A Royal Engagement

Prologue

(KING WANG DAO)

I watch as the three boys play around the Royal Garden with the Royal dogs.

My grandson, Prince Qing. Lao, the nephew of our Household Manager and Dayu, the grandson of my friend and Royal Chauffer.

They are playing and fighting among themselves. They want to stage a play wedding but they are all boys so they are fighting among themselves on who will be the bride and will wear the fake veil, a teared up curtain they rummage from the dry garbage.

"I want to be the minister!" Lao shouted. As the most level headed boy out of the three, tallest too, his two playmates can't say no to him. Qing and Dayu both like to please Lao.

Lao gestured at his friends, "So who will be the groom and who will be the bride?" He formally asked the two who glared at one another.

Qing and Dayu match their personalities to the T. They are both stubborn in their own ways. Smart mouths and argumentative especially with each other.

"I am the Prince! I should be the groom!" Qing shouted.

Dayu just sneered, "So what if you are the prince? Just add a double "ss" on it and you can be my princess bride. It's a lot harder to change "boy" into a "girl" you know!"

I smothered a laugh. Oh Dayu is giving Qing a run for his money. And they are only eight years old.

Qing put his hands on his waist, a pose he do when he is getting ready to defend himself, "If you marry me then you can be a princess,"

"Who wants to be a princess?!" Dayu exclaimed irritably. "I want to be a knight!" And he brandish his plastic sword at his two playmates who leaned out to avoid it.

Qing stood firm, "If you are my princess, I will give you a tiara, with diamonds!"

Lao's and Dayu's eyes turn huge, "Diamonds? Like those in your grandma's commercial on TV?" Dayu asked excitedly.

Qing nodded, "Exactly like that. So, will you be my princess?" he asked Dayu.

Dayu looked at Lao first who nodded his head. Dayu sighed, resigned, and nodded reluctantly.

I smiled when Qing and Lao raised a palm each to high five in the air. Dayu, face crumpled, lift the fake veil and put it on top of his head.

Qing took Dayu's hand to make his playmate stand on his right.

Lao stood in front of the two, holding an invisible bible, and started reciting, "Hear ye, hear ye! We are here today to marry our Prince Qing to his beautiful bride, Jian Yu. The rings please..."

"Rings?!" Qing exclaimed then looked worried while Dayu hit his sidearm, "You don't have the rings? I will not marry you!" he started taking off the veil but Qing and Lao stopped him.

Qing turned around, frantically looking at something. Then his eyes found me. "Grandpa! Do you have a ring?!"

I look down at my hand. To my King ring and my wedding ring and both are resting on my left hand.

I nodded and Qing came to me. I removed my wedding ring, "Promise you will give this to the person you will marry," I smiled at him as I put the simple band on the middle of his small hand.

"I will Grandpapa!" and Qing excitedly jump up and down while clutching the ring.

"Qing ah," I said as I stopped him from jumping and held his shoulders. "Whoever you gave this ring will be a part of our family. You have to present that person to your parents and to the public so there will be no doubt that that person will be one of us. Like what I did for your Grandmother. That's an order, do you understand?"

"Yes Sir! I will Grandpapa!" And my grandson run off happily to take the ring into his friends. I laughed at him.

He put the ring on Dayu's left thumb. Lao clapped and say, "You may now kiss your bride Your Highness," he even bowed at his Prince.

Dayu, still disgruntled, courtsied like how he saw it from the female guests arriving here in the Royal Palace. He looks awkward but steady.

Qing, all smile, watch his "bride" in satisfaction and when Dayu is standing straight again, lifted the teared curtain standing in as the veil and kiss Dayu, right on the chauffer's grandson's lips.

I was shocked and so is Dayu's grandfather who stood on the side of the garden. We look at each other and laughed at our grandsons.

Lao laughed and clapped harder while Dayu stood frozen right there.

That kiss didn't last long but Qing was satisfied with the result. Gave another high five to Lao while Dayu still look stunned.

I laugh some more when Dayu finally recovered and started chasing his two laughing friends. Swinging his plastic swords left and right without any care.

I hope these three will be friends for a long long time. Maybe even as long as they are alive.

That will give me so much happiness.

(Author's note: Yes. This is my QingYu version of Princess Hours. One of my fave Kdrama. But as we all know, this is QingYu so some thing might be predictable but a lot of things will still be different. 😊)