The Verbal Contract

"My kingdom for a croissant,” she muttered to herself as she tried to ignore her grumbling tummy.

At least she thought it was only to herself.

Several minutes later, in walks her husband with a croissant in a bag for her and a smirk on his face. 

“Now your kingdom is mine. You have to give it to me, you know. It was a verbal contract.”

Ah, the dreaded verbal contract. It had gotten her in trouble once before. Many moons ago, when she was still starry-eyed and oh-so-in love with her prince she had made another verbal contract…at least that was his account. She couldn’t exactly recall doing such a fool thing as that, but…it wasn’t that important to her.

What was this verbal contract?

“What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine,” her prince would say with a smirk on his face.

Gosh-darn-it, but he looked so cute every time he said it, that she went right along with it.

“So, my dresses are yours?” she would ask.

“Yup, but you can borrow them,” he’d say.

“And my crochet hooks and knitting needles?”

“All mine, but you can use them whenever you like,” he replied.

“Indeed? You are generous,” she’d say, smiling at this nonsense.

But here was another verbal contract she had inadvertently made and she couldn’t quite see she could get a good deal out of it. Really? Was it even remotely a fair trade, a croissant for a kingdom? But then, she didn’t have a kingdom…or did she?

“So, um…I don’t have a kingdom,” she told him. 

“Sure you do,” he said leering at her, his eyes roving down her body. “And now it’s all mine. Enjoy your croissant. I’ll relish my new Kingdom later. I got work to do now.”

She laughed and watched him go. It seemed this verbal contract gave him that which he already had through the first one.

She ate her croissant somehow feeling she got the better deal.