Disney's World Of Adventures
Chapter 03 - The Princess Meets Her True Love
Princess Marianna spent the day in her room preparing for her ceremony. As the sun set on the horizon and the hour of her event drew near, she sat silently in front of her vanity, gazing forlornly into her mirror, as her lady-in-waiting and closest friend, Susanna, helped her prepare.
Susan spent the past hour helping Maria apply her makeup. Now she tied her hair into a bun with several braids. She added the finishing touches by fixing her hair in place with diamond-studded hairpins. Unfortunately, she stuck one pin too far in.
"Ouch!" Maria jerked in place as the small yet sharp pin pricked her sensitive scalp.
Susan sucked breath through her teeth as she tensed up. "My bad! Let me fix that."
As her friend withdrew the pin to fix it in place properly without nicking her scalp, Maria rubbed her temples. "Ay! Caray!"
"Sorry, boo!" Maria replied. "I'll try to be careful."
Maria shook her head. "It's not that. It's just that—I'm just flustered about this evening. I knew my father would marry me off someday. I just never thought it would be this soon. I assumed I had enough time to find the right person. And now he's gone and found someone for me instead."
"Cheer up!" Susan stuck another pin in Maria's hair. "Who knows? Maybe your father finally found Mr. Right for you. Maybe this prince will actually succeed in sweeping you off your feet head over heels in love."
"But what if he doesn't?" Maria asked. "What if he's still not the right person? I know I've been taking my sweet time with my suitors, and I understand my father getting impatient with me, but—you know—if I'm going to marry someone, I want it to be someone I love. You know? True love and all? Happily ever after?" Maria sighed as she frowned and sadly dropped her gaze into her lap. "But I guess that's just the stuff of fairy tales. Maybe that's just not for me." She gazed at her friend's reflection in the mirror. "I just hope that, when you finally get married—that is, if you get married—that you marry your true love. I hope you find someone you care for very much, someone you know very well, someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, together, forever. At the very least, do it for me."
Susan pushed the last pin into Maria's hair. After spending hours aiding her friend, from drawing her bath and dressing her up, to applying her makeup and styling her hair, she finally looked upon the final result of her handiwork. She was proud to say the least, but what Maria had said stirred something deep inside of her, something she couldn't contain. She bit her lip.
"Maria, there's something I've been meaning to tell you, something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time."
Before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by the door flying open as another female servant rushed in.
"My ladies, the ceremony is about to begin! Please make your way to the ballroom!"
The other servant gasped when she saw Princess Marianna dressed and dolled up in her best. "Oh, bless my soul! You look absolutely gorgeous! You're sure to be the envy of the party, and I'm sure you'll catch your prince's eyes as well!"
Once the servant left, Maria stood. "Well, I'm sure you can tell me later. My guests, and my prince, awaits."
Princess Marianna entered the grand ballroom, her presence announced to the other guests. Soon every voice hushed and every eye turned onto her. She passed through the large doorway and stepped onto the polished dance floor. As the princess, she was accustomed to being the center of attention, whether she wanted to be or not.
This evening, she blushed the brightest as she passed by every attentive stare. Not only was she nervous of the crowd, but also of the prospect of keeping up appearances upon meeting her betrothed, regardless of what her initial feelings of him might be.
As was custom, she approached her father, sitting upon his throne, and curtseyed before him. After a short exchange of words, she was excused to mingle among the other guests. She shared a few words with those she already knew before introducing herself to those who were new to her.
How fortuitous of her that the first two faces she met were none other than Aurora and Rapunzel? Each was accompanied by their respective princes, Phillip and Eugene. Upon learning their names, her interest in them immediately piqued. She had heard all about the two princesses, as their reputations preceded them. She wanted to learn more about the sleeping beauty who was rescued from the evil fairy turned dragon and awoken with true love's kiss, as well as the maiden with the long golden hair trapped in a tower and rescued by a lowly rouge.
The five royals talked with each other long enough for Marianna to become better acquainted with them personally, to the point where it felt as though she had been friends with them forever. Soon, both Phillip and Eugene excused themselves to grab a drink together, leaving the three princesses alone with each other.
"I'm sure you must be flattered to have this ball hosted in your honor," Aurora asked.
Maria, upon hearing that, shifted her disposition from happy to nervous again. She frowned and gazed at the floor beneath her feet. "Well, I guess you could say that."
Rapunzel raised her eyebrows in concern. "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing," Maria glanced once more at the two princesses. "It's just—well, I'm meeting the man I'm supposed to marry this evening for the very first time. The very thought of it is making me feel, like—"
"You have butterflies in your stomach?" Aurora replied.
Maria could only nod in response.
"I know how you feel. I felt the same way when I learned I would be marrying Phillip. I didn't know what to feel. So many emotions overwhelmed me at once. And, well, as you know, the rest is history. And we've been happily married ever since."
"Well, that's certainly easy for you to say," Marianna replied. "You love Phillip. I don't even know if I love—well, whoever it is I'm supposed to marry. I don't even know his name. How am I supposed to know if I love him or not?"
Rapunzel shrugged. "Well, who knows? Maybe he'll be the right one for you?"
Maria could only scoff and roll her eyes. "That's what my dad said every time he introduced me to a new suitor. I've rejected each and every one. So I doubt this one may be the one."
She sighed, glanced at the ground, and returned her attention to the two princesses. "Can I be honest with you two?"
Aurora and Rapunzel glanced at each other before nodding at Maria.
"It's kind of personal," Maria added. "So can I trust you two with a secret?"
Aurora nodded. Rapunzel pantomimed locking her mouth and tossing away the key.
Maria closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and exhaled. "I'm not really interested in men."
The two other princesses blinked.
"Whatever do you mean, dear?" Aurora asked.
Maria twiddled her fingers. "It's just that, for the past 18 years of my life, I've never really met a guy that I've ever been romantically-interested in. Especially my father's choice of suitors—and if you've ever met any of them, you'd know why they're not very interesting."
This elicited a giggle from the two other princesses.
"In all seriousness," Maria continued. "I've just never met a man that I liked—like really liked, like-liked' A lot."
"Well," Rapunzel replied, "perhaps you just haven't met the right person. I'm sure you'll find them someday."
"But how will I know?" Maria asked. "How will I know if they're my true love? How will I know if they really love me, and that I really love them? Both of you are married women. How did you know your husbands were your true loves?"
The two other princesses glanced at each other for a moment. Aurora glanced at the ground, mulling over her thoughts, then back at Maria.
"Phillip and I were strangers when we first met," she said. "And yet it felt as though we always knew each other. Being with him felt like I walked with him once upon a dream. And the look in his eyes? It was such a familiar gleam! Little did I know that he was my betrothed. It felt like we belonged together, and we did."
Rapunzel chuckled. "Eugene and I didn't exactly have the most romantic start to our relationship. I mean, you try falling in love with a guy who broke into your home so he can hide the crown he stole from your real parents."
Maria and Aurora laughed along with her.
"It's a long story, believe me," Rapunzel added. "But as we got to know each other better, the more I could see the person he really was inside, and the more he could see who I really was. It was like the fog had lifted and at last I could see the light. And the more I learned about him, the more I discovered that he was the kind of person I wanted to be with."
"You're going to find someone like that one day," Aurora said. "When you find your true love, you'll find someone who shares a special bond, one that feels like it was always there and could never be broken."
"They're going to be someone that you want to learn more about," Rapunzel added. "Or someone that you already know everything about because you know them so well, and because they know you well. Because that's what true love is: it's about someone that you love and know and care about so much that you can't imagine living without them."
Maria smiled. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I think I already have someone in my life like that."
This immediately perked the interest of the other two princesses.
"Really?" Rapunzel asked with raised eyebrow.
"Who?" Aurora asked.
Maria took a deep breath, but whatever she was about to say was interrupted by a roaring trumpet.
The sound announced a new arrival. The trumpet player motioned to the new guest. "Announcing the honorable Duke of Weasel Town!"
"WESELTON!" snapped the bespectacled, gray-haired Duke.
After clearing his throat and regaining his composure, the Duke strutted down the red carpet to the throne. He humbly bowed before the King. Unfortunately, as he leaned forward, so, too, did his toupee, flipping off his head and over his face to reveal his shiny bald scalp.
Eugene covered his mouth with both hands to hold back his laughter, snorting loudly through his nostrils. Rapunzel only needed one hand to hold back a giggle, while Aurora and Phillip pressed two fingers against their widening grins.
The Duke rose upward, his toupee flipping back into place. "Your Majesty! Such an honor to greet our newest trade partner."
"Truly it is, Good Duke," the King replied with a hearty chuckle. "But I must correct you: we are not yet trade partners."
"Not yet," The Duke chuckled in kind. "But soon, we will be. Ever since the falling out with our old trade partner, the Southern Isles have been seeking a new kingdom to partner in trade and commerce, and we could think of no better replacement than Hermosa Vista."
The King smiled. "Indeed! Our two kingdoms will no doubt form a union that will benefit us both and last for years to come. And what better way to formalize this new union than by formally uniting our two future monarchs in marriage? Speaking of which—"
He motioned for his daughter. She dutifully obeyed him and waltzed toward his throne. Maria curtseyed before her father, then to the Duke.
"I present to you, my honorable daughter: Marianna Francesca Juanita Romera Martinez de la Hernandez the Third, Princess of Hermosa Vista."
Maria stood from her curtsey. "But you may call me Princess Marianna."
Once more, the Duke bowed, his toupee flipped off his head, and it fell back into place as he rose.
"The pleasure is all mine. As your newest partner in trade—or rather, soon-to-be newest partner—it's only fitting that I offer you your first dance of the evening. However, I believe I will pass that honor to your soon-to-be husband. Speaking of whom—" He cleared his throat before gesturing with one hand. "Presenting his Royal Highness, Prince Gruber of the Southern Isles."
The sound of a trumpet echoed once more through the ballroom, announcing the arrival of the Prince as he passed through the threshold. He appeared similar to another infamous prince of the kingdom, with a similar stature, hair style and color, and royal apparel. The only notable difference, aside from the older complexion, was a pointy goatee under his chin, which all the better accentuated his pointy nose. With pomp and circumstance, he strutted down the red carpet toward the throne to bow before the King.
"Your Majesty! Such an honor to meet my future father-in-law!"
The King gleamed. "And an honor to meet my future son-in-law. And to think you are the youngest of thirteen heirs to the throne!"
"Ah, Good King, but I must correct you," Gruber rose his finger. "I am the second youngest of my twelve brothers. I have one brother younger than me, but I'm afraid he is currently 'unavailable.' A while ago, he tried to stage a coup against a queen from the North, and, well, let's say that didn't go well for him. That leaves me to be the next viable suitor to your fair princess."
Gruber turned to face Maria, who blushed upon his look. He took her by the hand and kissed it. "And what a fair princess you are."
Maria blushed even brighter, holding her hand to her face to cover her mouth. "Charmed, I'm sure."
"Oh, Dear Princess," Gruber dramatically pressed his hand against his chest, "Ever since I learned I would be betrothed to you, I fell in love with the idea of falling in love with you."
Aurora leant next to Phillip, covering her mouth, as she whispered to him, "What does that even mean?" To which Phillip could only shrug.
"And now that I have finally laid eyes upon you," Gruber continued, "I can see that the two of us were meant to be."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "We are?"
"Of course! 'tis love at first sight. I can tell by gazing into your eyes as hazel as caramel, your skin as tan as coffee, your hair as pink as strawberries. The more I gaze upon you, the more I fall in love with you. You are so beautiful because I am so in love with you."
Eugene leant next to Rapunzel, covering his mouth to whisper to her. "Sheesh! I think I need to grab some crackers from the snack bar to eat all that cheese."
Gruber knelt upon one knee as he took her once more by the hand. "Oh, Princess Marianna, as your entire kingdom as my witness, I profess my vow of undying love. For you, I would do anything. Climb the highest mountain of Arendelle. Cross the burning sands of Agrabah. Dive to the depths of the sea where the mermaids swim. Comb through the deepest wood where the deer is prince, or brave the deepest jungle where the lion is king."
Rapunzel turned to Eugene to stick her finger in her mouth and gag.
Gruber drew a box from his pocket. He flipped it open to reveal a diamond ring and present it to her.
"Oh Princess, my Princess, my dear, sweet princess, if I may ask this crazy question: will you marry me?"
Maria could only stutter at that question. She knew it was a question she would be asked, and yet she was still unprepared for it. She glanced around the room at the many eyes staring back at her, eagerly and patiently awaiting her answer. She glanced at the endearing look of her fiancée, the eager look of the Duke, the firm look of her father, the concerned look of her four new royal friends, and then, from a distance, the forlorn look of her closest friend and lady-in-waiting, Susanna.
For a few seconds, she mulled over her thoughts. Every storybook she ever read as a child told her how the princess felt once she met her prince; and yet, even then, she did not feel any of those feelings. She was supposed to feel love at first sight, yet she felt nothing when she gazed upon the prince kneeling before her with ring in hand. She had felt stronger emotions staring at a blank wall!
"My dear," her father insisted. "Your prince awaits your answer."
Her eyes darted to her father before darting back at the prince. She closed her eyes, sucked in air, and let out a deep breath. "I—"
Before she could give her reply, she was interrupted by a loud crash from above. Through one of the stained-glass windows burst forth a trail of green smoke. Like a comet, it flew through the room before crashing into the floor in the space between her and the king.
The smoke dissipated to reveal a witch as ugly as sin itself. Her skin was as green and warty as the ugliest toad, and her hair was as unruly and grey as Spanish moss. She leant upon a wooden staff as crooked as her back, but not as crooked as the smile she wore upon her face.
"Hola, Hermosa Vista!" she greeted the ballroom filled with horrified guests. "I'm back!"
"Dios Mio!" exclaimed King Hernandez with both hands pressed against both of his cheeks. "Who are you!"
The king may not have recognized the evil witch standing before her, but Maria quickly recognized her from the statue in the courtyard.
"Papa!" she said. "That looks like Bruja Dama!"
"Who?" her father asked with raised eyebrow.
"The evil witch who used to own this land," Maria replied. "The one who was turned to stone."
"Absurdo!" her father replied, waving away his hand. "That's only a fairy tale!"
Bruja Dama raised an eyebrow as she placed her hand against her hip. "Do I look like a fairy tale to you, carino?"
"I don't care who you are," the King declared. "What are you're doing here?"
"Funny story," Bruja Dama said, waving her hand casually as she gazed in the opposite direction. "I was standing on my hill, minding my own business. The next thing I knew, I was turned to stone. I wake up hundreds of years later and I find this castle where mi casa used to be." She pointed to the king. "I assume it's yours?"
King Hernandez had to shake his head in disbelief a few times to realize what the witch had asked him, as if she could not see the crown sitting plainly upon his head.
"Of course, it is," he replied. "I'm the king. This is my castle."
"Imma take it!" the witch exclaimed with a crooked grin revealing the most crooked teeth.
"What?"
"Imma take your castle!"
"You can't take my castle. It belongs to me."
"Correction." The witch raised a crooked finger. "Your castle is on my land, so it belongs to me."
The King was becoming visibly redder by the witch's persistent audacity.
"No, it doesn't," he nearly spat, pointing to himself. "It belongs to me. My ancestors built this castle when they moved to this land."
"Correction," the witch once more raised a crooked finger. "Your ancestors built this castle when they stole the land from me after turning me to stone. You can't own something you stole from someone else."
Maria glanced at her father.
"She has a point there, Papa," she said. "Colonialism is historically problematic."
"No, she doesn't," her father replied before addressing the witch. "I don't care if my ancestors stole this land from you. You're an evil witch. No one cares about what you want. You can't have this castle."
Bruja Dama gave an exasperated "harrumph!" as her arms went akimbo.
"Fine." She pointed her crooked finger to Maria. "Is that your daughter?"
"Yes," the king replied. "This is my daughter, Princess Marianna."
"Imma take her!"
"What?" the King and Princess both exclaimed.
"I'm taking your daughter," the witch reiterated.
The King nearly sputtered in disbelief. "You can't take my daughter."
"Course, I can," the witch said with both eyes closed, her head held up high, and hand upon her chest. "I'm an evil witch. Taking princesses is part of my job description."
"Well, you're still not taking her," the King waggled an angry finger in the witch's general direction.
"Really?" the witch raised an eyebrow. "And who's going to stop me?"
No sooner had she asked that question, she saw the pointy-end of 13 swords and spears aimed at her, each being held by the 13 royal guards encircling her.
King Hernandez smirked. "I'll have you know that you're surrounded by my 13 elite—"
All 13 of his guards were struck down by 13 bolts of lightning that surged forth from the witch's staff. Each guard fell several feet backwards as they were struck and they writhed upon the floor.
"—unconscious guards!" the King finished as he fell back into his throne, his eyes wide as saucers.
Bruja Dama smirked as she lowered her staff. "Yeah, Imma take your daughter now."
She leapt into the air and transformed into a griffin. She flew forward, and with her talons, grabbed Princess Maria.
"No, Maria!" Susan exclaimed, her arm outstretched toward her captured friend.
Bruja Dama cawed as she carried away the screaming princess through the air and crashing through another stained-glass window before disappearing into the night sky.
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