The King of Candyland Wants a Wife

Chapter Two

Prince Lukas woke to a sky in ice cream shades: vanilla, apricot and peach. A honey scented breeze drifted through the wide, open window. Lukas rolled off his large strawberry cloud bed and stretched his arms to the ceiling. A storm cloud of nervousness then darkened the bright morning. Today was the day he would set off on his search for his father's new Queen. Preparations had been going on for two days and everything was finally ready. Lukas was scheduled to leave after an elaborate, celebratory breakfast planned in his honour.

There was a knock on Lukas's door, probably a servant, so the Prince bid them to enter. The door burst open and framed in the doorway was a young woman, clad head to toe in the most blinding of colours. She wore a bright dress with a low necked blue bodice and off the shoulder sleeves and purple skirts that ended a little above her ankles, under which her pink petticoats were visible. Tied around her slim waist was a yellow apron decorated with multi-coloured gumdrops and on her feet were impossibly high heeled orange shoes and white stockings. Over her shoulders was a gauzy red shawl and around her neck was a lacy scarf tied into a bow. A green headscarf kept her masses of reddish blonde corkscrew curls away from a youthful heart shaped face that housed large, excitable blue eyes, a tiny, freckle-dusted nose and rosy bow shaped lips. She stood only a tiny bit taller than Lukas, even in her ridiculously tall heels. Her name was Rockabye; she had been Lukas's nanny when King Richard was too busy to take care of him, which was more often than not. Rockabye, or Rocky, as she preferred, was crazy, unpredictable and great fun, not unlike Pop Rocks. She rushed into the room and enveloped Lukas in a big bear hug.

"Hey, Rocky," he murmured, her wild hair tickling his nose,

“Good morning, sweetheart,” she said, setting the Prince back down, “I heard you - ” Rocky tapped Lukas on his chin, “ - are going on a special quest. A Queen for Candyland!”

Rocky waltzed away from Lukas and spun around his room, wobbling slightly on her heels, “How beautiful!” she sighed, “that the King trusts his 16 year old son to find a Candy Queen! Such controversy! It shall be excellent fun watching this play out at Court!”

Lukas laughed. Sometimes he wondered if his beloved nanny was a few peanuts short of a cluster. But Rocky’s insanity was the source of her charm and Lukas wouldn’t have it any other way.

“A particular reason you’ve dropped by, Rocky?” he asked,

“Of course! I’m here to dress you!” she threw open the doors of Lukas’s large wardrobe,

“I thought that’s what the maid was for?” the Prince questioned,

“Oh, puh-lease,” Rocky huffed, sending a stray curl up and away from her eyes, “that woman couldn’t pick out a nice outfit if I hit her with the Fashion Sense Stick,”

“And why can’t I choose my own clothes?” Lukas asked her as she riffled through his immense collection of jackets, capes and leggings.

At that, Rocky turned around and set her hands on Lukas’s shoulders. She looked deeply into his eyes as she said, “Lukas, darling, you are a boy. If you can show me a boy who is able to dress himself in a socially acceptable ensemble, I will gladly let you choose your own clothes.”

With nothing to say to that, Lukas sat back on his bed while Rocky smirked and returned to looking through his closet. After a few minutes a pile of clothes landed in Lukas’s lap.

“There, go try those on,” Rocky pushed him towards the dressing screen in the corner.

Lukas slipped out of his pyjamas and pulled on white trousers, a loose white shirt with peppermint leaves embroidered around the collar and a silver buttoned peppermint-green jacket that reached mid-thigh and had silver trim on the shoulders, cuffs and along the hem. He stepped out cautiously from behind the screen and faced Rocky. She gave a mock swoon and clasped her hands to her heart,