p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Three thieves met at night, huddled around a tree shallowly in the forest. Sometimes, a rendition of one of their faces would be nailed to it. It gave them a bit of a soft spot for it – not that they had soft spots, of course./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Are you sure you can do this, Rider?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Flynn cocked his head to the side. "Have I ever failed you guys?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The thieves, twin brothers, gave each other a knowing look./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I mean when it's important!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The same look was exchanged./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yes! I am sure!" Flynn crossed his arms and glared at his…his…well he didn't much know what to call them. They weren't his family, or his friends. They were barely partners. They were people he met in a run-down tavern, who called themselves the Stabbington Brothers./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Flynn had laughed at their names – hey, he thought they were kidding! Stabbington! I mean, come on! But, as it turns out, that was their genuine, God-given last name and they didn't much appreciate Flynn making fun of it. After they had him pressed against the wall, he diffused the situation by offering a partnership; his services. He didn't think that they'd actually take him up on it. Then again, he also didn't think they could actually be named Stabbington. Can't win 'em all, right?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You better get us this, Rider."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Believe me, I understand." Flynn said. "I sneak in, I kidnap the princess – any of them, there's three, that's good odds – and then we have the ultimate point of leverage."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""We've spent our lives doing these petty crimes, and we've got most nothing to show for it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well I can have you both labeled as notorious thieves in a second! A nanosecond – no, I don't think that's been invented yet – a second!" Flynn said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The brothers were unnervingly silent, as they commonly were./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""The ball is tonight."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You are not invited."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You will have to stay hidden."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know! I know! Geez, you'd think I had never committed a crime before."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""We know you've committed crimes. We also know you're on our last nerve." The left Stabbington brother said – Flynn was never really able to distinguish between the two of them. "Which, as far as we're concerned, is the only crime that deserves to be punished."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Okay…" Flynn trailed off, waiting for them to get the threats out of their system./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Keep in mind tonight, Rider. You can botch this job, you can blow our cover. But we have no loyalty to you, and no reason to forgive. We'll do what it takes to see you undone."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle had never felt nervous going into a bookshop before. Ever. But now that she knew she was permanently – or at least perpetually – assigned to work in a bookstore with that ever-infuriating Adam, she couldn't untangle her nerves from her anger. How dare he snap at her like that? And how dare he make her uneasy in her greatest place of comfort?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Just let him cross her. Just once. She would put him right in his place! With confidence and vigor she pushed the door to Beaumont Bookseller's open, letting the bell rattle for a few seconds as she looked around./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam looked up at her, standing there blazing, and gave her a polite nod. "Good morning." He said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emGood morning/em? Belle was prepared for everything from him barking 'Get out! Now!' to an eyeroll and a scoff, because of course this man would behave in a beastly way, of course, because he was a rude and unkind man and always would act that way./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Good morning?" she said, half in anger and half like a question./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"He gave her a quizzical look, but even she couldn't fault him for that./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Good morning." She said, more as the greeting it was supposed to be./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What books does Queen Leah want today?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I never know what she wants – my entire job is figuring it out."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""God, can you imagine having a staff so large you have one person in charge of just picking out books for you?" Adam scoffed a little./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Sounds like it'd be nice." Belle said, surveying the store. "So, is there anything I'm not allowed to touch?" she meant for her tone to sound more annoyed, but it came out like a courtesy./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No specific section – besides my office!" he added the last part abruptly. Belle was curious and wanted to ask, but figured now would not be the time to begin prying into his life. She didn't care, anyway./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Alright." She agreed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'll just stick with you – to make sure you mess anything up." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle sighed. Great, now she had to spend emmore/em time with him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Only one day had passed since his arrival and introduction to his future wife and today, so Eric wasn't sure how he could have changed feelings so quickly. If he was anyone else, he would've chalked it up to the seafaring but he knew damn well that had never bother or confused him. There had to be something else at play here, but either Eric didn't have the words for it or he didn't want to use them./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"This ball was going to be a big step, even if he wasn't quite engaged yet. He would be introduced as a fixture of the kingdom – as someone important enough to have this big of a deal made out of him. Rumors would fly instantly, he was sure, and someone was bound to put the pieces together that he was marrying at least one of the daughters. Whether they would assume he was ranked highly enough for the eldest princess was to be determined. It was nerve-wracking, and Eric didn't like nerve-wracking things./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Sure, he could handle them. And sure, he had lived through them. But Eric would've been quite content to dedicate his life to sailing and swimming and mastering the ocean. These things were dangerous but they were also thrilling, and they never made him nervous. Only anxious for more./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"He never thought he'd be in this position, where the things he wanted mattered so little now. He wasn't going to just be a support system to his brother, the king. He wasn't going to be the younger, wilder brother. He wasn't going to be the person who'd show up for the right events and shake the hands he had to./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric was going to be a king, and he was going to be Aurora's husband. Once her eighteenth birthday came it was only his true love, as her husband, that could break her spell, and return her to a life without a curse, and a life where she could be queen./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Because that's what she was meant to be./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle was the smartest person that Rapunzel knew. The two had become fast friends – Rapunzel never ran out in the seas, like Ariel, and she didn't have training and lessons to the extent that Aurora did, so she really needed someone to talk to more than anything. How lovely that that someone to talk to became friends./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Are you coming to the ball tonight?" Rapunzel asked Belle, the two girls sitting in Rapunzel's bedroom./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I don't know – I'm tired." Belle said, stretching a little./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You did have a long day." Rapunzel agreed. "I didn't see you at all!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I got reassigned." Belle said, with slight annoyance./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Reassigned?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm down at Beaumont Booksellers, picking out reading material for the castle."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Why, that sounds right up your alley!" Rapunzel exclaimed happily. "That's the perfect position for you – and you can borrow anything you want, right?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle giggled a little. "Thank you, yes, but that's not the issue."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Then what is?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Adam Beaumont!" Belle huffed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Who?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""He's the bookseller. He's a terrible, gruff man!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What did he do?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle stalled for a minute. "He's got a hell of a temper!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Did he yell at you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""A little!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That's terrible!" Rapunzel said sincerely, sweetly, as she always did. "I'm so sorry to hear that."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle settled back a little. "He was nicer today, though. He showed me more of the books, but he was far quieter. I'm not sure why. He would pick some out of the shelves and just hand them to me, and I'd do a more thorough checking after."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That's not too bad."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle tucked a loose curl back into her ponytail. "Not too bad, I guess." She shook her head. "But what are we doing standing around? The ball is so soon!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel did always love balls – they were so lively and warm, and it was nice to get a chance to mingle with everybody. She would sometimes new and interesting faces, and have brand new subjects to paint in her journal. This ball was a welcoming ball, and thus very open and there were dozens of guests she had only met once or twice before./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Maybe it was selfish, but she wondered when her chance for a ball would come. So much of her life was cooped up in the castle. She knew it was her choice, and for the best. If one of her sisters – and let's be honest, Ariel was never that careful – was to get hurt, they could be done for! It was too much to consider, that either of her sisters might get hurt because she was selfish and focused too much on herself./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Which is why a ball would be a perfect compromise! They could all stay in the castle, but they'd bring in exciting people and new – hold on. It just caught the corner of her eye – only for a second – but Rapunzel could swear she saw someone creeping down the hall. It was odd – everyone was invited here. No one needed to sneak in or creep away. She softly and circuitously worked her way to the doorframe, squinting a bit to make him out from the shadows. She only had seen him move a little. As she got closer, he dashed off, dressed in clothes more suited to a 16th century fop! She giggled a bit at this – perhaps he had been mistaken, and thought it was a costume ball?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She picked up her skirts and ran after him, braid hitting her back./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Ha!" she threw open a door she saw shut only a second before. "Gotcha!" she smiled./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She saw a shadow shift against the wall. The sun was setting, but there was still light, so she tugged the drapes open and illuminated a man in a puffed shirt, puffed pants, and a puffy cap (with a feather!)./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"A stranger./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh!" Rapunzel said softly, surveying him. "Are you lost?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No." the man said quickly, then seemed to regret it. "I zmean, zuh, zes!" he said, in a terrible accent. "Mon name es…Pierre! I am new zere, zvery new, and I, hon hon, got a zit zurned around."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel folded her arms. Did he think she was stupid? "Oh, yes. Pierre. Where are you from, Pierre?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""France, zof course! The city of light! The city of love!" He dramatically threw out his arms./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Mm-hm. And what's your last name?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"He froze, clearly thinking deep. He obviously didn't know a single French last name. His arms drooped, but he threw them out again. "I have zad a zot of wine, mademoiselle!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel laughed. "We haven't even started serving wine." She corrected. "Now tell me who you emreally/em are."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Are you going to call the guards?" he asked, lowering his arms and tensing up./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No." Rapunzel assured him. "As long as you aren't going to hurt anyone, right?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"He nodded a little. "Right."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Why are you here? She asked, stepping more into the light./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"He stared at her for a moment, and then said. "I was…I was trying to sneak in. Get a trinket and a cool story to tell my friends at the lantern festival, you know?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""The lantern festival?" Rapunzel asked./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Rapunzel!" a voice called, sounding not too far away./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I've gotta go." The man said, making a beeline for the window and yanking it open./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What festival? What's your name? Is that really why you're here?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"With one foot out the window, he made eye contact with her. "Lantern. Uh, Flynn. No. Bye!" with a quick push, he was gone./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric couldn't quite put words as to why he was so upset. It wasn't quite anger – there wasn't that hot burning in his head. The heat centered more in his stomach, a slow burn that caused him to stare incessantly at the back of the head of the dark-haired man with his too-white gloves, who was talking to animatedly to Ariel./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The man was waving his hands and when Ariel would speak he would laugh uproariously and then motion his hands some more. He was too far away for Eric to hear what he was saying, but he must've found himself very funny because he would lean in, then lean back and gesticulate, and his mouth would move more and more quickly. Eric wanted to hit his too-quick mouth, just to put a stop to it all./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel dipped her head a little to the side, hair falling past her waist, and gestured to the door, backing a few steps away before he had a chance to reach for her. She turned and walked off, and Eric saw her head out./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Eric!" Aurora approached him, smiling up at him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Oh, right. "Aurora, hello." He bowed a little to her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I don't know if it's your thing, but we should probably dance." Aurora said, jerking her head a bit to the side./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Of course, of course." Eric said quickly. He took Aurora's hand and walked with her to the middle of the floor, where the other couples – couples! – were waltzing. "There's not an announcement, or anything like that, tonight – right?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, I don't think so." Aurora shook her head. "I wasn't planning on it, and no one told me they were. "Why, would you like something announced."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, it's just all the sea air. Travel, and such. You know. I'm still fairly out of it so I didn't want to make a fool of myself."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Of course." Aurora nodded, looking over his shoulder. She flushed a little, and looked back up at Eric. "I'd hate to embarrass you. But the time is coming where we'll have to announce." She added./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know." Eric nodded. "We'll get to that when we get to that."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora nodded. "Oh yes, there's no pressure there."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I mean, of course you're turning eighteen soon-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You only have to-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Of course."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Of course."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm sorry, uh, excuse me. Just one moment." Eric said quickly, disappearing into the crowd./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora stepped back and sighed, feeling a little deflated, but not disturbed by disappointment. Rather, disturbed by the span style="font-weight: bold;"lack/span of the feeling./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Are you okay?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel spun around at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. She stepped out of the tide quickly, letting her skirts fall past her knees again./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, sorry if I disturbed you." Prince Eric put his hands up a little./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh!" Ariel exclaimed, waving her hand. "No, no. I just didn't know anyone knew I was out here."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I saw you talking to that guy." Eric said, gesturing back towards the castle. "I just wanted to make sure that you were fine; that he didn't say anything rude to you. You left pretty quickly after."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, I'm fine!" Ariel insisted. "He was just so talkative!" she rolled her eyes. "But he had nothing to say! He was talking on and on about this book he read, I don't even remember the name, but it was terribly boring – and I had said I hadn't read it, so instead of taking the hint he started describing it in emexcruciating/em detail!" she sighed, and swayed a little. "I just needed some air after that."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Believe me, I understand." Eric laughed. "How long do you think we could stay out here, do you think? That is, if you don't mind company."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"In truth, Ariel had never really been around a male she wasn't related to. Her curse was quite clear – as soon as someone declared their love for her, she would have to kill him by sunset on the third day. There was great fear that someone would fall in love with her, even if she did little to stoke it herself, and force the curse to come into play. But Eric was all but engaged to Aurora – he had come here for that one purpose. What harm could there be in being around him?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Of course not!" Ariel said. "You missed the sunset though."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, that's a shame. I hear there's one tomorrow, though."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, you can never be sure. Once I saw two sunrises instead."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, really?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yeah, but it was a leap year. You know how those are."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric laughed and sat down in the sand, pulling off his boots. "Today would've been a perfect day for sailing. I meant to go out today, but Philip had a bunch of stuff for me to go through, I couldn't escape."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You know you promised to take me out." Ariel said, picking her skirts up again and wading back into the water. "It's already been a day."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's only been a day!" Eric slipped out of his coat and ran into the water, his pants rolled up./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel stooped to pick up a shell. "Do you think it's pretty?" she asked./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's lovely."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You can have it!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, tha-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""When you take me sailing." Ariel yanked it back a little./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, now you're playing hardball." Eric laughed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Belle found a book for me on sailing once – and I read most of it! But it's not the same as the real thing, and my parents never let me sail-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Why not?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""They think it's dangerous."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well, it can be. But with me it won't be, I know what I'm doing." Eric promised./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Good. Exactly." Ariel shifted her weight a little. "I mean, it can be a little dangerous. That'd be fine."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You want it to be dangerous?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""If it has to be! Do you know any tricks or anything?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Like what, a flip?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel splashed him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey!" Eric exclaimed. "I've got to go back inside like this!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know!" Ariel said smugly. "Sass me like that again and I'll take you down."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric stooped down and cupped his hands full of water./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No!" Ariel held out a warning finger./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric smirked at her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric splashed her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Okay, you asked for it!" Ariel laughed, dropping her skirts and splashing him back, soaking through his white linen shirt and ruining his hair. She ran (as best as one can) through the water to get away./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, I'm not done with you yet!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You might as well take me sailing now!" Ariel proclaimed. "I can't possibly get in more trouble than this."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric rose up straight. "Okay." He said. "Let's do it."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric had been gone for several dances, and Aurora hovered awkwardly on the periphery of her own party, getting angrier by the minute. Look, she didn't ask him to be here! She didn't ask for this stupid curse that forced her to compromise her standards and desires in order to get stuck with whatever prince was willing to take one for the team. But her eighteenth birthday was drawing too near, and she couldn't afford to cast off her only shot at love./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""May I have this dance?" Philip slid up next to Aurora./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, yes." She breathed, taking his hand and walking out with him to the dance floor. "I'm so relieved, you have no idea."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm afraid Eric can be flighty sometimes." Philip mumbled. "You'll have to forgive him. I'm sure he went to get some air and forgot how much he really needs."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Honestly." Aurora mumbled, though it was clear she was upset./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""But, please, tell me more about you." Philip pushed. "You, uh, or your kingdom. Anything you care to share."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora smiled a little. "I love my little kingdom, I'll tell you anything. We've got about eight thousand people right now, mostly in the villages you can see from the castle."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's beautiful here, what I've seen of it at least." Philip nodded. "And you've got that huge stretch of woods surrounding your castle."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora sighed dreamily. "That's my favorite place to be."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""There's a big woods back in my home as well." Philip said. "There's this big open patch I found, only half an hour deep into the woods or so, and there's berries all around. We've been there so many times my horse can smell it, I think."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora giggled. "That sounds beautiful. I'd love to see it someday."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm sure you will! After all, Eric will have to return home sometime and I'm assuming you'll come with."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora dipped her head down and went quiet. Of course. She would have to leave her castle for probably a month to make a proper visit of it. That was a long time to be away from home. She had hardly even thought about what it was really going to mean to be married to Eric. Yes, he would break her spell, but-/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Philip sensed her sadness and tilted her chin up a little. "I'm sorry if I said anything to offend, Princess."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, not at all!" Aurora said quickly, getting back into the dance. "I just remembered some things."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Philip nodded slowly, giving her a chance to continue, but she didn't. So he said "I'm very much looking forward to exploring your kingdom while I'm here. It really is very beautiful. I took a walk down to the village early this morning. It was very charming!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora smiled again. "I know everything here!" she said as he spun her out. "Let me know if you want a tour."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I will absolutely take you up on that." Philip breathed, smiling down at her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric had untethered the little sailboat from the dock and pushed them off. Ariel positively lit up at this prospect, dipping her hand into the water and tipping her face up to catch the mist./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I can only imagine what this must look like in the daylight." She sighed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""We can go back out again then." Eric promised./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""This is a good idea, anyway. We'll dry out her on deck." Her skirt was mostly dry, but the hem was absolutely soaked./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yeah!" Eric exclaimed. That's your fault, besides. I'm not getting in trouble for this."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, who would yell at you? Your mom isn't here."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That's true," Eric conceded. "But Philip does a very good 'I'm disappointed but not surprised' speech and it really can get to you."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel giggled. "Is he your best friend?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Absolutely! And my right hand man. I'm making him out to be more of a buzzkill than he is. We always have a grand time together – we'll go riding, or sailing, or shoot arrows. Right now, he just has to make sure I don't ruin everything."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Like sink the boat? Make us all swim back to shore?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yes, that would certainly ruin something." Eric smiled down at her. "Here, you steer." He stepped back and made room for her to slip under her arms./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You don't have to hold it!" Ariel said, motioning to the fact that his hands still held a bit to the left and a bit to the right of hers. "I can manage."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I thought you never sailed before?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well not physically, but I've thought about it a lot."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Good enough!" Eric said, releasing his hands as a gust of wind came, taking the boat sharply left./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel put all her force into the steering wheel, and leaned the boat back onto course./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, fantastic!" Eric exclaimed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Ariel flexed her skinny arm. "Don't even talk to me unless you have biceps like these."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Ooh, tall order." Eric rolled up his sleeve and flexed. "This work?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, too lumpy." Ariel waved her hand dismissively. "Look at this! Smooth from shoulder to wrist." She flexed her arm again./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric laughed. "It's not lumps, it's muscle!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Eh, who can be sure?" Ariel shrugged. "All I know is that I steered that boat, and your lumpy little arms didn't help at all."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You didn't emneed/em my help. I was right behind you."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""That's right!" Ariel flexed both her arms. "I'll flip this boat over if need be. Don't worry Eric, you're safe sailing with me."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric laughed as she walked back and sat down on the deck of the ship. The moon shone brightly and Ariel laid on her back, looking up at it and all of it's many stars. "It's so beautiful out here." She breathed. "I could never swim this far."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric laughed. "I would never say this to anyone else, but somehow I doubt that."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You think I should swim out this far?" Ariel laughed. "We must be miles from shore!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric looked back. "No, only about a mile. You could definitely do that. You're strong." He rolled over to his side to look at her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Only a mile?" Ariel mused. "I could definitely do that." She laughed a little. "Raps wouldn't like it too much, though."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Raps?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Rapunzel. That's what we call her, sometimes. Well, mostly me and Aurora. In fact-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Aurora!" Eric exclaimed suddenly, hitting his hand to his forehead. "Oh, no!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's the ball! I stepped out for just a minute, I said, but we've-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, shoot!" Ariel exclaimed, rolling to her hip/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Eric pulled her up and went to the rigging, getting the little vessel back to shore./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""At least it's only a mile." Ariel said./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Queen Leah watched as Aurora spent the bulk of her night with the man the ball was not intended for. Things were wrapping up, people were leaving, drinks were discarded, and still Aurora spun and spun with the brown-haired man ranked below her. Who had come across the sea with the man she was supposed to marry. Who was preventing Eric from falling in love with Eric, with the limited time that he had to do so./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She worried for her daughter. This had to work, this was the only way. Her birthday was fast approaching, and the whole kingdom rested on Aurora's shoulders. Didn't she know that? They had put all of the resources into her, raised her up to be just and empathetic and responsible. She was the only one with a breakable curse. Ariel would either never know romance, or become a murderer. Rapunzel had self-bound herself to the castle, but Leah didn't see a way around that either./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"If Aurora were not to wake up from her curse right away, who would the kingdom be entrusted to then? Ariel was reckless, Rapunzel was anxious. Neither had asked for the position of Queen, and neither had been bred for it. Maybe that was a mistake, but neither Leah nor Stephen wanted their children to feel like 'spare queens'. It was a parenting choice, but it may not have been a good ruling choice./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Still, Leah felt only nerves as she looked down at the pair twirling. He had touched her face again, and she had leaned her cheek into his hand. Eric's intentions were good. Eric was going to marry her, Eric was going to love her. This duke…Leah didn't know his intentions. Maybe he was here to flirt, to win the bragging rights of having gotten a future queen to love him./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Something had to be done. Yes, Aurora was young, but she didn't have time to be a child./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"After balls, Rapunzel always spent a lot of time thinking. About the people she met, the things she learned, the food she ate. But today, she could only think of the strange thief she had encountered, and his talk of the lanterns. Rapunzel had always assumed she would never know everything about the village that surrounded her – after all, she had never really been out in it. Not that she could remember, anyway. There were sure to be all sorts of customs and places she had never seen./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But the lanterns! How could no one have told her about something that sounded so fantastic? The thief, Flynn, hadn't even really explained exactly what kind of festival it was, but her imagination was already running wild. Would there be lanterns hanging from the street? Floating up in the sky? She could hardly wait!/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She had never wanted to see something so badly, but that was not an option. Probably ever. Maleficent had allowed for Aurora's curse to be broken – once Eric kissed her – and then Aurora would be free to live her life. Ariel was far more burdened, but only if her curse ever came into effect. If no one ever proclaimed their love for her – even if they really did love her – she could live her life as she did, exploring new places and seeing new things. But Rapunzel was the only one who could keep her sisters safe. If she were to lose her hair or leave for too long, something could happen to one of her sisters, and all would be lost./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She couldn't afford a risk that big. Even a night would be too much, right?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But she couldn't shake this! She had to at least know more. Which was how she found herself rapping on the door of the woman who knew the kingdom the best – Aurora./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What is it Raps?" Aurora was sitting at her desk, writing in her journal./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel came in. "Whatcha writin'?" she asked in a sing-song voice./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Aurora slammed the book shut, likely before the ink had even dried. "None of your business!" she declared. "What do you need?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel put both hands up. "I just wanted to ask you about something. At the ball, uh, someone mentioned a festival."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What festival?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""A lantern one."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh!" Aurora leaned back. "It's a peasant festival. I attended one year, when I was younger. It's not something we usually go to."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What is it, exactly?" Rapunzel pressed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""The townspeople get together and light a bunch of lanterns, usually several thousand, and send them up into the sky. It's a festival about love – all kinds of love. People go with their spouses, friends, family. It's really more of a community thing."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, that sounds wonderful!" Rapunzel gushed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yeah, I remember it being really pretty."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Can we see from the castle?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm not sure, I've never really looked. I know it's coming up soon because it's close to my birthday, but I forget which day they do it." Aurora shrugged. "Why?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I just heard someone mention it, like I said." Rapunzel said softly. "That's all."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Rapunzel slipped out of Aurora's room and down the hall, to a big open window on the village-facing side. She dreamed of what it might be to look out at those lanterns, ascending into the sky. Though she was already trying to convince herself, she knew that seeing them from a window would be nothing like looking up at them from the square./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But that was her only option, wasn't it?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh!" Belle exclaimed happily, pulling out a thin, well-worn book. "I'm sure Queen Leah has a copy of this, but another couldn't hurt."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam snatched it from her hand./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey!" Belle exclaimed, furrowing her brow. "Give it back." She held out her hand./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You're not giving the Queen a copy of Romeo and Juliet." Adam said flatly, putting it back on the shelf./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""And why not?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's just a stupid romance, and not even a good one, besides. It ends poorly, because they were all so stupid."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It ends poorly because even their innocent love couldn't overcome their family's hatred!" Belle insisted. "I don't think you've ever really read it, have you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I've read it!" Adam insisted./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Then what is an appropriate book, Mr. Know-it-all? Hm?" Belle glared, half-playfully./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam leaned back and exhaled, surveying the shelves. "Ha!" he exclaimed, pulling out a blue-bound volume. "Knights of the Round Table!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Knights of the Round table?" Belle said flatly./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You know, knights and battles and stuff."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's still a romance!" Belle pointed out./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""It's not filed with the romances! Besides, you couldn't take this copy anyway."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You don't even have a filing system!" Belle gestured wildly to the stacks of books all about. No wonder this needed to be her full time job. If he had sorted through it, it probably could just be an errand./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm not talking about this book shop!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Then which shop are you talking about?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam froze for a moment. They were both speaking so quickly it was clear he hadn't much thought about what he was saying. Now, he had said more than he had hoped. He looked over at Belle, who was confused at his silence./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Do you have a second bookshop?" she asked, innocently enough./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, my house used to have a lot of books in it?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Did something happen to the books?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam laughed without humor. "Something happened to the house. After my father died, it fell into great disrepair – I was still quite young, you see, and the roof caved in after almost a year. Roughly all the books that were in the library I organized are still in there."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh," Belle said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry to hear that!"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam shrugged./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Isn't there anything to be done?" Belle asked. "Could it still be fixed?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I doubt it." Adam said. "I haven't even out there in ages. I went back at first, to take out what I could." He held up the Knights of the Round Table. "Like this. It was one of my favorites. It's why you can't take this one. There's a handful of books in here I just couldn't part with."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle nodded. She understood that feeling more than anybody. "Of course." She said. "Though, if you did want any help trying to fix up the house, I'd be happy to help. On weekends, of course."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam looked over at her, with light in his eyes. "Do you mean that?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I do!" Belle said happily. "My father is an inventor, and he has tons of tools. I'm quite handy myself. I've done some inventing of my own." She said proudly. "I made a machine that could wash clothes – that used to be one of my chores."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Is it not anymore?" Adam laughed. "Did you invent yourself out of a job?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Not quite. The other maids weren't too happy with the machine. They thought it was loud. I suppose it was. I got moved onto dusting. Then mending. Now I'm here."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Adam laughed a little. "I'm glad you are."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Where is she, Rider?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Flynn knew this was coming, he knew he fucked up. But how was he supposed to do that to her, grab her out of her home and yank her out the window? He didn't have time to charm her, the time pressure was too great, and once she stepped into the light she looked so –/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Yeah, Rider. I thought you said you had her in the bag." The other Stabbington brother closed in./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Guys, these things take time-" Flynn spoke quickly, trying to use what possible charm in order to let this blow over./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""We don't really wanna hear it, Rider."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"One of the Stabbington brothers picked Flynn up by the front of his shirt and pressed him up against a boulder. "This was supposed to be your contribution of the plan. It's been quite a while since we've had a good meal or a good anything, and you said with your little plan this would be fixed."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The other Stabbington brother wrapped their hand around Flynn's neck. "Didja just want to go play in the castle, Rider? Get dressed up like a dandy and go dance around? Was that fun for you?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, and to be honest, this really isn't either." Flynn said, his voice weak./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The Stabbington brother dropped him and Flynn smacked his head on the rock and fell to the ground./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Next time we see you...you better be bringing her to us."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Belle sat up in bed, reading a blue bound book that she had promised to return safety, as soon as possible, by the light of a dying candle. She forced herself to read as quickly as possible in order to finish it before the candle burned out, because she knew how anxious Adam was even in lending it to her./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"With his newfound trust in her, he had revealed that his house had fallen into ruin, and his father had died. This only gave Belle more questions – what of his mother? Where does he live now? Is there other family? Was the bookstore his, or his family's initially? But she hadn't known him terribly long and still felt intrusive asking such personal questions./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She laughed a little to herself, thinking of all this. To think that she cared! To think that she wanted to know anything more about the beastly man who had yelled at her that first day./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But now, if anything, she seemed to understand. She knew the power of books, and the closeness one could feel to them. She knew that her books were more akin to friends or treasure, rather that little bindings of paper. If that was all that was left of his family home, if the books were the things that he went back for, she would understand why he'd be so mad to have her sort through it all so casually./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Now, he still didn't have to be such an emass/em about it – he really should learn to control his temper. If he had explained, or even asked politely, she would've stopped right away. That really wasn't too much to ask, was it?/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Regardless, there was an understanding between them now, she thought. That if he would be better, so would she. That they could discuss books, and now, their lives. The bookstore was a safe haven for them both, and she had made space in her heart and in her head for Adam. For what feelings exactly, she could not quite articulate. But that wasn't what she was concerned with tonight. Tonight, she was concerned with a blue bound book./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Still, there was something there that wasn't there before./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"…/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Aurora, dear, is this a good time?" with two raps on the door, Queen Leah pushed softly in./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Oh, yes. I'm just getting ready for bed." Aurora put her brush down and turned to face the door./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Good, good." Queen Leah smiled. "I just wanted to know how things were going with Prince Eric."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Oh. "They're fine." Aurora shrugged. She really didn't want to talk about this./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""He's very nice, isn't he? And handsome." Queen Leah pressed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""He is, I suppose."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""And you do know your eighteenth birthday is in just over a week."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I do." Aurora said, testily. She really, really didn't want to talk about this./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You know you have to make the first step here. Everything is done, it's organized. Just tell Philip when you're reading for Eric to propose, and he will."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Mother-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Aurora, sweetheart. There really isn't much time."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I just don't know if I love him!" Aurora said, spinning to the side./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Aurora, darling, darling." Queen Leah said sympathetically. "I don't want to force you into this. I'm sorry it has to be this way. I wish your courtship could've been different – I wish you could've found someone you love, who can chase after you, and flirt with you, and send you flowers and messages. You deserve that. But, unfortunately, Maleficent has taken that from you. And when she comes back to enact yo-your curse…"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Mother, please don't cry." Aurora said softly./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm sorry, dear. It can just be so hard to think about, sometimes."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Believe me, I understand." Aurora sighed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""He's not a brute, is he?" Queen Leah asked. "He's not unkind, or unfair, right? We've talked to his parents extensively, and-"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""No, no!" Aurora waved her hands. "He's perfectly nice, I haven't heard a complaint from anyone."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Is there an issue, then?" Queen Leah pressed./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""What if he marries me…but doesn't love me?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Don't be silly, dear!" Queen Leah smiled. She worried Aurora would have a harder question. "Who else would he love?"/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""And what if I don't love him?" Aurora asked tenderly./p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Well," Queen Leah paused, choosing her words. "Well, that's not part of the curse."/p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;".../p
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"review, please!/p