If you've read chapter 18 of this "fic", you'd know about my attempt to do a Swan Lake/Princess redux. I've got a few bits and pieces of it tucked away in a folder, and I'm thumbing through them to see which ones are mostly complete. Seru is the Cell of this 'verse.

In the storyline, if you've seen The Swan Princess would take place during that summer when Odette and the Prince, whose name I can't remember, realize that they've fallen in love with each other. Of course, it's Gohan and Videl. This is just an excerpt, it doesn't cover the entirety of the summer. Enjoy the read.

"Your Majesties," a herald entered the tea room, where Chichi had managed to corral her husband into taking lunch with her, and bowed to both royals before delivering his message, "His Majesty, King Hercule of Satan and Her Highness, Princess Videl of Satan have arrived. Their coach has just entered the palace gates, and will be at the front doors of the palace in a matter of moments."

"Thank you for telling me," Chichi said softly, "come along, husband, we must go greet our much-awaited guests. Oh, Herald," she called after the departing announcer, "please find my son, Gohan, and let him know that our guests have arrived and that he is expected to be awaiting Princess Videl's company."

"Of course, your Majesty."

"Come on, Goku," Chichi slapped the biscuit out of her husband's hand, "let us go great our guests." Goku looked down at the discarded biscuit mournfully and, when his wife wasn't looking, snatched up a handful and shoved them into his mouth before following her from the room.

"I'm so excited," the Queen gushed as her husband offered her his elbow, "it's been a whole year since Gohan and Videl have seen each other last… I can't wait to see how much she's grown."

The previous summer's visit had been cancelled in the wake of yet another attack by Seru. Seru was a sorcerer who wanted to take over the Eastern Providence and Southern Principality, but was stopped before he could get far in his attempts. He promised vengeance before fleeing into the wilds between the eastern and southern kingdoms, coming out at random to try again and again.

The moronic, arrogant King Hercule had taken credit for putting the powerful sorcerer on the run the first when, in fact, it had been young Prince Gohan who'd managed to put the sorcerer on the run once again. The mild-mannered, shy eleven year-old Prince decided against taking credit for it, despite his mother's insistence, and let the King of Satan have his fifteen minutes of fame.

*Outside*

Videl snapped her fan shut and brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. The Princess was clothed in a rich emerald green gown with pale gold embroidery and white lace on the corseted bodice. The skirt was fairly small, with a single, light-weight petticoat underneath. She finished the ensemble with her thick wavy hair hanging down her back unimpeded except for a simple gold coronet with a few small green emeralds and yellow diamonds adorning it.

The coach came to a halt before the staircase leading up to the main doors to the palace, and the reigning King and Queen of Paozu stood within the open doors of said palace, waving. Well, Chichi was waving, Goku simply smiled in the carefree, cheerful way that only he could.

"His Majesty King Hercule of Satan, and her Royal Highness, Princess Videl of Satan." The herald called as the coachmen helped Videl get out of the carriage. She curtsied to both higher ranking royals and allowed her bumbling father to take her hand and escort her up the staircase to both royals. The moment she was within distance, Chichi was grabbing onto her and looking her over.

"Oh, Videl, you're absolutely gorgeous," the Queen of Paozu gushed, "I can't wait until Gohan's seen how much you've grown and blossomed. He's grown some too, of course… Oh, I simply can't wait. Come along, my dear, it's been so long since you've been to our home."

"Hey, Videl!" Young Prince Goten was waiting in the foyer when the two women entered, and eagerly scampered over to the older royal, "it's been a long time since you came to visit us!"

"Hello, Goten," Videl knelt down and opened her arms to the seven year-old chibi, "It has been quite some time, hasn't it? How've you been?"

"Fine," the spiky haired Prince chirped, "Trunks comes over and plays with me a lot, and he's a lot of fun!"

"That's splendid, Goten, I'll tell you what," she tapped his nose gently, "I'll take you with me if I get to take one of the horses out for a ride. Would you like that?"

"Really? That'd be awesome! Mom," he scurried over to his mother and tugged on her skirts, "can I go riding with Videl? Please?"

"Goten, she's your brother's guest—"

"It's really no trouble at all, your Majesty," Videl bowed her head slightly, "I love spending time with your younger son, he's quite the charmer." She winked at the young Prince, causing him to blush and hide his face in his mother's skirts.

"Sorry I'm late, Mom," a cheerful light tenor voice called out, accompanied by the sound of boots on the staircase, "the Herald missed me on my way to the library."

Videl glanced away from Goten and her eyes widened when she spotted the tall, extremely attractive, though bookish young man stepping off of the staircase. This was Gohan?

The last time she'd seen him, he'd still been around her height and was incredibly timid and awkward; blushing at almost anything and everything she did that could embarrass him. Now he was almost two heads taller than her, and his skin bore an impressive tan from his thirst for the outdoors… not mention that his musculature had increased in a most impressive fashion.

"Gohan, the Princess is here," Chichi gestured to Videl at once, "greet her."

"Oh," he blushed red and scratched sheepishly at the back of his head, "sorry, Mom, must've slipped my mind." His gaze moved to the other female in the room, and his jaw came slightly unhinged as he took in her beauty.

Not a single trace of makeup adorned her face and yet she was, without question, the most beautiful woman in the room. The deep emerald of her gown made her creamy, slightly tanned skin stand out like a beacon, and her periwinkle eyes, framed by perfectly curled fringe, eyed him curiously. Her pink lips pulled up into a small smile, and one brow lifted inquisitively as she crossed the room to meet him.

"Time has treated you well, bookworm," Videl whispered, offering her hand to him, "It's been a long two years, has it not?"

"Aye," Gohan responded, "it has, and they've treated you far better than they've treated me. It's nice to see you again, Princess," he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it, "I'm glad you arrived safe and in good health."

"Thank you, your Highness," Videl curtsied slightly, "care to join me for a ride on horseback? Once I get changed into a lighter gown, that is."

"That… t-that sounds wonderful," the Son responded, stuttering only slightly, "I'll meet you down here in a half-hour, and then I'll escort you to the stables. Is that alright?"

"I can walk myself to the stables, Gohan, I'm a woman not a glass ornament." The Princess watched as several attendants carried her trunks into the palace and up the stairs, "are my rooms still in the same wing?"

"Of course they are," Chichi poked in cheerily, "you go right on up and get changed dear, Gohan will meet you at the stables."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Videl curtsied slightly and turned to head up the stairs, "I'll be right down as soon as I can put on my riding clothes."

*S*S*S*S*

Gohan was already sitting astride his midnight black Friesian steed, Icarus, reeling over the beautiful enigma that was Princess Videl of Satan. For someone so anti-feminine, she sure could pull off the look extremely well. With her fan, coronet, and exquisite emerald gown, she'd been nothing short of a vision of beauty. She certainly wasn't the loud, brash young girl he'd spent the summer with when they were younger anymore.

No, she was a woman now, witty, sharp, and well-versed with her tongue. A clever creature who was very aware of her beauty and chose not to use it to her keen advantage.

"Ready to ride, your Highness?" A familiar drawling contralto inquired, "let us both hope that you won't eat my dust this time, Gohan."

She had to be doing this on purpose.

Videl walked up to where the Prince waited on his horse, guiding a chestnut colored Andalusian mare by the reins, dressed comfortably in a white blouse with long, airy sleeves and a slight collar, a black corset around her middle, and a loose, deep blue riding skirt that brushed the grassy ground, covering her leather riding boots. Loose black waves were tossed and rumpled in the light breeze, hanging down to the small of her back and undulating around her arms and hips. With that bright, excited smile on her pink lips, she was a vision.

"You're going leave your hair down?"

"Well, father won't allow me to cut it, and I hate putting pins in it, so this is the alternative, your Highness," she eyed him skeptically, "does it bother you, bookworm?"

"Not at all, Princess," Gohan chuckled merrily, "you'll probably get leaves and other things in it, and it'd be a shame to have such lovely hair full of knots and twigs."

"A couple of leaves won't hurt me, Prince Gohan," she rolled her eyes, "why, if I recall perfectly, we used to wrestle in the mud together when we were mere children. Caused your mother a good bit of strife, didn't we?"

"You always pushed me in first, my Lady," the Prince of Paozu chuckled, "and my mother's never been fond of muddy children."

"I'd imagine so," she laughed like a child, "where will we ride to, Gohan?"

"Wait for me, guys!" Goten appeared, waving his little hands in the air, "Videl, you said I could come with you when you went on a ride on the horses!"

"I did," the Princess smiled at Gohan, who suddenly looked sullen, "oh, come now, there's a whole summer ahead of us that we could spend on horseback rides together. Let your little brother accompany us this once… is it really an issue?"

"Not at all," Gohan climbed down from his steed, "come here, Squirt, let me help you up onto her horse." Goten scrambled over to his older brother, who chuckled and picked him before approaching Videl, who was swinging herself up into the saddle of her mare.

"Before you ask, no, I don't ride side-saddle," Videl spoke lithely as she took the chibi into her arms and perched him on the saddle in front of her, "side-saddle is for sitting pretty, and, as horseback riding is not a pretty sport, I don't bother with it. If I could, I'd be wearing trousers right now."

The Princess spread her skirts over the back of the mare and reached around her small passenger to grab her reins, "are you ready, Goten?"

"Yeah!" the younger Prince of Paozu grabbed onto her thighs to keep himself in place. Videl laughed and nodded to Gohan, who was now back astride his steed, and snapped her reins, "YAH!" Digging her heels into the mare's side to urge her into a quick gallop.

Gohan hung back for a moment, watching the Princess's glossy black hair as it undulated in the wind, and then snapped his own reins, "YAH!" The young steed was powerful and quick to speed up to a gallop, easily reaching and falling into step with Videl's mare.

"So, my Prince," Videl grinned at her riding partner, "where are we riding to?"

"There's a meadow at the foot of that mountain," Gohan gestured to a large mountain well off into the forest, "we should be able to get there and turn around and come back to the palace in time to clean up for dinner. Think you can manage that, Princess?"

"We shall see…"

*S*S*S*S*

Goten was snoozing against Videl's front as she and Gohan's horses trotted back in the direction of the palace, the light of the setting sun falling over them. At the moment, the two young royals were sharing a laugh over their shared memories.

"Be honest, my Lady," Gohan chortled, "why couldn't you leave me to my books when we were children? I don't understand why you always had to drag me away from my studies."

"Because you were going to be a total nerd if I didn't do anything," Videl whined, "and I was bored and I needed someone to play with."

"What of Duchess Erasa? You and she were always together whenever I visited Satan for the summer."

"She's not as keen for the kind of play that I am," the Princess shrugged lightly, "she prefers indoor play, where there was less of a chance of a mess of some sort. I usually have to bribe the girl to get her to come on a horseback ride with me."

"Ah," Gohan nodded, "I remember that time when we were about fourteen. We were at your home for the summer and a group of bandits robbed a curio store not far from us."

"You decided to help, being as in love with justice as you are," Videl laughed, "and I jumped in, even though you told me not to."

"Aye, and I learned how wonderful you are with a sword."

"Fencing classes. I've been taking them since I was five," the Satan royal smiled proudly, "I've never been much for hand-to-hand like you are, though, at least until I finally got you to help me hone the skill somewhat."

"You'd think that the daughter of the man who has put the great and fearsome Seru on the run thrice now would be fully versed in all forms of self-defense," the Son Prince drawled, smiling secretively to himself, "why didn't he teach yo– of course he wouldn't…"

"Yes, I'm a fragile little flower," Videl spoke sarcastically, "I barely got to take the fencing classes, and most of what little hand-to-hand I knew was taught to me by my fencing instructor alongside of the swordplay. My father is an overprotective moron but, alas, he's also Seru's greatest enemy. You'd think he'd realize that a combatively incompetent daughter makes him more vulnerable to Seru. I digress."

Gohan snickered, "I believe this is the first conversation that we've had that didn't end in an argument because I refused to do something with you."

"Perhaps the summer apart has done more for us than being forced together ever could," the Princess murmured, "you seem more interested in doing things with me, and I'm not being overly forceful towards you. Maybe we've finally found our compromise."

"Maybe we have…"

*S*S*S*S*

After being bathed most vigorously by some of the Queen's best maids, Videl was dressed in a deep plum colored empire-waist gown with white lace along the V-neck line. The sleeves ended just beyond her elbows and the plum skirt parted to reveal a white satin underskirt. Refusing to have her hair styled in any way beyond combing, the wavy ebony locks fell to her waist, impeded only by a simple silver coronet upon her head.

"My Lady, it isn't proper to attend dinner with no shoes," one of the maids insisted, holding a pair of ornate plum flats with silver embroidery and beading, "you mustn't go barefoot."

"And why not?" Videl inquired, "I am a Princess; I should be able to choose whether or not I wish to wear shoes. What will my going barefoot hurt?"

"My Lady, please…"

"Fine, fine," the Princess took the shoes from the maid's hands, waving away attempts to help her put them on, "these are shoes, not a corset. I don't require your assistance, but thank you for offering it."

"Of course, my Lady," the maids nodded to her as she slipped her feet into the shoes, "shall we follow you down to the dining room?"

"That won't be necessary," a cheerful tenor called from Videl's sitting room, "We're both headed to the same place, I'd be glad to escort her."

"Your Highness," the maids curtsied as Gohan was ushered in by another maid. His dark eyes went wide as he took Videl in and, if possible, the smile he wore widened.

"My word, the Prince has come to escort me to dinner," Videl raised a hand to her heart, a wide smile on her face, "I fear my heart simply can't take this great joy." Her eyes roved appreciatively over his form, clothed in a slightly more formal tunic and cloak than he'd been wearing earlier in the day. The silver dappled navy blue brocade fabric looked positively dashing against his tanned skin.

"Oh, come on, you," the Prince offered his elbow, "let us go feast." The Princess chuckled and slipped her arm through his, "lead the way, my Prince."

I messed with it a little, but it's mostly as I last left it 5 years ago. Hope it was enjoyable.

*~*CloudSpires1295*~*