The Quest for One True Love

A little Fairytale all about love………………

Once upon a time there lived a fair maiden called Carmel. She lived in the magical land of Wexford, where the sun always shone.

(This is a fairy tale so expect a few embellishments ok!)

Now the beautiful Carmel (embellishments, embellishments!), was very happy living with her fellow yellow bellies, for it was very pretty in the Sunny South East.

However, there was one thing that eluded Carmel thus far, the thing that all fair maidens yearn for ….. Her One True Love.

Meanwhile, far far away in a land known as ‘The Big Schmoke’,beyond yonder Pale, a handsome prince was busy running the country. (Inside joke sorry! There are one or two scattered around.) And while he was very happy running the country, he too knew that something was missing from his life…. His One True Love. He had searched his beloved Dublin far and wide but his heart remained his own.

But he believed in destiny and knew that one day he would find his One True Love.

On the Eve of New Year’s in the year two thousand and five, Carmel was out celebrating with her sister, another fair maiden called Michelle. As the clock struck Midnight, they made a solemn pact, sealed with a bottle or two of the finest house red. This would be the last year they would celebrate the New Year on their own,without a handsome prince or knight to hold them tight. So, they bravely declared that they would go forth and find their one true love, no matter where the path would take them.

Of course it is widely known that the land of Wexford is bestowed with lots of strong handsome men, all talented hurlers (Up Wexford!) but alas, there was not one that could win the heart of Carmel. With her solemn pact in mind, Carmel knew what she had to do. She would have to leave Wexford to continue her quest in a far away land.

‘You are so brave.’ sighed Michelle. ‘Maybe I should look further afield too. Perchance I should look at the other side of Wexford for my True Love. Could he be living in Bridgetown?’

‘I have heard many good things about the men in Bridgetown. But it is far, far away on the other side of Wexford. Be careful Michelle! And try to avoid the farmers!’ Lady Fiona advised.

Lady Fiona was Carmel and Michelle’s older sister who had found her One True Love, Sir Michael of Castlebridge, many years previously.

‘How will we know our One True Love’s?’ Carmel asked her sister Fiona.

‘Fear not sisters, for when your One True Love kisses you, you will know.’ Lady Fiona said wisely.

‘I have decided that I shall travel to Dublin.’ Carmel told her family. ‘I have heard that there are many great men living there.’

There were gasps of shock from all of Carmel’s family and a mumble that sounded like ‘Jackeen’ from Carmel’s brother Lord Johnny Chop of The Ballagh.

‘That’s so far away,’ sighed Carmel’s mother, Lady Tina. ‘Will we ever see you again?’

‘Never trust a blue shirt!’ shouted Carmel’s father, Sir Michael of The Unyoke.

‘But Papa, I think my destiny is in the land called Dublin.’ Carmel said to her father.

‘Well go then my child.’ Sir Michael said. ‘With a bit of luck you will meet a culchie knight, for everyone knows that Dublin has more countrymen living there than Jackeens!’

So waving goodbye to her family, Carmel set out on her quest and travelled the long journey up the N11. She arrived in a strange new world called Swords, in a lovely new castle called Applewood, which was to be her new home.

Waiting to greet Carmel was her best friend, the fair maiden Lady Annie of Donabate. Annie and Carmel had shared many adventures over the past twenty years (friends since they were babies … ahem) and once again they were to share the greatest adventure of all, the quest to find their One True Love!

Together Carmel and Annie frequented Taverns and Ale houses all over the land of Dublin. Such was their dedication, they would spend every Saturday shopping in the emporium called ‘Ye Old Pavilions’’ for pretty dresses and baubles to wear. (A fair maiden must look her best!) They met many knights looking for love too but still no One True Love.

One day Annie said to Carmel, ‘I have heard tell of a place where many knights go and they each spend 3 minutes talking to all the fair maidens and then a bell will ring and another knight will sit in front of you, declaring his love!’

‘What madness is this?’ Carmel exclaimed aghast.

‘It is called Ye Old Speed Dating.’ Annie replied. ‘And we’re going!’

So together our heroines braved Ye olde speed dating and found that while there were knights a plenty drinking ale and carousing, their One True Love’s were still missing.

‘This quest sure is fun.’ Carmel and Annie agreed, as they raised their glasses in toast.

Then one night, Carmel decided to go to a new Tavern called Ye Olde Ron Blacks for an after works drink. Her quest for her One True Love was far from her mind as she sat with her friends relaxing after a busy day working. After a while on this Thursday night, Carmel looked up and staring at her intently was a knight with sandy blonde hair. He smiled and Carmel felt herself smiling back. Who was this handsome knight with the sparkling blue eyes?

And soon the knight sauntered over to Carmel and introduced himself as Sir Roger of Lucan. Sir Roger was a man of great wit and humour and very quickly he charmed Carmel into handing over her mobile phone number, with promises of dates to be made. They talked and talked until late that night, with every moment realising that this could be the beginning of something special. But they did not kiss and Carmel knew that until that moment, she would not know if Sir Roger was indeed her One True Love.

‘He will not call for a week.’ Annie declared the following morning. ‘For these are the mind games that Knights and maidens play when dating.’

But Sir Roger did not wait a week, he broke all the rules and he contacted the beautiful Carmel that night to say how much he enjoyed meeting her, then called again the next night to arrange a date.

‘A knight who does not play games?’ Annie said in amazement to her friend. ‘A rare species in the land of Ireland! Grab a hold of that one!’

And so Sir Roger and the maiden Carmel enjoyed their first date at the cinema, both shyly glancing at each other over a box of popcorn. Afterwards they went to Sir Roger’s Castle in Lucan for refreshments. Very quickly Sir Roger and Carmel were chatting like they had known each other all their lives. And then the moment arrived. While the kettle boiled (this is an Irish Fairy-tale after all, there has to be tea!) Sir Roger walked over to the fair maiden Carmel, who was standing with her back to the kitchen sink.

And in this most romantic of settings he leaned in and kissed her for the first time. And time stood still in that kiss, for Carmel saw her future flash by. She knew that finally her quest was over; she had at last found her One True Love.

Sir Roger and Carmel looked at each other in wonder. And kissed again.

Over the next year they shared many adventures together, travelling to far away worlds and then one day Sir Roger awoke Carmel before dawn. He took her to the top of Killiney Hill and as the sun rose, he dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him. Carmel, sobbed yes through her tears of joy and whooped when she saw the rock he placed on her finger.

And so Carmel became Lady Harrington on the eighteenth day of October in the year two thousand and eight, atop a hill called Tara, in Wexford, amid their friends and family. In that small church they vowed to love each other for ever.

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Now Lady Carmel has returned to her beloved land of Wexford and Sir Roger and Lady Carmel have a little Princess and Prince of their own – beautiful Amelia and handsome Nate. Their house is full of laughter, fun, song, joy and much love.

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The fair maiden Michelle did find her knight in Bridgetown – Sir Anthony and despite Lady Fiona’s warnings, a farmer she did marry. As for the fair maiden Annie of Donabate? Well, she too found her One True Love, like her bestie Carmel, in an alehouse and is now married to Sir John.

So to all you maidens and knights, never give up on the quest for one true love …

For now our fairy tale ends.  T

And they all lived Happily Ever After.

The End

15 Comments

  1. Love it very funny and romantic

  2. Bleedin’ Fab…. More short stories please Cam……

  3. You were only gorgeous. And now your Prince has been promoted and is running Europe 😉

  4. Pingback: Can you guess what my most popular blog post is? | carmelharrington

  5. Aw lovely story Carmel. I too made a pact to myself that night in 2005 or New Year’s Day and met the love of my life 7 days later!!

  6. Happy anniversary 🙂

  7. ye gads there was love cast upon the earth that night, thou was luckiest i doth believeth xx

  8. Aww..that’s lovely! keep listening to wise Fiona!!

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