Once upon a time...
In every life it seems there's that one person. The one person you feel an undeniable connection to. The one person that you feel drawn to. The one person where the attraction level is at it's peak. The one person that no matter what you do, you can't seem to forget. The one person that you don't think you'll ever find someone quite like. The one person that you think could be the one, but somehow they get away from you. And they become the one that got away.
He's mine.
I still remember the first day I laid eyes on him. His dark hair. His dark eyes. His amazingly sweet smile. His spirit that radiated and pierced you to the soul. And that voice. That singing voice that was so pure and soothing that I was certain he'd been blessed by the gods with it! I was at a festival and he was performing. It was like a force hit me and I felt an insane connection to him. We met eyes. I knew it was love at first sight. His song ended and just like that he was gone, never to be seen again.
Only I did see him a few weeks later. The community was having a cottage raising and were accepting donations of all sorts. Some donated stones. Others donated money. There were also objects that you could enter a drawing to win. You purchased a small stone and wrote your name on it, then they put it in a big basket and drew out the stone. If your name was on it, you won a prize.
I spent a generous amount of money on stones, partly for fun, and partly to help out my people. With the high amount of money I spent came a high amount of stones and so it was no surprise when they drew my name. I won a beautiful ring and the person it belonged to walked out and presented it to me. Much to my surprise, it was the boy who I had heard sing. My love at first sight. The one that got away. I accepted my prize and they moved on to the next drawing. There was no way I would ever see him again. I was disappointed, because I was so close, but I didn't even get his name.
Fate struck again months later when I was hosting a banquet. I was greeting people as they entered, when I saw him walk through the doors. My heart skipped a beat. He bowed to me, I curtsied. And that was that. The rest of the night my eyes kept wondering to him. His eyes were usually on me as well. By the end of the night, I was determined to have met him and have his name. I took a deep breath and made my way towards him. However, I was in high demand and my pathway to him ended up not being as straight as I thought thanks to all of the interruptions. I didn't see him the rest of the night. He got away. I missed my chance.
Thank goodness for second chances though right!? I was at the place of worship and guess who ended up being there as well? The one that got away. It was my first time ever seeing him there. He must either travel or be new to the land far far away. Irregardless, there he was as gorgeous as ever. And there we were, causing sparks to fly with our eye contact. Merlin's magic couldn't even come close to the magic of those sparks that occured between the two of us. This time was my time. This time I was going to meet him. My prince charming was here at last! And we were going to leave the place of worship and ride off into the sunset. A fairytale ending. Except he escaped from that building before I even arose from my seat.
I waited a few months, expecting to randomly see him again; waiting for destiny to take over. When it didn't I was devastated. What could I do? My heart couldn't take it any longer and I forced myself to move on. One day, a handsome boy asked me on a date. I knew I couldn't love him like I loved the one that got away, but I agreed to attend a festival with him. It was a holiday festival so it was a rather big deal. There were all sorts of shows and fireworks and tricks happening. And the one that got away was there, performing. Singing. I stopped walking when I spotted him. I was mesmorized; in a trance; unmovable. Destiny hadn't forsaken me after all! Unfortunately, my date wasn't going to let destiny take over his night out with the princess. My trance was broken and I was whisked away, out of my true love's sight.
I crossed my fingers and toes. Praying, hoping, pleading that I would run into him somewhere later at the festival when he was finished performing. How could we come so close so many times and not meet? It had to happen that night. I was going to make it happen. I, Princess Brailee, declared that I would meet the one that got away before the night ended.
I guess destiny only listens to queens, because destiny ignored my declaration and I did not meet him that night. I was beginning to think I was cursed. The evil villain Maleficent must have visited me when I was a baby and cursed me to forever be haunted by the one that got away. It was torture. I would have definitely picked spinning wheels over this curse. I could avoid those! I couldn't avoid him and I couldn't have him. As a human, what we always want most is what we can't have. And he wouldn't be the one that got away if I could have him.
It took months of meditation to put him in the back of my mind, but finally I did. So, naturally, that's when he decided to show up in my life again. I was with my little sister in one of the shops in the village. I was looking for a book when I spotted him. The angels started singing and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I turned to my sister, "That's him!" I whispered. "The one that got away!" I pointed him out to her. "Brailee, he's even cuter than I imagined! You know what you have to do! Go introduce yourself," she said. I nodded, took a deep breath, tried to ignore the heart that was trying to beat itself right out of my chest and walked towards him.
He saw me and for a second time stood still. He smiled. I smiled back. "Hi," I said. "Hello," he responded. "I'm Princess Brailee, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard you sing before. You have a gift," I said. He blushed. He was even sweeter than I thought before. My lifetime of searching was over. My true love was there and about to tell me his name. "Thank you so much! I'm..." he began, but then was interrupted.
"Princess Brailee, we need to go," said my coachman. "One moment!" I responded, trying not to sound irritated. I turned back to the one that got away. "You were saying?" I said. "Princess I have obligations to get you back to the castle by sunset. We need to leave," the coachman said interrupting yet again. Did he not understand destiny!? You CANNOT interrupt. "It's ok, I understand. It was a pleasure to meet you princess," said the one that got away. Then he turned and walked away. My sister wrapped her arm in mine and escorted me out.
Apparently true loves first kiss was not the key to breaking my curse. Apparently true loves first meeting was, because I never saw him after that. He was officially and forever imprinted in my mind as the one that got away.
And we lived happily never after.
