But Zelia--that was her name--answered,
to his great astonishment, that she would rather not marry him.
"Do I displease you?" asked the prince, into whose mind it had never
entered that he could displease anybody.
"Not at all, my prince," said the honest peasant-maiden. "You are very
handsome, very charming; but you are not like your father the Good
King. I will not be your queen, for you would make me miserable."
At these words the prince's love seemed all to turn to hatred: he gave
orders to his guards to convey Zelia to a prison near the palace; and
then took counsel with his foster brother, the one of all his ill
companions who most incited him to do wrong.
"Sir," said this man, "if I were in your majesty's place, I would
never vex myself about a poor silly girl. Feed her on bread and water
till she comes to her senses; and if she still refuses you, let her
die in torment, as a warning to your other subjects should they
venture to dispute your will. You will be disgraced should you suffer
yourself to be conquered by a simple girl."
"But," said Prince Cherry, "shall I not be disgraced if I harm a
creature so perfectly innocent?"
"No one is innocent who disputes your majesty's authority," said the
courtier, bowing; "and it is better to commit an injustice than allow
it to be supposed you can ever be contradicted with impunity.
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