One day, while looking for new things in the forest, a Troll named Ed runs into a lost boy and takes him home. After making it clear that he did not want to return home, the young boy, Christian, decided to live with Ed and his two loving dogs Bub and Cate. Growing up, Christian's favorite past times were inventing new machines and watching the royal princesses grow up through a microscope across the river. Christian's main focus lay on the most neglected princess, princess Marigold. One day, Christian can't take it anymore and out of curiosity sends a p-mail to marigold across the river. Through these p-mails, Christian and Marigold soon become best friends. Then, Ed realizes that Christian needs to have a life of his own and leave the cave he's lived in since the day Ed first found him in the forest. So Christian gets a job working in the castle, as a servent. While there, a series of intriguing events take place and Christian reveals his true identity to Marigold. When the head guard, Rollo, suspects him of trying to destroy the castle, Christian is sent to the castle's dungeon, and Ed, Cate, and Bub soon join him. Not long after, Maridold is also sent to the dungeon for rebelling against the Queen, and her plans for Marigold's forced marriage. Her father, the King, realizes that the Queen has taken advantage of him, drugging him to keep him out of her way in making sure the kingdom is run the way she wants it to be run and soon is up and cheerful for the first time in a long time. Before the wedding is about to begin. An escaped Christian and his new flying machine appear and attempt to save Marigold and take her away and prevent the wedding from happening. In all the chaos and comotion, Christian is wounded and the others find that he is the prince of the kingdom thought to be reigned by Marigold's triplet sisters. By the power of Marigold's love, Christian is healed and lives to marry his one true love. Once Upon a Marigold is a very exciting book. It is a fantasy written by Jean Ferris that keeps the reader's attention from start to finish. Some of the themes in this book are the abuse of power, the power of love, the strength or will, and the importance of friends and love.