My god! Nine reviews in two days? That's a record for me!
Mischief Mayhem and Chaos-I stuck to the original version because I'm not creative. (Now you have to say I am, hee hee.)
Ethereal Angel-I am glad you are happy the "Miranda loves Antony! Miranda loves Antony! Miranda loves Antony!"
Spirit-Savior-Yes, you did get 50th reviewer!
Shrouded Spirit-I didn't know that you'd want to get the next part so soon!
Nina-I hope you didn't die! Did I save your life? I hope so. I hate giving mouth-to-mouth.
OYC_Bambi-Read on to see what happens!
Satar-Glad you like my story.
Anjali Sahara-I like your name! I am glad you think my story is funny.
Chien-Wow, when someone says oh HELL this is great, you gotta be proud!
So here goes, the conclusion of KING LACK-BEARD……………………
Miranda stood up, shocked, staring at the King in horror. How much had he heard? When had he come here? Why did he follow her? How did he know where she was? A million questions popped into her head but decided to ask the first one.
"Wh-what did you hear me saying?" She stuttered. "Your majesty." She added, bowing as dignified as she could.
"Oh, Miranda, you don't need to call me majesty." The King laughed.
"How do you know--"
"Your name, yes, well, I remember you."
"As Princess Miranda?"
"As the Princess. And now look at you. You must feel terrible."
"What do you mean by that?" She snapped, turning back towards the pond.
"I—I didn't imply anything mean." The King sounded apologetic. "I just meant you must feel terrible that you were forced to marry a dirty beggar and live the life of a peasant all because of your pride."
"You know for a nice king you sure are a snob." She snapped again. "Dirty beggar? For your information I am married to the wisest and kindest man in all of your rotten kingdom. He is intelligent, kind and patient. He endured my snobbery and stubbornness and never let his temper go. I love that 'dirty beggar'. You must not have heard me talking."
She didn't see that a tear was forming in the King's eye.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't know you loved him so much. What's his name? "
She sighed. "His name is Antony. And he is better than any king. I used to be a snob, a brat who cared about nothing but possessions and pride. But he taught me more. He taught me many things. He taught me to be humble and kind."
"Kind?"
"Oh, please. Don't tell me you've forgotten what I said to you. I insulted you, and you did not deserve it. You had done nothing, and I have regretted treating you such ever since."
"You have?"
"Yes. Curse my pride, curse it! It was my downfall! Oh, do I feel rotten!" She kicked an invisible stone at her foot. She walked up to the King and looked him in the eye. "I am sorry for what I did. You didn't deserve it. I am sorry for any pain I have caused you. Now I must go." She turned to walk away but the King grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" She cried, pulling on her arm. "Now, please, I must be getting home!"
"Wait." He said, "So would you say your pride is completely gone?"
"Why, yes." She stopped struggling, stood and looked at him.
"And you repent the fact that you publicly humiliated me and all of those other suitors?" He asked.
"Yes, yes, yes, now will you let me go?" She asked. He let go of her arm, she rubbed it and looked at him. "What was that for?"
"You have passed the test." He said simply.
"What? What test?" She asked confusedly.
"Fear me not." Said the King. "I'm not who you think I am." He pulled off his crown and Miranda gasped.
"Antony?" She said in disbelief. She paused, looked away, looked at him, and then spoke, "What are you doing in the Kings clothes? How did you get here? What is going on?"
"Miranda, I'm the King." He said.
Miranda looked off behind him and thought about it. It made complete sense. She thought back, she recalled one time when she didn't want to go sell pots………
"Miranda, do you know how many times I have been mocked by people who thought they were better than me?" She saw his wise and warm face, and then saw herself mocking him as a King.
And another time, when she had made a lot of money from the market, and Antony was thinking of buying a pot-bellied pig………
"Since when have you had pot-bellied pig?" She had asked. "You act as if you were a king." She remembered Antony looked at her a moment, his face full of horror for a split-second.
And the time she had seen him on the road. Or, King Lack-Beard, and then Antony came into the house.
He was always reading. Only nobles read. He was always gone. Probably at the castle, doing Kingly duties.
"Oh, how could I be so blind?" She cried, falling over into Antony's arms. "So you ARE King, Antony? King Lack-Beard?"
"I'd prefer Antony." He laughed. "But Lack-Beard DOES have a little charm to it."
"Why did you do this?"
"Why, to cure you of your pride." She leaned on his shoulder as the couple walked into the castle. "And it seems to have worked." He stopped, and held Miranda's hand in his, "But you do honestly love me?"
"King or beggar, I love you, Antony!" She said, kissing him.
So the two walked back to the court, Miranda was given a beautiful wedding- gown and their marriage was celebrated by all. Joy was in every face. The feast was grand, and all were merry; and I wish you and I had been of the party.
The End.
Mischief Mayhem and Chaos-I stuck to the original version because I'm not creative. (Now you have to say I am, hee hee.)
Ethereal Angel-I am glad you are happy the "Miranda loves Antony! Miranda loves Antony! Miranda loves Antony!"
Spirit-Savior-Yes, you did get 50th reviewer!
Shrouded Spirit-I didn't know that you'd want to get the next part so soon!
Nina-I hope you didn't die! Did I save your life? I hope so. I hate giving mouth-to-mouth.
OYC_Bambi-Read on to see what happens!
Satar-Glad you like my story.
Anjali Sahara-I like your name! I am glad you think my story is funny.
Chien-Wow, when someone says oh HELL this is great, you gotta be proud!
So here goes, the conclusion of KING LACK-BEARD……………………
Miranda stood up, shocked, staring at the King in horror. How much had he heard? When had he come here? Why did he follow her? How did he know where she was? A million questions popped into her head but decided to ask the first one.
"Wh-what did you hear me saying?" She stuttered. "Your majesty." She added, bowing as dignified as she could.
"Oh, Miranda, you don't need to call me majesty." The King laughed.
"How do you know--"
"Your name, yes, well, I remember you."
"As Princess Miranda?"
"As the Princess. And now look at you. You must feel terrible."
"What do you mean by that?" She snapped, turning back towards the pond.
"I—I didn't imply anything mean." The King sounded apologetic. "I just meant you must feel terrible that you were forced to marry a dirty beggar and live the life of a peasant all because of your pride."
"You know for a nice king you sure are a snob." She snapped again. "Dirty beggar? For your information I am married to the wisest and kindest man in all of your rotten kingdom. He is intelligent, kind and patient. He endured my snobbery and stubbornness and never let his temper go. I love that 'dirty beggar'. You must not have heard me talking."
She didn't see that a tear was forming in the King's eye.
"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't know you loved him so much. What's his name? "
She sighed. "His name is Antony. And he is better than any king. I used to be a snob, a brat who cared about nothing but possessions and pride. But he taught me more. He taught me many things. He taught me to be humble and kind."
"Kind?"
"Oh, please. Don't tell me you've forgotten what I said to you. I insulted you, and you did not deserve it. You had done nothing, and I have regretted treating you such ever since."
"You have?"
"Yes. Curse my pride, curse it! It was my downfall! Oh, do I feel rotten!" She kicked an invisible stone at her foot. She walked up to the King and looked him in the eye. "I am sorry for what I did. You didn't deserve it. I am sorry for any pain I have caused you. Now I must go." She turned to walk away but the King grabbed her arm. "Let me go!" She cried, pulling on her arm. "Now, please, I must be getting home!"
"Wait." He said, "So would you say your pride is completely gone?"
"Why, yes." She stopped struggling, stood and looked at him.
"And you repent the fact that you publicly humiliated me and all of those other suitors?" He asked.
"Yes, yes, yes, now will you let me go?" She asked. He let go of her arm, she rubbed it and looked at him. "What was that for?"
"You have passed the test." He said simply.
"What? What test?" She asked confusedly.
"Fear me not." Said the King. "I'm not who you think I am." He pulled off his crown and Miranda gasped.
"Antony?" She said in disbelief. She paused, looked away, looked at him, and then spoke, "What are you doing in the Kings clothes? How did you get here? What is going on?"
"Miranda, I'm the King." He said.
Miranda looked off behind him and thought about it. It made complete sense. She thought back, she recalled one time when she didn't want to go sell pots………
"Miranda, do you know how many times I have been mocked by people who thought they were better than me?" She saw his wise and warm face, and then saw herself mocking him as a King.
And another time, when she had made a lot of money from the market, and Antony was thinking of buying a pot-bellied pig………
"Since when have you had pot-bellied pig?" She had asked. "You act as if you were a king." She remembered Antony looked at her a moment, his face full of horror for a split-second.
And the time she had seen him on the road. Or, King Lack-Beard, and then Antony came into the house.
He was always reading. Only nobles read. He was always gone. Probably at the castle, doing Kingly duties.
"Oh, how could I be so blind?" She cried, falling over into Antony's arms. "So you ARE King, Antony? King Lack-Beard?"
"I'd prefer Antony." He laughed. "But Lack-Beard DOES have a little charm to it."
"Why did you do this?"
"Why, to cure you of your pride." She leaned on his shoulder as the couple walked into the castle. "And it seems to have worked." He stopped, and held Miranda's hand in his, "But you do honestly love me?"
"King or beggar, I love you, Antony!" She said, kissing him.
So the two walked back to the court, Miranda was given a beautiful wedding- gown and their marriage was celebrated by all. Joy was in every face. The feast was grand, and all were merry; and I wish you and I had been of the party.
The End.
