Once upon a time lived a young man in a secluded castle in La Citta di Smeraldo.
He was the hidden son of the Duke of Florence. A long time a go, the Duke fell in love with a poor gardener's daughter. However, she passed away at child birth due to excessive bleeding leaving the baby alone in the world.
Being a child born out of we'd-lock, he was the source of misery to the wife and children of the duke, who tried to kill the poor boy. As a result, he sent the boy further away.
To La Citta di Smeraldo.
There were many rumours, but the truth was never told.
It is said the man alone hid himself in solitude at the old castle and wore a mask because he was very 'ugly'. Probably because of all the hatred and jelausy he received as he lived, he didn't open his heart to anyone. When anyone tried to approach him, he hid himself away in anger.
He shut himself from the world, both his body and his heart.
His only joy was to grow flowers in the castle's garden. It made him happy and peaceful.
But things took a beautiful turn. A turn which would be a moment of beauty. A turn which would leave a sorrowful scar in his heart and tears in his eyes.
Fate was playing on him.
One day, a girl appeared near the vinicity of the castle. She was in ragged clothes. As he watched, the girl picked up the heels of the garden fence, climbed over it and stole some flowers.
The man was mad as a hornet at first. He was mad at her for stealing his precious flowers.
He spent the hole next night and the ones incoming, guarding in his garden, making sure his flowers were safe. But in his breef moment of sleep, the girl picked up some flowers and ran away.
Several nights continued to pass like that. But little by little the man started to hide in his garden every night, putting on a mask, to watch the girl. He was curious.
Who was she? Why does she steal my blooming precious flowers every night?
Until one night he tried something different. Without realizing, he disguised himself with a cloak and a mask, and followed her.
After following her to a village, he realized why she stole flowers at his garden every night.
He found out that the girl sold his flowers because she was extremely poor and had no other way to provide a living for herself.
He felt very bad for her. The man wanted to help the girl. He wanted to teach the girl every method about growing plants he knew. He wanted to teach her how to grow beautiful flowers.
He was slowly falling in love with her.
The man started growing many flowers for her and made sure they were of the best quality.
He wanted to show up in front of her. Tell her about how he felt about her. But he knew, he could not do that.
She would be scared of him.
He must hide because of his horrendous looks. She wouldn't love him with that ugly appearance.
So he never got the courage to confront her.
At the end, the only thing he could do was to grow and take care of the flowers so she would keep coming to his garden and he could see her.
With time, he decided to himself that he would grow the most expensive flower, the Smeraldo, for her to sell. That was the only way, he could inveil his sincerity with her.
He locked himself in the castle, not seeing her in a few weeks.
After many attempts, he succeded in making the flower. The flower was utterly beautiful. It was something no one ever had created before. Something new in the world. Afterwards, he filled his garden with the Smeraldo and waited until nightfall for the girl to arrive.
He waited and waited for the girl to come back to the garden so she could steal the flower. But the girl did not return. She was nowhere to be seen. No matter how long he waited, the girl did not return to his garden.
It made him anxious so he visited the village he had followed her to, so he could give the Smeraldo to her.
Unfortunately, when he arrived, he found out that the girl had died.
He had been afraid. Afraid that the girl would have left him alone like everyone else had done too. Everytime he went to see her, he covered his face with a mask, hiding what he thought was ugly, as no one had ever loved it.
So when he stood there after receiving the message of her death he felt guilty. If only he had had the courage, would he have shown his face and express his sincerity making everything know change? Of course the woman might of got scared. But to have bravery is easier said than done.
And 'till this day, in his crumbled sand castle, he still wants her.
LYRICS OF SONG:
Full of loneliness
This garden bloomed
Full of thorns
I bind myself in this sand castle
What is your name
Do you have a place to go
Oh could you tell me?
I saw you hiding in this garden
And I know
All of your warmth is real
The blue flower your hand was picking
I want to hold it but
It’s my fate
Don’t smile to me
Lie to me
Because I can’t get closer to you
There’s no name you can call me
You know that I can’t
Show you me
Give you me
I can’t show you a ruined part of myself
Once again I put a mask on and go to see you
But I still want you
Bloomed in a garden of loneliness
A flower that resembles you
I wanted to give it to you
After I take off this foolish mask
But I know
I can't do that forever
I have to hide
Because I'm a monster
I am afraid
I am shattered
I’m so afraid
That you will leave me again in the end
Once again I put on a mask and go to see you
The only thing I can do
In the garden
In this world
Is to bloom a pretty flower that resembles you
And to breathe as the me that you know
But I still want you
I still want you
Maybe back then
A little
Just this much
If I had the courage to stand before you
Would everything be different now
I'm crying
That’s disappeared
That’s fallen
Left alone in this sandcastle
Looking at this broken mask
And I still want you
But I still want you
But I still want you
And I still want you
