Prince Morgan glanced over to see Duke and Pricilla talking and enjoying each other.
“I am sure you will do well Prince but that is not what is important to me, win or lose, matters not to me,” said Princess Wildheart
Prince looked closely at the Princess. She sure was beautiful, very close to perfect in his eyes. He wanted to ask her to marry him but wasn’t sure if her parents would approve of him. The other two Princes’ may be the only ones they would consider for her to choose from.
“I thought you would be more interested in the outcome,” said Prince Morgan
“I am more interested in the Ball and getting a chance to dance with you tonight Prince Morgan,” she said smiling.
“Ah, I see,” said Prince Morgan smiling. “I would also like to spend more time with you Princess,” he said, moving closer to the Princess. “Princess, my feelings for you are so strong. I just want to know if you feel the same way towards me.”
“I feel the same way Morgan. I am glad to hear you feel that way towards me,” said Princess Wildheart as she grabbed his hands in hers.
“Would your father would approve of me as a potential suitor? He has already provided two Princes to choose from and may not approve of me,” he said while looking deeply into her eyes.
“Father wants me to be happy and he did say that I could choose my Prince.”
“Choose your own Prince? Seems unlikely he would not want to be involved in the approval and selection,” said Prince Morgan.
“I am a Princess. I can do what I want. If it makes me happy then my father will agree.”
“He sent for your choices Princess, I was not invited to court you, just to take part in the events and attend the ball tonight. The King mentioned nothing about dating you, he may not like it if you reject his choices and select me instead.”
“A Princess can do what she wants, we are made that way, and it goes without saying really. I expect it to be that way and so does everyone else,” said Princess Wildheart
Princess Wildheart was getting disturbed. She didn’t really consider her father or mother playing a role in her selection of a Prince. Prince Morgan brought up a very good point about the King providing the pool of possible suitors for her to select from.
“We kissed, I like you and we can go from there,” said Princess Wildheart
“A kiss is not an assurance that your father will agree to the two of us being together, it is just a kiss,” said Prince Morgan
“Just a kiss you say? Just a kiss! How can you say something like that! Let’s go Pricilla!”
The Princess grabbed Pricilla by the arm and walked off with her, glaring back at Prince Morgan and Duke. She was hurt that the Prince did not think that the kiss between them was a life changing event. She could not believe he could even think that the kiss they shared was so trivial. Duke was surprised to see the Princess so angry.
“Wow! You really made her upset Morgan. What did you say to her?”
“Well, all I did was mention that her father may not approve of the two of us and she kind of went crazy on me Duke.”
Prince Morgan was standing there dumbfounded and confused.
“Let's just get to the next event and I’ll figure it out later,” said Prince Morgan.
Princess Wildheart and Pricilla sat down in the same place in the grandstand as before. Princess Wildheart was in a real huff. She turned toward Pricilla and started venting.
“Men just don’t get anything when it comes to matters of the heart,” fumed the Princess.
Pricilla tried to calm her down some. She could see that Princess Wildheart was hurt and upset by Prince Morgan’s comment on the kiss they had shared. Pricilla agreed with the Princess, it was a very important moment that should be cherished by them both.
“Princess, things will be fine between you two, I am sure he did not mean to sound like the kiss meant nothing to him. Prince Morgan likes you, I can tell,” said Pricilla.
“Well, he was worried that father would not approve of us being together. Not so much commenting on the kiss as such, well he was commenting on it, sounding like it meant nothing to him although I know better,” said Princess Wildheart.
Prince Morgan had brought up a good point about her father not including him in the pool of prospects for her hand. The King hadn’t said which Prince she had to choose but did provide the possibilities for her. She hadn’t considered the chance of the King rejecting Prince Morgan. All she had thought about was how much she liked Prince Morgan and how great everything could be with him. For now she was angry with the Prince for using the words “Just a kiss.
“Look! Here come our new boyfriends now Princess,” said Pricilla, excited to see them coming.
“Let them come then, I could care less,” huffed the Princess.
No introductions were needed since it was the same contestants competing minus Duke, who did not want to join the event. Prince Morgan did an outstanding job riding the circle and skewering the rings onto the sword as he rounded the track. No one else even came close to him in that contest as he easily beat the others. The next event was the Sword Fighting event. The three brothers could sword fight well but could not compare to Prince Morgan who won that event with ease. Prince Tangent and Prince Darksoul did not do very well in the Ring Grab or Sword fight.
The final event was the Boxing Match. That event was all Duke as he slammed each brother, one by one. Prince Darksoul and Prince Tangent withdrew after watching each of the brothers lose matches with Duke. The day’s events ended with Prince Morgan and Duke winning the majority of the events. Prince Morgan and Duke won the respect of those who watched the events. The King stood as the trumpets once again sounded. It was time for him to make the closing speech ending the games.
“Today we were all fortunate enough to witness a fine competition celebrating our Kingdom. I would like to congratulate the winners and remind everyone to celebrate tonight in honor of my daughter Princess Wildheart. While not everyone is invited to the Royal Ball, arrangements have been made to provide food, drink and music in the castle courtyard for your enjoyment.”
The crowd cheered the Kings generosity.
“Thanks to all of you for attending the events today,“ he said, sitting back down.
Someone yelled out “Long live the King!” Then the crowd repeated the cheer several times as the King stood back up and gave them a friendly wave.
Prince Morgan and Duke started toward the Tavern to get a few drinks.
“Hey, we did pretty well today,” said Duke.
“We did really well with the exception of the horse race. No way were we going to beat those enormous horses that the brothers ride. We did win our fair share of the other events we entered. I knew we would win a few. It was fun Duke,” said Prince Morgan.
“I agree with you Morgan. I enjoyed the boxing matches,” said Duke.
“Are you ready for the Ball?” asked Prince Morgan.
“Sure I am, Pricilla said she would be there to dance with me!” Duke said excitedly.
Princess Wildheart and Pricilla suddenly appeared. Princess Wildheart threw her arms around Prince Morgan and gave him a hug.
“Sorry, I got upset,” she said
“I’m sorry too Princess, I was kind of short with you, didn’t mean to upset you,” said Prince Morgan.
“Shut up and kiss me,” said Princess Wildheart and the two of them had a deep slow kiss. Each of them felt much better. Nothing else mattered except the feelings they had for each other at that moment.
“Princess we must get back to the castle and prepare for the Ball,” said Pricilla.
“I really must go now,” said Princess Wildheart as she looked into Prince Morgan’s eyes.
She let go of him and hurried off toward the castle with Pricilla. Prince Morgan didn’t say anything, he just watched as Princess Wildheart and Pricilla faded from sight.
“Let's go by the Tavern and grab some ale before the Ball Duke,” said Prince Morgan.
SEVEN
Prince Morgan and Duke entered the Tavern and once inside they could immediately hear Prince Darksoul being loud and obnoxious. He was telling everyone how the events had been rigged and he was cheated from winning. When Prince Darksoul saw the two of them enter he pointed over at them and said.
“Oh and here are Prince Morgan and Duke. The two of them paid someone off to win. They are not actual winners at all, just two imposters who cheated the real contestants out of winning. “
“That’s enough of that Prince Darksoul,” said Duke. “We came here and paid our fees for the events. We won those contests based on skill and bravery,” said Duke.
“Liars! Cheaters! You both lied and cheated to win,” yelled Prince Darksoul at Duke.
“You need to watch your mouth Prince Darksoul! I do not intend to stand here and listen to your drunken insults and baseless accusations. Be warned that my patience is thinning with you,” said Duke.
“Go away cheaters, you’re not welcome here. Go tell your filthy lies somewhere else you sorry, worthless scumbags,” yelled Prince Darksoul.
Duke grabbed Prince Darksoul by the front of his shirt and lifted him up out of his chair. The two of them then started scuffling. Some of Prince Darksouls’ cronies joined in the melee. Prince Morgan joined in to even the odds as he and Duke gave Prince Darksoul along with his new friends a good pounding. The King happened to walk in at this time to grab ale for himself before preparing for the Ball. The fight was then stopped at the Kings request.
Prince Darksoul was furious and ready to keep fighting. He kept the argument going with no regard for anyone else.
“It’s not over! You both know that! You will all see very soon, it is not over,” he ranted as he sulked over to a darkened corner with his ale. He just kept glaring at Duke and Prince Morgan.
The King walked over to Prince Morgan and Duke. “I see you two are trying to keep thinks in check here again.”
“We just walked in and things happened from there your majesty,” said Prince Morgan.
“I am expecting to see you two at the ball tonight gentlemen,” said the King as he walked off sipping his ale.
“Yes sir, we will be there, count on us,” said Duke.
“Good fellow, that King Rose,” said Duke.
“Yes he is, very dignified and full of grace,” said Prince Morgan
“Well I guess we should go get cleaned up for the ball Prince. There will be two lovely ladies waiting for us to show up,” said Duke.
“We will make a good impression Duke,” said Prince Morgan.
“We will also need to keep an eye on Prince Darksoul. He is a menace,” said Duke.
“I agree Prince Darksoul doesn’t even have proper manners for a royal,” said Prince Morgan as the two of them headed for the door leading out of the Tavern.
Everyone arrived early for the Royal Ball. Princess Wildheart along with the King and Queen greeted everyone as they arrived for the gala event. Prince Tangent was dressed to a tee and already present. He looked very Prince like in his velvet jacket and pants. He was friendly and enjoying himself. Prince Darksoul had also already arrived and he was dressed sharply. He had added a dark cape to his attire which gave him a somewhat evil appearance. He was telling stories about himself to anyone who had no means to escape his attention. Pricilla was nowhere in sight as Prince Morgan and Duke made their way into the ball and approached the Royal family.
“Ah, here is our event winning duo! Welcome gentlemen, welcome,” said the King.
“Gentlemen may I present my wife, the Queen.”
The King then gestured toward her as both Prince Morgan and Duke bowed and kissed her hand. The Queen smiled, she liked them both.
“My beautiful daughter, Princess Wildheart, in whose honor this ball has been made,” said the King.
Duke and Prince Morgan bowed and kissed the hand of the Princess. Princess Wildheart smiled as the two of them paid attention to her. She was wearing her Princess tiara and Prince Morgan could not imagine any woman more beautiful than her. She looked stunning, just amazing in her long white Princess gown. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her right there but knew the time was not right. He was aware that the King and Queen had no knowledge of his casual encounters with the Princess and the way he felt about her. She had captivated his heart after all and he knew they were meant to be together. The two men made their way into the ball and walked around the crowd making conversation and meeting all those who attended. The crowd was mainly aristocratic types from the Kingdom, either wealthy or holding positions of importance in the lands.
Princess Wildheart was enjoying all the attention but was almost unable to contain herself when Prince Morgan kissed her hand. She wanted to just let everything out in the open. Right then and there, announcing that she had already made her selection for a husband, it was to be Prince Morgan! Why should the entire world not know how she felt? She had her mind made up and having to pretend that others are being considered for her future husband is just a waste of time. No matter how she was feeling the traditions of the past were to be followed and the choice would be announced later. All of the suitors would get a chance to be presented to her. She would have to wait a bit longer to give her news and be with the man she was in love with.
After more introductions and some social mingling among the elite group in attendance the King made an announcement stating he would have the first dance with his lovely daughter Princess Wildheart. The King and Princess danced a beautiful waltz type of dance as they chatted with each other while the entire ballroom looked on.
“I hope you’re having a good birthday dear,” said the King.
“Yes father, I love everything, it is perfect,” she replied.
“Nothing is too good for my Princess, I want you to be happy dear,” said the King.
“Father I would like to ask you something,” she said.
“Yes dear?”
“Father, what will happen if I decide not to choose either of the two Princes you sent for? I would then need some more options to choose from since they didn’t appeal to me,” said Princess Wildheart.
The King kept smiling and dancing with his Princess daughter. He believed she may be nervous with such a big decision looming ahead for her to make.
“You will be able to decide Princess. Spend some time with them and a clear choice will present itself to you,” he said.
The King was thinking she would choose Prince Tangent since Prince Darksoul was not polite and was obnoxious. No one could stand to be around Prince Darksoul for any length of time from what he had heard and witnessed. He knew Wildheart would choose wisely and select Prince Tangent over Prince Darksoul. The father daughter dance ended before Princess Wildheart could probe the Kings thoughts any further.
Prince Darksoul was next to the King and Princess in a flash. He was real eager to show the Princess how great he was. Prince Darksoul believed he was the only real choice since the Princess would be almost begging him to marry her.
“My turn your majesty, I have come a long way for this,” said Prince Darksoul, grabbing the Princess and dancing with her. He began dancing with the Princess in a very robotic four step waltz. Princess Wildheart looked uninterested but politely obliged him as the King stood back and kept a watchful eye on the Princess.
“I am the only Prince you will ever need, you already know that,” boasted Prince Darksoul. “I will take you with me back to my Kingdom where you can adore me and serve my every whim. I can picture the two of us together as you look at me amazed that I even considered you for my wife. When you wake up in the morning you can begin to honor me and give thanks that I allowed you to share my world. I may even let you follow a few steps behind me as I walk around the Kingdom. This must be the day you have always wished for Princess. The day I came into your life and gave you a chance to be with me,” he said.
The Princess just rolled her eyes and let
him continue to express his fantasy. She looked over at Prince Morgan and started dreaming about how life would be with him. He was great for her and she felt lucky to have met him. Prince Darksoul just continued to ramble on about how great he was and what an opportunity she would have if she married him.
Duke looked over at Prince Morgan who was just quietly watching the girl he loved dance with someone he didn‘t like.
“There goes Darksoul,” he said.
Prince Morgan had a serious look on his face. This wasn’t very much fun for him to endure another man he didn’t like dancing with his girl.
“Duke, I don’t even like the idea of him touching her. I should go cut in on him right now and put an end to this nonsense,” he said.
Prince Morgan stood up and walked across the room to approach the Princess as Pricilla appeared next to Duke. Pricilla was dressed in a beautiful Blue velvet gown and had on some nice jewelry to go with it. Pricilla looked like a Princess of the Kingdom.
“Hi, sorry I am a little late but I am here now,” she said smiling sweetly at Duke.
Duke saw her and his heart just melted. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. He was immediately under her control as the two of them had eyes only for each other. Duke kissed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes as he spoke.
“You look very beautiful tonight Pricilla,” said Duke.
“Thank you Duke. You’re very handsome in your dress clothes,” she said.
“Would you honor me with a dance Pricilla?”
“It would be my pleasure sir,” she replied.
There was no one else in the room except them and the music. The night was theirs to enjoy. The two of them danced, completely engulfed in each other and happy.
The King intercepted Prince Morgan as he drew closer to the dancing pair. He liked Prince Morgan and was glad he came to the Ball tonight.
“Morgan, do you intend to stand there all night or ask my daughter for a dance,” he said smiling. The King thought Prince Morgan might be a little too shy to ask the Princess for a dance and wanted to encourage him.
The Legend of Princess Wildheart Page 5