• Long ago, when the earth was still young, there lived a woman the world has nearly forgotten. She was elegant, long limbed, and pale in complexion. Her eyes were a combination of color only a rainbow diamond in the sun could replicate. Her lustrous lips a crimson red like none had ever seen before nor since.

    Her beauty was unmeasurable and even so, words had yet to be invented to attempt to capture it. She lived amongst the folk known as Fae when the great forests of today were mere saplings and open meadows.

    Her unrivaled beauty did not go unmarked by the Greats of the time. Beings known to normal man as Gods. Many strove to win her heart, but it turned out to be an elusive mark. Normal charms and good looks were all in vain, so they turned to gift giving instead. But no matter what they brought her she was never pleased for she had all which she needed; practicality was unnecessary.

    But a young god, born too of the meadow and earth that had spawned such a beautiful woman, observed her day and night. Marking her interest in the many arrays of flowers mother earth produced for her.

    But when he gathered a bouquet for her of the most spectacular array of flowers she merely giggled, a laugh as sweet as chiming bells. She lead the youngster to her own private meadow, there to his amazement was the labor of her collecting. Hundreds of flowers dappled the field, every type and color known to earth at the time, all replanted and procured by her.

    But then she began to cry, a solemn shedding of tears, for she had all the flowers in the world, and none left to search for. It was then that the young god knew how to win her.

    He labored month after month, creating and molding and growing the fruits of the earth. He mastered what modern science now knows to be cross-pollinating and created the most spectacular array of flora and fauna since the dawn of time. But although they stopped her tears, none won her love.

    Finally he had given up, sitting amongst his many creations when she found him. She took the place next to him and smiled sweetly, a smile only an angel could possibly posses. He shook his head and explained his futile actions but she merely pointed to a bed of flowers she had never seen.

    He frowned and explained that they were not suitable for they had grown thorns and were difficult to pluck. She nodded for him to bring her one, and for the second time he picked a flower for her, stabbing his thumb on the sharp spikes.

    "See, they are dangerous to pluck." he explained, exposing his injured thumb, sucking on the tip.

    She took the fragrant flower and inhaled its aroma deeply. "That is why I shall always need you to stay with me and never leave my side." She explained, uttering the first words he'd ever heard her speak in a voice like rustling leaves.

    And, like many men and gods since, he won his love with the simple gift of a rose.