Well, when I was in a roleplay group and roleplayed Melody, her love interest was Zephyr from the Hunchback. Ever since then, I've always been caught on the idea of them having a romance and it'd be amazing and all because she was a princess from a different country and he'd only be a captain's son and...yeah. So I thought I'd write it down and put it out to get it out of my system. So enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own The Little Mermaid or Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Summery: What happens when the royal family of Eric, Ariel, and Melody travel to France for royal business and Melody captures the attention of the captain's son, Zephyr?

I
First Glance

"Are you sure you didn't forget anything?"

Melody sighed underneath her breath at her mother's question. She had already been asked this at least three times prior to this time. Each time by her mother. "Yes, mom. I'm sure. Can we go now?"

That was one thing about heading away on royal business: the luggage. If she could, Melody would just snap her fingers and move everything from point A to point B, simple as that. Unfortunately, her grandfather's triton was underneath the sea so using an easy way out was definitely not in the picture. But deep inside, the princess felt as if packing and lugging everything around was kind of worth it - all because of the destination.

France.

The country had always fascinated Melody. The people, the language, the culture and buildings. From the books she'd read and the tales other people around the palace told, it seemed one of the most beautiful places to visit. Unfortunately, she had never been. Her parents hadn't exactly let her out of their sight she was a baby - though there were times their watchful eyes failed - and it went without being said that she probably wouldn't be able to visit anywhere, especially out of the country, on her own. Especially after the whole fiasco when she was twelve with the evil half-octopus witch Morgana. But that was another story.

"Darling, she's right. We need to get a move on if we're going to make good time," her father came to her rescue.

She didn't believe her father aged at all during the span of four years - not physically anyway. The same went for her mother. Ariel and Eric still looked as if they could pass for their twenties or very early thirties at the most.

Usually, Melody disliked his habit for being on time, which involved pushing the women in the family to get ready faster. This time she appreciated it more. Maybe it was because it was the first time for her as well, but her mother seemed somewhat nervous to leave their home. Maybe it was because they were traveling by land, though, you'd think she'd be used to it by now after so many years on land.

Ariel sighed, nodding her head once. "You're right," she agreed. It took less than a minute before Eric had his wife inside the carriage and started ushering Melody in.

There was a couple different reasons why the royal family had decided to make the trip to France in a carriage. Space was not one of them. It was just a good thing her mother - as well as herself - hadn't worn any of those gigantic ball gowns that no one could get within five feet of. However, scenery was one of the reasons. Not just for Melody, but for Ariel as well. Neither of them had ever seen beyond the kingdom boundaries, on land at least. It was supposed to be a new experience for them both.

She had been warned, of course, of how long the journey was going to be. That didn't mean she was prepared for it. About halfway through, Melody just wished she had turned down her parents offer to tag along. She could have been in her own comfy bed or out in the sea, not cramped in a carriage with her parents. The view outside the window was beautiful, of course, but she didn't just want to see it. She wanted to be out in it, away from the small area she was confined in. The inns they stayed at had been nice enough, though, and Melody found each time she had a harder time letting go of the comfort of the soft bed she had been sleeping in.

So it wasn't a big surprise that, when they finally arrived, Melody was the first to jump out, taking in a huge gulp of air of freedom. The footmen clicked their tongues gently, but they were more than used to it. She didn't like to have to wait for someone to open the door for her before she could escape, no matter if it was a short journey or a long one like this one had been. Getting out on her own, it made her feel as if she still had some control over her life.

"Melody," Ariel's voice broke through to her. It was a soft reprimand but Melody already knew before she even turned around that her mother held a soft smile on her lips while she exited their confines, Eric right behind her. They seemed to take a moment to stretch themselves before anything else.

"Sorry," Melody couldn't help the small giggle that escaped from her own vocal chords. "I just needed out of there."

Ariel nodded, stepping forward to her daughter and tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Trust me, I know." She chuckled.

Before Melody could respond, a voice broke through, one unfamiliar to all three of them and full of authority.

"Your Highnesses," it said. "Welcome to France."

Melody turned towards the direction in which the voice had spoken. She had been right on the authority part. It was a man, flanked by two other men who were obviously soldiers or guards. The one who had spoken, however, definitely had more rank than they did. His armor was a completely different color - it almost looked as if it were made out of gold. His face was serious, but it wasn't so hard. It was clear, by the kindness in the eyes and the laugh lines around them, that this man wasn't a cold person or someone who didn't laugh at all.

Eric stepped forward, nodding his head once. "Thank you. And you are...?"

"Captain Phoebus of the Guard, sir. I'll be the head of your security during your stay. I'm going to make sure nothing happens to you or your family." And he sounded like he sincerely meant it. Melody decided she liked him already.

Eric broke a smile, nodding his head again. "Well, I'll trust you to that, Captain. You seem like someone I can trust."

The Captain mimicked her father and let a smile of his own show. "Trust me you can, sir." He unclasped his hands from his back and stepped to the side. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll lead you to where you'll be staying. I'm sure you all need a stretch of the legs so I suggest walking there? It's not too far from here."

It was Ariel who spoke this time. She came up behind Eric, looping her arm through her husband's and smiled at the captain with a nod of her own. "A walk sounds perfect. Come on, Melody," She threw the last part behind her where Melody was.

Melody trotted along behind her mother with the other two soldiers falling in behind her. It was casual, but the gesture clearly said to her, and anyone who saw, that they were the bodyguards to this family. She had planned on running off and at least trying to find some places around the city, but that plan clearly went out the window. Her eyes did pan around, however. She took in every sight, every smell, every sound. It was all so new, so foreign to her. The Captain had spoken to them in a language they understood but, out in the city, she realized everyone was just speaking french. It made her regret never taking one class on the language.

It wasn't until she almost tripped over a crack in the road did Melody realize she hadn't been paying much attention to where she was going. The soldiers tried to extend their hands to her to help but she merely waved them off with a 'No, thank you.' The blue eyes she had inherited from both her parents raised and she caught herself looking into another pair of eyes. Ones she didn't know. Ones that belonged to a male.

He looked young, around seventeen or eighteen maybe, nothing too older than she. His hair was a golden color, looking much like a halo in the sunlight. His eyes were blue as well, though a different shade she couldn't name off the top of her head. His hand raised in a wave to hers and when she returned the gesture, his mouth twisted into something between a smile and a self-satisfied smirk.

She couldn't help but allow her lips to slowly move upward in a smile to return. Then her mother broke through.

"Melody! Hurry up, sweetheart!"

She broke eye contact with the boy, looking up ahead to where her mother was a few feet away and going even further. The soldiers had been kind enough to wait for Melody and stand behind her. She turned back to the golden-haired boy, half-expecting him to have disappeared already. He was still there with the smile still on his lips. He inclined his head towards her before turning away, whistling a tune and walking away.

Melody had to jog to catch up with the rest of her family and the chat they were having with the Captain. She was anything but interested in that. In fact, she was probably more interested in whoever the boy had been.

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