Hi everyone! Thank you so much for all the fabulous feedback! I'm so glad you all liked it, it made me want to update even more! To answer LenaLove95's question, I did make up the vows, but Snow White's were a revised version of these really sweet vows in the movie Leap Year:) So please read on and see the second installment of Summer Nights!

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT MY IMAGINATION AND THE CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR FROM IT.


"It's stupid you're going to laugh." Snow said burying her face into her pillow, trying to hide her bashfulness. Eric laughed as he reached his free hand that was not behind his head and caressed her cheek with his index finger.

"I won't I promise." He tried to coax her as she turned her face so that only one eye and a corner of her mouth showed, as she tried to see if she should trust his statement or not. To most people, being awake at three in the morning was abnormal and absurd, but to the young Queen and rugged huntsman, now Captain of the Guard, it was a recently normal time to be awake. Lately, the dusk haired lovely was having difficulty sleeping. Although her nightmares from her days as a captive and the Queen's gaze had long been chased away, she was experiencing a new type of insomnia-one whose cause was undetermined. She'd be up all night, and want to sleep all day, and awake was her huntsman with her every night. And although sleep was missed, they talked for hours and learned things about one another that could only be discussed at night. Which leads to their current position, as they lay side by side; Eric bare-chested and relaxed, and Snow bashful and coming undone. She gave a questioning look and he tried his best to look innocent. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine. When I was a little girl, my mother used to tell me stories about the mermaids who live in the sea. She told me the ancient story that once a mermaid swam to a village to listen to a chorister named Matthew singing. The two of them fell in love and the young man went to be with the mermaid in her home in the sea. They say that during summer nights, one can hear the two singing together." She smiled at the fond memory of her mother telling her stories at bedtime. "Ever since then I've always thought it would magical to live in the water as well. To be a creature of the sea." Eric's face struggled not to turn upwards in a smirk but he couldn't help it. Snow White gasped and slapped her hand over his mouth in annoyance.

"You promised!" She said and he kissed her palm that covered his smile.

"I'm not laughing." He countered catching her wrist as she tried to pull away kissing it. "It's just that those stories are so full of malarkey." Snow White huffed and angrily turned her back to him.

"Oh come now don't be like that, I was only joking." He tried to take the foot out of his mouth and attempted to turn her back to him. She jerked her shoulder back, shaking of his hand.

"Those were stories my mother told me. It's cruel to call them false." She said a tear prickling her eye. Eric felt a pang of guilt.

"Snow." He said softly trying to get her to turn toward him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken harshly of your mother's stories, it was wrong."

"Well I've learned my lesson not to tell you anything private again." She said coldly, a tone uncommon in her voice. Eric flopped back on his side of the bed in aggravation. One part of his mind bellowed, "Well screw her if she can't take a joke." The other half knew better. He wasn't the same abrasive, apathetic, and hot tempered man he used to be- okay, well sometimes. But he knew that he had to make it up to her; an apology would not suffice.


A few nights later, Snow found herself blindfolded and reluctantly following the huntsman that hurt her feelings nights prior.

"Eric, we've been traveling for almost an hour, are we almost to this surprise?" She asked impatiently as the held the sides of the same boat they were riding on rocked from side to side.

"Hold your britches, we're almost there. When did you get so impatient?" He joked as he rowed to their desired spot.

"I'm not impatient," Snow protested, "I just feel that all this is unnecessary. I told you that I forgave you days ago. You're the one being difficult." Eric smirked at her contradictory comment.

"Whatever you say queenie." He quipped. "Although it completely 'unnecessary', you can take off the blindfold." Snow obeyed and took in a sharp breath at the sight before her. In the middle of the serene and still ocean was something that she had to blink twice to believe. On a large thick wooden board sat their bed, shining magically lit by the moonlight, fireflies, and several candles that circled the bed.

"Eric! Oh my…" She trailed off not being able to form words as she covered her mouth in shock.

"I assume you like it?" Eric asked slyly, knowing very well what she thought.

"Like it? I can't even believe it!" She exclaimed and the boat stopped as Eric tied the boat to the board. He climbed out and outstretched a hand to help her on.

"Be careful, can't have you drenched, there's no getting back till morning." He said as he gently pulled her on.

"Until morning?" She questioned. "You mean we're sleeping out here?" She pointed to the entire setup.

"Do you see another place to sleep?" He joked as he face broke out into a huge smile.

"But why do this?" She asked.

"Well, you said you wanted to live in the sea like a mermaid, so I figured you wouldn't mind sleeping on it." Snow suddenly flung her arms around Eric, making the plank shake a bit.

"Woo now! I like the affection, but let's try to stay afloat huh?" He said as still held on to him, her feet dangling over his as he lifted her by her waist. She kissed him.

"Thank you. This is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Don't make me blush." He said as she kissed him again and they settled into the bed lying on the sea. And for the first time in months, lolling in the middle of the ocean the magical forest sounds making a sweet lullaby, Snow White slumbered all through the night. While she slept, her huntsman was awakened by the sweet mesmerizing voice of a woman and the company of a man in harmony. He lifted his head to see where it was coming from and saw a woman in the dark distance swimming in the moonlight. He thought it might be Snow, but realized she was still snuggled in his arms. It wasn't until he saw her continue to sing and back stroke, that he saw what looked like a fish tail flap and splash the water. He was stunned speechless, and thought he might be dreaming.

"This is mad." He told himself. "You're dreaming Eric, not losing your damned mind." He said to himself to keep his sanity. But it was when the song began again, he knew he couldn't be dreaming.

We will swim then, me and me, when the moon remakes the sapphire blue sea, like a glass globe at a medium's inquiry;

We will swim through swaying glades of green and purple, in a dancing circle of spirits lithe from forest ecstasies.

Eric looked out again, and there she was. Now closer to their spot on the sea, he could see her wet and glistening skin, long hair that strategically covered her chest, and a shimmering-almost unbelievable-scaled tail that flirtatiously made ripples in the water. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, still is curious disbelief. She was looking right back at him, her face glossy from water. They had shared one long look before she waved a watery hand at him and he numbly waved back at her. Her attention was suddenly torn from him, and he followed her gaze to a man who was farther in the distance. She looked back at Eric and smiled, until she dove back into the water, an enchanted memory, as he saw one last glance of them swimming away. Eric laid his head back down on his pillow and sighed in awe. He looked to see Snow was still fast asleep.

"Should I tell her?" He thought to himself. "No." He said to himself, deciding 1) He didn't want to see her 'I told you so' face, even if she was too nice to say it. And 2), he figured this should stay a secret between him, the mermaids, and the forest. Besides, what always happens on summer nights, should stay kept on summer nights. So Eric laid his head back, and joined Snow in her slumber, falling asleep to the memory of the siren's song.


There you have it! I love the mythology of mermaids, so they had to appear somewhere:) The siren song is actually taken from "The Love Song of the Mermaid" by Amy Taylor if you want to read more, and the actually myth about the mermaid and her lover is an acutal story! Just a little history for ya:) That REVIEW button awaits you, and I am excited to give you chapter 3 in the week to come! Enjoy life until then!(I know it will be hard ;)

Allure xoxo