Isn't Love Wonderful?

“I won’t do it!”

“But, darling, be reasonable. Prince Dayton is an excellent catch.”

Princess Ribbetta threw herself down on her bed of reeds. “But, Mother, I don’t love him.” She rolled over and sat up to meet her mother’s gaze. “Have you even seen Prince Dayton?”

Her mother scowled. “No, but he is thought to be among the most handsome of men.” She let out a long, despairing sigh and sat down by the door. “My dear, love is a fine notion for commoners, but for royalty, it is better to just accept that duty comes first.”

Ribbetta leaned over the side of her bed and picked up one of the sweet, fresh reeds that covered her chamber floor. She tied it in a long row of neat knots, then threw it aside. How could her father just spring this on her? She looked up at her mother. "Did the royal obligation work out for you, Mother? When you came here to find the husband of your dreams, were you disappointed when you were chosen to stay here with Father instead of going home?"

"I didn't really have a choice, but from the moment I first kissed him, I knew that I loved your father. I still do even after all this time. Don't worry. The outside world is just as beautiful as Lakeland, and, once he kisses you, you and Dayton will be so in love you won't notice where you are."

“What if I just climb the tallest tree in the woods and just stay there?" She met her mother’s eyes with a petulant frown.

“Don’t be silly. Talking like that will only get everyone riled up.” The queen took a deep breath. “Come now, Dayton is handsome, wealthy, and he has promised your father that he will preserve Lakeland. Isn’t the future of your people worth this sacrifice?”

“If Dayton is so special, why hasn’t he found a bride elsewhere? Surely there must be a basketful of princesses closer to home that would fall over themselves to marry such a catch.” Even before she asked the question, she knew the answer. It was all the fault of the family curse. “I just wish that my great, great, great uncle had never wandered out of this kingdom. What was he thinking when he stopped to help that princess find her ball?”

Ribbetta’s mother nodded and closed her eyes, letting her chin drop down to her chest. “I know, my dear. I know. But the fact is that he did leave this kingdom, and when that young princess kissed him . . . well, what happened made the princes and princesses of our land the most desirable in the entire world. There is nothing we can do about that now.”

“Except refuse.” Ribbetta nodded before her mother could speak. “I know. I know. The outside world is pressing in on the Lakeland, and it is my duty to help preserve our home.” She stood and brushed herself off. “All right, let us go meet this Prince Dayton. Too bad he isn’t looking for a husband. The family wouldn’t miss any of my brothers.”

“If it weren't for your brothers, the royal family would die out, and then what would happen? A princess has not been chosen to rule in over a hundred years.” Her mother stood and followed her from the chamber. “Too many of the boys get killed to afford sending any of them off.” She fanned herself as if she were feeling faint and swallowed hard.

Side by side, mother and daughter stepped from the family home into the spring sunshine. There, on the banks of pond, the king, Prince Dayton, and his mother and father awaited her arrival.

Dayton’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and he stepped forward, a wide smile spreading across his fair, handsome face. “Why, she’s splendid!”

“Splendid?” Ribbetta did not know how to react to splendid. It was not “Oh heavens above, she is the most gorgeous, graceful creature I have ever laid eyes upon”, but it was not, “Argh, she’s hideous”, either.

“May I kiss you?” Dayton asked, bending towards her.

“I suppose.” Ribbetta closed her eyes and crunched up her face as his lips came at her. He pecked her on the cheek, and she relaxed. That was not so bad. She gave the prince a half-hearted smile and waited for the magic infatuation that her mother had told her about.

Nothing.

“But . . .” The prince stared at her as if he expected her to swoon and declare her love.

Dayton’s father leaned in over his shoulder and nudged the young man in the ribs. “The lips, my lad, that’s the ticket. Kiss her on the lips.”

Ribbetta scowled. The peck on the cheek had not been horrible, but on the lips? Were they not moving just a little bit too fast? They had not even had time to get to know one another. As soon as he kissed her, it would all be over. She would have to leave the Lakelands, the beautiful, little pond and her family's home. She turned her head to stare at her mother with a plea for help, but her mother just gave her a weak smile and shrugged.

Dayton’s lips were coming at her again. She squeezed her eyes closed as his fingers grasped both sides of her face. He pressed his lips to hers -- they were wet -- and he opened his mouth. Ugh! If he was trying to sweep her off her feet, he was going about it the wrong way.

Then it happened! Some people said it was like hearing bells, but to Ribbetta it was more like a clap of thunder. Her knees became weak, and she sank slowly to the ground when Dayton released her. A stupid grin spread across her face as she let out a little giggle. So that was swooning.

“What happened? Father! Mother! What? I can’t see. Why can’t I see?”

Ribbetta sat up. Still wobbly from the kiss, she reached up and touched her face. It was the same! She turned to her mother and father, her eyes huge and terrified. Her parents stared right back. Their mouths moved, but no sound came out as they searched for words.

“But . . .” Ribbetta’s sentence was cut off by a shriek from Dayton’s mother. There was a muffled thump as the woman's body hit the ground, followed by the soft swish of her skirts as they settled around her. Ribbetta looked up at Dayton’s father. The man was standing there, frozen, holding his son.

His son . . . Ribbetta stopped and took a wobbly hop towards her prince. All of her doubts about marrying him disappeared like fog before the heat of the sun. Dayton. All her eyes could see was Dayton. He was beautiful. He was -- love.

“Father? What happened?” Dayton demanded, struggling to break free of his father’s clutching hands. In his writhing and squirming, he caught sight of Ribbetta, and he stopped, becoming as still as stone. He smiled, his gorgeous face opening up like the most beautiful of flowers. “Father," he cried, "let me go.”

The king released his son, and Dayton hurried to Ribbetta’s side. “My most beautiful darling, we must be married this very day.”

Ribbetta could only nod as he leaned forward and kissed her again.

“Well, my dear,” Ribbetta’s father said in his most kingly tone. He wrapped his arm around his wife. “It appears our people will have the first queen chosen in a hundred years." He let out a belly laugh and turned to walk back nside. “We’d better start taking applications from princesses straight away. After all, we have over a hundred sons to marry off!”

Dayton and Ribbetta followed her parents. They hopped with their sides pressed together and their eyes locked on one another’s faces.

“Wait!” Dayton’s father shouted. “This is not the way it was supposed to happen! We had an agreement!”

Ribbetta’s father turned back. “Do you have any daughters? Now that the Royal Heir has been chosen, my sons would make fine husbands.”

“But . . . this . . ." The man stuttered, trying to find words. “It didn’t work! She’s supposed to . . .”

“Yes, usually the transformation does work the other way, but she was chosen to lead our people.” He shrugged. “Nothing could be done. Everything will go swimmingly if you want one of my sons. It’s a certainty.”

“My son is a FROG!” the king screamed. His outburst caused his wife to let out a thin wail from within the pile of skirts.

“Yes. He’ll make a fine king for the Lakeland. And just look at them. Isn’t love wonderful?”