Author's Note:
Endless thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorite. I appreciate the feedback. 8) Frankly I had to marvel over how I thought Will and Ana would have met. This idea made me pleased.
03. Dream
"Ah, bloody hell…"
The life of a thief was not an easy one – not in Will Scarlet's opinion. Especially not after he had sneaked into a prince's ball ceremony, slithered around the castle, and filled his pockets with all of the jewelry that he could find along disclosed passages. It was bad enough that he had stolen a fine cascade suit two sizes too short for him. Worse that – as he trudged down the balcony and stepped into the spacious chamber of an overwhelming number of people – the cool metal on each sets of stolen jewelry took a sharp jab into his legs and groin.
Walking narrowly on the edges of his feet, Will planned to take the easy way out of the castle. But to resume his intended innocence and nonchalance, he swerved towards the foot court. The smell was unbelievable – and the entirety of the banquet could likely feed a kingdom for a whole month. Ergo, before he found a way out of the castle gates, Will strolled around the table. He took a chicken leg and chewed at that, before moving onto fruits and various nuts.
Subsequently, his point of view changed as his dark eyes caught a vaguely familiar figure. Adorning a lavender dress – with her blonde hair pinned back exquisitely – Will's jaw fell open. Any time he had seen Lady Tremaine and her daughters prior, he'd never had the opportunity to speak to her. It seemed that her mother was scornful and held very little interest nor regard for anyone outside of herself… So quickly, Will brushed his hands on his slacks in some last ditch effort to free them from crumbs. He looked around the area for any sight of the woman or the girl's sister, pleased not to find them there.
And with as much gusto as Will Scarlet was capable of, he strutted like a pretty manprincess towards her.
"What's that they have 'ere?"
He arrived just behind her shoulder, noticing that she wasn't eating anything. She simply marveled over a multiple of dessert dishes, clad with golden plates. Attentively, she picked her head up to look at him. For a moment she looked surprised to see him there. He wondered if she had acknowledged him around Sherwood… But likely not as often as he had her.
"Pudding." Her voice was smaller than he had imagined; gentler. Will sniffed greatly, attempting to hitch up his pants from threatening to fall due to the expensive objects hidden and crammed there.
"Really? Well, it'd be a damned shame if I didn't try some…"
It wasn't a great way to break the ice. Will smiled at her though, and she smiled at him in return. He reached beside her to take one of the golden plates lying unoccupied on the table. He spun it in his hands back and forth, wishing he had enough room in his slacks to fit it in there… However, in the presence of the younger Tremaine daughter, he turned back to the desserts. One pudding was baked; it appeared more like pie than it did a gelatinous form. Will began to pile that onto the small plate, licking the corner of his thumb before dropping the spoon back into the basin.
"So, what're you doin' here?" His question was friendly. The girl crooked a brow at him, however; her cobalt eyes were dark, unlike any color he had ever seen.
"What d'you mean?"
"I mean, what's this party for?" He stretched across the table to pick up a spoon. "Somebody 'ave a baby?"
The Tremaine daughter chuckled at him, trying to decide if he was serious when he asked what he had.
"Prince Thomas is to choose a potential bride after this evening." She explained effortlessly. Will was pleased to hear that she didn't sound particularly fond of the party. At least she wasn't endlessly pining for the prince… "Who're you, again?"
"Will. Will Scarlet." After swallowing a mouthful of the pudding – but trying to do so regally – he grinned at the young woman. "So you're 'ere to pick up the prince, that right?"
"My mother would love that. However, I am not delusional enough to believe that the prince would pick me, of all people." There was a small amount of bitterness in her voice. Not towards the prince; Will sensed that the disregard was referred only to her mother. He set his spoon down to look firmly at her, meeting her dark blue eyes again with his own.
"Why not? You're the prettiest one 'ere."
The girl's eyebrows went soaring up her forehead with conclusive confusion and bated breath.
"… You think so?"
"Know so, been walking 'round the castle for the last couple hours."
Color came brushing over her cheeks only faintly, which she tried to hide behind her knuckles. In the end, she bowed her head with gratitude.
"Well, thank you, Mister Scarlet – "
"Ah, ah… None of that, now." He licked his spoon clean, before pointing it at her with amusement. "Will. Just Will. Start calling me 'Mister Scarlet' and 'm not gonna know who you're talkin' to."
"Will, then." The sound of his name coming off of her tongue was strangely mesmerizing. And her repeated smiling was contagious; he wished he'd had the opportunity to talk to her before.
Consequently, just as he made that thought, he flinched at the sight of a wrinkled, leathered fruit inside of the baked pudding. Fear shooting through him, Will's hands flexed instinctively.
"G'lord…! Is that a raisin?!"
"What's wrong with - ?"
The golden plate nearly toppled onto the floor as it flew from his hands. Fortunately, he caught it before it came to the ground with a crash between them and where they stood. But another noise ousted against the ground instead. Grimacing as he looked down, Will saw one of the emerald rings he had stolen had escaped from his pocket and landed on the banquet floor. Stealthily, he reached down to recapture it before anyone noticed – anyone but the Tremaine girl, anyway.
Her mouth lay half agape at what had come soaring out of his pocket. Will anticipated that she would be quick to yell for a guard to catch him. But instead, her voice came hushed; barely more than a whisper, and hardly judgmental.
"Are you a thief, Will Scarlet?"
"Look, don't tell no one, alright?" Will pleaded, feeling a rush sort of panic as he pushed the ring back into the corner of his pocket. "Please?"
For a split second, he considered running as far as he could to get away. The girl could easily get him thrown into trouble, and he expected that she would say something. Like any other law abiding citizen would… Their gazes met again. The girl's full lips rested into a firm line, watching him carefully. What she said next certainly wasn't on his mind as he fretted how he would get out of the castle.
"What will you give me in return?"
Will's mouth fell open, ready to retort. But once her statement sunk into him, he reached up to scratch his head. She wanted a compromise for staying quiet…? Surely, she would know that he didn't have money to spend for her, since he was going to the lengths of stealing!
"A dance?" Will suggested lamely. The girl looked at him like she might roll her eyes at any given moment. "I don't 'ave anything else. I'm beggin' ya."
She was quiet for a moment, folding her arms across her chest with conclusive thought. Will opened his mouth again, then shut it… He repeated that mantra for a little while, until her mouth barely parted to respond to his demise.
"… A dance will not do."
"Oh, c'mon – "
And that was when she said something he truly hadn't anticipated.
"But you could come and see me later, when the ball is over…"
His heart may have skipped a beat somewhere between "see me" and "ball is over". Was that truly her compromise? For a fleeting second, he couldn't believe it was real until she continued confidently. If there was one thing he had always liked, it was a woman with some kind of an ego.
"I could use the company, and an explanation for your fear of raisins."
"R-really? Just that?" Will sputtered curiously. She nodded her head, but only once as her hands clasped together in front of her. It seemed easy enough, but it didn't stop his mind from whirling.
"Erm, alright. Where d'you live?"
"North of Sherwood Forest, household of the Tremaine family. It's all gray and brick. You should find it easily."
Will's expressions collapsed into a grin, thankful that many of the castle's patrons were too far out of earshot to hear their conversation. Most of them were already back in the ballroom. Their pandering gazes were all over the prince and a blonde woman that he was busy dancing with. But it didn't seem that the Tremaine girl was interested in that, as another simper flitted to her gorgeous lips.
"And what do I call you, eh?" He asked softly, leaning forward a bit so that they were on eye level. She did not pull away; not even the slightest bit as she answered.
"Anastasia."
It was the most beautiful name he had ever heard. A title that rattled affectionately through his senses as he turned away to find a safe route out of the castle with his new riches still intact. Everything about the situation felt more like a dream to him than it did reality; and he couldn't believe his current fortune.
