were all laughing and happy again. But then--would you believe
he could be so mean?--he refused to keep his royal promise, and restore
Prigio to his crown-princeship! Kings are like that.

But Prigio, very quietly asking for the head of the Firedrake, said he'd
pour the magic water on _that_, and bring the Firedrake back to life
again, unless his majesty behaved rightly. This threat properly
frightened King Grognio, and he apologised. Then the king shook hands
with Prigio in public, and thanked him, and said he was proud of him. As
to Lady Rosalind, the old gentleman quite fell in love with her, and he
sent at once to the Chaplain Royal to get into his surplice, and marry
all the young people off at once, without waiting for wedding-cakes, and
milliners, and all the rest of it.

Now, just as they were forming a procession to march into church, who
should appear but the queen! Her majesty had been travelling by post all
the time, and, luckily, had heard of none of the doings since Prigio,
Benson, and the king left Gluckstein. I say _luckily_ because if she
_had_ heard of them, she would not have believed a word of them. But
when she saw Alphonso and Enrico, she was much pleased, and said:

{The Queen and her sons: p140.jpg}

"Naughty boys! Where have you been hiding? The king had some absurd
story about your having been killed by a fabulous monster. Bah! don't
tell _me_. I always said you would come back after a little trip--didn't
I, Prigio?"

"Certainly, madam," said Prigio; "and I said so, too. Didn't I say so?"
And all the courtiers cried: "Yes, you did;" but some added, to
themselves, "_He always says_, 'Didn't I say so?'"

Then the queen was introduced to Lady Rosalind, and she said it was
"rather a short engagement, but she supposed young people understood
their own affairs best." And they do! So the three pairs were married,
with the utmost rejoicings; and her majesty never, her whole life long,
could be got to believe that anything unusual had occurred.

The honeymoon of Prince Prigio and the Crown Princess Rosalind was passed
at the castle, where the prince had been deserted by the Court. But now
it was delightfully fitted up; and Master Frank marched about the house
with his tail in the air, as if the place belonged to him.

Now, on the second day of their honeymoon, the prince and princess were
sitting in the garden together, and the prince said, "Are you _quite_
happy, my dear?" and R