fish. Then, holding it up, he turned to Lilith. “I win the wager, I believe.”
She appeared absolutely shocked and astounded. “Yes, you do,” she gasped.
“You can start paying off right now. I’m the prince, remember, and I demand to be treated as such.” He dropped the fish and watched Lilith to see what she would do. He knew she was a strong-minded girl and pride was in her, too. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and knew that this would be hard for her. “Oh, it’s all right, Lilith,” he said. “It was just for fun. You don’t have to pay any penalty.”
“Yes, I do!”
She stepped forward and with a graceful motion curtsied before him. “My prince, I honor you. You are the best fisherman I have ever seen.”
Alex took her hand and lifted her up. “It’s all right. You don’t have to go through with this,” he said gently.
“I always do exactly what I promise. I may be poor, but I can keep my word.”
He should have known. Lilith was a girl of strict honor who kept her word. And she would have extracted the penalty from him if
he
had lost.
Alex was tremendously impressed. “Well, let’s take it home,” he said. “This fish will be very good.” He leaned over to pick it up.
But Lilith beat him to it. “Oh no, Prince. I’ll carry the fish. And you go before me—it would not be fitting that I should walk with you.”
“Oh, come now, Lilith! Don’t be ridiculous.”
“That’s the way it is. The prince goes first, and his followers come after. Let us go home.”
They made their way back to the big house with Lilith walking a few paces behind him and carrying the catfish. He kept urging her to forget about the silly wager, but he could see that her mind was made up. When they reached the house, he said, “You have kept your bargain. Now give me the fish. I’ll clean it.”
“Oh no, sire. I am your handmaid.” She bowed low. “Enter the house, Your Majesty.
I
will clean the fish.”
“Oh, I wish you wouldn’t act like this!” Alex growled. He went around to the bunkhouse and washed up. By the time he got back to the big house, Lilith was already cooking the fish. As he entered, he saw Joss and Sarah smiling and knew that he was in for it. “We made this silly wager …” he said but could not finish.
Lilith came across the room, pulled out a chair and said, “Here is your throne, O royal prince. Sit down and your subjects will feed you.”
His face hot, Alex mumbled, “This is nonsense!”
“Oh no, sire. It is only right. You are royalty, and I am only a poor peasant girl.”
Sarah giggled. Lilith’s father was grinning.
The meal was fine. The fish was tender and delicious, but Alex did not enjoy it. Lilith refused to sit down and eat. She stood behind him and constantly filled his cup and saw to it that he had the best of thefish and vegetables. She urged him on, calling him “sire” and “Your Majesty” and “Prince Lex.”
Finally Alex had enough. He left his chair, picked her up bodily, and set her on the high, narrow mantel. She barely had room to cling to it.
“Put me down!”
“Only if you do what I tell you.”
“And what’s that?” she challenged.
“Stop acting as you have been doing. Just treat me like Lex.”
To his surprise, she smiled and said sweetly, “All right, Lex. Help me down.” Perhaps she could tell that he was really embarrassed. When he had lifted her down, as if she were a feather, she said, “My, you’re very strong.”
“All right. Now let’s have some dessert.”
“It’s apple pie,” Sarah said. “Now that we’ve got all that foolishness out of the way, maybe you’ll enjoy it better.”
Afterward Sarah found a chance to speak with Alex alone. “That was dangerous. You shouldn’t have told her you were the prince.”
“I
didn’t
tell her I was the prince,” he said. “It was a game. I just told her to treat me like one if I won the fish wager. Just for part of the day.”
“Well, I don’t think
She appeared absolutely shocked and astounded. “Yes, you do,” she gasped.
“You can start paying off right now. I’m the prince, remember, and I demand to be treated as such.” He dropped the fish and watched Lilith to see what she would do. He knew she was a strong-minded girl and pride was in her, too. He saw the hesitation in her eyes and knew that this would be hard for her. “Oh, it’s all right, Lilith,” he said. “It was just for fun. You don’t have to pay any penalty.”
“Yes, I do!”
She stepped forward and with a graceful motion curtsied before him. “My prince, I honor you. You are the best fisherman I have ever seen.”
Alex took her hand and lifted her up. “It’s all right. You don’t have to go through with this,” he said gently.
“I always do exactly what I promise. I may be poor, but I can keep my word.”
He should have known. Lilith was a girl of strict honor who kept her word. And she would have extracted the penalty from him if
he
had lost.
Alex was tremendously impressed. “Well, let’s take it home,” he said. “This fish will be very good.” He leaned over to pick it up.
But Lilith beat him to it. “Oh no, Prince. I’ll carry the fish. And you go before me—it would not be fitting that I should walk with you.”
“Oh, come now, Lilith! Don’t be ridiculous.”
“That’s the way it is. The prince goes first, and his followers come after. Let us go home.”
They made their way back to the big house with Lilith walking a few paces behind him and carrying the catfish. He kept urging her to forget about the silly wager, but he could see that her mind was made up. When they reached the house, he said, “You have kept your bargain. Now give me the fish. I’ll clean it.”
“Oh no, sire. I am your handmaid.” She bowed low. “Enter the house, Your Majesty.
I
will clean the fish.”
“Oh, I wish you wouldn’t act like this!” Alex growled. He went around to the bunkhouse and washed up. By the time he got back to the big house, Lilith was already cooking the fish. As he entered, he saw Joss and Sarah smiling and knew that he was in for it. “We made this silly wager …” he said but could not finish.
Lilith came across the room, pulled out a chair and said, “Here is your throne, O royal prince. Sit down and your subjects will feed you.”
His face hot, Alex mumbled, “This is nonsense!”
“Oh no, sire. It is only right. You are royalty, and I am only a poor peasant girl.”
Sarah giggled. Lilith’s father was grinning.
The meal was fine. The fish was tender and delicious, but Alex did not enjoy it. Lilith refused to sit down and eat. She stood behind him and constantly filled his cup and saw to it that he had the best of thefish and vegetables. She urged him on, calling him “sire” and “Your Majesty” and “Prince Lex.”
Finally Alex had enough. He left his chair, picked her up bodily, and set her on the high, narrow mantel. She barely had room to cling to it.
“Put me down!”
“Only if you do what I tell you.”
“And what’s that?” she challenged.
“Stop acting as you have been doing. Just treat me like Lex.”
To his surprise, she smiled and said sweetly, “All right, Lex. Help me down.” Perhaps she could tell that he was really embarrassed. When he had lifted her down, as if she were a feather, she said, “My, you’re very strong.”
“All right. Now let’s have some dessert.”
“It’s apple pie,” Sarah said. “Now that we’ve got all that foolishness out of the way, maybe you’ll enjoy it better.”
Afterward Sarah found a chance to speak with Alex alone. “That was dangerous. You shouldn’t have told her you were the prince.”
“I
didn’t
tell her I was the prince,” he said. “It was a game. I just told her to treat me like one if I won the fish wager. Just for part of the day.”
“Well, I don’t think
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