cept to tourists).

 

True to the greatest of Royal traditions Benjamin was not permitted to see the bride before the wedding. But he didn’t care. She was not important. Love was not important. Being King was important. And he would be King.

On the day of the wedding Prince , soon to be King, Benjamin rode to the Cathedral in a silver coach and Princess Marigold rode in a golden one. Hundreds of American women and thousands of American girls would dream of those coaches. Oddly enough not a single American boy would have such dreams. Who wants to be King when you can grow up and become the manager of McDonalds?

The Archbishop Philipp Melanchthon presided over the ceremony. The combined choirs of Inner and Outer Bohemia sang the liturgical parts. It was the most beautiful royal wedding ever televised. It got as high a rating as the Super Bowl but then it came at a time just after football season ended and what else was there to do?

 Then came the moment Benjamin had waited for. The Archbishop pronounced them man and wife. Now for the first time he would see his bride. The archbishop pulled back the veil and said “ you may kiss the bride”.

That’s when Benjamin learned he should have listened to his mother. O! he would be King but he would also be married to the ugliest woman in the world for the rest of his life. You can always

 count on Elfen magic.