The Union of Peanut Butter and Jelly

The Festival of Hearts

A month later, Caddaric, longing to once again be with his beloved princess, decided to pay Aimee a surprise visit during the Festival of Hearts. When Caddaric arrived at the Jelly kingdom's palace, he was immediately greeted by a surprised and very pleased Aimee. She immediately threw herself into his arms in a complete and loving embrace. "What are you doing here?" Aimee asked her beloved prince as she stared lovingly into his eyes. "I wanted to surprise you," Caddaric said with a loving smile. "I also didn't want to spend the Festival of Hearts without you."

As Aimee leaned in for a kiss, she heard her mother come outside and walk up towards her and Caddaric. "Aimee, who is this young man with you?" Queen Mermelada asked her daughter. "Mother, this is Caddaric," Aimee said as she introduced her mother to her beloved. "We've been in constant contact with each other ever since we met in the mountains last summer."

As Queen Mermelada came closer to the young couple, Aimee loosened herself from Caddaric's embrace. Caddaric then straightened himself, and once the Queen had reached the young prince and her daughter, he politely bowed before her. "Tell me, young man, who are you and where are you from?" Queen Mermelada asked as she questioned the young man who had captured her daughter's heart. "I am Prince Caddaric of the Peanut Butter kingdom, Your Majesty," Caddaric said as he lifted himself and looked at the Queen. Queen Mermelada took a close look at the young man who was standing right in front of her, and she could tell that he was a kind, gentle, and honest young man who was very much in love with her daughter for who she was as a person rather than for her royal status.

"Tell me, Prince Caddaric, when you first met my daughter did you know that she was a princess? Or did you mistake her for a common peasant girl when you first met her?" Queen Mermelada questioned as she calmly interrogated the young prince. "Mother, please...," Aimee said to her mother as she tried to protest against the interrogation. "Aimee, it's alright darling, I don't mind that your mother is doing this. I know that she is only trying to protect you from getting hurt," Caddaric said as he reassured his beloved princess that he was not offended by her mother's questions.

With his love assured that he was unoffended by the interrogation, Caddaric returned his attention to the Queen, and he began to answer her questions thoroughly and honestly. "Your Majesty, the truth is when I first met Aimee, I did not know that she was a princess. Nor did she know that I am a prince because, like her, I wanted her to get to know me for the person who I am and not for my crown. For even if she were a simple peasant girl, I would still love her, since a person who is royal at heart is more royal than a person who is royal by birth."

Queen Mermelada smiled at the prince's words and said to him. "An intelligent, honest, and pure-hearted young man. However, have you ever treated my daughter in the same way as her former suitor had, or do you always treat her in a loving, faithful, and caring way that she deserves?" 

"Your Excellency, I am aware of how Aimee's former suitor often treated her because she told me everything about the relationship. Madame, I would rather face death than treat a woman such as your daughter in the same way that Cuddy did," Caddaric said as he showed Aimee's mother through his words how much he loved her daughter. "For as long as I live, I swear that I will remain faithful and loyal to Aimee and treat her like a queen."

With Caddaric's declaration of undying love for Aimee and his eternal vow to her, Queen Mermelada's smile grew more prominent, and she and Aimee then escorted him into the palace. While Queen Mermelada went to prepare the quarters where Caddaric would be staying, Aimee took her beloved on a private tour around the castle with just the two of them alone together. As they came to the end of their tour at the royal library entrance, Aimee finally asked Caddaric the question that had been on her mind all day. "Caddaric, sweetheart, why did you allow my mother to question and interrogate you? If she had continued, she would have asked you if we had done something that we haven't done yet."

Caddaric sighed and spoke. "Pooka, I didn't stop your mother because I know that she only questioned me like that since she was trying to make sure that I wasn't the type of person who would try to hurt you in any manner. If she had asked me any more questions, I would have answered them all fully and honestly without any form of complaint."

"Oh baby," Aimee said as she wrapped herself around Caddaric as he took her into his arms in a loving embrace. "What did I do to deserve someone like you?"

Caddaric chuckled at Aimee's response as he gave her a simple and honest answer. "When you are truly a good person, then good things will happen to you. Plus, I tend to believe that our meeting was just fate intervening." 

As the two young lovers leaned in for a kiss, they were interrupted by a servant sent by Queen Mermelada to inform them that Caddaric's quarters were ready. Aimee and Caddaric immediately broke away from each other and followed the servant. Once they arrived at Caddaric's quarters, both Caddaric and Aimee saw that they were right next door to Aimee's private quarters, much to their delight.

When their friends, including Charles and Athena, heard that Caddaric had arrived at the palace, they immediately rushed towards the quarters where he was staying. Once they had come, they saw both Caddaric and Aimee sitting on the sofa, spending some quality time alone together. To their surprise, they saw Caddaric fully dressed in his royal regalia. When the young couple became aware of their friends' presence, they both explained, in full detail, about their time together during the winter holidays in the Peanut Butter kingdom and how they both learned that the other was royal. After they had finished their story, everyone smiled. They all told them that they understood why the young couple had hidden their royal status from one another and that they all still supported them and approved of their relationship.

Throughout Caddaric's stay in the Jelly kingdom, Aimee's mother and her older sister quickly began to warm up to him. Queen Mermelada soon began to see many of Caddaric's good qualities and traits along with his intelligence and pure, caring, and selfless heart. She also saw how sweet and loving he treated Aimee and how happy her daughter was with him. It did not take long after Caddaric's arrival at the palace for Queen Mermelada to treat him like the son she never had. Even Aimee's older sister began to love Caddaric like a younger brother.

The happiness, joy, and love between Caddaric and Aimee were also known outside the palace walls and throughout the kingdom. As with the Peanut Butter kingdom subjects, the Jelly kingdom people supported and approved Caddaric and Aimee's love for one another along with their relationship. Throughout the Festival of Hearts, when the young royal couple would appear in public, if it were for a day out of the palace or to partake in the festivities, everyone could see how perfect the two were for each other. They could see how much Caddaric loved and cared about Aimee through his devotion and actions towards her. He would always open the door for Aimee. He would always allow her to go in ahead of him, he would help her with her shopping whenever they went to the village shops, and whenever it looked like someone would try to harm Aimee in any way, he would always place himself in front of her to defend and protect her. Not only was Caddaric willing to sacrifice his own life to keep Aimee safe, but he was also ready to gently turn down the affections of his admirers, for it was clear that his heart belonged only to Aimee. Luckily for Caddaric, Aimee's heart also belonged only to him, and she would also willingly risk her own life to protect him.

Throughout the festivities, Caddaric and Aimee were inseparable from one another. Although there were times when they would take some time away from each other and give each additional space, their friends would often accompany them on their days out. It quickly became apparent to everyone who knew or knew of the young couple that their relationship was strong, healthy, and loving.