Theo spoke loudly and dramatically. “Alas, although I have every gift nature can bestow, I have never rescued a princess, therefore I am lonely and sad.”
A new narrator stepped up. “The prince decided he would search far and wide until he found a princess who needed rescuing.”
Theo pretended to ride a horse around the stage, peeking around corners and behind the scenery. “Hello? Any princesses in there? If anyone needs to be rescued, call 1-800-Handsome Prince.” I laughed along with the kids, shaking my head in disbelief.
Another student continued. “One day, Prince Theo happened upon a castle in the woods, and it had a stone tower on one end. He’d heard the most beautiful princesses always reside in such towers, so he called out in greeting.”
Theo approached my tower. “Excuse me! Is there a fair maid inside this castle?”
Before I could answer, the narrator went on. “The most beautiful lady the prince had ever seen came to the window. Her name was Princess Claire.”
Theo dropped to his knees. “In all the heavens, I have never seen a star shine so brightly as you, fair maid. Should you fall from the sky, I shall gladly catch you.” He held out his arms, and I covered my mouth as the narrator continued.
“To the prince’s dismay, the princess he had discovered did not need to be rescued. But she said she would be glad to be his friend.”
A new reader stepped up to the mic. “The Prince, being so clever—”
“And handsome,” added Theo loudly.
“And handsome,” the girl added with a grin, “knew that this was the princess for him, and if she would not consent to being rescued, he had to win her over another way.”
“Aha!” Theo stuck a finger in the air and addressed the audience. “I will make her fall in love with me! I will give her a magic potion!” He turned back to me. “Come down from your tower, Princess Claire! I should like to share something with you!” Beckoning for me to come down, he gave me a smile that was real.
I backed down the ladder and took his hand, letting him lead me to center stage. “I can’t believe this,” I whispered.
“Just wait,” he said under his breath. Then he pretended to present me with something. “Would you like a snack?”
“The prince always carried around magic marshmallow puffs in case he had to make anyone fall in love with him,” a student read, “but he had never used them on anyone before.”
“Eat one,” whispered Theo, his eyes twinkling.
I pretended to take a bite. “Mmmmm. Delicious!”
Theo grinned widely, giving the audience a wink.
“As expected, Princess Claire fell madly in love with Prince Theo. He did not feel bad about tricking her because he loved her so much and knew he would make her happy.”
I played along, resting my chin on the backs of my hands and batting my eyelashes at him. But when Theo got down on one knee, I dropped the act, my hands going to my cheeks.
“Princess Claire,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear. “You are without a doubt the loveliest, kindest, dearest princess in the land. Alas, I have no kingdom to offer you. No subjects to rule. No castle of my own. But if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife, I should be very happy to stay here in your castle and stop roaming the land being so handsome and clever and brave all the time. I will devote myself to slaying dragons only for you. I will protect you and cherish you forever.” He reached into his back pocket, pulled out a small black box, and opened it up.
My breath stopped. My heart boomed. My eyes blinked. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen, and it sparkled as it caught the light.
“Princess Claire, will you marry me?”
The entire gym was hushed.
With tears in my eyes, I spoke softly. “Yes.”
“Louder, princess. They can’t hear you in the back,” Theo said.
“Yes!” I cried, flapping my hands and jumping up and down. “Yes!”
The entire gym erupted with cheers and applause as Theo slipped the ring on my finger. When he got to his feet, I threw my arms around his neck, knocking off his cardboard crown. He lifted me right off the stage, wrapping his arms around me and swinging me from side to side as I cried with joy.
When he set me back on my feet and let go, he had tears in his eyes too.
“And as you can guess,” said someone in the microphone, “they lived happily ever after!”
* * *
“Your face was the best!” Jaime cried, clapping her hands. We were all at dinner that night to celebrate the engagement—Theo and I, Jaime and Quinn, and even Margot and Jack. Unbeknownst to me, Jaime and Quinn had been in the gym, too, along with Aaron and Josie.
Margot was sorry she’d missed it, but she was ten weeks pregnant and had terrible morning sickness these days. “Were you in total shock?” she asked.
“I was,” I admitted. “I had no idea.”
“I knew,” Jaime said, “and oh my God, it was so hard not to let it slip.”
“So who wrote the script?” Margot wondered. “The kids?”
“Nope, I did.” Theo smiled. “And I gave it to the fourth grade teacher. She just told them about it this morning.”
“Those poor kids.” I shook my head. “No wonder they were so squirrelly. And I can’t believe Elyse managed to keep that secret either!”
“Let me see the ring again.” Jaime took my hand and sighed over it. “So beautiful. You did great, Theo.”