Moment's Notice
By FullMentalPanic
The Prince universally known as Charming had descended from his castle in the air for some more experience with getting his head out of the clouds. He was meandering next to a castle wall - princes did not lurk - with no particular purpose in mind, besides avoiding a meeting of state with the narcissistic queen of the land, when he heard something.
"And I'm dreaming of -"
Someone was bursting forth in lyrical verse! Or perchance two someones. It sounded like someone might've repeated that last line.
"The nice things -"
What sort of nice things? Nice cutlery, nice tablecloths, nice hairbrushes?
"He'll say -"
HE could say nice things! And he would, as soon as he got over this wall.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah -"
He looked for a foothold, but the royal masons apparently believed in keeping the wall smooth and unscalable. He scrambled, but didn't make much progress. Who cared if he had a graceful turn of leg if he couldn't propel himself over? At least the voice seemed to be entranced with the continued expression of vowels, or was stuck in the longest prelude to a sneeze he'd ever heard.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah -"
Eventually, he was able to jump from his placid steed's back and catch the lip of the stone garrison. He hauled himself up, and saw a girl with the pale cheek of an aristocrat. There was no second singer. She was alone, performing a duet with the echoed voice of a well. She must be lonely! Or really like refracted sound.
"I'm wishing -"
Done with 'ah-ing' it seemed. He slid off his perch and started making his way over. If all else failed, he could just claim he was thirsty.
"For the one I love -"
He slowed, that sounded like she was already betrothed to someone. In which case he should sidle back to the wall or pretend he was only professionally interested in her vocal capabilities.
"To find me -"
Hello, perhaps the position was still up for perusal. He should take this opportunity to apply.
"Today."
Now he needed a really dashing opener. He'd just repeat the last part, he was such a good listener and with excellent recall.
"TODAY!"
He doffed his elegantly befeathered cap and said hello.
She ran.
He was baffled, especially when asking politely if he'd frightened her and requesting she not run away didn't work. Perhaps she had concerns about public speaking. In that case, he would just go for the universal language: SONG!
"Now that I've found you, hear what I have to say!"
And it even fit with what they sang into the well. He internally popped his knuckles, time to get crackin'.
"One song -"
It had better be just one, he couldn't fathom how he could think of another one, and now he had to think of a rhyme!
"I have but one song -"
Repition was utterly acceptable, and she looked like she was about to swoon anyway.
"One song -"
He was getting bored with it though, he needed something big for a clincher.
"Only for you -"
Definitely only for her, he would never sing this in front of anyone else.
"One heart -"
One, he could go on that one theme for a long time; one breath, one voice, one love, one pancreas...maybe he should just hope he'd finish sweeping her off her feet before he finished four stanzas. What did hearts do?
"Tenderly beating -"
What else did hearts do? Time to employ some metaphors.
"Ever entreating -"
He hoped she was taking note of his alliterative prowess, it was probably the only one he'd be able to pull off. Now to emphasize commitment.
"Constant and true -"
Going through this type of display for someone else was not on the parchment. This relationship was going to work!
"One love -"
Planning was paying off, he was so prepared with that first line.
"That has possessed me -"
Something mad was going on, he might wear tights and floppy hats, but he didn't go capering about bursting into verse.
"One love -"
Repetition, safe repetition, but he needed something else, and it needed to rhyme with the last verses of the other stanzas. What else rhymed with 'oo'?
"Thrilling me through -"
If worst came to worst he could always resort to some soulful la de das.
"One song -"
He'd already sung that, he was going to seem like a hack charlatan if he didn't add in some variety. He would try some mostly literal words.
"My heart keeps singing -"
Now what, now what! What were those other 'one thing' options he had stocked up? She was looking swept though, maybe she wouldn't mind if he went back to the first stanza.
"Of one love -"
Right in the midst of his heartfelt declaration, she raised one of the fluttering doves to her face and laid a kiss on its beak. He spent a moment feeling royally miffed. That was not the reaction he'd been singing for! If she was going to be that way, he'd just reuse some of his lyrics. However, the bird was launched in his direction, and though it buoyed his spirits, he didn't have time to think of more original poetry as he raised a hand so it could alight.
"Only for you."
After a moment of coy cooing, the kiss was passed on to him. That was like making it to the fourth wicket!
He gazed up delightedly as she slowly drew the curtains while smiling fully at him. In her good graces was where he was. Jauntily, he swung himself back over the wall, cheerily anticipating the direction of his life.
He was laid up with bird flu for the next several months. Castles in the air were decidedly drafty and clouds were damp. It did absolutely nothing for his recovery time, and it took him from autumn to spring to get over his sniffles.
When he was feeling more like himself, he set out to take up where he'd left off with the girl in the castle courtyard. This time he ran into a much more metaphorical wall.
She was absent and the castle staff could give him only vague and disturbing rumors. Fortunately, the good thing about living in a celestial citadel was that it gave a you a smashing view of the surrounding countryside, and you could travel wherever the wind could blow.
He found her promptly.
From the hill, he stared morosely at the small clearing as he leaned against his horse. Up until yesterday he'd had a persistent cough, but he cleared his throat to give voice to the one song he'd only sing for her. The only one he remembered all the words to really, but that didn't make it any less poignant.
Nearly three-quarters of the melody was spent with him intent only on her and mentally discarding the shuffling figures moving about her resting place. Then his regal upbringing kicked in and he strode majestically to her side. Princely duty was explicitly clear, he touched his lips to hers.
He bowed his head in grief and a good amount of consternation. Her lips had felt warm and very un-corpse-like. He was likely going mad, and he didn't even want to consider what he was going to come down with from this round of kissing.
For a somber affair, there was certainly a lot of squirming going on! He was looking up to reprimand whoever was making all that noise when he realized it was happening in front of him.
It was her! Awake and alive and who cared about any other details or how it happened! He swept her into his arms, ready for a triumphant processional to his noble steed. About when he got there he realized they weren't alone.
When had all these dwarves arrived? Where did they come from? Perhaps he shouldn't always keep his neck so nobly erect. A lot of important things might have been below his line of sight.
She seemed to be happy to see them, though. He was in a benevolent mood too, so he obligingly lifted them up for her to bid farewell to. His demeanor dimmed a bit when she started to kiss them. It was only on the head, but after the second one he wanted to speed up the process and lifted three of the small people at once. There was one little fellow with long yellow sleeves clamoring to be let up. That one tried for a full contact lip lock, and he was ready to drop the dwarf in outrage, but she just laughed and planted a kiss against the small one's bald head. As soon as his little feet touched the ground, though, the prince was ready to move on.
She bid some additional goodbyes as they made their way further from the trees and dwarves. Finally, they had the space and atmosphere, and awed approval as she'd finally seen his castle, to move to the next level of their relationship.
"Sweetheart," he said. "What's your name?"
A/N: Just me being snarky (and an unintentional One Direction reference). I always considered the Prince's song to be particularly uninspired, though not as quite as bad as the Cinderella "So this is love...mmmhmmhmmhmm" thing which sounds like it was written in five minutes. It's kind of hard to think of lyrics on the fly, though, so this was probably as good as ol' Charming could give at a moment's notice. Anyone notice that Sleepy missed getting lifted up for his goodbye kiss?