here?” He set her down on the bed. “Yes. Perfect.” He leaned over to kiss her.
There was a knock at the door.
Crane rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He went to the door.
“I’m so sorry to bother you,” Wally said, “but the queen would like to have a word with you two.”
Conroe appeared at the door alongside her husband. “Daddy, can’t she wait until morning for this? We could talk over breakfast.”
“I suggested that very thing,” Wally replied, “but she was insistent.”
“Fine. We’ll be right down.”
“Thank you.” Wally walked away.
Crane closed the door.
44
C onroe and Crane walked into the foyer of the royal living quarters.
“Wow,” Crane admired. “This is amazing.”
“After tomorrow night,” Conroe said, “we will move into my grandfather’s old suite. It’s even bigger than this one, and it’s been completely remodeled.”
Crane was speechless.
Wally walked out to greet them. “Please, come on in.” He led them into the parlor, where the queen was sitting.
“Mother.” Conroe curtsied.
“Your Majesty.” Crane bowed.
“Please, have a seat,” the queen said.
Conroe and Crane sat on the loveseat, and Wally sat in a stuffed chair next to the queen.
“First of all,” the queen began, “I would like to apologize to you, Crane, for not giving Conroe a chance to introduce you to me. I was dead set against you two marrying, but I can see that you are a fine young man, although I’ll admit that I’m still uneasy about the manner in which you arrived here.”
“Believe me, ma’am, I’m uneasy about it too,” Crane said, “but when your daughter wants something, she’s going to get it.”
Conroe feigned displeasure and poked him in the arm with her elbow.
Crane continued, “But who could blame her—she’s madly in love with me.”
“And you’re madly in love with her,” Wally added.
Crane looked at Conroe and smiled. “Absolutely, sir—madly.”
“Well, I’m just glad it all worked out,” the queen said. “But, Conroe, you really had me worried. What happened tonight? Why were you late to the church?”
“It was all Frederick’s doing,” Conroe answered.
“ Frederick? Your cousin, Frederick?” Wally asked.
“Yes. He’s done everything he can to keep me from becoming queen.”
“I was afraid this would happen,” the queen said, “but I had hoped that my sister would get over this feeling of rivalry. She has her own castle of sorts, and she and Frederick are being provided for. They live like royalty, but without any of the responsibilities. Apparently, she still feels cheated, and her son has adopted the same sentiment.”
“Yes, he has,” Conroe agreed. “He will do anything to become king.”
“What did he do that caused you to be late to the church?” the queen asked.
“It all started with the conversation you and I had this afternoon, when you insisted that I marry Will instead of Crane,” Conroe began.
The queen interjected, “Sorry, Crane.”
Conroe went on. “Crane overheard us talking, which greatly upset him. So, he took one of the horses and went for a ride to clear his head. But Frederick must have been lurking near the castle because he followed Crane and shot him with a dart of Redberry juice. I went out looking for Crane and found him lying on the ground in a deep sleep. Then Frederick rode up and took both of our horses, knowing that we could not possibly travel some three miles back to the church in time—particularly with Crane being so groggy.”
“So, how did you make it?” the queen asked.
“Will,” Conroe answered. “Geneva sent him out to look for us, and when he found us, he gave us his horse. He had to walk back, so he missed the wedding.”
“Will is a hero,” the queen said. “I want to formally thank him for what he did.”
“He is a hero,” Crane agreed. “I can see now why you chose him for your daughter, ma’am.
There was a knock at the door.
Crane rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He went to the door.
“I’m so sorry to bother you,” Wally said, “but the queen would like to have a word with you two.”
Conroe appeared at the door alongside her husband. “Daddy, can’t she wait until morning for this? We could talk over breakfast.”
“I suggested that very thing,” Wally replied, “but she was insistent.”
“Fine. We’ll be right down.”
“Thank you.” Wally walked away.
Crane closed the door.
44
C onroe and Crane walked into the foyer of the royal living quarters.
“Wow,” Crane admired. “This is amazing.”
“After tomorrow night,” Conroe said, “we will move into my grandfather’s old suite. It’s even bigger than this one, and it’s been completely remodeled.”
Crane was speechless.
Wally walked out to greet them. “Please, come on in.” He led them into the parlor, where the queen was sitting.
“Mother.” Conroe curtsied.
“Your Majesty.” Crane bowed.
“Please, have a seat,” the queen said.
Conroe and Crane sat on the loveseat, and Wally sat in a stuffed chair next to the queen.
“First of all,” the queen began, “I would like to apologize to you, Crane, for not giving Conroe a chance to introduce you to me. I was dead set against you two marrying, but I can see that you are a fine young man, although I’ll admit that I’m still uneasy about the manner in which you arrived here.”
“Believe me, ma’am, I’m uneasy about it too,” Crane said, “but when your daughter wants something, she’s going to get it.”
Conroe feigned displeasure and poked him in the arm with her elbow.
Crane continued, “But who could blame her—she’s madly in love with me.”
“And you’re madly in love with her,” Wally added.
Crane looked at Conroe and smiled. “Absolutely, sir—madly.”
“Well, I’m just glad it all worked out,” the queen said. “But, Conroe, you really had me worried. What happened tonight? Why were you late to the church?”
“It was all Frederick’s doing,” Conroe answered.
“ Frederick? Your cousin, Frederick?” Wally asked.
“Yes. He’s done everything he can to keep me from becoming queen.”
“I was afraid this would happen,” the queen said, “but I had hoped that my sister would get over this feeling of rivalry. She has her own castle of sorts, and she and Frederick are being provided for. They live like royalty, but without any of the responsibilities. Apparently, she still feels cheated, and her son has adopted the same sentiment.”
“Yes, he has,” Conroe agreed. “He will do anything to become king.”
“What did he do that caused you to be late to the church?” the queen asked.
“It all started with the conversation you and I had this afternoon, when you insisted that I marry Will instead of Crane,” Conroe began.
The queen interjected, “Sorry, Crane.”
Conroe went on. “Crane overheard us talking, which greatly upset him. So, he took one of the horses and went for a ride to clear his head. But Frederick must have been lurking near the castle because he followed Crane and shot him with a dart of Redberry juice. I went out looking for Crane and found him lying on the ground in a deep sleep. Then Frederick rode up and took both of our horses, knowing that we could not possibly travel some three miles back to the church in time—particularly with Crane being so groggy.”
“So, how did you make it?” the queen asked.
“Will,” Conroe answered. “Geneva sent him out to look for us, and when he found us, he gave us his horse. He had to walk back, so he missed the wedding.”
“Will is a hero,” the queen said. “I want to formally thank him for what he did.”
“He is a hero,” Crane agreed. “I can see now why you chose him for your daughter, ma’am.
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