g would certainly have found out his
mistake the moment they stepped into the brilliantly lighted castle, but
Turritella held her mantle more closely round her, and asked to see the
Fairy by herself, and quickly told her all that had happened, and how
she had succeeded in deceiving King Charming.

'Oho! my daughter,' said the Fairy, 'I see we have no easy task before
us. He loves Fiordelisa so much that he will not be easily pacified. I
feel sure he will defy us!' Meanwhile the King was waiting in a splendid
room with diamond walls, so clear that he could see the Fairy and
Turritella as they stood whispering together, and he was very much
puzzled.

'Who can have betrayed us?' he said to himself. 'How comes our enemy
here? She must be plotting to prevent our marriage. Why doesn't my
lovely Fiordelisa make haste and come hack to me?'

But it was worse than anything he had imagined when the Fairy Mazilla
entered, leading Turritella by the hand, and said to him--

'King Charming, here is the Princess Turritella to whom you have
plighted your faith. Let us have the wedding at once.'

'I!' cried the King. 'I marry that little creature! What do you take me
for? I have promised her nothing!'

'Say no more. Have you no respect for a Fairy?' cried she angrily.

'Yes, madam,' answered the King, 'I am prepared to respect you as much
as a Fairy can be respected, if you will give me back my Princess.'

'Am I not here?' interrupted Turritella. 'Here is the ring you gave me.
With whom did you talk at the little window, if it was not with me?'

'What!' cried the King angrily, 'have I been altogether deceived and
deluded? Where is my chariot? Not another moment will I stay here.'

'Oho,' said the Fairy, 'not so fast.' And she touched his feet, which
instantly became as firmly fixed to the floor as if they had been nailed
there.

'Oh! do whatever you like with me,' said the King; 'you may turn me to
stone, but I will marry no one but Fiordelisa.'

And not another word would he say, though the Fairy scolded and
threatened, and Turritella wept and raged for twenty days and twenty
nights. At last the Fairy Mazilla said furiously (for she was quite
tired out by his obstinacy), 'Choose whether you will marry my
goddaughter, or do penance seven years for breaking your word to her.'

And then the King cried gaily: 'Pray do whatever you like with me, as
long as you deliver me from this ugly scold!'

'Scold!' cried Turritella angri