At age 6, little Prince Philip stood nervously in the grand hall, staring at the cradle where his future bride, baby Princess, lay swaddled in silk. With a puzzled expression, he turned to his mother and asked, “Mama, are you sure I have to marry her? She’s so small, she doesn’t even know how to play!”
The room filled with laughter as the queen reassured him that the engagement was merely a promise for when they were older. Leaning in closer Philip whispered to the sleeping baby, “I’ll wait for you to grow up, but you have to like my stories about knights, okay?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~×~~~~~~~~~~~
Years slipped by, and Philip, now a dashing young prince of 20, stood in his chambers, rereading one of Du's letters. The baby he once saw as a mere promise had grown into someone he deeply admired from afar. He chuckled at the memory, thinking, “Back then, I only worried if you’d play with me, but now I can’t wait to see the woman you’ve become.”
