Princess in Trouble (complete)

18 - Vondra and Sharzor

Enjoying Sharzor's company and wanting the time with him to never end, Vondra could only wonder why she had been so horrible to him.

He never mentioned her previous attitude to him, but kept apologizing to her for his censure of her. He did not tell her of his disliking her because he had felt he was betraying Marcina, his lost love. And he did not tell Vondra that he now fully considered Marcina as his 'first love'. He had fallen helplessly in love with Vondra and still did not know how to fully admit it to himself, or how to tell her.

As for Vondra, having never been in love before, or even had a crush, she had no idea how to behave. All she knew that she wanted to be with him every moment of every day.

The grandmother understood the way Vondra looked at Sharzor and she discerned he was in love with her.

In fact, the queen thought, Vondra is in love with Sharzor too. She decided to speak with her husband about it.

"Are you sure?" he asked with doubt in his tone.

"I understand the workings of the heart," she said, "and what could be better for our Vondra than having a prince for a husband, and for him, to have a mother for little Marcina as well as her knowing the protection of a strong man..." her voice petered away as she realized just who was the stronger of the pair.

"Sharzor is no warrior," Altores said, "but he is a good, kind man. And you are right, they make a good pair."

Before the week was up, Vondra had experienced her first kiss. Sharzor knew it was her first kiss; she had never kissed a man or been in love before. Knowing she loved him made him feel very privileged. What man gets a second chance at true love?— He asked himself. And how can it be that this love I feel for her is stronger than anything I've known. I must approach Altores and ask that I might court her... yes, she will want to be courted...

King Altores agreed with Sharzor, saying, "I thought you would never ask. I... we have just got the news that your father's body was found at the bottom of the cliffs, his crown was gone, but your brother, Prince Setzon, has been declared king and will be crowned after the funeral has been held for your father, now the late King Sedon. It has been requested by your brother that you attend your father's funeral. What say you, Sharzor?"

"I believe that if I returned, it would be a case of ridding the kingdom of my existence just as my father and brother threatened would happen if I did not give up my baby Marcina. Before I left Aprolia, a decree was written that if I did leave to search for my daughter, I would be permanently exiled and if I was to return, I would forfeit my life."

"That answers my question and in turn, I have another question; would you stay here, or would you seek to go back with Vondra to her kingdom. She is the only heir there, you know."

"I would let Vondra decide that; as for me, I will go where she wants to go; it will be her choice."

"To answer your question about courting, my advice would be to ask her to marry you now and together we can work at persuading her to stay here. To have Vondra with us here would be a joy that I have never imagined and I know her grandmother would be ecstatic."

The next day, having requested to purchase a ring from somewhere within Tutela and succeeded, Sharzor asked Vondra to walk with him.

Having no idea how to propose to her, he walked her out through the orchards before he stopped at an empty pagoda. "Let's sit awhile," he said, feeling afraid she would refuse him.

Seated in the pagoda, he took Vondra's hand and would have stood but she laid her head on his chest and said, "You kissed me the other day and I liked it very much, Sharzor..." Leaning back, she turned her face upwards and waited.

This time, they kissed with more passion.

She longed for it to never end...

He wanted to propose and marry her tomorrow...

He fumbled for the ring in his vest pocket and they parted.

Taking the moment to slide to his knees, he took her hand and blurted, "Marry me Vondra; please marry me for I do not want to live another day without you."

His beseeching look into her eyes melted her heart and she said, "You are all I dreamed of a husband and such a protective, kind father to Marcina. I am in love with you and believe I have been since I first saw you..." she stopped trying to remember where they were. "Oh, in that bedchamber at the farm-inn, wasn't it?"

"Yes, and I fell for you then but couldn't express it..."

"Due to your grief. And I have forgiven you, and you have forgiven me, and we are in love. So, yes, Sharzor, my prince, I will marry you and we will be in love for all the days we live."

He forgot to give her the ring because she kissed him and he kissed her back. While kissing her, he took her left hand and pushed the ring onto her finger.

"When shall we get married?" He asked, adding, "Today?"

Laughing, she said, "Let's tell our king and queen and perhaps we will marry tomorrow. I don't want a fussy wedding, I just want to be with you forever."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The wedding took place a week later because the queen told her husband, "It must be done properly and all the right people must be invited."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vondra and Sharzor lived their lives in Tutela and when Altores passed on, they became the new king and queen of that mountain kingdom, ruling with justice and peace. 

THE END