How great was his despair, when Soussio said to him in a commanding voice, "King Charming, behold the princess Troutina, to whom you have promised your faith: marry her immediately!"
"Do you think me a fool?" cried the king; "I have promised her nothing. She is—"
"Stop—if you show me any disrespect—"
"I will respect you as much as a fairy deserves to be respected, if you will only give me back my princess."
"Am not I she?" said Troutina. "It was to me you gave this ring; to me you spoke at the window."
"I have been wickedly deceived!" cried the king; "come, my winged frogs, we will depart immediately."
"You cannot," said Soussio; and, touching him, he found himself fixed as if his feet were glued to the pavement.
"You may turn me into stone!" exclaimed he; "but I will love no one, except Florina."
Soussio employed persuasions, threats, promises, entreaties. Troutina wept, groaned, shrieked, and then tried quiet sulkiness; but the king uttered not a word. For twenty days and twenty nights he stood there, without sleeping, or eating, or once sitting down—they talking all the while.
At length, Soussio, quite worn out, said, "Choose seven years of penitence and punishment, or marry my goddaughter."