Her True Prince

Part Four

One day, the princess and the kitchen boy were in the gardens eating peaches fresh from the trees when he said "princess, will you let me be your prince?" And although she didn't want to, she said no bc it was absolutely absurd for a princess to consider marrying a peasant boy. But the next day, she was eating a snack in the kitchens with the kitchen boy and he, again, asked, "may I be your prince, my dear princess?" And again, even more reluctantly, she said no. She silently prayed and hoped he'd ask again. She was so afraid she'd blown her chance to marry for something other than money. She spent the rest of the day moping about, wishing he would ask her. But he didn't. And the next day, she hung around him consistently, but he didn't ask her that day either. About the fourth or fifth day, she decided to ask him. "Kitchen Boy?" the princess asked, abashed, "why did you stop asking to be my prince?" He looked into her eyes and she looked into his, searching for his answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was a long while before words escaped it. "You said no twice. I became afraid of you saying I could not be your prince for a third time," he said. The princess said, "okay." And she quickly left.