“You forget the great danger she was in from the Human Octopus,” reminded Florimel.
“But the Human Octopus is no more,” said the king. “There is nothing to fear on that score, drop him from memory.”
“Still Dragonfel the enchanter has made his threats,” said Florimel. “They may be wild, foolish threats, yet they cause me great uneasiness. I fear for the queen because of him.”
Then he told the king for the first time how the Red Spirit, after the Human Octopus had been cleft in twain by the magic arrow, had flown away into the air, to bide his time, perhaps for further mischief and wrong-doing.
His Majesty’s little weazened face turned very grave at the recital.
“Still, Florimel, I would not worry,” he said. “I will caution all the band to keep a sharp look-out for the rascal. And do you, my son, woo and win, Titania, for my blessing will fall upon you both.”
To that end Florimel exerted himself, but it was an easy task, since Titania loved him fully as dearly as he her. So when they were seated once at twilight on a stone bench in the palace-garden, very close to each other, he asked the question ever trembling on his lips, and she did not say him nay.
Then Florimel took a slender circlet of gold and placed it on her tiny engagement finger. But, while she first looked at it, then pressed it very tenderly to her little red pouting lips, the Red Spirit suddenly darted from behind the bench, where he had been eavesdropping all the while.
Before Florimel could reach for an arrow the other flew off in the air and disappeared.