Marcus walked through quiet wood. It was early yet, but Philip had left him a note for Aurora, and he wished to tell her that Eric had returned. He thought of Eric's plan with Belle and the mirror and shook his head, but the man had insisted that it was important.
Just as he reached the tiny clearing, Marcus heard singing, and paused. Through the trees he caught sight of Aurora, humming a wordless waltz, dancing about in the sunshine. He stood for a moment, just watching. Before his eyes, Aurora paused mid step and glanced down near her feet,
"That would be right foot first, Shiny."
Immediately Marcus called on his magic. There, scattered through-out the clearing, were sets of fairie and nymph alike, each tangled in various attempts to follow Aurora's steps. By the door to the cabin, the two ped stood stoic as ever, yet were turning almost imperceptibly to the beat.
Marcus was stunned, and would have laughed if he wasn't certain it would embarrass her into stopping. He remembered suddenly the upcoming Kingdom's Ball. He realized then how much Aurora may be longing to go, and decided then he would remember to tell Belle of it, knowing how sure Aurora was that she would like to go.
Beside him a wood nymph scrambled down a tree, and came to rest on a branch near his head. Its thick brown fur was dotted with black, and tiny flowers had been woven in in a little circle about its head.
"Does she do this often?" Marcus asked softly, nodding his head to the clearing. The nymph chattered noncommittally, then scampered away.
Marcus hesitated, he did not want to interrupt, nor did he want to stand there watching without her knowledge. He noticed then the creatures that had had gathered in an outer ring of the clearing, perched on limb and leaf, watching as Aurora instructed each creature in the clearing. Some were making tiny attempts on their own, too skittish to come out and try. Seeing she already had quiet the audience, Marcus settled down easily on the forest floor, and contentedly waited for the lesson to end.
Some minutes later Aurora clapped her hands, calling out "Alright everyone, that's enough for today, we will try again tomorrow!" Marcus waited as each creature scampered from the clearing, chattering excitedly, and Aurora turned and skipped inside. He waited longer until he was sure the coast was clear, then stood and made his way to the door.
"Lord Marcus!" she greeted him with a brilliant smile, cheeks flushed from her exertion. He bowed,
"Lady Aurora." he pulled two envelopes from his pocket. "From your brother, but I fear I may spoil some of his news."
She looked at him quizzically,
"Eric has returned." He said it warmly, but calmly. He laughed though, when Aurora clung to his arm excitedly,
"Has he? Oh, Marcus that's wonderful! How, when, tell me all." She pulled him to the table and Marcus went, settling onto the bench as she perched on the seat across from him.
He told her as best he could of Eric's arrival, the mirror and his strange request. He would have done so quickly, but she stopped him after almost every sentence and pressed for more details.
They talked for some time before Marcus had exhausted every detail, and Aurora sat back amazed.
"Extraordinary!" she shook her head, then looked suddenly almost shy.
"This mirror, could I use one like it, perhaps, to see my brother?"
Marcus shook his head, expression apologetic, "I'm afraid it wouldn't work here. Magic like that is shielded in your place."
"So no one can find me." she spoke quietly. Then she brightened,
"I suppose the ball is to be any day now, is Belle excited to go?"
Marcus was somewhat amused she had just assumed he had told Belle, and shifted a little guiltily, "I haven't mentioned it to her yet," he admitted, "But I will," he added quickly, "I think she deserves to go"
He said it of Belle, but meant it in part about both of them. Aurora smiled, pleased, before looking down at the letters he had brought. She moved to her corner, and Marcus stood to put on some tea. After talking so long, it was later in the day then he had intended to stay, but he settled down with his cup, and flipped open a book in absolutely no hurry to leave.
Ariel stood by the door excitedly, watching as the first rays of sunlight peaked the horizon. It was dawn, and she could not wait to begin her lesson. She was waiting for Eric, she certainly could not ask to see Belle herself, and was becoming worried he would not wake in time. She crept closer to the door, listening for the sound of snoring. Knowing he would have to be here by dawn, and anxious to hear if the Enchantress used the mirror again, he had taken to sleeping outside her door instead of the little room he said he had found below.
Ariel thought the sound of him snoring would drive her mad at first, but instead it was almost comforting to not be so alone in the shadows.
The sun crept higher and Ariel stomped her foot, impatient. Looking about she lifted a crate and through it against the door.
There was a snort, then a curse, then the little door opened and Eric's tousled head appeared.
Ariel held out the mirror pointedly.
"Oh, show me Belle," He mumbled, before dropping out of view, presumably to return to sleep.
Contently, Ariel walked to her corner and held the mirror carefully before her on the writing desk as the glass shimmered and Belle appeared.
It had been three days now and Ariel had already learned some letters, and sounds. Belle spoke nice and slowly, and made sure to point out the little details that would have frustrated Ariel if she tried it on her own.
Today they were learning something called vowels, and Ariel scribbled contently along to Belle's lesson, silently mouthing each sound as they went.
Some half an hour later, Belle finished her lesson. She had seemed a might uncomfortable at first, and Eric had said she was just talking to an empty room at her end of the connection, but it was obvious that she loved to teach, for after the first few moments of every lesson, she grew eager and the teaching flowed naturally.
Ariel caught herself waving as Belle bid her unknown pupil goodbye, then flushed with embarrassment when she heard a snort of laughter at the door.
At some point Eric had begun watching her lesson, and she glared at him indignantly.
She turned her back and began arranging her work papers neatly.
"Here, Let me see those."
Ariel sent him a questioning look.
"Your papers," Eric held his hand up to the bars in the little window. Ariel frowned and shook her head adamantly.
"How will you know if your work is correct if no one checks it?"
Reluctantly Ariel rose and carried the papers over, avoiding Eric's green eyes as she handed them over.
"Hmm," he mumbled under his breath as he flipped through them, "These are good. Oh, here," he held up the page and pointed at a mark she had made yesterday, "This letter goes the other way."
Ariel frowned at it, cheeks red with embarrassment.
"Made that mistake myself when I was younger," Eric found himself saying, and her look brightened. He slipped the papers back through, "You're coming along. Before long you'll be able to tell me what the Enchantress said.
Ariel took the papers and twirled about the room. Abruptly she stopped and turned around. She pointed at the mirror and raised her hands in question.
"What?" Eric asked.
Pulling out a paper, Ariel drew a girl on it, carefully drawing an apron on to indicate she meant Belle.
"Oh, Belle, what about her?"
Ariel just shrugged.
"You want to know who she is?"
She nodded.
"Well," Eric pulled leaned his forearms against the ledge of the window. The mermaid had taken to asking what different things were, now that Eric was spending most of his time here. He saw no harm in answering most of her questions, like where he had taken the mirror, what kingdom they were in, and who different people were.
He told her what little he knew of Belle's history and how she had come to be at the castle. The mermaid listened attentively, perched on a crate, and her face screwed up when he mentioned what Belle's father had done.
"I know," Eric shook his head, 'Dastardly thing to do."
He finished and the mermaid looked thoughtful, before jumping up and hurrying to the corner. She pulled out something she had found. They were slippers, soft like the dress she wore, but covered in little crystals that reflected the light in a dazzling array. Ariel loved to watch them catch the sunlight, but they had not fit when she tried them on, and now she carried them to Eric.
She gestured toward the drawing of Belle, then held them out.
"These are... for Belle?" he asked, and she nodded. Eric looked reluctant. With a huff Ariel held the slippers up against the bars, and Eric gave in and took them.
"Is this a thank you?" he asked, and the mermaid smiled. Shaking his head, Eric tucked them into his pouch.
