"I've never been so insulted!" The prince shouted angrily as he left the harem.
"Oh Prince Kevin, leaving so soon are you?" Doug the Maharajah said trying to calm him.
"Good luck marrying her off!" He slammed the palace doors and left on his horse. Doug blew in frustration. That was the thirteenth prince his daughter had rejected this month and three hundredth she had rejected this year. Finding a husband for her was getting more and more difficult. "Connie!"
He marched right into the harem. He found the fifteen year old princess with raven like hair, hazel wood eyes, and highlighted face sitting by the window dressed in a gold tank top and skirt with her hair braided and a jewel hanging from her forehead. She truly was India's most lovely treasure. He saw her handmaidens Sadie and Jenny playing with Prince Kevin's torn up jacket.
"So this is why Prince Kevin was so upset!" He scolded her.
"Oh Father we were only playing with him. Weren't we ladies?" Connie said to the other girls.
"Yes that prince needed to loosen up." Jenny agreed. "He was so stuffy."
"Not to mention self absorbed, pompous, arrogant." Connie listed.
"Don't forget snobby." Sadie added causing all three of them to laugh but when they saw Doug looking angry they quickly laughed.
"Excuse us ladies. But I'd like a word with my daughter." He said.
"Yes sire." The handmaidens said exiting into the next room.
"Dearest you've got to stop rejecting every suitor that comes to call. The law says you-"
"Must be married to a prince. I know, I know you've told me. Why do I have to marry a prince?"
"It's the law."
"But why is it the law?"
"Well it...it just is. It's always been that way since before you born."
"Well why can't you just change it? You're the maharajah. You make the laws."
"Connie it's not that simple even I have laws I must follow and it's not only this law. I'm not going to be around forever you know and...I just want to make sure you're taken care of and provided for when I'm gone."
"Father I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself and how can you expect me to get married when I've never been on my own? Never had so much has a taste of freedom? I mean never been outside the palace walls."
"But Connie you're a princess."
"Well then maybe I don't wanna be a princess anymore!" She cried frustrated.
"Oh! Buddha for bid you have any daughters!" He shouted walking out.
Connie sighed, she knew her father meant well but he couldn't just run her life and expect her to marry whoever.
"Well that didn't go well." Jenny said.
"Try to understand your highness." Sadie comforted. "He only wants what's best for you."
"Yes and apparently he thinks being a well behaved princess is what's best for me." Connie said. "A princess must say this, a princess must do that, I princess must marry a total stranger. It's not fair!"
"I know but there's nothing you can really do about it." Sadie said.
"Oh there is something." She said. "I can leave here."
"You mean leave the palace?"
"Yes. Go out, live my own life."
"I don't know your highness. For someone like you the outside world can be very overwhelming."
"Is that a promise?"
"I think it would do her a world of good." Jenny said.
"Really?"
"Honey I've never seen someone who needed to get out more."
"Then it's decided. I'll leave tonight after dark and I'll disguise myself as a peasant so no one will recognize me."
"How long will you be gone?" Sadie asked.
"Just a couple of days."
"But what do we tell your father?"
"Don't tell him anything."
"You mean lie to him? Your highness you do know lying to the Maharajah means death right?"
"No don't lie. Just tell him you don't know where I am which is technically the truth because neither of you know. I better go get ready." She went to change her clothes.
"Oh dear, this cannot end well."
"Relax." Jenny said to Sadie. "You worry too much."
"And you don't worry at all."
Meanwhile in the throne room Doug was beside himself with stress and concern.
"I just don't know where she gets from. Her mother wasn't nearly so picky."
He thought back to when he was young and he had started courting Connie's mother Piriyanka. She had only rejected twenty before marrying him, he wished she was still here. He thought that maybe she could talk some sense into their daughter. Then a shadow fell over him.
"Wha- oh Marty it was just you." He said. "Please don't sneak up on me like that."
"My apologizes my lord." He said.
"I am in desperate need of your wisdom."
"I live to serve you."
"Connie refuses to take a husband. I'm at my wit's end."
"Rac! Wit's end!" Peridot squawked.
"Oh hello there pretty Polly." Doug said. "Have a cracker."
With that said he shoved it into Peridot's mouth much to her disgust.
"Your majesty certainly has a way with dumb animals." Marty chuckled causing Peridot to glare at him. "Now about this suitor business. I can surely find a solution of course it would require a blue diamond."
He eyed Doug's ring.
"My ring? But it's been in the family for years. I could never..."
"It is necessary for the situation. It will be fine." He held his staff up to the man's gaze putting him under a spell. "The ring?"
"Yes." He said dazed. "Take it."
He handed him the ring which he quickly took.
"You are most gracious my lordship. Don't worry I'll have the problem solved." He then exiting the room to his lair.
"Bleh! Ick!" Peridot spat. "Gross! Disgusting! If I have to choke down another cracker I'm going to shatter! Oh how can you humans eat? Chewing up that stuff into mush and sending it down your throat! What a horrible experience!"
"Calm yourself Peridot. Soon I will be maharajah not that fool and I will rule."