surprise romance, a strong female lead, and a story about suitor tests, what more could I ask for? Because the story is so perfectly suited to the tales I adapted in my other stories, I didn’t change the plot hardly at all. Instead of the princess having her father, the king, setting her up to get married I had the princess only have a mother. I thought that would be a nice parallel to Caroline and Evelyn in my story. Other than that pretty much everything else is the same. I actually had to cut down on a lot of the detail to reach the word limit and add in information about the wedding. To end my story I wanted to have a bride happy, confident and ready to get married to the man she loves. In a lot of the original stories I read, the lack of the choice that brides have is often sad so I wanted my storybook to flip that story and take the suitor test and make them fun.
Author’s Note: I based this story on an old Chinese folktale, The Blue Rose. When I was researching stories to fit my suitor test theme, this was actually the first story I picked. The plot is surprisingly progressive with the princess already having the agency in choosing the task for her husband. She also shows cleverness in her rejection and acceptance of the various blue roses that she is given. I also love the surprise twist of her perfect match being a childhood friend and a gardener’s son. A surprise romance, a strong female lead, and a story about suitor tests, what more could I ask for? Because the story is so perfectly suited to the tales I adapted in my other stories, I didn’t change the plot hardly at all. Instead of the princess having her father, the king, setting her up to get married I had the princess only have a mother. I thought that would be a nice parallel to Caroline and Evelyn in my story. Other than that pretty much everything else is the same. I actually had to cut down on a lot of the detail to reach the word limit and add in information about the wedding. To end my story I wanted to have a bride happy, confident and ready to get married to the man she loves. In a lot of the original stories I read, the lack of the choice that brides have is often sad so I wanted my storybook to flip that story and take the suitor test and make them fun.
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