Once upon a time, I was riding through the outskirts of a forest, when I heard someone crying. Curious, I went over to a young girl burying her head into the roots of an old tree.
She seemed reluctant to talk at first, but soon opened up about her life and what she wanted most of all. She told me her name was Ella.
Ella wanted to see the magic and wisdom of the world for herself, much like her father did when he was alive. She thought that if she had been allowed to go to the prince's ball tonight, she might have met someone who could offer her a way out.
I was confused. I didn't understand why she couldn't just leave by herself, finding new friends along the way. So I told her my story, or the beginning of it anyway. About how I started off my adventure alone, waiting until I met the right kinds of people to travel with.
When Ella asked me how I knew that they were the right kinds of people, I told her I followed my heart. It might not have always been correct, but it always helped me grow and learn more about the world.
I stayed and chatted with Ella under a tree in the moonlight until finally Ella said she was ready. I offered her some food for her journey as well as my horse (I could easily find another way to travel). As she set off into the depths of the forest, I smiled. I knew her heart would always lead her to the right place in the end.
**********
Quite a few years later, I was riding through the outskirts of a forest, when I heard someone laughing. Curious, I went over to a young woman joking with her friend by the roots of an old tree.
She told me she was happy and she had found the right kind of person to travel with. She had seen lots of magic and wisdom in the world and was ready to see more. She told me her friend's name was Briar Rose.
Briar Rose had heard the tale of my beginning from Ella's mouth and had wanted to create her own story about the two of them. She wanted to see how many of her dreams could become real as she wandered the earth with her dear friend.
I was content. I knew these two girls would be happy as they travelled and that their hearts would still lead them to the right places and the right kinds of people. I told them to tell their stories to others, so that they could help show people how to follow their hearts too.