The June sun beamed down from a cloudless sky on the Hudson mansion lawn. The scent of fresh cake and champagne filled the air. Joy and happiness radiated from all parts of the lawn. The wind carried the sound of laughter and chit- chat everywhere. The lawn itself was decorated beautifully in tulips and roses, as if in serious competition with the diamond- clad, well- heeled ladies who filled its ground. All were merry, save for one fine figure sitting aloof. Alicia sat in her balcony, room locked from the inside. She sat staring at the sky, yet staring at nothing in particular. Dressed in elegant white, she could see her life flashing in her mind- memories from all her one and twenty years of existence came flooding to her. In the swarm of the snippets of her past years, one memory in particular made her smile.
"...and they lived happily ever after."
"One more story, Daddy."
"No my darling. It is late. You must go to sleep now."
"Last one. Please."
"Sweetie, if I kept you up this late, your mother would have me for breakfast tomorrow morning. Now, I do not make a tasty omelette, must I warn you."
A chuckle found its way out of little Alicia's rosy pink mouth. "Good night." The girl's dark orbs, which have been gleaming with joy a moment ago, suddenly turned alert. "Mommy won't know. Just one more, please?" Little Al gave her dad the sweetest look she could muster as she grabbed a copy of 'Cindrella' from her nightstand and pushed it towards her father.
His eyes softened. "Tomorrow night, I promise."
"But I want to find Prince Charming tonight."
This time her dad laughed. "You want to find Prince Charming? My dear, then you must go to sleep. Your prince awaits you in your dreams."
"But I want a real prince, not a dream one."
"Yes, yes my dear. You will find him. He is out there, waiting for you."
"Where? I want to meet him." Excitement, joy and sheer innocence were evident in Al's voice.
"Are you not impatient. Why, you have taken after your mother in more ways than I thought."
Young Al was, indeed, impatient. "Where is my prince, daddy?", she demanded again.
Her father seemed to wake up from the thought he had fallen into. "Ah! Your prince. He waits upon you, dear, to take you to his castle.
" Then why doesn't he comes?" A note of disappointment underlined Al's voice as she spoke further. "What is he waiting for? Has he got another princess? Am I not pretty enough?" A tear fell from Al's eye.
"No,no my dear. You are by far the fairest maiden ever born. And he hasn't got another princess. But he must wait, dear. He must wait till you are of age to take you with him to his castle on his white horse." Clouds of confusion shadowed Al's eyes. Seeing this, her father carried on.
"He must wait to be with you till you become old enough to take care of your crown."
"Crown?" All confusion and gloom that had been present disappeared at once, joy finding its way back in her eyes.
"Yes, crown. Oh, how this wait pains him. He'd rather take you to his kingdom now. It kills him to wait. But until then, he takes joy in meeting you in your dreams." Little Al's lips curved upwards in a smile. Seeing his daughter smile made the old man grin too.
"Now go to sleep, princess. Lest you keep waiting him for too long." He kissed the top of Al's head and slowly rose up from the stool he occupied. After tucking the girl safely inside the blanket, he quietly made his way to the door, switched the lights off and left the room.
Left alone in the dark, Al cheerfully whispered to herself, "My prince will come." With these words, she fell asleep.
She looked down to see a frenzy of activities happening. She saw her mother talking to her aunt, her brother checking the flower arrangements, her friends hanging near the bar area. Her eyes then spotted a bald, ageing man amidst all the hub- hub going on downstairs. The aforesaid man looked up to meet her gaze and smiled. She smiled back, then stood up and made her way inside, towards her room.
"And you? Do you accept him for better or for worse?" "My prince will come." She spoke with the same glee she had spoken years ago. "I do."
A thunder of claps erupted. Friends, family and relatives cheered. All were happy, for Al had finally found her prince. The man who had previously smiled at Al now watched all this with a lumped throat. Words could not describe how joyous Mr. Hudson felt then for his daughter.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
A single tear escaped his eye, as he watched his princess become a queen.
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