Fellowship & Fairydust

He tried to read the book again, but still couldn’t finish. He sat back and sighed. Guess I should admit it, I am worried about the final challenge. What am I to do if I lose? He put his head in his hands, and thought about it for a few minutes. He slowly moved back into a sitting position. I should worry about it later; I want to finish this book.

He wasn’t sure how he was able to do it, but he did manage to finish that book. He was going to start on another one when his stomach started growling, reminding him that it should be time for lunch. That’s interesting, Gabriel hasn’t come to tell me that lunch is ready. Unless he’s still looking for Stanislas and Aloysius. Oh well, I’ll just head over to the dining room, I’m getting really hungry.

He left the library, but not before leaving a message with the librarian for Gabriel. He made his way towards the dining room, and found it almost empty. Oh, I must have come at the very end of the lunch hour. His stomach grumbled again. I hope I can get something to eat. A servant was able to get him something before the kitchen closed. He sat down to his meal in silence. He finished quickly, as he still needed to see the King for the last challenge. He reached the throne room just as Aloysius and Stanislas were coming out.

“Am I too late?” Dominic asked, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. The other two shook their heads.

“Actually, he wanted to do each of us separately,” replied Aloysius.

“And we just finished, so you’re good to go,” smiled Stanislaus.

Dominic heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good, I’m glad that I didn’t miss anything. Well, I’d better not keep the King waiting. See you around!”

Dominic ducked into the throne room. He walked to where the King sat, and genuflected before him. “I am ready for the final challenge, your Majesty.”

“Very well. Rise, Dominic. I want you to look me in the eye and answer my questions truthfully.”

Dominic rose. “I will answer to the best of my ability.”

“Good, then we shall begin. What would you do if my daughter was ill?” asked the King.

“That depends on how serious her illness was. If it was life-threatening, I would drop everything and rush to her side. But if it wasn’t life-threatening, I would wait until I was done with whatever I was doing and visit her later,” came Dominic’s response.

“Now, if my daughter did die, what would you do? Would you go after another girl, or would you refrain from such actions?”

“If the princess were to die, which I hope won’t happen for quite some time, I wouldn’t go out with another girl, as I don’t think I could ever love another like I love your daughter,” replied Dominic, his teeth clenching in anticipation of the King’s reaction.

The monarch was as still as a stone; only his mouth moved. “Then, if she wasn’t born a princess but as a poor farm girl, would you have still loved her?”

“Yes,” Dominic answered without hesitation.

“What would you do if I disown her?”

“I would find a job and earn enough money before marrying her so that I can support her and our family.”

“If you were ever caught in a situation in which only you or she could live, would you try to save her, or try to save yourself?”

“I would try to save her,” Dominic quickly replied.

“If her honor was ever questioned or made fun of, would you fight for it?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you love Philomena?”

Dominic blinked in surprise. He knew that question was coming, but didn’t expect to hear the King mention her name. “Well, to tell you the truth, I’m not really sure why; I just love her.” He paused, unsure of what else to say.

“She is very lovely,” remarked the King.

“Yes, she is beautiful, inside and out,” replied Dominic, a smile showing up on his face as thoughts of the princess floated through his mind.

“And rich,” the King pressured on.

Dominic was expecting that comment. “I didn’t know that Philomena was one of your daughters until long after I had fallen in love with her. I guess she wanted to be loved for who she is and not for what she is. Too many have claimed to have fallen in love with her, and for the wrong reasons.”

“And what are your reasons for falling in love with her?” asked the King, who was just rewording his previous question.

“I fell in love with her because of who she is. Each one of us is so complex that it’s hard to pinpoint one thing to like,” commented Dominic.

“Are there any qualities you can pinpoint?” pushed the King.

“Well, she’s strong but kind, witty, but can be serious, fiercely loyal, and, um… well, there’s more, but I could be here all day talking about her,” Dominic grinned, a bit sheepishly.

“She does have her faults,” the King continued, his face unchanging.

Dominic nodded, “That she does, but so do I, and if we cannot only work out our faults together, but also help each other get better, then it will all work out.”

“Interesting; now I have one last question. What would you do if I do not approve of you marrying Philomena?” asked the King, watching Dominic all the more intently now.

Dominic sighed. “Then I shall leave the castle like all the other suitors who lost the previous challenges, and shall never speak to her again, if you’d like.”

There was a long silence after that, the King staring intently at Dominic, neither of which helped Dominic’s nervousness. The butterflies in his stomach that he had hoped to contain were becoming more active now. He could only hope that he would keep his outer cool in front of the King long enough to get out the door.

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