"The Prince Needs a Bride" (complete)

Part 12 - Love Renewed and -Bombs

Albert watched from a distance.

He stood with Wayne and Jeremy who both wore wigs as did he. The young lady in the jade green dress had taken off her straw hat and he saw her golden-brown hair, plaited and wound around the top of her head. His heart raced. Could this really be her?

Insecure feelings flooded him and he said, "I need to take this slowly. Do you think she knows I'm coming?" He looked across at Jeremy.

"Not sure, Highness; Her Majesty didn't say, did she?"

"They're going to the food stall, the one by the coffee cart... but Elsie, Marie, if that is her, she's stepped closer to the line at the sweets stall," Wayne reported. "Go then, Sir, go and have cotton candy with her. I'll take on the other young lady with her."

"Elsie never liked cotton candy but I do know she had an obsession with ice-cream whenever she was here. We would load our bowls with every flavor and have extra helpings. We even ate it before breakfast some mornings. Hokey-pokey was my favorite; she disliked it because the bits got stuck in her teeth. She had no favorite and sometimes mixed them all together." Albert walked closer, saying, "I just need to... to... I'm not sure."

"As you said, we'll take it slowly."

"Can one of you go and talk with them? —Not to Elsie, one of the others."

"It's Marie, Sir, remember?" Jeremy said. "I'll go. I'll get us coffees while I'm there."

Albert watched as Jeremy stepped close to Wilma waiting in line for coffee.

"I know you," Wilma said, moving closer to him, rising up on tiptoe to speak into his ear, "You're Jeremy, the stable master, but you're wearing a, a, what is it? —A wig, or did you dye your hair?"

"And, your name, Miss?"

"Wilma; I'm with Miss Marie."

Jeremy shot a glance at Elsie and knew she had heard. She looked at him and her eyebrows rose as she smiled into his eyes before looking up at the wig. Her smile widened.

Albert, now closer, saw her reaction. A foursome arrived to join the queues. He stepped quickly to slot himself in behind Elsie. His heart raced as he shuffled so close to her back they were almost touching. He said softly, "What is it for you, Miss? Cotton candy or ice-cream?"

Elsie froze. She knew his voice, how could she ever forget it? He had been twenty years old the last time she was here and his voice had that a deep soft, dreamy tone that was engraved in her memory. Turning her head ever so slightly, she said, "You already know, Sir; ice-cream is my favorite. I haven't had ice-cream for many years..."

"There are things that are much more important than ice-cream," he said.

She turned to face him, taking his hand, stepping backwards, saying, "Yes, we have much to catch up... on..." Their eyes met and senses of longing swept them both.

Turning together, they walked away hand in hand, moving between the food stalls toward the walls where they continued walking, glancing at each other as though to make sure this was real.

Jeremy saw them leave and said, "I must go, Miss Wilma, but if you are with Miss Marie, please bring me a coffee with sugar and cream and one plain one with no sugar or milk. I'm sure they'll have a tray for three." He stepped away to stride across to Wayne and Rose, saying, "Ask the lady to bring you what you want and follow them."

Looking around, Wayne couldn't locate the prince and asked, "What? Where've they gone? I missed it." He asked, "What's your name, Miss?"

"Rose, I'm one of the queen's ladies in waiting but have only been here a couple of months —who are you?"