Once in a blue moon love

Once in a blue moon love – The twin gardens tale.

“This cannot be right!” The Prince looks through the eyepiece again. However, the view has not changed. The rows are all wrong. How could this happen? And overnight, no less? Something is wrong here. In fact, something is entirely off in the alignment of the cosmos. Calm yourself Stephen. It’s only ever happened once in a blue moon. He thinks it to himself, in his calm, inner voice. While he ponders the implications of what he’s seeing. The Princess must be ill. Or maybe something unimaginable has happened. Or, it could be a simple mix up. More of that calm inner voice.

While he studies the garden across the wide river, he remembers the last time he met the Princess. The entire region was in attendance. However, only his Kingdom, and the Kingdom of the Princess, had an accord. In fact, theirs was an enchanted accord. An agreement that went back as far as their great grandparents. For a moment the Prince looks down below the Royal terrace where he stands. The castle’s entire north courtyard, is also the Royal garden. Furthermore, the left half is planted with mixed rows of pumpkins and squash. Not corn and snap peas.

With his eye still pressed against the lens of the eyepiece, the Prince counts the rows of corn in the Princess’s Royal garden. Almost double the rows of squash plants in his Royal garden. That rules out a number miscalculation. A royal messenger must go at once. Although it has only ever happened once in a blue moon, they cannot allow the gardens to remain out of alignment.

Once In A Blue Moon

The Princess frowns as she looks through the Royal eyepiece. “This cannot be right!” She speaks it softly, but all in attendance at the court, snap into a slightly straighter posture. “Has Prince Stephen lost his mind?” The very graceful, and quite beautiful Princess, looks into the eyepiece again. Silently, she counts the rows of squash. It’s not even the right number. This time she thinks it to herself. It’s supposed to be corn and snap peas. Not pumpkins and squash. What has happened here? In all her time as Princess, the gardens have never been mismatched. They always match perfectly. As per the accord.

In fact, her own father taught her the system. Furthermore, the knowledge came down through generations. It’s that important to the stability of both kingdoms. The treaty between the two kingdoms begins with the twin gardens. And, more importantly, it relies on the symmetry of the gardens. Their alignment is more than ritualistic. She must send a messenger. It is at least a four day ride to reach the kingdom across the river. Furthermore, if they did not hurry, things would begin to slip. It’s that thought, that quickens her pulse.

The Twin Gardens

Maybe the Prince is ill, she thinks, as she makes her way to the throne room. Or maybe something unimaginable happened. In the throne room, her fastest messengers await her command. Four days. It will take four days for the messenger to arrive at Prince Stephen’s castle. Just across the river. This is why the enchanted gardens exist in the first place. She frowns again, and the very air in the throne room seems to hold its breath. If this is some oversight, or an accident, Stephen most certainly is preparing a messenger, at this very moment. But what if it isn’t. What if it’s worse than that?

This is when the Princess decides to make the journey for herself. Mr. Conner looks solemnly into Wesley’s eyes. There is the sense that he is remembering things more than telling a tale. Nevertheless, Wesley feels riveted to the story. He nods and accepts the refilling of his tea. Then he listens intently as Mr, Conner continues the story.

“And perhaps at this point, there is some question about that river.” He seems to look inward and his eyes grow distant as he recounts more of the tale. “‘Twas enchanted. Or, some might say, cursed. There was no crossing between the two cities. All who tried always returned, or never returned. Not even to the other side. There was only one way to cross before the twin gardens became the way.” “Only one bridge, and it was a most dangerous journey. Therefore, it was only ever used, once in a blue moon.”

“It just so happens that Prince Stephen was sending a messenger to fix the problem with the twin gardens. In fact, he decided to take the matter into his own hands. This situation is much too important to leave to a messenger, he thinks. Furthermore, his court advisor strongly admonishes his decision to go, but Prince Stephen can’t stop worrying about the Princess. What could have happened to cause such a mix up in the gardens? Was she okay?”

“Now the Prince also knew that the Princess would send a messenger of her own. Therefore, he brings two more of his fastest messengers to make communications even faster. They must align those gardens before the Fall season. Of course, it doesn’t happen, but not because the Princess didn’t make it.”

Mr. Conner stops abruptly as a knock sounds at his door. The sound is so unexpectedly loud that both Wesley and Mr. Conner jump in their seats. ~_{^{to be continued}}

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