"Murdered by pirates is good," the boy pipes up, and Autor laughs.

"I think she really loves him," Autor says, shrugging, "though having someone to smolder at her has to be nice."

Five years later, Prince Humperdinck announces that Buttercup will be his wife.

"She was a commoner like yourselves, but perhaps you'll not find her so common now," Humperdink says, introducing Buttercup as the princess.

"Despite Humperdinck's reassurance that she would grow to love him, the only joy she found was in her daily ride," the grandfather reads.

"I remember in the book she grew really depressed," Autor says, sipping his tea.