The Princess Bride

Chapter Two: The Count & Countess

The land of florin was set between where Sweden and Germany would of eventually settle. In theory, it was ruled by the King Lotharon and his second wife, the Queen. But in fact the King was barely hanging on, could only rarely tell day from night, and basically spent his time in muttering. He was very old, every organ in his body had long since betrayed him, and most of his important decisions regarding Florin had a certain arbitrary that bothered many of the leading citizens.

Prince Hans actually ran things. If there had been a Europe, he would actually have been the most powerful man in it. Even as it was, nobody within a thousand miles wanted to mess with him.

The count was Prince Hans's only confidant. His last name was Black, but no one needed to use it-he was the only count in the country, the title having been bestowed by the prince as a birthday present some years before, the happening taken place, naturally, at one of the countesses parties.

The countess was considerably younger then her husband. All of her clothes came from Paris and she had superb taste. Eventually, her passion for fabric and face paint caused her to settle permanently in Paris, where she ran the only salon for international consequences.

For now she busied herself on sleeping on silk, eating on gold and being the single most feared and admired women in Florinese history. If she had figure faults, her clothes concealed them; if her face was less then divine, it was hard to tell she got done applying substances.

In the sum, the Black's were Couple of the week in Florin, and had been for many years...

"Quick-Quick-Come-" Elsa's father stood in his farmhouse, staring out of the window.

"Why?" This from her mother. She gave away nothing when it came to obedience.

The father gave a quick finger point."Look-"

"You look; you know how." Elsa's mother did not have exactly what you might call a happy marriage. All they ever dreamed of was leaving each other.

Elsa's father shrugged and went back to the window. "Ahhhh," he said after a while. And a little later, again, "Ahhhh."

Elsa's mother glanced up briefly from her cooking.

"Such riches," Elsa's father said. "Glorious."

Elsa's mother hesitated, then put her stew spoon down.

"The heart swells at the magnificence," Elsa's father muttered very loudly.

"What exactly is it dumpling?" Elsa's mother wanted to know.  

"You look; you know how," was all he replied. This was their thirty-third spat of the day and he was behind, thirteen to twenty, but he had made up a lot of distance since lunch, when it was seventeen to two against him. 

"Donkey," the mother said, and came over to the window. A moment later she was going "Ahhh" right along with him.

They stood there, the two of them, tiny and awed. From setting the diner table Elsa watched them.

"They must be going to meet them Prince Hans some place ," Elsa's mother said.

The father nodded."Hunting. That's what the Prince does."

"How lucky we are to have seen them pass by." Elsa's mother said, and she took her husbands hand.

The old man nodded."Now I can die."

She glanced at him."Don't"  her tone was a surprisingly tender, and probably she sensed how important he really was to her, because when he did die, two years further on, she went right after, and most of the people who knew her well agreed it was the sudden lack of opposition that undid her.