The Princess Bride

Addittional Chapter

I want this to be known, in this chapter that the original book and movie does not show the scene of the couple being reunited, and I felt like I was being cheated when I read the book and did not get to read the reuniting. So wrote one for us all, as we all want to know what happened.

* * *

"Tell me about yourself," Elsa began. Jack quickly cut her off with "Later beloved; now is not the time." However,it should be noted, in fairness to all, that he did weep; her eyes did not remain precisely dry; there was more then one embrace; and both parties admitted that without qualifications whatsoever, they were more then a little glad to see each other.

But, within a quarter of an hour, they were arguing. It began quite innocently, the two of them kneeling, facing each other, Jack holding her perfect face in his quick hands.

"When I left you," he whispered, "you were already more beautiful than anything I dared dream. In our years apart, my imagining did their best to improve on you perfection. At night, your face was forever behind my eyes. And now I see that the vision who kept me company in my loneliness was a hag compared to the beauty now before me."

"Enough about my beauty," Elsa said. "Everybody always talks about how beautiful I am. I've got a mind, Jack. Talk about that."

"Throughout eternity I shall so that very thing," he told her. "But now we haven't the time." He made it to his feet. The ravine fall had shaken no battered him, but all his bones survived the trip uncracked. He helped her to her feet.

"Jack?" Elsa said then. "Just before I started town after you, while I was still up there, I could hear you saying something but the words were indistinct."

"I've forgotten whatever it was."

"Terrible liar."

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "It's not important, believe me; the past has a way of being the past."

"We must not begin with secrets from each other." She mean it.

He could tell that. "Trust me," he tried.

"I do. So tell me your words or I shall be given a reason not to."

Jack sighed. "What I was trying to get through to you, beloved sweet; what I was, as a matter of accurate fact, shouting with everything I had left, was: 'Whatever you do, stay up there! Don't come down here! Please!' "

"You didn't want to see me?"

"Of course I wanted to see you. I just didn't want to see you down here."

"Why ever not?"

"Because now, my precious, we're more or less kind of trapped. I can't climb out of here and bring you with me without it taking all day. I can get out myself, most likely, without it taking all day, but with the addition of your lovely bulk, it' not about to happen."

"Nonsense; you climbed the Cliffs of Insanity, and this isn't nearly as steep."

"And it took a little out of me too, let me tell you.And after that a little effort, I tangled with a fella who knew a little something at fencing. And after that, I spent a few happy moments grappling with a giant. And after that, I had to outfake a Weseltonian to death when any mistake meant it was a knife in the throat for you. And after that I've run my lungs out a coupe of hours.  And after that I was pushed two hundred feet sown a rock ravine.  I'm tired, Elsa; do you understand tired? I've put in a night, is what I'm trying to get through to you."

"I'm not stupid, you know."

"Quit bragging."

"Stop being rude."

"When was the last time you read a book? The truth now.  And picture books don't count-I mean something with print in it."

Elsa walked away from him. "There're is other things to read then print," she said, "and the Princess of Arendale is displeased with you and is thinking seriously of going home." With no more words, she whirled into his arms then, saying, "Oh, Jack, I didn't mean that, I didn't, I didn't, not a single syllabub of it."

Now Jack knew that she meant to say "not a single syllable of it," because a syllabub was something you ate, with cream and wine mixed in together to form a base. But he also knew an apology when he heard one. So he held her very close, and shut his loving eyes, and only whispered, "I know it was false, believe me, every single syllabub."

And that out of the way, they started running as fast as they could along the flat-rock floor of the ravine.