A Princess Prays (17 page)

The King started as he had not heard her enter and he rose to his feet.

“I want you, Papa, to meet, Gesa, who I have told you about.”

The King looked at Gesa and Gesa at the King.

Then Gesa exclaimed in a tone of astonishment,

“Your Majesty!”

Attila's heart gave a lurch.

Then the King called out,

“Prince Gesalo!”

His hand went out as he spoke and Gesa took it.

“You have grown,” remarked the King, “if I am not mistaken?”

“No, of course not, Sire, and it is so nice to see you again.”

Attila looked from one to the other.

“Are you saying,” she asked in a soft voice which did not sound like her own, “that you know each other?”

The King laughed.

“When I last saw Gesalo he was still a young boy and his father was a friend of mine for many years until he became so ill.”

“I am afraid that he is still very much the same, Sire, and now it is only a question of months.”

“I am sorry,” replied the King. “At the same time I am sure you will agree it will be a merciful release.”

“That is what I am prepared to believe.”

Attila was still looking bewildered as the King said,

“You told me, Attila, that you did not know who this young man was.”

“And I as well did not know who she was, Sire,” added Gesa. “I was prepared to abdicate rather than lose her!”

“And I was wondering how I could send you away without breaking my daughter's heart.”

They both laughed.

“Is it really true,” asked the King, “that your life was in danger and Attila saved you?”

“She saved me when I thought my last moment had come. My cousin, who I don't think you have met, is heir to the throne if I am not around. He was determined to get rid of me, but by sheer brilliance your daughter saved me. So you can understand, Sire, why I cannot live without her.”

“And I will have to look after him, Papa, in case that horrible man – tries again,” suggested Attila.

Her voice was a little unsteady.

She was finding it difficult to believe what had just happened.

How could her father possibly know Gesa?

How could he turn out to be a Prince when she had thought she would not be allowed to marry him?

As if her father sensed her feelings, he said,

“Let us start at the beginning, my darling. Gesalo is the eldest son of His Royal Highness the Prince of Silesia.”

Attila gave a little gasp.

She knew only too well that Silesia, on their border to the North, was the largest and richest of all the Austrian provinces.

Silesia had been fought over when Prussia had tried to wrest it from the Hapsburgs, but it had gained its independence and the Ruler was of great importance in the region.

She now remembered something her father had said to her some time ago.

“It is reported,” he revealed, “that the Prince of Silesia has suffered a stroke and is in a coma.”

Attila realised that this conversation had been two or three years ago and she had no idea then who would be his successor.

She could now appreciate the vital significance of the Prince's escape from his wicked cousin.

“What I would request of Your Majesty,” Gesa was saying, “is your approval for me to marry your daughter as soon as it is possible to do so.”

He smiled at Attila.

“I am now fully aware that you are not the humble pilgrim, Miss Lala, but instead the beautiful Princess Attila of Valdina, who I have never had the privilege of meeting, but who is constantly being talked about in my country.”

“Why ever was I not brave enough to tell you my name?” asked Attila.

Gesa smiled.

“I think it was so confusing for both of us to realise that our love for each other is far greater than anything we could ever possess.”

“And I was ready to run away with you if my Papa would not allow me to marry you,” murmured Attila.

The King laughed.

“You are not to worry any further. I now give my blessing with the greatest pleasure to the son of my oldest friend. I only make one demand on my dearest daughter.”

“What is that?”

“When you produce a son,” he replied, “which will certainly prevent your cousin from troubling you any more, I can be his Godfather and you will christen him with my name.”

Attila realised he was asking this favour because he had no son himself.

“I think, Papa, that as our two counties are joined to each other, you will be able to help Gesalo – as I must now call him – and he and I will come and help you.”

“That is exactly what I would like, otherwise I may be very lonely.”

“You will never be lonely, Papa, and if we join our two countries, our children, and I think God will give us a great number, will have two wonderful places to play in.”

She could see clearly from the intense expression in her father's eyes how much this meant to him.

“I think, Papa, you must send a very large gift of gratitude to the Shrine of St. Janos. I feel that all this has happened because I went on a pilgrimage to him.”

“And I will double whatever you give,” the Prince added. “Although I did not pray at the venerable Shrine, I have prayed ever since I met Attila that she would be mine. Now my prayers have been answered.”

The King put his hand on Gesalo's shoulder.

“I cannot tell you how happy I am that all this has happened. How soon do you want to be married?”

“Tonight or tomorrow,” replied the Prince.

The King laughed.

“That is far too quick. But I do understand with the problems over your cousin and that your father – God bless him – might die at any moment, the marriage should not be delayed.”

“That is what we both want.”

“And that is what you shall have, Gesalo, and as it is nearly time for luncheon, I will go and give my orders that it must be a very special meal.”

He touched his daughter's cheek very tenderly and then he walked across the room and opened the door.

Attila knew he was tactfully leaving them alone for a moment.

It would enable them to recover from the surprise and shock of learning the truth of who they both were and that their positions in life were very different to what either of them expected.

Gesalo put his arm around Attila and drew her close to him.

“Only your father would be so understanding as to let me kiss you. Not as an unknown man, but as a Prince who has gained through the mercy of God the one and only woman in the world to make him happy.”

“If you are grateful, I feel the same. I was so afraid that Papa would send you away and that I would have to marry someone like that dreadful Prince Otto.”

The Prince made a sound of disgust.

Then he pulled her against him.

“There has never been any question of you being married to anyone but me and just because you are so very beautiful, my darling, I shall be wildly jealous of any man you meet and of any man you speak to!

“After all is said and done I have been searching for thousands of years for you and now I have found you, I am never going to let you out of my sight for a single minute!”

Attila would have replied to his wonderful words of love, but his lips held hers captive.

Now he was kissing her in the same way he had last night.

But this time it was more demanding, because he was so happy that she was his.

Attila felt the same.

She had been so frightened in case he would be sent away and she knew that if that happened her heart would have gone with him and she would never find love again.

‘I love you, I adore you,' her whole body was crying out as he kissed her and went on kissing her.

For a moment he raised his head.

“How can you make me feel like this?” he asked. “I adore and worship you. When we are married it will be like Heaven to be living with you.”

Then he was kissing her again.

This was Love.

The true love of Father Jozsef, St. Janos and God Himself.

Attila knew their love would increase and multiply as the years went by.

They would never lose each other or the love which had joined them.

Either in this world or in the many worlds to come.

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