You look wonderful as well

Two days later, father and his daughters went to the palace to meet with Queen Roselyn and Prince Callum for lunch. They were sitting down by the large table in the dining hall enjoying a wide variety of foods laid out on the table, as the guards stood spread out against the walls and at the door.

“Thank you for having us your majesty,” father said.

“Oh please the pleasure is all mine,” Queen Roselyn said. “And I must say you all look so wonderful,” she then said.

“Yes you do,” Prince Callum said, with his eyes glued on Loque Bella. He knew of her beauty but with her hair bundled up opening her face and her navy blue dress complimenting how her skin shined underneath the light of the chandeliers, he was completely taken.

“Thank you,” the girls said slightly bowing their heads. Loque Bella looked at Prince Callum and finding him looking at her, butterflies flooded her tummy and she looked down smiling to herself. He too smiled to himself and they carried on eating.

“So, am I right to think that you and your girls come bearing good news?” Queen Roselyn asked.

“Oh yes your majesty. We have thought on your offer and I am pleased to tell you that we would be honoured to accept your marriage proposal,” father said. “We accept for his highness Prince Callum to marry our dearest Loque Bella.”

“Oh wonderful, Mr. Braun that is such wonderful news.”

“It most certainly is; his highness is such a good man, any woman would be lucky to have him as a husband.”

“And your Loque is such a darling of a young woman, any man would be lucky to have her as a wife,” she said and they all smiled to each other; Loque Bella to Prince Callum and him right back at her. “Oh such joy, such wonderful joy. Oh this most definitely calls for a toast,” she then said and stood up raising her glass of wine and the rest stood up too, raising their glasses as well. “To the future rulers of Hampshen King Callum and his wife Queen Loque Bella.”

“Here here,” they all said and drank from their glasses; with each one quite composed but inside bursting with joy they could not even put into words. A nobody finding herself set to marry a somebody, this had to be true love and as the two of them stood there looking at each other they felt it too; a strong power pulling their souls into each other like opposite sides of a magnet, much more than it did the first time they met when their spirits blended so well it was like they were not strangers at all. There was something that happened between them that day and they felt it too but they didn't want to play into it too much because they figured it wouldn't amount to anything. He obviously was not going to end up with her because he was a prince and princes only end up marrying princesses or people from royal families and she obviously was not going to end up with him because she was a nobody and he was a prince, there was no chance in a million years that she was ever going to end up with him. All they had was that moment, not sure if it was ever going to come again and so they made sure to make the most out of it. They spent all day talking and laughing and bearing all of themselves out and when it was an hour away from the sun setting, Prince Callum walked her through the forest to the back fence of their farm house and bid her farewell; grabbing her hand and not only planting one sweet kiss on it but two, and each time his lips touched her skin, her soul shone brighter as looking into his eyes and his looking back into hers, her heart fell prisoner to his. He then walked off back into the forest returning to his home and just like that he was gone. She had no idea whether she would see him again or get to spend such time with him  but she knew she would treasure what they just shared for the rest of her life. She thought that would be it but there he was sitting right in front of her; she met him again and to meet him in the manner that she did meant that what existed between them really was special. They had freely gone their separate ways but there was somethign powerful between them and it had brought them back together.

An hour later, Prince Callum and Loque Bella went for a walk through the palace garden. The grass was green and the flowers were in full bloom and they walked down the concrete path nice and slow like they were taking a sweet stroll on the beach.

"Thank you for having the dinner move to a lunch, that was so very thoughful of you," Loque Bella said.

"You're welcome," Prince Callum said and they shared a warm smile. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you. You look wonderful as well."

"Thank you. Beautiful day isn't it?"

"It is beautiful," she said.

"It's good to see you again Loque Bella. I was hopeful that I was going to but I didn't think I could."

"I didn't think I could either. Oh gosh I can't believe this is actually happening. I keep pinching myself to wake up thinking this is all just a dream."

"Goodness I hope not," Prince Callum said and they chuckled. "I kind of like how things are going so far."

"Me too."

"Speaking of that Loque Bella, if you're feeling pressured to do this please just tell me and I'll . . ."

"No your highness no one is pressuring me into doing anything. I want to do this . . . I want to marry you," Loque Bella said.

"I want to marry you too. And I know we don't know each other but I promise you that I will be the best I can be for you. That I will take care of you, be committed to you, support you and protect you and do everything in my power to show you that being a part of this means everything to me."

"Are those your vows your highness?"

"Yes they are actually. I wanted to test them out and see how they sound," he said and they chuckled. "Are they good?"

"They're actually quite good."

"Thank you," he said and they chuckled on.

"It so lovely out here. The flowers are absolutely beautiful."

"They really are. Mother is always yelling at me about it, she says I spend too much time out here."

"Do you?"

"Maybe," Prince Callum answered and they chuckled. "I like to come out here to just relax. Kind of like at the stream. If I'm not out here then I'm out there. I just love how quiet and peaceful it is out there."

"Me too."

"Maybe we could go there tomorrow. We could even pack a basket of treats and have a picnic by the water."

"That would be lovely," Loque Bella said and they smiled to each other walking on.