Hey! Guess whose birthday it was yesterday?! Guess who forgot to update on said birthday? Yes, as a present to all of you here's an update. Enjoy!
"Dude, you know you're gonna get in serious trouble, right?"
Three teenagers, around the age of 16, were wondering the streets of Paris. The year was 1482 and the streets were filled with peasants and vendors. One teen with dark skin wore a yellow tunic, dark green pants and a red beret. The girl wore all black and had dark hair with amethyst eyes. The boy in the middle of the two was the only one wearing a cloak with a hood over his head. The hood hid bright blue eyes and raven hair. His plain clothes easily hid the fact that he was Prince Daniel, heir to the throne of France.
"Aw, come on Tucker," the prince smiled, "When do I ever get to sneak away?"
"Never. You do it anyway," Tucker deadpanned. The prince merely shrugged while the girl piped up, "For once, I agree with him. Danny, you know you shouldn't be outside the castle walls."
"Relax Sam," Danny scoffed, "I've finished my studies, listened to my dad drone on about agricultural importance, and sat through a lunch conference with the high council. I've done everything I needed to do for today." Sam sighed, "Alright, if you say so."
"That's the spirit. Besides," Danny smiled as he watched two laughing children cross in front of them, one chasing the other, "It's kinda nice to feel normal."
"Well, in that case, it's good to have you back," Tucker said slinging an arm around Danny's shoulders, "So, lay it on me man, any new princesses?" Danny scoffed, "No. And frankly, I'm kinda glad. Last thing I want is someone trying relentlessly to get my attention. Don't get me wrong, I've met plenty of nice princesses and duchesses but some are just… Anyway, my parents are so worried about marrying off Jazz they kinda forgot about me."
Suddenly, the trio heard lively music playing and saw a little girl pull her mother towards a small crowd. They curiously followed the pair to find a band of sorts playing music. A stubby man played the lyre, another played a reed pipe, and the last one banged on a drum of some kind. They all wore brightly, albeit faded, clothing that looked to be too small for them. "Stay away child," the mother of the little girl said, pulling her daughter away, "They're gypsies. They'll rob us blind."
The teens looked back at the display and noticed the girl who was dancing to the music with a tambourine. She wore a long dress that had a black bodice with long sleeves and a long teal skirt that swayed with her hips. The deep colors of her dress contrasted her fair skin and light platinum blonde hair that sat in a loose braid. But that wasn't what caught the prince's eye. What made him gawk at the gorgeous gypsy was her sparkling glacier blue eyes.
She twirled around gracefully on her bare feet, tapping her tambourine on her hip a few times. She gave a slight nod in the trio's direction. Danny saw Sam wave back out of the corner of his eye. "You know her?" Tucker asked.
Sam nodded, "Yeah, she gave me dancing lessons a couple times."
A short whistle was heard over the music and the band and the girl suddenly stopped. The crowd cleared and went about their business. The men fled as the girl grabbed the small hat that was filled with coins. But as she rose from the ground a hand clamped around her wrist.
"Alright, gypsy, where'd ya get the money?" a guard sneered.
The girl scowled, "For your information, I earned it."
As the guards carried on, Danny spotted a horse on the other side of the street. He fished into his pocket and pulled out a gold coin. He quickly went up to a fruit vendor, handed him the coin saying "Just one, keep the change," and grabbing an apple.
He heard the guards groan as two of the men that were in the band ran by with the girl close behind. Danny gave a soft whistle and the horse looked up at him. He offered the apple to the horse, causing it to cross the street just as the guards came barreling through, slamming into the horse.
One of the men recovered quickly and growled up at Danny, "You'll pay for that, peasant!"
A small hand suddenly yanked Danny away, dragging him up the street and into an alley. He was pulled into a small doorway. The hand clamped over his mouth, stifling any protests as he came face to face with the girl from earlier. "Sh," she whispered putting a finger to her lips. He kept quiet as he heard the metal clanking of armor pass by along with, "They went this way!"
The girl removed the hand from his mouth as they both breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," Danny smiled. She waved it off, "Don't mention it. You save my skin, I save yours. Now come on," she grabbed his wrist again and pulled him towards the other end of the alley, "We should go before they come back."
"I heard something over here!"
The pair heard the shouts of the guards returning. As the girl was about to turn and run he held onto her wrist. She looked back at him with a 'what-the-hell-are-you-doing' look. He responded, "Can I see you again?"
"What?" she asked, confused. "Tonight," he answered pulling off his hood, "At le Pont Neuf?" The girl stopped when she saw his face after the hood was gone. He was handsome, she'll give him that. "Alright," she curtly nodded.
Danny quickly whipped off his cloak and put it around her, pulling up the hood, "Here take this." The guards' voices became louder. "Go," he urged, "I'll hold them off."
She turned and ran, but she didn't leave him. She turned the corner at the end of the alley onto a quiet street. She sat down and hunched over, looking like a regular beggar. She was right there in case that mystery boy got into serious trouble.
"Stop right there, peasant boy!"
Danny turned around to face that guards with a small smirk. They all stopped. One of them hit the other on the head, "You idiot! That's the prince!"
The prince?! the girl thought.
"Prince Daniel, wha-what are you doing outside the palace walls?" a guard asked.
"This never happened," Danny said in a sharp tone, almost like a warning, before whistling. A black and white horse suddenly came galloping down the quiet street. "Would you like and escort to the palace, your Majesty?" a guard asked as Danny got on the horse. He shook his head and rode off, trying to get back to the palace before someone noticed he was gone.
"This is completely insane," she muttered to herself. She stood on the le Pont Neuf bridge, looking down at the inky Seine that glittered in the lamplight. The sun had set only moments ago, some light was still remained in the sky.
She whirled around at the sound of footsteps on the cobblestone to find a hooded figure. A hand reached up and pulled the hood off, revealing a raven haired boy. The girl breathed a sigh of relief and removed her own hood. "Here," she said, unclasping the cloak she still wore, "This is yours."
"Keep it," he said softly, "Believe me, I have more than I need."
There was a long silence between the two before she spoke again, "With all do respect, your majesty, what do you want?" Danny shrugged, "Was kinda hoping for your name…"
A small smile tugged on her soft pink lips, "Elsa."
Danny returned the smile and offered a hand, "I'm Danny." Elsa shook her head with a playful look as she gave him her hand, "I think I know what your name is, your Highness." He laughed, "Maybe, but I prefer Danny… without all the 'your majestys' and formalities please." With that, he rose her small hand to his lips and softly kissed it with a small bow.
Elsa thanked God above for the fading light that hid her blush. He let her hand go and smiled brightly at her. She returned it as she leaned against the stone railing of the bridge, "So, was there a reason you asked me here?"
He shrugged and copied her position, "Can't a guy ask to see the pretty girl he just met again?" His eyes went wide, "I said that out loud… didn't I?" Elsa stifled a soft laugh as she nodded. He sighed, "Well, that's just great."
"You think I'm pretty?" she teased. Danny's cheek tinted pink, "No! … Wait, yes! I-I mean… I uh-"
"Oh, my goodness," Elsa laughed, "I'm not standing next to the Prince of France. I'm standing next to the biggest dork in all of Paris."
"Hey!" he protested. "Relax," she said with a roll of her eyes, "Besides, it's kind of adorable." Danny quickly looked down at the water underneath them as his face burned red. Elsa decided right then and there that she loved seeing the heir to the throne flustered.
"L-Listen, I'm sorry about what happened today in the market," the prince apologized. Elsa raised an eyebrow, "What? The bozos with spears? This isn't the first time it happened."
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah," she answered. Danny furrowed his eyebrows, "This is the first time I've heard of it. Vlad - er, the Captain of the Guard is responsible for keeping the peace and justice in the city." Danny seemed to be deep in thought as Elsa examined his expression. "Does the royal family really not know what happens in the streets?" Danny nodded, "That's why we entrust it to the soldiers and the Captain. We try to manage the peace outside the city, they manage the peace inside," he paused, "This is definitely something that my parents need to know." Elsa scoffed, "Won't change anything. Us 'filthy gypsies are only good for stealing and witchcraft.'"
"That's stupid," Danny rolled his eyes, "People are people, no matter where they're from or what they believe."
Elsa smiled at his statement. "Okay," he spoke again, "I really don't want to offend you but I want to ask… You don't necessarily look like a gypsy. How come?"
"You mean the blonde hair and pale skin?" she asked. He nodded. She continued, "I was adopted by a gypsy family, my sister and I both were. And, by default, that means I am a gypsy." He nodded again. "So what about you?" she asked.
"Me?"
"Yes you," she playfully bumped he shoulder with her own, "Give me the insight on 'Prince Daniel.'"
"There's not much to tell," he chuckled at the way she said prince, "I'm just some kid who sneaks out of the palace whenever he can." She gave him a funny look, "Why would you ever want to leave?"
"Well, palace life isn't as glamorous as it seems," he sighed resting his cheek in his palm, "Don't get me wrong, I'm super grateful for everything I have but… I don't know… I don't have a lot of freedom. Everyone expects so much of me when I'm king…" he paused before shaking his head at himself, "Listen to me, complaining about my life when there are other people out there without anything."
Elsa put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, take it from someone in the lower caliber. There is suffering everywhere. Just because others suffer more, doesn't make yours unimportant."
He looked up at her, surprised, before his lips melted into a smile.
The distant chime of a clock tower in the distance told them that it was late. The both turned to each other and said, "I should go," before they laughed at each other. Danny smiled at the bell-like noise that came from her mouth.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" he offered. She shook her head with a small smile before lifting up her skirt a bit, revealing a small dagger that was trapped by a blue band of cloth on her calf, "I'll be fine. Plus, having the prince enter the Cour des Miracles won't go over well." His smile grew as he pulled his hood up, "Well, just be careful." She copied his actions and smiled back.
"Maybe we can meet again. Preferably when we aren't running away from guards," he joked. She laughed, "I would like that."
She swiftly cupped his chin and kissed him on the cheek, "Goodnight, Prince Daniel." With that, she turned and began to cross the bridge.
He stood there with his hand over his cheek and his mouth open. He used to hate being called by his title, but the way she just said it made him love it.
From that night on, the couple would meet on the bridge that extended over the Seine midweek. Sometimes they would bump into each other in the market place. Elsa also became more friendly with Sam and Tucker.
It was late at night when Danny got back from meeting Elsa again. He went into the palace through his usual route, through the servant's entrance and up through a secret passage that lead straight to his room. As he shut the stone door behind him, he heard a voice behind him, "There you are."
Danny whirled around to find the Queen of France sitting with her arms crossed and her expression unamused. "M-Mom! Hey! How are you?" he nervously asked. "Worried sick," she answered sharply while standing up, making him wince, "Danny, I was so worried!"
"I'm fine, really," he tried to reassure her. "Where were you?" she asked with her hands on her hips.
"I-um…" he racked his brain for an excuse but when he met her eyes, he clearly got the message. Don't even try to lie to me.
He heavily sighed, "I was meeting someone." His mother's expression immediately softened. "A girl?" she asked, surprised. Danny answered with a shy nod. She brightened, "Oh, Danny! That's wonderful! I want to hear everything! Tell me everything about her. What's her name?"
Danny smiled a bit at his mother's enthusiasm,"Elsa." His smile faded a little when he said what he knew she would need to know, "And she's a gypsy."
Maddie faltered a bit at the unexpected revelation but when she saw her son's hopeful expression she smiled again, "Well, I'm sure she's a very… nice girl."
Today, the marketplace was no less crowded. Elsa was in town for flour and yeast. As she was searching for the cheapest price she could get, she bumped into someone. "Oh, excuse me, sir. I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going. I-"
She looked up to meet familiar sky blue eyes that were hidden under a hood. "Danny," she smiled softly. He smiled back and gently gripped her wrist, pulling her through the crowd. He pulled her into a deserted alley. She laughed, "What? Are you trying to recreate our first meeting?"
He pulled his hood off, his smile bigger than before, "Sorry, I was hoping I would find you today. I wanted to talk to you in private."
"Okay. What's up?"
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small white envelope. "Well, every year my parents throw me a big ball for my birthday," he rolled his eyes, "I'm never one for parties. But it's tomorrow and Sam and Tucker always come and-" his face grew red, "A-And, I was wondering if you wanted to come…"
Elsa gently took the envelope he held out to her, shock evident on her face. "I-I know it's short notice and you might not want to go," he rambled, "And I won't be offended if you decide not to come, but-"
He was cut off by the sound of a group of guards on the opposite street. "Shit," he groaned under his breath before he looked back at her, "Sorry, I have to go. B-But," he gently cupped her small hands that held the envelope, "Will you think about it?"
Without hesitation, she nodded. He smiled, pulled his hood back up and slipped out of the alley. Elsa took a moment to gather her thoughts before she tucked the invitation in her cloak pocket and went back out into the market After gathering what she needed, she quickly and quietly made her way home.
Once she was in the Cour des Miracles, she hurried to the little place she called her own. She practically burst through the door and slammed it shut behind her. She stood there for a moment, leaned up against the door, eyes wide and panting, as she realized what had just happened. The Prince of France had just invited her to a ball. The handsome Prince Daniel wanted her to be there.
"Elsa?"
Elsa looked up at the sound of two voices that simultaneously called her name. Her sister, Anna, a red headed girl who was about thirteen, and Libya, the gypsy woman that had taken Anna and Elsa in when they were children. "Elsa, darling," Libya spoke, "Are you alright? You seem winded."
"Yes, matka (A/n: 'Mother' in Bulgarian)," Elsa smiled as she stood up and set the basket of goods she was carrying on the dining table.
"Hey, what's this?" Anna asked as she pick something up from the ground. Elsa turned around and paled at the sight of Anna picking up a familiar white envelope. She quickly checked her cloak to make sure, confirming her suspicions when she couldn't find it where she left it. "T-That's mine," Elsa squeaked.
Anna raised a brow as her expression became mischievous and she opened the letter. Elsa rushed over to try and grab it before Anna could read it but her sister just held out her arm to push her sister back. "Dear Honored Guest," Anna read aloud, "You are cordially invited to the ball to celebrate the birthday of Prince Daniel." Anna's eyes widened as she turned to her sister. Silence swept through the room and Elsa swore she could hear a pin drop.
"Where did you steal this?" Anna asked.
"I-I didn't steal it!" Elsa argued, "It was given to me."
"Oh, yeah? By whom?"
"Prince Daniel!"
Anna's face split into an excited smile, "The Prince?!" Elsa nodded shyly before she snatched the invitation out of her sister's hand. "Is that who you've been sneaking out to see?" Anna asked with her hands on her hips. "I-It's not that big of a deal," Elsa rambled as she made her way back to the basket and began to unpack it, "Besides, I might not even go…"
"Not go? Why not?!"
"Anna," Elsa turned to face her again, "I am a gypsy. I don't belong up with the lords and ladies. Look at me!" she pulled the sides of her skirt for emphasis, "When has something like this ever happened?"
"Oh, gee, I don't know. Cinder-freaking-ella!" Anna exclaimed, "Come on, Elsa. Don't you at least want to go."
"Of course I do. But I don't have a fairy godmother who can make ball gowns out of rags!"
"Elsa."
Elsa stopped when she heard her name softly being called by her mother. "Yes, matka?" Libya smiled as she walked up to Elsa and gently gripped her shoulders, "You should go."
"But, matka, I-"
"Now, you listen here," she said, playfully but still gently, "You bring most of the income in this family. For once, go out and enjoy yourself. You're still young. You deserve some happiness. But while, you're at it, try and snag a suitor or two." Elsa laughed at the comment as her mother smiled, "You could have any man in all of France."
"Maybe even the prince, if he has any sense," Anna added with a smile. Libya laughed and let go of Elsa before running off into another room. The sisters exchanged a confused look before she came back with a small pouch in her hand. "Here," she said handing it to Elsa, "I've been saving this. I may not be a fairy godmother but it should help." Elsa eye's widened, "Matka, I-I couldn't-"
"Oh, but you must," Libya smiled, "Tomorrow is your last chance to go out and prepare for the ball. You will go out to the market and get the best dress you can." Elsa smiled back, "Thank you, matka."
Libya's smile widened before she took a deep breath and sighed, "Well, after all that excitement, I think we could all use some dinner."
Sam sighed as her mother dragged her through the marketplace. Danny's stupid ball was today and now she had to get a dress. Not that she didn't like going to it… Well, no that's a lie. But to be fair, Danny doesn't like it either. But it's always fun when the adults tap into the wine cellar and an irish jig plays.
She suddenly spotted someone familiar making their way through the crowd. "Elsa?"
The blonde turned at the sound of her name and smiled, "Oh, hello Sam."
"What are you doing? And why do you look so… distressed?"
Elsa sighed, "I got invited to Danny's ball. I want to go but I don't know the first thing about balls!" Sam smirked, "Hey, I've been surviving these things for a while. I can help you if you want." Elsa smiled, "Really?" Sam nodded and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the dress shop her mother was already in.
"Stop fidgeting," Sam said in a harsh whisper as she and Elsa walked into the Palais-Royal entrance together. "You sound like your mother," Elsa spat back. Sam gasped and clutched her chest as if she was hurt, "Take that back." Elsa smiled at her friend who smiled back. Sam gave Elsa a playful once over before facing front again, "Man, I am good."
"Stop it," Elsa elbowed her. Sam laughed, "I'm serious. Blue is definitely your color. That dress fits you perfectly. Wait." Sam reached over and tugged the top of Elsa's dress down a bit to reveal more of her breasts. "Sam!" Elsa swatted her hands away before pulling her bodice back up. Sam just laughed and shrugged, "What? Just helping a girl out."
"So, in conclusion, technology these days is-" Tucker stopped when he looked back at his friend, who was looking at the entrance of the ball room, "You aren't paying attention to me, are you?"
"Hm? What did you say Tuck?" Danny asked snapping back to face his friend. Tucker rolled his eyes with a small smirk, "Oh, sorry man, didn't mean to interrupt your daydream of big blue eyes and long blonde hair."
Danny frowned, "Hey! I wasn't-"
"Sure, okay," Tucker rolled his eyes again, "Did she even say she was going to be here?" Danny sighed, "No, I had to bail before I got an answer. The guards were patrolling." Tucker nodded in understanding before his eye caught something. "Woah," he whispered under his breath, "Don't look now dude but I think the 'fair maiden' is here."
Danny turned to see Sam walk into the ballroom. She wore black, as usual. Her black gown had see through sleeves and lace around the bodice, designed to look like ivy. But when he looked behind his friend, his jaw grew slack. Elsa stood in a long light blue gown that reached the floor. Her sleeves were see through as well. The bodice that seemed to be made of crystal. It was form fitting around her upper body and waist but draped around her hips like a curtain that swished with every tantalizing movement. Simple crystal earrings, that she had borrowed from Sam, hung from her ears. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a french braid, light blonde flyaways forming a crown on her head.
Sam took Elsa's arm, noticing her self consciousness, and led her through the room towards Danny and Tucker. Heads turned to follow the two girls. "Sam," Elsa whispered uneasily, "People are staring."
"That's a good thing," Sam smirked back.
"If you don't take her, I will," Tucker said to Danny as the two girls walked up to them. "Happy Birthday, Danny," Sam said as they reached their friends. "Happy Birthday," Elsa smiled, noticing how dashing he looked in his ball attire. Danny smiled back, very nervous all of the sudden, "T-Thanks guys."
And so the night began. The quartet laughed as some of the more scandalous dukes and lords dipped into the wine supply early. Danny was sometimes dragged away to attend to 'royal business' and such, but returned as soon as he could. About the third time Danny returned, he seemed to have a slight pout. "What's wrong, Danny?" Sam asked. Danny groaned, "The matriarch demands I dance."
Almost simultaneously, Sam and Tucker made some sort of signal for him to ask Elsa while she faced him. Danny, before he second guessed himself, dramatically bowed and offered a hand to Elsa speaking in a cheesy British accent, "Would milady grace me with a dance?"
Elsa couldn't stop her laugh before she composed herself, placed her hand in his, and replied in an equally cheesy accent, "'Twould be my honor, your majesty."
He laughed as he lead her out onto the dance floor. "Danny better not lose his nerve," Sam said to Tucker. He nodded, "She's a keeper." There was a moment of silence between the two friends before Tucker spoke again, "Should we ditch them so they can get some alone time?"
"Yes, yes we should."
Meanwhile, Elsa and Danny were on the dance floor, laughing to themselves at a couple. The man was obviously drunk swaying too much for the poor girl to feel comfortable. "If I've ever seen a drunk horse, that's what it would look like," Elsa whispered to him. Danny laughed in response and shook his head at her, "Tsk tsk, Elsa." She rolled her eyes playfully at him. His smile grew, "Besides, I've got the best dancer in all of Paris for a partner."
Elsa scoffed, "I dance for coins in the street."
"Still one of the best I've ever seen," he smiled before his face grew serious, "How come you don't do the whole 'disability act' that other beggars do? I mean it seems easier."
"Danny, put yourself in the shoes of a rich drunken man. Now think, who would you give money to? A beggar woman on the street? Or a girl who dances for you?"
Danny nodded in understanding. "Besides," she continued, "There's something satisfying about working for money than just begging." He nodded again as he twirled her around. When she faced him again, he sensed some self consciousness. "People are looking at you," she said with her eyes wide.
"Believe me," he smiled, "They're looking at you."
The music stopped and all the couples halted to clap for the band.
When Elsa and Danny returned to where they left their friends, they were surprised when they weren't there. "Huh," Elsa sighed, "Where'd they go?"
"Maybe they're out in the garden," Danny said before offering Elsa his arm. She took it and he led her through the crowd.
"Danny, where you running off to?"
Elsa sucked in a breath as she came face to face with the orange haired princess. But, really she shouldn't be surprised. I mean, she was on the arm of the prince. "Jazz, we just need find Sam and Tucker. They kind of disappeared."
"Who's this?"
"This is Elsa," Danny smile grew as he introduced her, "Elsa this is my older sister, Jazz." Elsa used her free hand to take one side of her dress in her hand before she did a small polite curtsy. "Pleased to meet you, your Highness."
Jasmine's face melted into a smile as she noticed the pretty girl on her brother's arm, "Oh, hello." She stepped aside to let the couple through, now kind of guessing Sam and Tucker wanted the two to be alone. "I'll let you know if I see them."
The two continued out into the garden and Elsa gasped at the beautiful grounds in front of her. "Doesn't look like they're out here," Danny said, oblivious to Elsa's wonder. He looked over and saw her shocked face. "You like them?" he asked, nodding out at the gardens. Elsa nodded, still staring at the sight in front of her. "Come on, I'll walk you around the lawn before we have to go back inside," he said.
They strolled along the lamp lit pathway that was lined with purple, magenta, yellow, and white flowers. "To be honest, Elsa," Danny said, "I didn't think you would come tonight."
"Oh? And why not?" she asked.
"Well, it wasn't really fair of me to give you an invitation yesterday. And I would've come earlier but I had some business I needed to attend to. Besides, I saw how self conscious you were when you noticed everyone looking at you."
"Well, if you were a low class member walking into a room with kings and queens, wouldn't you feel uncomfortable?"
"Yes. That's why I thought you wouldn't come," he said as the turned a corner, now at the far end of the lawn. "Well, I did," she responded stopping in front of him and facing him. He nodded with a smile, "Yeah, you did."
"Besides," she said brushing invisible dust off his shoulder, "Very rarely do I get to see you in all your princeliness. You look rather gallant." He jokingly puffed out his chest and lifted up his chin, causing her to laugh. It wasn't long before he broke and laughed with her. Soon after they stopped laughing, silence enveloped them and they stared into each other's' eyes, only now realizing how close they were.
Elsa stared at the raven haired boy in front of her longingly. She felt so safe with him. When she was with him, they weren't two extreme ends of the social classes. They were just two people who had happened to be in the market at the same time.
"Danny," Elsa whispered softly, "When we met on the bridge that first night, did you really mean it when you said I was pretty?"
Danny summoned up all the courage he had as he took her hand in his while the other tilted her chin up. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on."
He gently leaned in a brushed their lips together, surprising her and himself with his boldness.
They were just two people.
Two people in love.