AN: As always, I don't own anything and please read and review!

Ch. 9 – "La Sylphide"

After Ahiru had finally calmed down enough to be able to think coherently again, she allowed Fakir to guide her to her mother's room. Ahiru was thankful, now more than ever, that her mother decided to stay in Kinkan until the wedding. As Fakir approached the Queen's chambers he gave Ahiru the ripped message, and as their hands touched, a spark of heat flowed through his body. Fakir desperately tried to divert his thinking, but he knew it was no use. He was in love with the Oiseauian Princess, his thoughts were centered on her almost every waking moment. He tried to quickly take his hands away from Ahiru's enticing touch, but Ahiru held onto his hands. "Fakir," Ahiru said softly, "I just want to thank you for all that you've done for me and I understand what you were trying to say before... But, understand this, my knight, I do love you and I refuse to allow this love to dwindle into nothingness as we are forced to pretend to be happy for the other and watch each other from a distance, never to be united in our love! I want to be with you, my knight, for I'm afraid that without you in my life I shall die of unhappiness." Ahiru gave the shocked knight a sweet peck on his cheek and quietly bid him goodbye and left him bemused and befuddled outside the door.

As soon as Ahiru entered her mother's chambers, she immediately went up to her mother and engulfed her in a hug as tears silently slid down her face. "My dear, whatever is the matter?," her mother asked worriedly. "Oh, mother, everything is wrong! I don't want to marry the prince, because I'm in love with someone else and there is a conspiracy to kill me!," Ahiru said in between sobs. "Now, now," the regal queen soothed the sobbing princess, "take a breath, dear one, and slowly tell me whatever the matter is."


"There, there, my dear one," Ahiru's mother said sympathetically after Ahiru finished telling her mother everything. "All is not as terrible as you fear."

"What do you mean? I've ruined everything!," Ahiru sobbed.

"One cannot help it if they fall in love, now can they? Now, I admit that this is not exactly what I planned, but we shall cross that bridge when we get to it. All I am worried about right now is this conspiracy against your life. We must go the king and report this immediately! I most certainly will not have your safety threatened!"


Rue was pacing in the garden as she awaited Mytho to come to her as asked of him earlier. The last few days had been a constant storm of wondering whose side Rue actually belonged to; her uncle was obviously planning something devious, but Rue wasn't sure if she could tell anybody about it. How could she go against someone she had looked up to her whole life? But then again, she knew whatever her uncle never really loved her as he should. So finally, after much deliberation, she had come to the decision to tell Mytho her fears. "My Lady," Mytho's voice interrupted her pacing, "My Prince," Rue greeted back as she sat on their bench and faced him. "I fear that I must confess a great fear."

"What is it my Lady," Mytho asked, immediately worried for her.

"It is my own uncle that I fear. I am almost certain that he is planning a conspiracy and therefore I am turning to you for guidance and support."

"How can you be sure of this?," Mytho gently asked.

"I know that he is capable of confirming my fears, because he is the one who had struck me."

Mytho was shocked at what Rue had told him. He quickly enveloped her into a tight embrace and quietly vowed to her that they would bring her uncle to justice.

AN2: La Sylphide is Bournonville's "La Sylphide". La Sylphide is translated The Sylph, which is an invisible being of the air.