The Hero becomes a member of society once again

Possibly you have heard celebratory sounds emanating from the castle where the Princess and Hero reside, sounds that indicate the end of the Hero's enslavement to this semester's class and his reentry into human society. The Princess -- who, over the last several months, has become unaccustomed to seeing the Hero during daylight hours -- is still unsure as to whether this person is, indeed, the Hero.


"Declare yourself," she says suspiciously.


"Uh..."


"When is my birthday?" she demands.


"April 31?" he says hopefully.


"Okay, I guess you're him." 


People frequently ask the Hero what he will do now that he has so much free time.


"Oh, he won't have any trouble with THAT," the Princess says quickly, indicating the long to-do list she has pinned to the Hero's shirt for easy reference.


The Hero, however, has his own list of things to do, putting the Princess's list for him in some jeopardy. 


But first they must visit the King and Queen in the North, who have expressed their pleasure at the impending visit and their complete and sensitive understanding of how busy their children have been lately:


"It's about time you came to see us," they say.


The Hero is a special favorite of the King. Although the King often is too busy to talk to the Princess, his own flesh and blood, when she calls -- citing urgent business, such as watching The Sound of Music -- he undergoes a remarkable transformation when he is given to understand that the Hero is on the line. 


"Joseph!" he booms. "Been practicing your euchre game?"


It is a running dialogue between them, the Hero's part being "I'm waiting for you to teach me."


On an earlier visit some time ago, the Princess did spot the two, along with the Princess's brother, attempting to play the game. It appeared to the Princess that there was considerably more "discussion," particularly among her two kinsmen, than actual playing.


"How did it go?" she asked the Hero later.


"I'm not quite clear on it yet," he said judiciously.


Maybe during this visit the effort will be more successful. If not, there is always The Sound of Music. And the to-do list.