Chapter 4
Erik stood in front of the mirror and looked unhappily at his reflection. Keith was adjusting his jacket.
"I'm so tired of my father pressing this marriage issue," Erik sighed, "but at least it's only for one night."
"You never know, sir," Keith said optimistically, "this could be it for you."
"Let us hope so, Keith. Otherwise, I might just run away."
Keith left and Erik stood at the top of the stairs, waiting to be announced. The music went quiet for a moment. The girls all started to giggle stupidly.
Heaven help me, Erik thought with a sigh.
One by one, the girls were presented to him. He bowed politely, but didn't dance with any of them. They all looked alike and they began to blend together.
Erik just happened to glance up at the door and was thinking about dashing through it when a young woman walked in. She seemed quite alone and out of place there. But something was different about her....
Without thinking, Erik pushed through the estrogen ocean that had surrounded him and walked towards her. A wave of whispers rippled through the room, but he was past hearing them.
Christine looked up at him.
"Oh...hello..."
She seemed surprised.
"Are you enjoying the ball?"
"Well...actually, I just got here."
"Would you like me to show you around?"
He took Christine's hand and steered her away from the crowds. Christine had not ever paid much attention to the gossip, nor had ever seen Erik, so she naturally did not recognize him as the prince.
Erik was fascinated by this. She didn't giggle stupidly or faint the way most women did. Instead, she looked into his eyes and seemed more genuine.
"These are the gardens," Erik said, gesturing to them, "it's possible to get lost down here."
"I wouldn't mind being lost in a place like this," Christine said, gazing at the breath-taking beauty in front of her, "it's amazing."
Erik fearlessly plucked one of the roses from the bush and used a small pocket knife to skin off the thorns. He tucked the strand into Christine's hair. The petals matched flawlessly with her dress. A song began to play that Erik particularly liked.
"Shall we dance?"
He led her onto the dance floor and the lights began to dim. It was slow and gentle. Out of instinct, Erik began to sing. It came so naturally to him that he didn't realize he was doing it half of the time.
"Never knew I could feel like this...
like I've never seen the sky before...
want to vanish inside your kiss...
every day I'll love more and more...
listen to my heart, can you hear it sings?
Telling me to give you everything...
Seasons may change...winter to spring...
but I'll love you...
until the end of time..."
His mother and father had often shared the secret of their love. Despite the king's reluctance to plant any sort of lofty romantic notions into his son's head, he had disclosed one thing. He knew he was in love with Erik's mother/the queen when he touched her hand. Something about this woman made his very blood resonate with music.
Christine's own mouth opened, something magical and powerful being released inside her own soul. She had heard this song somewhere before, but it never did strike her so powerfully as now.
"Suddenly the world
seems such a perfect place
suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace...
suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,
it all revolves around you..."
An excitement he'd never felt before bubbled up inside Erik's stomach. Any second, they were going to find out. This one definitely had potential. They sang together:
"And there's no mountain too high...
no river too wide...
sing out this song and I'll be there by your side...
storm clouds may gather...
stars may collide
but I love you until the end of time...
Come what may....
come what may...
I will love you until my dying day....
The other women stared, open-mouthed. Some of them began to cry for their lost hope. Others began to flush with anger and jealousy.
"Who the Hell is that?" Regina snarled.
"I wonder how many guards she had to sleep with to get in here," Amanda commented.
"She seems familiar...but I can't say I recognize her," Carlotta said, raising a finger to her lips in thought.
"No matter. A pretty voice and a pretty face doesn't necessarily guarantee anything."
"Come what may....
come what may...
I will love you....
until my dying day..."
The song ended and applause thundered through the room. Christina smiled shyly. A couple more songs played with much livelier tunes. It was a challenge to keep up with them and she began to perspire a bit. She was somewhat startled when her stomach rumbled.
"Could I interest you in something to eat? Our caterers were up half the night preparing for this ball," Erik commented.
She was more than happy to go with him. Crystal plates, bowls, and cups sparkled alongside genuine silver utensils that were polished perfectly. The food itself was almost too beautiful to eat. She couldn't help but sample a small bit of everything. When she'd had her fill, she dabbed at her lips with her napkin. Unlike most men, this masked stranger did not comment on her appetite. He seemed rather hungry himself. After they finished drinking the warm tea, they got up from the table and went outside for some fresh air. This time, they went a small distance away from the castle.
"My room is up there," Erik commented, "my mother chose that room specifically because of the balcony before she knew which gender I would be. Either way, it reminded her of a story."
He said that to test Christine.
"Oh! You mean Romeo and Juliette, right? It's one of my favorites! I never got a chance to go to school, but my father used to read to me all the time when he was alive. He promised me he'd teach me eventually, but he passed away before he could."
Erik nodded in understanding. That happened sometimes. But, thankfully, he knew that illiteracy didn't always equate with ignorance.
"My parents think I'm too involved with such fairy-tales. They think I've always got my head up in the clouds."
"There's nothing wrong with having dreams," Christine commented, "I used to dream of being a great knight when I grew up. Everyone told me that playing with the boys and pretending to joust wasn't ladylike at all. I didn't care. I wanted to ride on a dragon's back."
Things were sounding more promising by the moment.
"You didn't dream of becoming a princess and marrying wealthy?" Erik asked.
"Not really. Being a princess would be nice, I suppose, but not if you're locked in the castle all day. I always thought it would be a little bit boring. You always hear 'they lived happily ever after' but never what happens after that. It would be nice to have some adventure."
The two of them looked up at the sky just in time to see a shooting star.
"It's beautiful out here," Christine commented, "I suppose-"
Suddenly, the clock began to chime. Dread filled Christine's stomach.
"Oh, my! I've completely forgotten what time it is!" she exclaimed.
"The ball doesn't end until much later," Erik commented, "you're more than welcome to stay."
"Oh, I wish I could, but I can't! I'm so sorry!"
Christine began to run across the gardens towards the door.
"Wait! I don't even know your name!" Erik yelled, chasing after her.
Christine ran down the stairs. The carriage was already waiting for her. On the way down, she tripped and one of her glass slippers went flying. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she could go and get it. But it was no use. She knew she had to hurry because the magic was already wearing thin. Squishie's fur was already changing from white to tan. Chase's horse tail was rapidly becoming a cat tail. She threw herself into the carriage and they took off.
"Stop that carriage!" Keith yelled to the guards.
They chased her all the way out into the countryside, but Christine and her friends managed to pull ahead at the last second. She grabbed Squishie and Chase and ran into the yard, Prancer, following her right behind. The guards' horses trampled the pumpkin, leaving a mess of pulp and sparkles.
"It's a shame it's over," Chase commented, whiskers drooping.
Christine looked down to see the glass shoe still on her right foot.
"Thank you! For everything!" she called, hoping Meg would hear her.