((I don't know but I got this idea an well...I just had to write it. It is a Jaruda fic in a modern Cinderella AU.))
A Summer Breeze
The young 17 year old boy was pacing back and forth in his chamber.
'Why must I marry at such a young age? And a girl I hardly know?' the boy thought. He was really frustrated at his parents at the moment.
His parents were forcing him to hold a dinner where every eligible girl in his kingdom was invited. At that dinner he was to choose a bride.
'It just isn't fair! Why can't I try and fall in love!' he yelled in his head. As he walked by his king sized bed he punched it to let off some steam.
The bed made a cracking noise, but it was too strong and sturdy to break with just a punch.
"Son! Open the door!" his father's voice boomed the other side of the slamming door.
"You are only going to keep yelling at me!" the boy yelled back. He didn't want to see his parents at the moment. How he wished the palace windows in his bedroom weren't so small.
"I just want to speak with you. I will not try and convince you" his father offered honestly.
The boy knew his father well and knew he was speaking the truth. He walked over and opened the door.
"Thank you Jackson. Now, why are you so upset about marriage?"
"Marriage is not what upsets me father, it is that I don't have the opportunity to fall in love..." he explained, letting his shoulders fall.
"I understand" his father patted his shoulders. At that he just left the room, knowing his son just needed time.
"No, you don't..." Jackson mumbled after his father was out of earshot.
Maybe Jackson wouldn't be so frustrated if they had given him more time, but they told him today about their decision. Not only that, the dinner was on the same day.
'I need some fresh air' he thought.
Jackson put on his favorite hoodie and walked out of his room. He passed the heavy guarded doors that led out to the forest and went over to the horse stables. That is where he kept a staff, a staff that he used to walk up the hills when he had walked for a long time. It was usual of him to do it so he grabbed it and took off.
What he wasn't aware of was that there was a young summer spirit following closely behind him. The spirit had never seen a young boy of her same age with white hair. Not only did it make him look like an elderly man from behind, but it was a big contrast to her red fiery mop of hair.
"Where is he going?" she asked out loud to herself. She didn't worry that he could hear her because he couldn't. She was a guardian of summer and not many believed in her. They thought summer, autumn and spring were just acts of nature, of how they put it mother nature, but it was her and her fellow friend's work.
Jackson heard the voice and got a bit startled. "Who is there?!" he demanded turning around to look for a figure, which he did not find.
The spirit of summer hid behind a tree. 'Did he really hear me? Or was it just a twig or crack of a branch he heard?' she asked herself.
"Was it just my imagination?" Jackson asked himself. "Must be the stress" he mumbled.
"What stress can a prince have?" the spirit scoffed.
"Ok I definitely did not imagine that! Who are you? Come out!" he demanded.
The spirit hid behind a tree again. 'I think he can hear me' she smiled a bit, but she was afraid to show herself, incase he couldn't see her. She didn't want to be let down. She thought it easier to just leave, she didn't want any trouble. Pushing off from the tree she tried, as quiet as possible, to get far enough to be able to take off in to the forest.
Jackson heard the breaking of twigs and ran towards the spot it was coming from. He barely got there in time to see a small bush of red hair off in the distance. Or was it fire? He didn't have time to go investigate because he looked up at the sky and noticed it was getting late. He had to go back and get ready for the dinner.
Half an hour later Jackson was being dressed in the fanciest of clothes by his servants. He didn't like it one bit. He would rather just were his blue hoddie to the dinner, but that was apperantly unacceptable. Another half an hour later he was being announced into the ball room. It was more of a ball than a dinner. He was going to have to dance with every girl.
'Ugh, this is torture' he thought.
"Our son, Prince Jackson Overland, will be picking a bride today. We welcome every eligible young girl today. She will have the chance to win our son's heart. Please enjoy yourselves" the Queen announced.
At that Jackson walked out and bowed. It was impossible to hide the yawn that took over him. It was already boring and it hadn't even started.
Hours later, around 11 o'clock Jackson was dancing with the last of the girls. He had not found one single girl interesting enough to even want to talk with her for more than a few minutes. Yawning once more he thanked the girl for her time and was about to head up to his patents to tell them none of the girls were remotely interesting when he spotted a familiar fiery color. He turned and spotted a girl, who must have just arrived at the ball. She seemed to be interested in the flowers decorating the room.
"Don't tell me you find some flowers more interesting than me?" he joked as he walked up to her. He was sure that the hair belonged to the same figure he had seen run off earlier into the woods.
"Wait...you can see me?" she was dumdfounded.
"Yes" he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Well is was for him, but not for her.
"You can really see me?" she asked once more, this time a smile playing on her lips.
"Um...yeah. You aren't invisible you know?" he said raising a brow.
She almost squealed as she smiled happily at the boy.
"I am glad I am not invisible." She said.
"You are one weird girl..." he said extending his hand, "As you should know, but I am not quite sure with you, I am Prince Jackson Overland, but just call me Jack."
"Nice to meet you Prince Jack" she beamed taking his hand. She let go of his hand and bowed. "But I have to go now. I just came to see what was happening in such a beautifully illuminated room."
"No, wait you just got here" he said.
"But I still have to go...duty calls..." she said.
"Why?" he whined.
Merida chuckled, noticing his dissapointment. "It is a long story..." she said.
At that precise moment the midnight chime rung.
"That will have to be told another day" she said with a smile. She then added, gesturing to the clock, "that marked the last day of summer, and now I must go."
"Go where?"
"Far away...until next summer" she answered. She turned around and began to walk away.
"Can I at least know your name?" he called.
"Merida, Merida Dunbroch, once the princess of the Scottish kingdom" she said and at that dissapeared into thin air.
"Merida..." he mumbled to himself once she was gone.
"Mother... father, I found the girl I would like to marry-"
"Oh that is great. We will make it known!" his mother chimed.
"But wait."
"What? What is wrong?" asked his father.
"She left, she left before I could tell her anything. I don't think she even knew that she was here for what every girl was here for. She told me that she just came to see what was going on" he explained the best he could.
Both the King and Queen were confused at their son's explanation.
"Is this true, or is it just an excuse to boy get married son?" his father asked sternly.
"C'mon dad, like I would make such a lie" he said, he had actually made worse.
His father only stared at him.
"Alright alright I admit I can lie, but no I am not lying right now. I really have met her. She has the most peculiar attitude. Her eyes are just so blue and deep in hue. Her rosey cheeks make a nice contrast on her pearly skin. And oh not to mention her hair! It is as red and wild as a fire" he went on describing the girl.
His mother chuckled, "It would seem as if your describing the summer spirit" she said.
"Huh?"
"Yes... Oh I must have told you about her legend. No?" his mother said.
Jack only shook his head.
"Oh well the summer spirit is just as you describe her. A wild young girl who brings forth summer every year. She is the one who makes the flowers shine bright in the sun. And as the legend tells she is such a pretty young woman, who roams the forest, keeping hidden. Few people believe in her and so the legend died off as the years went by. I still, if I might admit, do believe in her." His mother brightened up as she told her son of the summer spirit.
Flowers? That is what she was staring at at the party. Hidden in the forest? If that was her she was definitely hiding away. And his mother said she was just as be described. Could it be? Could the girl he met be the summer spirit?
"And would she be invisible?" Jack questioned, rather trying to sound of track.
"Well to those that don't believe in her. It is said that if you believe in her you can see her" the queen smiled.
It was her! Jack would just have to wait a year to see her again. Hopefully she would agree to his request.
"Then I will wait until next summer for her!" he exclaimed as he left the hall and went to his chamber of a room.
True to his word, about a year later, a bit before, Jack was walking up one of his favorite hills when he spotted the red and familiar hair.
Summer had started a week ago and there had been no signs of her in the forest. He had come out everyday to look for her, but found nothing...until today.
"Took you long enough to come back!"
Merida smiled at the familiar voice and turned to face Jack.
"I got side tracked" she responded. "I decided to go visit my old home."
"And is that far?"
"Well it is in Scotland. Remember what I said last time?"
"That you were the Scottish princess before the summer spirit."
"Wait...you know?"
"Yes, but I still want to hear your side if the story" he grinned. "My mom has a way of telling stories only the way she likes them. I want to here the real story" he said giving a shrug.
Merida smiled. "Well you're in luck because I have some time to kill."
And that is how both of their lives took an odd turn for the best.
((Thank you for reading it. Hope you guys liked it. Let me know what you thought of it. Did I do well? Did I do horrible? To many grammar mistakes? ...I apologize.))