A short story

Once upon a time, in a magical land called England, there were two young and beautiful people, a handsome man and a fair maiden. They had met several months before, at a ball, but strict guardians kept them from being together. It was very difficult and heartbreaking for them both. One day, the young man decided to brave the wicked king and defy his rules. He set out on a quest to win the heart of the fair maiden. Enlisting the help of his trusty friend Sir Jonathan, he asked the fair maiden to a dinner. They dined of the fare of Chef Wagamama, a foreigner with a delightful culinary skill. 

A tender chord of fancy was struck within the heart of the fair maiden. Here was a man who could be the champion of her heart. She was still slightly unsure, and tested him by dragging him through the slovenly sheep fields and coal mines of Wales. She wanted to know if he would stand by her through times dark and grey, as well as the shining moments. He countered with an offer of a journey to Italy. He wanted to test her to see if she could stand on her own two feet in a place where she did not speak the language and she had to surrender her independence to stay by his side and receive his counsel.

Happily, the testing grounds proved them both true. They even managed a bit of romance amongst all that testing. However, the wicked king separated them again, for a short time only, because the young maiden escaped to a farther away land. She hid there, amongst friendly woodland creatures and cheerful young fairies and tried to sort out her feelings.

The young man also pondered. But in the end he knew what he wanted. He once again set out to win her heart. When the fair maiden returned to the not so magical land of Utah, he was there to greet her. Her heart was filled with joy, and she realized how happy she was with him. They began a courtship and later an engagement. Even though threatened by glittering offers of work in an eastern land, their love stayed true.

One year ago August 5th, I married my handsome young man. We have had quite the adventure since then, and true to real fairy-tales, it has been buffeted by storm, evil villains, and rejuvenated by kindness and miracles. My fairy-tale ending is by no means over. It is only just beginning.