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At last they sent one of the Queen's maids to wait upon Fiordelisa, and told her to pretend to be quite stupid, and to see and hear nothing, while she was really to watch the Princess day and night, and keep the Queen informed of all her doings.

'I assure you, Sire, that Fiordelisa is vain enough already. Pray make her no more flattering speeches. The King quite understood that she was not pleased, but that did not matter to him, so he admired Fiordelisa to his heart's content, and talked to her for three hours without stopping. The Queen was in despair, and so was Turritella, when they saw how much the King preferred Fiordelisa.

Fiordelisa was immensely surprised to see that Turritella was wearing a royal mantle and a diamond crown, and her heart sank when the Queen said: 'My daughter is come to show you some of her wedding presents, for she is King Charming's bride, and they are the happiest pair in the world, he loves her to distraction. All this time Turritella was spreading out lace, and jewels, and rich brocades, and ribbons before Fiordelisa's unwilling eyes, and taking good care to display King Charming's ring, which she wore upon her thumb.

So when the Queen sent for the courtiers and questioned them about all they had found out, their report confirmed her worst fears. As to the poor Princess Fiordelisa, she cried all night without stopping.

Take these four eggs; if you break one when you are in any great difficulty, you will find aid. So saying, she disappeared, and Fiordelisa, feeling much encouraged, put the eggs into her bag and turned her steps towards Charming's kingdom.

But at this moment in came the Enchanter, and with him a famous Fairy, the same in fact who had given Fiordelisa the eggs. After greeting the King and Queen, they said that as they were united in wishing to help King Charming, the Fairy Mazilla had no longer any power against him, and he might marry Fiordelisa as soon as he pleased.

King Charming then asked it there was not another Princess, called Fiordelisa. 'Yes, said Turritella, pointing with her finger, 'there she is, trying to keep out of sight because she is not smart. At this Fiordelisa blushed, and looked so shy and so lovely, that the King was fairly astonished. He rose, and bowing low before her, said 'Madam, your incomparable beauty needs no adornment.

'And pray, said the Queen, her wrath increasing every moment, 'for whose admiration are you decked out like this, since I have often seen you not half as fine on the most important occasions at Court? 'For my own, answered Fiordelisa. 'You must admit that I have had plenty of time on my hands, so you cannot be surprised at my spending some of it in making myself smart.

The courtiers could not help seeing that what they had told the King did not please him, and one of them cunningly began to praise Fiordelisa, when he could talk to the King without being heard by the others. King Charming thereupon became so cheerful, and interested in all he said, that it was easy to guess how much he admired the Princess.

She must be plotting to prevent our marriage. Why doesn't my lovely Fiordelisa make haste and come hack to me? But it was worse than anything he had imagined when the Fairy Mazilla entered, leading Turritella by the hand, and said to him 'King Charming, here is the Princess Turritella to whom you have plighted your faith. Let us have the wedding at once. 'I! cried the King.