Ever After: Remix Story
Chapter Five: Henry, Marguerite and a chicken?
"Do you really think there is only one perfect mate?" Henry asked, skipping a rock across the lake. Leonard turned to look at him.
"As a matter of fact, I do." He replied, pulling something out of his bag.
"How can you be certain to find them?" Henry asked. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "And if you find them,are they really the one for you or do you only think they are?" He skipped some more rocks. Leonardo opened his mouth, but Henry went on. "What if the person you're meant to be with never appears? Or she does, but... you're too distracted to notice?"
"You pay attention" Leonardo said simply. Henry sighed, but he wasn't finished.
"Then, let's say, God puts two people on earth, and they are lucky enough to find one another. But... one of them gets hit by lightning. Well, then what? Is that it? Or perchance you meet someone new and marry again. Is that the lady you should be with? Or was it the first?" Henry paused, but just as Leonardo was about to interject, Henry started up again. "When the two of them are side by side, were they both the one for you and you just met the first one first? Or is the second one supposed to be first? And is everything just chance or are some things meant to be?" Leonardo sighed and shook his head.
"You cannot leave everything to fate, boy. She's got a lot to do. Sometimes you must give her a hand." Leonardo said encouragingly. Henry watched as Leonardo put on some weird wooden shoes, shaped like small boats.
"What's this project?" He asked.
"Would you care to see if they work?" Leonardo asked. They laughed. Henry watched as Leonardo ventured out onto the lake. The shoes kept him on top of the water. Leonardo kept walking until he spotted a young woman swimming in a white dress.
"It Looks like rain" He said peering down at her. She screamed causing him to fall into the water.
"Signor da Vinci!" Henry exclaimed as Leonardo came out of the water. "Are you all right"
"I should leave walking on water to the Son of God." Leonardo replied, helping a woman onto the shore. "Fortunately, I tripped over an angel." As Henry caught a glimpse of her face he recognized her.
"Danielle!" He exclaimed.
"Your Highness! Oh! Oh, careful, it's very slippery right there." She replied as he took her hand and helped her. He put his cloak around her.
"Thank you." She said, sitting on a log.
"Where are your attendants?" Henry asked. Danielle thought a moment.
"Well, where are yours" She shot back.
"Touche" Henry replied. They laughed.
"Anyway, don't you get tired of being waited on all the time?" She asked.
"Why do you think I'm here without them" He asked. She laughed.
"Won't your father be angry" Danielle asked.
"He usually is anyway" Henry replied. Danielle nodded. "So are you going to make it to the Masque?" Danielle shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know Your Highness. I'd like to go, but I am not sure what the plans are yet. If I do come, You'll be the first to know" She said.
"Danielle, Please, call me Henry, the way you did when we were children" Henry said softly. Danielle was about to reply when she heard someone call,
"Danielle!!" it was Jacquelin.
"Forgive me, Henry, I've lost track of the hour." She said, rushing away.
"Why does she keep doing that?" Henry asked staring after her.
"Paulette. Where are the candlesticks? We can hardly see our plates." Rodmilla said sternly.
" They're missing, my lady. I've searched high and low." Paulette replied. "The painting in the hall is gone too."
"It seems we have a thief in our midst." Rodmilla said. "Hmm. So this is how I'm treated after all our years together. My husband's prize possessions! Well, I shall just garnish your wages until the pilfered items are returned. Is that quite understood?" Both Paulette and Louise nodded.
"Yes, Ma'me" They said together.
"Perhaps I shall ship you to the Americas with all the other thieves." Rodmilla suggested. Jacquelin spoke up.
"Oh. Didn't you hear?" She asked. "The Prince asked the King to release all those men." Rodmilla and Marguerite stared at her. Danielle simply smiled. Henry was no fool.
"Now, by royal decree, any man who sails must be compensated." Jacquelin told them.
"Compensated! Honestly! What is the world coming to?" Rodmilla asked. Marguerite spoke up.
"I want to know who this Countess is everyone keeps talking about. Ten courtiers were speaking of her today and how the Prince fell all over himself." She frowned.
"We should find out who she is and bury her." Rodmilla said sternly. Danielle just smiled secretly and slipped out of the room. The next day, while Marguerite watched the prince play tennis, Danielle, Louise and Paulette were at the market selling vegetables, When Monsieur Pierre Le Pieu came strolling to thier booth.
"Danielle de Barbarac. You get prettier every week." He said silkily. Danielle turned away.
"And you, Monsieur le Pieu, are wasting your flattery." She spat.
"It's a pity your soil's the best in the province and yet so poorly tended." He said. It was Paulette who spoke up.
"We have limited resources, sir. We do the best we can." She said sharply.
"Anything I can do?" Pierre asked.
"You should bring it up with the Baroness and stick to shopping." Louise said angrily. Pierre just smirked.
"I'd rather discuss it with Danielle, if you don't mind." He said softly. "I may be twice your age, child, but I'm well-endowed. As evidenced by my estate. I've always had a soft spot for the less fortunate. You need a wealthy benefactor. And I need a young lady with spirit." Danielle ignored him.
"Prunes" She said sweetly.
"No" Pierre snarled. "I'll buy nothing this week. And you'd do well to remember that without my generosity your pathetic little farm would cease to exist." He stalked away.
"Ooh! Horrible man! If he didn't buy a bushel of vegetables every week... I'd spit on him." Paulette said sharply. Just than Henry was coming from his tennis match and Marguerite followed him like a puppy. A silver box was handed to him and her turned to her.
" Here. Never have you tasted anything so delicious." He said. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes. Henry looked at her in disgust and simply handed the box to her. Her eyes flew open and darted embarrassed, at her mother. Rodmilla motioned for her to take a piece. Marguerite took a small piece from the box and put it into her mouth.
"Mmm." She said. Henry took the box back.
"Like it?" He asked.
"Like it, Why, it's positively sinful. what's it called?" Marguerite asked.
"Chocalate" He turned to Jacquelin and personally handed her a peice. Marguerite stared daggers at her sister. "The Spanish monks keep sending bricks of it." Rodmilla led him to her servants' booth.
"These are our servants" Marguerite said smiling. Henry frowned. The young woman with her back turned to them looked familiar.
"I'd love to meet them" He said. Just than a chicken squawked and flew at the prince as Danielle fled the scene unnoticed.