On his arrival, the King, as always, very graciously received him, for he liked him greatly, and, when he had heard his request, very willingly consented to give his daughter to the Prince provided she herself were agreeable.
This condition the Prince very properly accepted; and as he felt that in the course of his previous visits he had already made a favourable [[72]]impression, he had little doubt but that the lovely Princess Wattle Blossom would agree to marry him. None the less, before presenting himself with the object of putting the question to her, he very carefully saw to it that in every detail of his clothing and personal appearance, he should look his very, very best. That, for Prince Waratah, was not a difficult matter, for he was really uncommonly handsome. His short, curly, red hair, fine face, and graceful figure would have made him a striking personality anywhere; but when clothed in his dark green coat, rose pink vest, and white silk knee breeches, he looked exactly what he was—a great and noble Prince.
As for the Princess Wattle Blossom, surely someone must have given her a hint of the Prince’s coming and of the question he was likely to ask, for never before had she looked so lovely and sweet! Dressed in a trailing gown of grey-green silk, embroidered and adorned with golden traceries in front, she modestly stood waiting his arrival, her beautiful face suffused in blushes and smiles, whilst her golden hair, seeming to have escaped its bounds, went sunning over her shoulders in a perfect cascade of shimmering curls!
The Prince was enchanted! So much so, that as he stooped to kiss her hand, he could barely murmur his greeting. But it took him only an instant to recover himself, and in a few minutes his ready wit and fascinating conversation held the Princess positively spellbound. Never before had he ever mentioned the Palace to her; but now, with very great art and even greater tact, he skilfully described its beauties, its particularly fine setting in ideal garden grounds; its splendid rooms, and their unique furnishings; and the charming views to be had from its pillared balcony. So enraptured was the Princess with the picture that he drew, that more than once she innocently ejaculated, “Oh, how I should love to live in such a glorious home!”
On the last occasion upon which she so spoke, the Prince, having finished his description, tenderly took her hand in his and smilingly replied, “And so you may—on one condition!” And the Princess, instantly perceiving the position in which she had unwittingly placed herself, archly answered back: “You mean that I must pay for the privilege, I suppose!” “Yes,” retorted the prince, with rising ardour, “you must give me what is worth to me more than all the World holds[[73]]—you must give me yourself! Will you marry me? Will you take me for your husband, and be my own dear, dear wife?”
And the Princess, who had loved him from the very first, answered, “Yes, My Prince, for I love you truly, and will never cease to love you until the end of time!” Thus the Princess Wattle Blossom became the Prince’s promised bride; and from that day forth, many were the preparations made for the wedding.
Now the Prince had stipulated, that contrary to usual custom, the wedding was to take place, not at the home of the bride’s parents, but at the Palace. This, he explained, was in order that King Acacia, Queen Cootamundra, and as many of their relatives and friends as cared to accept the invitation, might not only see the future home of the bride, but the Fairy City itself—that wonderland of Fairyland about which they had all heard something more or less fascinating and attractive.
In consequence of this arrangement, what may be termed the “Cards of Invitation,” were issued by the Prince. They were enclosed in a woven envelope made of the very finest green rushes, and they consisted of two broad eucalyptus leaves fastened together with twisted cords of spiders’ silk. On the outside of the first leaf was painted the Prince’s Crest; a red Waratah rising above two green leaves of the plant on which it blooms. On the face of these leaves, in letters of gold, his motto was written, “I live to serve!” On the inside of the second leaf the actual invitation to the wedding appeared. It, also, was written in golden letters. The wording of the invitation was very brief, however, for the Fairies, like the ancients, generally use but few words to express themselves.
In this respect they are not unlike the early peoples, who, away back at the beginning of things—long before writing was invented, only spoke nouns or names. Verbs, adverbs and prepositions have all been added since. But it is a singular fact that the words then used are at once the most expressive, the most simple and the most beautiful in the language. Moreover, they are all words of one syllable! Earth, Air, Sea, Sky, Light, Cold, Heat, Sun, Moon, Day, Night, Man, God! Another remarkable thing about these words is that they all make an appeal to one or more of the five senses. For this reason it [[74]]is not possible to “explain” them; the only way in which they can be comprehended or understood is by private personal experience. Thus, no one can possibly understand what light is except by seeing it, or heat or cold except by feeling it. Similarly, without the sense of taste, sweet or sour has no meaning, and in like manner only those who can hear know what music is, and only those who have a sense of smell are able to enjoy the perfume of a flower.
To return to the point, however, the “Cards of Invitation” were all sent out on the same day—a hundred or two. They were taken to those for whom they were intended by a truly splendid lot of Bronze-wing pigeons.