“I am a poor Princess seeking my fortune,” said she.
“You will rest under my roof to-night,” said the King, and led her through the long sweet grass under the blossoming boughs to the Palace garden. When they came to the terrace the Princess loosed a lantern from her girdle, set it on the stone balustrade close by where one of the white peacocks perched in fluffy feathery slumber, kindled it, and threw open the horn door. A flood of light streamed out, bright as spring sunshine, and fell full upon her, and then the King saw that her gown was not white, as it had seemed in the moonlight, but was the colour of yellow gold, and her hair was red gold, and her eyes were of gold and grey mingled. Then for the first time in all his life the King thought of himself and of his own happiness, and he caught her hands and said—
“Nothing will ever again content me, not even doing good to my people, if I must part from you. Will you stay and be my Queen?”
The Princess said, “I am seeking my fortune. Do you think you are it?”
“I do not know, my dear,” said the King, “whether I am your fortune, but I know well enough that you are mine!”
