Prince Bartholomew bent down one knee and without hesitation, he began to sing:
"Fair princess, would you be mine? Your beauty makes me feel warmer than sunshine. And I can't live another day without you-"
Princess Pea interrupted. "Yeah, um, hold that thought for a second, would you?" Pea turned to her mother. "Is he serious?"
"Quite," replied Annalynne.
"I see you're not the romantic duet type," Bartholomew observed. "Alas, you are so beautiful that I am unbothered by this quirk. Come, allow me show you my kingdom."
Suddenly, Bartholomew scooped Pea up and carried her over to his white horse. He put her on top of it and joined her, signaling her to put his arms around him. They rode off through the gates of the South Kingdom. Pea was entranced by the beautiful kingdom. There were hundreds of boutiques and clothing stores as well as an amusement park. But when they arrived at the prince's palace, Pea's jaw dropped. It was the most exquisite castle she'd ever laid eyes on. Hand carved from top to bottom, all made of white marble that shone in the daylight. Bartholomew helped Pea off the horse and took her inside.
"Well, what do you think? I hope you're not put off by the extravagance of it all." said Prince Bartholomew. Pea was still unsure of how she felt. "Oh, and I hope the clothes my servants picked out for you are to your liking." He showed her to a closet and opened the door. Pea saw the hundreds of designer gowns and shoes and immediately turned to the prince.
"So," she said, "When do you wanna get hitched?"
The wedding was planned for the next afternoon. Queen Annalynne made it clear to the castle staff that she wanted everything to be as expensive and beautiful as possible. Pea wore a beautiful silk nightgown and crawled into her large bed. She wasn't to see Bartholomew again until the wedding as the traditionalists insisted.
"Knock, knock," Queen Annaylnne entered the room. "Oh, darling, I'm so happy that you're back to being your old self again."
"Huh?" Pea was intrigued.
"I knew that as long as you saw the fashion and the riches in store for you, you'd agree to marry Prince Bartholomew."
"Well, I don't think I've gone back to being exactly the way I was before I got banished," Pea was slightly offended. "I mean, sure, I still love material things but I treat people better...sometimes..."
"Lucky you don't have to do that anymore," Queen Annalynne winked.
"For the second time: Huh?" said Pea.
"You're rich again," Queen Annalynne explained. "I mean, the only reason peasants are polite is because they're on the bottom of the social scale and they have to be. Now that you're on top again, you can go back to your old lifestyle. Isn't that wonderful? Anyway, I'm off to bed. Big day tomorrow."
Pea didn't sleep that night. All she could think about was Prince Bartholomew and Conrad. Princess Pea from about a month ago would have gladly accepted the prince's proposal without a second thought and never given Conrad the time of day. But as she lay there wondering, Pea realized that she just wasn't that same girl anymore. She had changed. And then she wondered to herself: Would marrying Bartholomew mean she hasn't learned anything through her entire experience? Pea considered the facts she knew...she knew that Conrad had mysteriously decided to dump her and she knew that a billionaire prince wanted to marry her and give her everything she ever wanted. So it would make sense for her to go through with the marriage...right?
The next morning, the sky was clear and wedding bells were ringing. Pea was exhausted from her lack of sleep but didn't have much time to make up her mind. The castle staff dressed her in the most expensive and extraordinary wedding gown imaginable. Princess Pea began to walk down the aisle. Annalynne watched from the front row, contempt with the fact she had convinced Pea into this, even though she had resorted to trickery by forging the note from Conrad. Prince Bartholomew waited at the end of the aisle, smiling at her. When she reached him, he lifted her into the air and spun her around twice. Pea decided not to make an outburst about how annoying she thought it was that Bartholomew insisted on carrying her everywhere and spinning her around all the time.
The priest began to deliver the ceremony and the entire crowd of a thousand people watched robotically. Pea's thoughts went elsewhere for a few seconds when she suddenly realized she was being asked a question...
"Princess Peanalita, do you take Prince Bartholomew to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The sassy princess was speechless for the first time in her life.
(End Of Part 23)
"Fair princess, would you be mine? Your beauty makes me feel warmer than sunshine. And I can't live another day without you-"
Princess Pea interrupted. "Yeah, um, hold that thought for a second, would you?" Pea turned to her mother. "Is he serious?"
"Quite," replied Annalynne.
"I see you're not the romantic duet type," Bartholomew observed. "Alas, you are so beautiful that I am unbothered by this quirk. Come, allow me show you my kingdom."
Suddenly, Bartholomew scooped Pea up and carried her over to his white horse. He put her on top of it and joined her, signaling her to put his arms around him. They rode off through the gates of the South Kingdom. Pea was entranced by the beautiful kingdom. There were hundreds of boutiques and clothing stores as well as an amusement park. But when they arrived at the prince's palace, Pea's jaw dropped. It was the most exquisite castle she'd ever laid eyes on. Hand carved from top to bottom, all made of white marble that shone in the daylight. Bartholomew helped Pea off the horse and took her inside.
"Well, what do you think? I hope you're not put off by the extravagance of it all." said Prince Bartholomew. Pea was still unsure of how she felt. "Oh, and I hope the clothes my servants picked out for you are to your liking." He showed her to a closet and opened the door. Pea saw the hundreds of designer gowns and shoes and immediately turned to the prince.
"So," she said, "When do you wanna get hitched?"
The wedding was planned for the next afternoon. Queen Annalynne made it clear to the castle staff that she wanted everything to be as expensive and beautiful as possible. Pea wore a beautiful silk nightgown and crawled into her large bed. She wasn't to see Bartholomew again until the wedding as the traditionalists insisted.
"Knock, knock," Queen Annaylnne entered the room. "Oh, darling, I'm so happy that you're back to being your old self again."
"Huh?" Pea was intrigued.
"I knew that as long as you saw the fashion and the riches in store for you, you'd agree to marry Prince Bartholomew."
"Well, I don't think I've gone back to being exactly the way I was before I got banished," Pea was slightly offended. "I mean, sure, I still love material things but I treat people better...sometimes..."
"Lucky you don't have to do that anymore," Queen Annalynne winked.
"For the second time: Huh?" said Pea.
"You're rich again," Queen Annalynne explained. "I mean, the only reason peasants are polite is because they're on the bottom of the social scale and they have to be. Now that you're on top again, you can go back to your old lifestyle. Isn't that wonderful? Anyway, I'm off to bed. Big day tomorrow."
Pea didn't sleep that night. All she could think about was Prince Bartholomew and Conrad. Princess Pea from about a month ago would have gladly accepted the prince's proposal without a second thought and never given Conrad the time of day. But as she lay there wondering, Pea realized that she just wasn't that same girl anymore. She had changed. And then she wondered to herself: Would marrying Bartholomew mean she hasn't learned anything through her entire experience? Pea considered the facts she knew...she knew that Conrad had mysteriously decided to dump her and she knew that a billionaire prince wanted to marry her and give her everything she ever wanted. So it would make sense for her to go through with the marriage...right?
The next morning, the sky was clear and wedding bells were ringing. Pea was exhausted from her lack of sleep but didn't have much time to make up her mind. The castle staff dressed her in the most expensive and extraordinary wedding gown imaginable. Princess Pea began to walk down the aisle. Annalynne watched from the front row, contempt with the fact she had convinced Pea into this, even though she had resorted to trickery by forging the note from Conrad. Prince Bartholomew waited at the end of the aisle, smiling at her. When she reached him, he lifted her into the air and spun her around twice. Pea decided not to make an outburst about how annoying she thought it was that Bartholomew insisted on carrying her everywhere and spinning her around all the time.
The priest began to deliver the ceremony and the entire crowd of a thousand people watched robotically. Pea's thoughts went elsewhere for a few seconds when she suddenly realized she was being asked a question...
"Princess Peanalita, do you take Prince Bartholomew to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The sassy princess was speechless for the first time in her life.
(End Of Part 23)