The Wishing Princess - Chapter 7

7. The War Council

The Great Hall is nothing more that a gigantic tent, filled with tables forming a circle. Here, all the kings of the united kingdom ate their dinner and discussed war. The war council is composed of all twelve kingdoms.

The Kingdom of the Hidden Valley representatives, the Great King and his daughter, The Wishing Princess, sat at the place of honor. It has been decided unanimously that all the other kingdom will submit to his rule, having seen his bravery and skill in actions. All the other kings plainly admitted that only the Great King will have the means to ensure survival against the royal might of the evil Queen.

The Kingdom of the Red Sands, of which lands they occupy, holds the distinction of having the most to lose. The kingdom is mostly desert with precious little oasis scattered about. The king and his son were confused by the whole situation, and yet having the difficult issue forced upon them, invited all the kings to meet and hopefully to reach some kind of compromise.

The Kingdom of the Tall Grooves has riches that other lands lacked. Consequently, their people tend to look down upon other kingdom. Although the king was wise enough to realize that their prosperity is mostly due to luck of having access to fertile lands, most of the people did not. Even the king's son, The Tall Prince, so called because he was fair and he was tall, exhibited haughty manner that the old king lack.

The Kingdom of the Dry Marsh bore the opposite of the kingdom of the Tall Grooves. Their lands were poor, and hunting and farming were hard to do. Consequently, the people were malnourished and few. They were usually ignored by other kingdom and the few people who were present were eager to prove themselves.

The Kingdom of the Three Mountains was the most spiritually attuned of all the kingdom. It was their shaman who predicted with certainty, the date of the birth of the prophesied child. It was their shaman who correctly predicted the hidden location of their gathering. And it was their insistence that the Great King of Hidden Valley be invited, far though their kingdom be, to help them in the great struggle ahead.

The Kingdom of the Long Grass bore no distinction of riches, nor fame, nor any of the superior attributes of the other kingdoms. What they have, however, are of supreme value in the coming battle. Their people are great fighters and great soldiers. Their plains means that bandits frequently attacked their villages, and the people of the Long Grass decided that they all will learn how to fight, and to a man, they were great fighters who can hold their own against all but the most professionally led armies.

There were other kingdoms in the council, but they presented no interest to the narrative.

"That's right. Our shamans did predict to the day when the prophesied child will be delivered to us. The spirits told them that it will happen when the sun hangs low on the horizon." The king of the Three Mountains said to the general assembly.

"But how can that be?" challenged the Tall Prince. "How come your shamans can do what ours cannot? Our shamans did agree with the location, but not the day or the hours of the passing!"

"Our shamans have had to go deep into the trance in order to discover this information. It was not easy. Trust us that the message is correct."

"I still don't believe it!" said the Tall Prince. "Do any of you believe this nonsense?" he addressed the group.

Most of the other kings did not bother to response. They have long ago decided to ignore the ramblings of the Tall Prince. His father, the king of the Tall Groove finally said, "The shamans of the Three Mountains are legendary in their skills. If they said that they have encountered the spirit who told them so, believe them." The Tall Prince was not satisfied. The king continued, "However, just because they were told so, does not mean the future is guaranteed. I think it is prudent to have a plan to deal with the possibility that they have been misinformed. This is just for the sake of safety, not to slight you in any way." The last statement has been directed to the king of the Three Mountains by way of apologizing for the rudeness of his son.

The king of the Three Mountains nodded his acceptance. "We can only pass along what we heard from the spirit. Nothing more. As to what to do, we have the wisdom of the council. That is why we're here." Everybody was nodding his head.

"I heard that the Queen will arrive tomorrow with her army." said the king of Dry Marsh. "Will that means that she will attack tomorrow? Or will there be parley?"

"The Queen will not attack without her full army being ready. As I understand it, the routing of her cavalry today means that they will not be ready tomorrow." said the king of the Long Grass.

"Or they will form well tomorrow and attack late in the day."

"What do you think, will happen?" This last question was directed at the Great King.

"It is certain that they will regroup by tomorrow. However, I do not believe that they will attack late in the day." said the Great King. "The bigger the army, the longer it takes to organize them, and they don't strike me as being very well organized." Heads were nodding.

"The prophesy states that the child will be delivered in three days. If indeed the Queen will attack in two days, then it will be too late."

"Do we know when the child will be delivered? Perhaps we can delay the attack long enough so it will be safely delivered and so avoid any battle altogether!"

"When the sun is low in the sky."

"Is that morning or afternoon?"

"The spirits did not say."

"Then we must assume afternoon." said the Great King. "However, it will happen 3 days from now. I don't believe the Queen will wait that long. She will arrive tomorrow, and if we fail to achieve any agreement tomorrow, she will attack before the child is born. Thus, securing her power from any possible threat."

Nobody said anything after that. Each was deep in their though. What the Great King said makes sense. The evil Queen will certainly make the effort to kill the child unborn, greatly easing her task. Finally someone asked, "What do you think we should do?"

"I think we should eat well tonight, and rest well. Tomorrow, we will wait for the Queen to arrive and we shall parley to the best of our ability."

"The Queen is not known to be merciful. She has been known to break treaties just to suit her purposes."

"We will still talk to her. It's the right thing to do. Be prepared to defend ourselves, but we should make the attempt to make peaceful agreement if possible."

With that, there is nothing more to say. They begin to relax, as the wine flows freely. The Wishing Princess, though, did not drink deeply. She merely sipped hers. This act did not go unnoticed by the Tall Prince.

"What's wrong, little runt? Can't hold your wine?" the Tall Prince sneered at the Princess.

"There is no honor in being able to drink large quantities of wine. There is every dishonor in being drunk and falling all over the place." she stated evenly.

"Oh, the child speaks!" jeered the Tall Prince. "Why do you bother?"

The king of Tall Groove looked embarrassed. "She speaks the truth. Listen to her wisdom and do not drink so much wine as to cause your legs to be unsteady."

But the Tall Prince was ignorant regarding such things. "I can drink my wine just fine. Perhaps it is you who drinks too much, for you call him 'she'."

"I am a woman." stated the Princess plainly.

The Tall Prince was about to say something, but changed his mind. His mouth was half open. His eyes narrowed in trying to see her better. Her leather armor looks flat enough. Though her hair looks long, so is her father's hair. After a few moments of indecision, the Princess carefully removed her traveller's cloak, allowing the full length of her hair to be visible. There was no doubt. She was a woman.

"Oh, a woman here!" said the Tall Prince. "What is she doing here? This is a meeting of men!" All the old kings simultaneously lost respect for him. Some of the inexperience princes may not understand the breach of etiquette, but the old kings certainly do. You do not insult a king's offspring in that manner. It was obvious that the Tall Prince had drunk too much wine and was drunk.

"My daughter has every right to be here, as you do." said the Great King. "There is no question about it."

"Oh, but there is!" said the Tall Prince. "We are in a battle. Everyone must be able to fight with their sword, or they have no business here!"

All the old kings stiffled their laughter. They all know how proficient all the Great King's children with sword play. It was the Princess who spoke next. "Then, if I beat you in sword duel, you will accept me as comrade-of-arms?" It was said in an off-handed manner, like maybe saying that you should bring an umbrella today because it might rain, but there is no doubt that it was a challenge for a duel.

Some of the old kings couldn't hide their smile any longer. They knew the eventual outcome. The Tall Prince was oblivious to all this. "There's no way for you to beat me!" he said.

"So, will you take up your sword and have a duel with me, right now?" asked the Princess.

"I can take you on at any time!" said the Tall Prince. He strode boldly into the center of the circle. The Princess did likewise. She saluted the Tall Prince with her sword, in a proper duelist manner. The Tall Prince did like-wise.

The Princess then turned around, knelt in front of her father, her sword in her hand. And she said, "Father, please forgive your daughter transgressions, being involved in a duel so soon after we arrive." The Great King merely smiled, knowing what the Princess was really doing. She continued, "I hope that this rudeness of mine will not decrease your stature, for I am but a foolish woman compared to you."

The Tall Prince became impatient. "Come and fight me, now!" he ordered.

Still the Princess continued, "It may be that I shall be defeated in the duel and must retire with shame having solicited such a shameful defeat. I will have no one to blame but myself. If such event should happen, I hope that you can find it within you to forgive me, your only daughter."

On and on she went. The Tall Prince stared at the Princess. When would the duel start? He looked at his father, and saw that first the old king expression was that of smiling, then surprised, then shaking his head in disbelief, smiling once more. The Tall Prince puzzled over this, before finally realized that the Princess has stopped talking.

As he turned to look at the Princess once more, he was startled to see the tip of the Princess's sword an inch away from the tip of his nose. He reflexively retreated backward, but the tip stayed with him. The Tall Prince tried to parry the sword away, but the Princess merely push the tip of her sword into his nose. All his movement ceased.

The Princess expression was stern. After making her point, she gently ease her sword back to an inch away from the Tall Prince's nose. "Will you cede the point?" she asked. The old kings cannot contain their laughter any longer. The Tall Prince was red in embarassment.

"I could have struck you from behind at any time!" said the Tall Prince.

"Not to insult you, but I don't believe you can." said the Princess.

"Anybody could have done so." said the Tall Prince.

"Nobody I know could have done so." said the Princess.

"Nobody can defend an attack from behind." said the Tall Prince.

"Then, why didn't you?" asked the Princess. She withdrew her sword and put it in the sheath. Yet her demeanor did not change. She was still in full alert as if the duel has not ended.

The Tall Prince did not have a reply to that. It was the Captain of the Cavalry of the Kingdom of the Hidden Valley, who stood loyally behind the King and the Princess who replied. "I am a Captain of the Cavalry of the Kingdom, and I can assure you, that having trained with her every day, not only can she defend herself from a rear side attack, but that she can do it from all the soldiers in the kingdom. Furthermore, she has dueled every single one of my men, consecutively, one after the other, and won every single time. Unless you fancy yourself better than all of us combined, I suggest that you concede the point."

With that, there was no question whose point it was. The Princess went back to her seat. The Tall Prince still stood in the center, unable to understand what was going on. It was the Tall Prince's father, the King of the Tall Grooves, who spoke. "We concede the point. It is our fortune to have witnessed such skill. If having a daughter means that such skill is attainable, then I wish for as many daughters as possible!" With that, he raised his wine goblet to the Great King in gesture of respect. Everybody did likewise.

The Princess still sipped her wine by a little.

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 6

6. The meeting of the Kings

The journey to the encampment was hard, but swift. There's hardly a moment of rest. Even then, the Warrior King held war council during travel. Not all kings are as fit as the Warrior King, and so he divided his time among various carriages. It was a war council on the move. The King gathered much intelligence along the way. Even so, he was unprepared to see the enormous challenge that was to come.

The encampment was in the middle of the desert. It was a place that not many people would travel. However, now there will be a great meetings of armies. The Queen's army would be the mightiest and will fight the united armies of the smaller kingdoms. Alas, even the combined armies may not be enough. There are rumors about the Queen recruiting young men to serve as soldiers. Normally, they are too young to be considered, but the Queen was ruthless and cruel. It was obvious that she did not care if she suffered heavy casualties as long as she can hold on to power.

The only saving grace was that the recruiting process was rather slow going, and it won't be until the prophesied day that the recruitment would be complete. However, some of the Queen's army has arrived at the location. They were preparing for war. Both armies will arrive about at the same time.

A screening force from the Queen's cavalry was easily met and defeated. The Great King himself led the charge. The princess was fuming at being left behind under the guise of "guarding the convoy" but did saw the wisdom of it. She rode among the baggage carriages and made sure that the soldiers remained alert.

In defeating the Queen's cavalry, the Great King managed to learn some of the tactics and strategy of the opponent. This, he discussed a great deal with Opa, secretly thankful that the princess managed to persuade him to come. The old warrior came alive at discussing old battle tactics, and they had long talks until reaching the encampment.

The encampment itself is a series of tents, erected hastily and in groups representing each kingdoms. Yet, there is a place where many great tents gathers where the royal families gathered together. It was nearly dark when they arrived, but messengers have rode ahead to warn them. As such, a great dinner awaited them when they arrive at the encampment.

They were welcomed with open arms, and under the guidance and training of the Great Warrior King, the arriving army set up their tents with great battle efficiency, impressing their hosts. Many whispered conversations confirmed that all should learn battle tactics from the Great King.

The greatest obstacle facing heterogeneous army had been solved without so much a spoken word. Leadership would be ceded to the Great King.

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 5

5. Is that your doll?

Oma was in the kitchen, stacking dishes from the previous dinner. Opa and the princess entered from outside. Outside, people were bustling about preparing for the long journey ahead. Weapons were sharpened, and bags were loaded. The relative quite of the kitchen felt like a welcome respite from the activity outside.

The princess set her bag down on a table. She then picked up a doll and tied it onto the bag. Oma was looking. "Princess," she asked, "Is that your doll?" The doll was a simple looking doll, made of cloth, resembling the princess when she was young. "You are a grown woman, now." said Oma. "Aren't you a bit too old for dolls? And why are you packing a bag?"

"It is the princess doll. Wherever I go, this doll will come along." replied the princess. She has been carrying that doll since she was nine years old. It's the doll that she selfishly wished for when she was at that age.

The princess was packing her bags, really panniers for travelling long distance on the horse. "I'm going with father." said the princess.

Oma was concerned. "But princess! It's a long and dangerous journey! There will be battle at the end. You could die." Oma added that last bit with worry. Oma stole a glance at Opa, silently pleading. Opa merely look at her. He didn't say anything.

"Oh, Oma. Don't worry. I'll be fine! Father will be with me." said the princess.

"But you don't have to go." said Oma.

"I have to go." said the princess. "There is no one else. All my brothers have passed away. I'm the only one left." All her brothers have fallen in battle.

Oma merely squeezed her hands with worry. She looked at the princess with pleading eyes. The princess looked at her. Then she said, "Oma, you come, too. Come with us!"

"But princess! I'm too old! I can't make the journey that far!" said Oma.

The princess mulled a bit. "Oh! But take the Royal Carriage!" she suggested brightly.

"Princess! That carriage is for you and your father!" Oma dare not say that it is inappropriate for a mere servant to ride in the royal carriage, reserved for the royal family.

"Father will ride outside, and so will I." said the princess. "But what will I do without you? Who will comb my hair? Who will cook my food? Who will tell me how to behave like a princess that I am? I'll be helpless without your help and guidance!" Oma said nothing. She looked at Opa. The princess, too, looked at Opa. "Opa, you come too! Come with us!"

Opa grunted his dissent. "Princess, I will serve you to the end of my life, but my sword carrying days has been long past." Opa was once the greatest warrior. However, no warrior can escape old age. He's now too old for battle.

"Opa, you are the greatest warrior that ever lived!" said the princess. "Father can use your advice, still. Just because you don't fight, does not mean you can't give advice. Think of all the experience you have that you can share with father! It will help him a lot to have you beside him."

Opa was not convinced. "Your father is a magnificent warrior, easily equal to me when I was his age. I'm sure he'll be fine without me. I'm just too old to travel. Oma, too. Even if we ride the carriage, it will be a hard journey for us. This isn't a journey of pleasant travel, after all. We will have to make haste in order to reach the encampment in time."

"I'm sure father won't mind." said the princess. Opa merely snorted. The King spoiled his daughter too much. Of course the king will grant whatever his daughter wished. "You don't have to arrive at the same time we do. Besides, you can change horses and travel longer. You can even sleep in the carriage. You just may arrive at the camp earlier than us." The princess tried her best to dissuade Opa and Oma from staying. Though technically she can order them, in truth, she loved them as much as they loved her.

"I just don't see how I can be of much help." said Opa.

"Oh, but you are!" said the princess. "Who was it last night who noticed that I was invisible and did something about it?" The princess was still uncomfortable being spanked in front of everybody, but admitted that it was a shrewd move. "Not father, but you! You helped father then, and I'm sure there'll be times where you'll help father in battle, if it ever comes to that."

Opa was non-committal. It's clear that Oma will do whatever Opa said. All the decision rested on Opa. The princess tried one more time. "How about this? We make you as comfortable as you wish. If for some reason that is not enough, and that you feel you cannot make the journey. You may stop, and even turn back." Opa looked at the princess, waiting for her next sentence that he knew will be coming. "But the very least you can do is try! There's no shame in trying and failing, but if you don't even try..."

"Then there will be no success for you." finished Opa. "How many times have I told you that?" asked Opa.

The princess smiled. "Enough that I never back away from a good challenge. So, how about it?" asked the princess. "Ask for anything you want for the journey, and we'll give it to you." The princess put emphasis this time. "Anything."

Opa looked at the princess. The princess looked at Opa. Opa looked at Oma. Oma looked at Opa. Finally Opa sighed. "Well," Opa was hesitant. "The very least we can do is try." The princess was so happy. She hugged Opa, then realized the she was being impetuous. She worriedly looked at Oma. What if Oma did not agree?

Oma was really torn between wanting to stay and wanting to serve the princess. After a long time, she finally said, "Well, if Opa will give permission, then I will go, too." Quick as lighting, the princess looked at Opa. Opa said firmly. "You will go with us, until you can't anymore. Then I will give the order to stop." Opa looked at Oma gently, "But I think you'll manage. I'll make sure of it."

The princess was so happy. "Oma, I'm sure you'll be fine." she hugged Oma. "Anything you want, just tell me. I'll make sure that you'll have it!" Oma was definitely not happy. All she can think about is the long journey ahead.

Opa said, "Princess, there is one thing that you must do, right now."

"Anything!" said the princess.

"Ask permission from your father."

The princess smiled a little less, but she was still smiling when she left Opa and Oma, seeking her father. Oma went to Opa. Opa embraced and hugged her, and kissed her on the forehead. Just like old times. Together forever. "Will it be alright?" asked Oma.

"Who knows? But things will be done according to her will." said Opa. Opa may be old, but he was very wise.

The King was certainly not happy. Not because he had to give up the royal carriage. That was never his concern. His concern was the welfare of Opa and Oma. "Who will take care of the castle while we're gone? It's bad enough that you come with us, now Oma and Opa, too?" The king was certainly not happy.

"But father, we agreed that it's best if I come, too. The experience will be worth it. After all, if things get too dangerous, I can always leave." pleaded the princess.

"And Opa is to come with us? He's rather old, in case you haven't noticed!" The King tried his best to scold his daughter. He failed rather miserably.

"Opa will be fine. He may not be fit for battle, but he's not yet a weakling. His experience will help you. Just because you can do everything, does not mean you can do it all at the same time. A capable helper will help a lot in war preparation." This, the King admitted, was true.

"And Oma? I don't think she's fit to travel." the King said. It's a hard journey even with experienced travelers. Oma has always stayed at the castle.

"Opa promised to take care of her. If Opa deemed her unfit to travel, he has my permission to return to the castle with Oma." The princess was firm.

The King saw that the princess has anticipated all the arguments. She was always the sharp witted one. She can be counted on to prepare for all eventualities. The King knew that he's incapable of outwitting his daughter. "I'll talk to Opa about this. But remember, if Opa said no, then they'll stay."

"Yes, father." The princess was happy. Opa and Oma will come along.

The Wishing Princess - TOC

The Wishing Princess

1. The Prophecy
2. An emmisary
3. A Christmas Tree
4. Dinner Banquet
5. Is that your doll?
6. The meeting of the Kings
7. The War Council
8. Women for Cattle, Princess for Kingdom
9. The Princess is Missing
10. The duel (among enemies)
11. A flank attack
12. The Princess and the Army
13. The Queen
14. The Princess Returns
15. The Princess is the Successor to the King
16. The Wishing Princess
17. Early Morning Troop Inspection
18. The Advance
19. The Cavalry Attacks
20. The Victor and the Defeated.
21. The Princess Falls
22. The Princess and the Queen
23. The prophesied Child
24. Death of a Princess
25. Epilogue

The Wishing Princess - Chapter 4

4. Dinner Banquet

A large dinner table filled with food and drink was laid out across the whole room. The guest were all animated speakers. The matter was urgent, they said, due to the push from the Queen. Soldiers from various kingdoms has gathered in a desert three leagues away. The Queen has mobilised her largest army with more on the way. The King and Opa listened politely with what their guests have to say. Some kings with their sons, too, joined in the conversation.

"So, we finally have news as to where the prophesied child will be born. Unfortunately, it seems that the news has reached the Queen's ears, too. Thus, she went with her troops to kill him and we went with our troops to protect him. We must save the child, for he is prophesied  to bring peace throughout the land. We can certainly live with less warrings around here. We get tired of it after a while," said one of the visiting king

"But how do we know that this is the prophesied child, instead of some random ones?" said another king. "I'm not convinced that this is the prophesied child at all!"

"We have been all over this before. Our shaman have said so. Some other shamans from other kinngdom have said so as well, so it is clear that we have the right one. Besides, all the description fits. The landmarks are all there. All that's missing is the red carpet, and I have in mind to supply that myself!"

"But none of the shamans described the child! Only that he will be born this month! We dont even have the day! I'm not saying that there won't be a phophesied child there, but are you sure this is the right one?"

"That's where you're wrong," said a regent. "My king right now is camping there because our shaman has provided us with the day. In deed, in exactly eight days, the child will be born and we shall be saved."

"Eight days? To the day? I'll believe it when I see it!"

"Then see it you will! There is no question, that is the child."

"And what hapens if we missed it by a day? what happens if the child is born on a different day? All this thing will be for nothing!"

"I'm sure the prediction will be correct, and you'll see. As to what happens if the prediction is wrong, why not let our host, the Great Warrior king, to let us know what his opinion is?"

Up until that point, Opa and the King sat quietly, listening to all their guests have to say. The King looks at Opa before speaking. "I think," the King said, "it will be easy enough to leave the area once it's proven that it is the wrong child. But the most important thing isn't the child. It's the perception that the child is the prophesied one."

"Is that right? So if we're wrong, we're doomed! Did I mention to you that the Queen is moving, at this very moment, with her great army in order to kill the child?"

"Yes, and that is why me must act quickly," said the Warrior King. "We should be able to handle them, if we stand united against a common foe."

"And if we're wrong, we're doomed. I trust that I don't need to tell you what the punishment is to go against the Queen? She will kill you in the most horrible manner!"

"Let us not worry about it. There will always be a chance for peace. In the meantime, let me assure you that we will help you anyway we can, but let's eat for now. The food is getting cold."

Indeed, the princess has been quietly serving the food. Now that all the food has been served, she started serving the wine. Swiftly and silently, she moved between the guests to serve the wine. One of the visiting king looked at her in admiration, noting how deftly she moved.

"Is she your daughter?" he asked, addressing the Warrior King. "Too bad she's not a warrior. We can use all the help we can."

The Warrior King smiled at this, for he knows that her daughter is equal to any warrior of the land. Opa, on the other hand, laughed heartily. Opa said to the visiting king, "Don't underestimate her! She is very skilled in fighting skills. I taught her myself!"

"Is that right? Is she a good learner?"

"Of course, she is! Am I not a good teacher?" said Opa, pretending to look insulted. His smile and mischievious eyes betrayed him. Then he suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed the Princess who was at the time walking behind him. He laid her across his lap. The princess was confused, but not for long.

"I have a good technique to train her!" Opa was gloating, though this is actually an act. Opa was not a person to gloat, but no one outside the kingdom knew this. "Everytime she makes a mistake, I spanked her like this!" Opa spanked the princess in the rum *hard*. The princess was shocked! This has *never* happened before! Not with Opa. Not with the King. Not with anybody! "Now princess, what do you think you're doing serving the wine to our guests before you serve me? Do you think that I am of lesser statute than our guests? Have you not notice that I sit in the seat of honor? Now hurry up and fetch me my wine!" Opa pushed the princess up. The princess, very red upon her face in shame, ran to the kitchen. All the guests chuckled at her misfortune.

As soon as the princess ran past the curtain separating the banquet room and the kitchen, the princess wailed, "Oma! Did you see what Opa did? He spa-a-nked me!" The princess was breaking down. She was crying her eyes out. Never was she embarassed in front of so many distinguished visitors!

"Hush!" Oma said, "It's your own fault, Princess! You were too quiet in serving the food!" The princess was still crying, but her sharp mind went into overdrive. This isn't about wine? She looked at Oma expectantly.

Oma, who loved the princess as her own daughter sighed patiently. "Why do you think the King have you wear this dress and have you serve the food to the guests?" The princess looked at Oma. Isn't that because Oma is busy in the kitchen and needed help in serving the food? What about the dress? With all the jewelries drapped around her. A flash of recognition came at the same time as Oma's explanation. "You are not a servant serving food. You are a princess being paraded to potential suitors! You need to look presentable and charming as to attract as many potential mates as possible!"

A wave of understanding came over the princess. It was her father's idea after all. She was a tomboy, concerned much about warfare, that she sometimes forget the she was a girl. She looked down in embarassment.

Oma patiently explained, "That little stunt that Opa did, very clever! I dare say that all eyes will be upon you tonight and this dinner will be remembered and talked about by many people and for a good long time. You will have no trouble finding potential mate, princess." The princess nodded her assent. Oma smiled. "Now wipe your tears and serve Opa his wine."

When the princess went back to the banquet room, her whole demeanor has changed. She is now a beautiful princess, wearing stupendous dress. She floats across the room, gently, silently, but with grace and in a way that commands attention. The Warrior King and Opa were smiling very wide. Opa's smile became even wider when the princess dutifully and respectfully poured Opa his wine. Opa said nothing, but his demeanor was clear that though Opa was very old, he was still a force to be reckoned with. The doubting visiting king nodded his understanding.

As princess walked around serving other kings, one of the prince tried to grab her as Opa did. The princess avoided him easily. The Warrior King laughed at this. He spoke to the general assembly. "No one may have her, those who cannot catch her!"

In response, another prince stood up, barring the princess's way, intent in stopping her. The prince's father pulled him down. "Sit down, son! He meant catching her as with honey, instead of wrestling her down as with boar!" Everybody in the room laughed at the young prince's impetuousness, to his embarassment.

The dinner went very well after that, with a lot of eyes upon the princess. The princess, played her role well, and was sure to be courteous to everybody.