The Princess went slowly back through fairyland, till she came to the wall, just as the sun was breaking in the east. As every one knows, White Magic is not of very much use in the daytime, outside of fairyland, and if you ask why this is not so at christenings, I will send you to Peter Knowall, who keeps the Big Red Book.
So the guards at the triple gates saw the Princess, and they raised such a hub-bub, that the King and the Queen rushed out to see what all the noise was about. You can easily believe that they were in a great way when they saw the Little Princess, who they thought was safe asleep in her bed.
They lost no time in bundling her through the gates, and then they fell to kissing her, and scolding her, and shaking her, and hugging her, all in the same breath.
But the Princess said, “I have been out into the world, and I am going to marry the Prince!”
Then perhaps there was not a great to-do about the Garden!
They bullied and coaxed and scolded and wept, but the Princess only said,
“I love him with all my heart and when the time comes I will go to him, if I have to beg my way from door to door!”
At that the King flew into a towering rage.
“Very well, Miss!” he shouted. “But when you go, you may stay forever! I will cut your name off the records, and any one who speaks it will be beheaded, if it is the High Lord Chancellor, himself!”
Then it was the turn of the Princess to weep, for she loved her parents dearly, but she could not promise to forget the Prince.