i was born with this story, it's older than i
There once was a boy who knew the language of flowers. Everyday he would sit in the large gardens surrounding his home, conversing with the roses and carnations, debating with snowdrops and singing to the lilies. In fact, he would spend so much of his time doing this that his studies suffered, and unlike the other boys of his age and position, he was no good at fencing, or fighting, or speaking to those who did not engage in photosynthesis. His mother and father did not mind this so much as he had an older brother who would happily do all of these things and more. It would be him, after all, who would one day take over their father's kingdom (for the two brothers were in fact princes, and their home was really a palace).
This comfortable arrangement was unfortunately disturbed one day when the eldest prince found himself crossing paths with a wandering fairy. Though not having done a thing to offend it, the young man still found himself victim to the magical creature's fancies, and was put under a grave enchantment. Suffice to say, the king and queen were not at all pleased when the heir to the throne was transformed into a begonia (nevermind that a greenhouse had to be made for him, for the climate was not at all right for him at that time of year).
The youngest, not looking forward to taking up the duties that would eventually lead to kinging, and rather preferring his brother as a person (his disposition as a flower was not as sweet, despite his smell), took it upon himself to go out into the world and search for someone who had the power to reverse the enchantment upon the crown prince. Though his mother and father protested at the possible dangers of him doing so, he absolutely insisted, and soon found himself clad in modest travelling clothes, on the way out of his home kingdom.
It was only then that he realised how difficult it would be to defend himself, find food once his initial supplies had run out, and to figure out just where to go at all in the first place.
...Oh dear.
