Elena and the Royal Decree

It was almost one year since Elena was freed from Queen Shuriki's curse and restored to the throne of Avalor. As promised, she reigned over the land as crown princess- fulfilling her commitment to her Abuelo to learn how to lead her kingdom. The coronation was just three weeks away and she was anxious to finally be named queen of Avalor. She was ready.

Her sister Isabel was home on summer vacation. She spent the days exploring hidden corners of the castle, looking for inspiration for her next invention. Elena was not surprised to find her sister covered in dust, running through the halls late that afternoon.

"Elena!" She came running towards Elena, a dusty moth-eaten scroll in her hand. "I found this scroll hidden in a cupboard in the secret passageway. It's sealed with the Avalor crest- Jacquins! I wonder if one of our ancestors put it there..."

Elena took the scroll from her outstretched hand. Carefully, she peeled the wax seal back without ripping the delicate paper.

"It's a Royal Decree! It's dated from over 90 years ago!" She scanned the document and read, "It is hereby declared that the kingdom of Avalor shall be led by the royal blood of the Castillo family. Upon coronation of the first born prince or princess, he or she must marry within 30 days of the crowning ceremony. All royal unions of matrimony should be arranged to ensure the royal bloodline." She looked up at her sister and whispered "No!" She continued, "A royal from a neighboring kingdom may be chosen. In the event that a suitable royal cannot be found, a partner with the status of nobility may be selected from the following noble families: Lopez, Garcia, Flores and Nunez."

"What does that mean, Elena? You have to get married?" Isabel's eyes were wide with wonder.

Elena gritted her teeth. "Not if I have anything to say about that." She marched straight to her grandfather and grandmother, Francisco and Luisa.

She found her abuelo and abuela having tea in the dining room. Without delay, she demanded, "Do you know anything about this?! Isa found an old royal decree that said I would have to get married within 30 days of my coronation!"

Luisa took the withered document and reviewed it carefully. "Well... we will have to consult Esteban to see if the signatures are valid. It is signed by your grandparents on your father's side of the family, Jorge and Marisol Castillo. I'm sorry mija, but I think it is authentic. You must rule with a husband at your side."

"I am perfectly capable of ruling Avalor on my own. I don't need a husband to tell me what to do!" She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room furiously.

"Perhaps it is better that she has a partner. We will not be around forever mi amor.", murmured Francisco.

Luisa sighed. "And she has the temper of Charoca sometimes. She needs a strong man who will let her take the lead, but be a voice of patience and reason." She raised her brow and said, "It did not escape me that Nunez was listed as a name of nobility."

"As in lieutenant Nunez? I wonder what his family connection is to the noble family Nunez. I can see you are scheming Luisa, but Elena is an independent soul. She will not easily be swayed."

"Her other alternative being her older cousin Esteban? Or that fool, Prince Alonso? I think she would much prefer the handsome young soldier.", she replied.

He took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. "Our marriage was arranged, but we had already chosen each other for love. I hope she can find the same."

"Me too, mi amor."

Elena paced in her room angrily. "Marriage? Bah! I'll not marry some stuffy prince like Prince Alonso." She shuddered at the thought of the cocky, irresponsible prince from the Kingdom of Cordoba. There had to be a way to get out of this.

And then it hit her. "Aha!"

Devising a plan, she set out to meet with her Grand Council to discuss the validity of this heinous decree.

Naomi pounced on her as soon as she entered the hallway. "So, marriage huh? You're not going to marry Chancellor Esteban, now are you? He's nobility." She smirked playfully.

Elena's face contorted with disgust. "Naomi! You know me better than that!"

Naomi chuckled. "Just teasing princess. I'm sure you'll find yourself a handsome prince from some distant kingdom."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

She entered the room in a flourish, Naomi on her tail. Her grandparents, cousin Esteban and royal wizard Mateo were waiting expectantly. "Thank you for coming. As you know, we have a royal decree to discuss. Sooo, before anyone starts suggesting some distant prince for me to marry, I have another suggestion."

Chancellor Esteban pursed his lips. "Let's hear it."

"Thank you, cousin. So this royal decree... it was written while my Castillo grandparents were king and queen. It was designed to make sure the throne stays in the family." She put a hand up to stop Esteban's interruption. "But... what if I make my own royal decree in my first thirty days? I can make an ammendment to this decree to state that I have, ohh let's say, ten years? Before I have to get married?"

Luisa looked at Elena increduously and said, "Mija it is not that simple. There are other laws already in place that limit the power of amending royal decrees. We were looking it over before you got here. There is no legal way out of this one. You will have to get married."

Elena threw her arms up, exasperated. "Abuela, I can't get married! I've had less than a year outside of the amulet and now you want to imprison me with a husband! Can't I have a bit more time to myself?!"

Francisco went to Elena and put his hands on her shoulders. "Now Elena, it is not that bad. You know, things were arranged with Luisa and I, and we are very happy together. We will find someone compatible with you. We have a bit of time."

"What about that prince you met, from Cordoba?" Mateo suggested.

Elena groaned. "No way, not a chance. He has no passion for his work and his people. I'll never marry someone so self-absorbed."

Luisa shared a look with Francisco. "You know, mija, there is another option besides a prince." She paused carefully. "The decree allowed for marriage to one of the noble families of Avalor."

Elena pursed her lips impatiently. "What are you getting at, abuela."

Esteban, shrewd as he was, caught on to Louisa's plan rather quickly. "We have no way of knowing who is truly noble anymore. The nobles lost their status when Shuriki took the throne."

"Wait, there must be a way to know for sure. Maybe there are copies of Avalor geneological records at the library." Mateo offered helpfully.

Luisa responded quickly, "That will not be necessary Mateo. The decree specified the family names of nobility. Related is related, regardless of how far back the connection goes. Since our family surname is Flores, another Flores is obviously out of the question. That leaves us the options of Lopez, Garcia or Nunez. I'm sure we can find someone for you Elena." She smiled, scheming unabashedly.

Naomi, putting it together, exclaimed, "Wait... you mean Gabe! Wow Luisa, that's a bit of a stretch."

"Did I hear my name?" Gabe entered in a timely fashion, hands resting on his hips in the proud stance of a royal guard.

Elena groaned once again and hid her face in her hands.

"Hey Gabe, we were just discussing your impending marriage to Elena. At least, that's what Luisa is scheming about." Naomi muttered sarcastically.

Gabe smoothed his hair nervously. "Ah, marriage? To Elena? But... but I'm not a prince!"

"Don't worry Gabe, this is a little beyond the duties of a royal guard. I'm not getting married. We'll find a way around this ridiculous decree!" Elena rushed past Gabe, a determined resolve in her gait.

"She'll come around.", said Luisa.

"She should not marry a distant, possible relative of the noble family Nunez. My apologies Gabe, it is not personal. But she should marry royalty, to keep the proud character of Avalor intact." Esteban stated in haughty arrogance.

Luisa ruffled to Esteban and consoled Gabe, "Do not listen to Esteben, Gabriel. You are a fine match for Elena and it is well within the law for her to marry you. At least we know you would protect Elena and keep her safe."

Gabe shifted his weight awkwardly to one foot, as if he wanted to run. "Ahh... I better find Elena. She... um... seemed upset." He made his exit with haste, wishing to disappear from embarassment. If he was being truthful with himself, the idea of marrying Elena thrilled him immensely. He'd kept his feelings for her in check for ages- but now the possibility of acting on those feelings was there and his imagination ran wild. Could she ever feel the same way for him? There was only one way to find out.

Elena paced out in the gardens, trying to grasp at some solution. She could not fathom marrying anyone, let alone her friend and royal guard. And what did he think of such a nonsensical idea? Surely he would not agree to such a thing out of duty. Besides, they have always been friends. She'd never considered crossing that line with him.

"Ahem. Um, Elena? Are you ok?" Gabe interrupted her stream of dissonance with an obscene blush creeping up his neck.

"Gabe... listen don't worry about this hairbrained idea of abuela's. This is way beyond royal guard responsibilities. I mean... marriage! Gah!"

Gabe assembled his courage and approached Elena with feigned courage. To her surprise, he took her hands in his. "Elena, I would not marry someone out of duty, not even a princess."

"Well that's a relief", she laughed.

He gripped her hands tighter, hesitating. "Ah... what I mean to say. Would you like to go on a date... sometime... with me?"

She blanched and pulled her hands from his. "Wait... are you saying you're interested in me? I did not see that one coming." she muttered under her breath. "I don't know Gabe. I've never thought of you in that way before. I guess we could give it a shot. I'd rather spend time with you than Prince Alonso."

Gabe oozed pure happiness and flashed Elena a charismatic smile. "Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7:00. Goodnight, princess." He walked off with a swagger of confidence, all trace of his shy blush had vanished.

Elena sighed in exasperation. "What have I done..."

Zuzo popped into existence, snapping Elena out of her sulk. "What's wrong princess, royal life got you down?"

She grimaced. "Something like that. Turns out I have to get MARRIED after coronation. Such an antiquated, ridiculous idea."

"Ahh yes princess, I know the law well. Perhaps, try not think of it as such a terrible thing. Having a strong team and partnership at the crown is a very good thing for Avalor. Where you are headstrong and sometimes reckless, your partner could keep you safe and grounded. It's all about balance and leadership."

Elena sighed in grudging acquiescence. "I guess you're right. I don't have to do it alone. I just don't like to be pressured. Maybe there's a small part of me that wants to marry for romance and love."

"Well, I hate to side with your abuela, but perhaps there is more there between you and the young Lieutenant Nunez than you've admitted to yourself. At the very least, there is friendship and trust. The man would jump in front of a bullet for you, and not just out of duty." Zuzu winked and just like that, he disappeared.

It was 6:55 and Elena paced nervously in her bedroom. She'd changed her dress at least three times in Isabel's contraption, feeling uncharacteristically apprehensive about spending time with Gabe. Would he expect her to kiss him tonight? Despite over 40 years trapped in the amulet, she was an inexperienced 17 year old girl at heart.

She swallowed her nerves and made her way to the foyer. Gabe had ditched the guard uniform and he was resplendent in a formal suit, as nobility would surely wear. He bowed deeply to Elena and kissed her hand. He revealed a bouquet of vivid red Ceibo flowers.

"You didn't have to... er... thanks Gabe."

"My pleasure, Elena. Shall we?"

Gabe led Elena out to the courtyard to a carriage, decorated from top to bottom in the ruby red Ceibo flowers. The driver, a friend of Gabe's, winked at her as Gabe helped her into her seat. "Wow, Gabe. This is beautiful!" she said appreciatively.

Gabe locked her in his smoldering eyes, "You're welcome, Elena. They reminded me of you. Bright, bold and lovely."

She had a rushing feeling, like things were moving too fast and they'd only just started. "So.. where are we going?"

Gabe smiled and put his arm across the seat behind her. "That is a surprise. You'll just have to patient."

He's charming, that's for sure, Elena thought. She let down her guard for the moment and enjoyed the ride into the country. They approached a nearby stream and Gabe reached in his pocket to produce a blindfold. "May I?"

She nodded, wondering what he was up to.

He lead her out of the carriage and closer to the stream. She could hear the running water and the soft melody on a charango (similar to a ukulele). When he finally stopped and removed the blindfold, she was floored by her surroundings.

There was a burst of vivid red from the blooming Ceibo trees all around them. They were lit with hundreds of lanterns carefully strung up from the trees, creating a dazzling, romantic scenery. A musician strummed a lovely melody near a dining table, set for two. Gabe grasped Elena's hands and asked, "Dance with me?"

Elena nodded, unable to speak. She was choked up with emotion at the thoughtfulness and beauty of this place. He whisked her away, dancing in rhythm to the music. The tone became more seductive and their bodies were in synchony with the melody, inching closer and closer to one another. Feeling overwhelmed at the depth of the trance she seemed to be in, Elena jerked away from Gabe. The space she created did not stop the sparks from flying back and forth between them. She must finally admit to herself what she could not before- she had feelings for Gabe that connected on a deeper, primal level of absolute compatibility.

Gabe could read her confusion and desire, as Elena backed away. "Would you like to have dinner with me?", he inquired, eager to make her feel at ease.

"Yes, and perhaps a drink too." Elena laughed, breathlessly.

They ate in companionable conversation, though perhaps more reserved than the usual quips and banter that had previously defined their relationship. Gabe reached out and grabbed Elena's hand as they strolled back to the carriage.

Elena became quiet and pensive on the ride back to the castle. Her hand twitched and Gabe seized the opportunity to grasp it. Stroking the back her palm, he said softly, "I had a great time tonight Elena. No, an unbelievable time. I hope I will have the honor of taking you out for a second date..." He gazed into her eyes passionately, and she flushed in anticipation. She tilted her head towards his and softly kissed him with her ruby red lips, which matched the shade of the Ceibo flowers perfectly.

The next morning, at breakfast, Luisa looked at Elena expectantly. "Wellll, how did it go with Lieutenant Nunez?"

Elena smiled dreamily, reminiscing on the romantic evening she'd had. She all but hugged herself as she glided into her seat.

Francisco chuckled. "If that doesn't give you your answer, Luisa... yes, I'd say you may have been right about Mr. Nunez."

Luisa smiled smugly. "Of course I was right, mi amor. I'm glad you finally see what a charming young man Mr. Nunez is, Elena."

"Yes, yes, you were right. Very charming."

Isabel wrinkled her nose in distaste. "So is he your... boyfriend now?!"

Elena gave her sister an amused half-smile and responded, "Let's not rush things Isa. For now, let's just say I had a really great evening with him." The faraway glaze returned to her eyes and Luisa smiled at Francisco knowingly.