` Do not let her out of your sight , ' said Tulip to the queen , ` and meanwhile , let her portrait be painted and carried to the neighbouring Courts , as is the custom in order that the kings may see how far her beauty exceeds that of every other princess , and that they may demand her in marriage for their sons . ' And so it was done ; and as the fairy had prophesied , all the young princes fell in love with the picture ; but the last one to whom it was shown could think of nothing else , and refused to let it be removed from his chamber , where he spent whole days gazing at it . The king his father was much surprised at the change which had come over his son , who generally passed all his time in hunting or hawking , and his anxiety was increased by a conversation he overheard between two of his courtiers that they feared the prince must be going out of his mind , so moody had he become . Without losing a moment the king went to visit his son , and no sooner had he entered the room than the young man flung himself at his father 's feet . ` You have betrothed me already to a bride I can never love ! ' cried he ; ` but if you will not consent to break off the match , and ask for the hand of the princess Desiree , I shall die of misery , thankful to be alive no longer . ' These words much displeased the king , who felt that , in breaking off the marriage already arranged he would almost certainly be bringing on his subjects a long and bloody war ; so , without answering , he turned away , hoping that a few days might bring his son to reason . But the prince 's condition grew rapidly so much worse that the king , in despair , promised to send an embassy at once to Desiree 's father . This news cured the young man in an instant of all his ills ; and he began to plan out every detail of dress and of horses and carriages which were necessary to make the train of the envoy , whose name was Becasigue , as splendid as possible . He longed to form part of the embassy himself , if only in the disguise of a page ; but this the king would not allow , and so the prince had to content himself with searching the kingdom for everything that was rare and beautiful to send to the princess . Indeed , he arrived , just as the embassy was starting , with his portrait , which had been painted in secret by the court painter . The king and queen wished for nothing better than that their daughter marry into such a great and powerful family , and received the ambassador with every sign of welcome . They even wished him to see the princess Desiree , but this was prevented by the fairy Tulip , who feared some ill might come of it . ` And be sure you tell him , ' added she , ` that the marriage can not be celebrated till she is fifteen years old , or else some terrible misfortune will happen to the child . ' So when Becasigue , surround by his train , made a formal request that the princess Desiree might be given in marriage to his master 's son , the king replied that he was much honoured , and would gladly give his consent ; but that no one could even see the princess till her fifteenth birthday , as the spell laid upon her in her cradle by a spiteful fairy , would not cease to work till that was past . The ambassador was greatly surprised and disappointed , but he knew too much about fairies to venture to disobey them , therefore he had to content himself with presenting the prince 's portrait to the queen , who lost no time in carrying it to the princess . As the girl took it in her hands it suddenly spoke , as it had been taught to do , and uttered a compliment of the most delicate and charming sort , which made the princess flush with pleasure . ` How would you like to have a husband like that ? ' asked the queen , laughing . ` As if I knew anything about husbands ! '
replied XXXXX , who had long ago guessed the business of the ambassador .
Becasigue Desiree Tulip days embassy envoy fifteenth ills old war