The next morning, Eric awoke with the warmth of spring sunshine on his face. Although there was still a chill in the air the blankets provided him with enough warmth to make the young Prince feel cosy. He glanced idly at the clock beside his bed, and struggled to read the time shown. Grimsby had taught him how to tell the time, but after everything that had happened, little things like that had hardly seemed important and, needless to say, had escaped his mind. When eventually he did manage to read the time, his heart almost stopped. Half past nine! He was already two and a half hours late for breakfast! Why hadn't Carlotta woken him up? In his hurry, Eric managed to get himself tangled up in the blankets and landed with a thud on the wooden floor. Within seconds, Carlotta came into the room and crouched down next to Eric.
"Eric darling, what on earth are you doing" she said, freeing the four year old from the twisted blankets?
"I'm really h-hungry" sobbed Eric.
"Well why don't you come downstairs and have some breakfast then" asked Carlotta?
"It t-too late" continued Eric. It took a moment, but eventually Carlotta realised exactly what Eric meant. She gave an easy smile, and lifted Eric up onto the bed.
"Eric, it's only at home that you have to have breakfast early," she said, taking out a tissue and drying Eric's eyes and cheeks. "Here you can have breakfast whenever you like."
"Can I have it now please" asked Eric?
"Of course you can darling" replied Carlotta. Once the young Prince was dressed and washed, Carlotta led him down to the dining room where a selection of toasts and cereals were available. For a minute Eric just stared, he never got a choice at home; it was cold porridge or nothing. Sometimes Carlotta would sneak raisins or honey into it to make the meal slightly more edible, but it wasn't something that Eric particularly liked; it's just that he'd grown used to it.
"What would you like darling" asked Carlotta, helping him up onto one of the chairs at the table.
"I don't know" replied Eric, still trying to take in the buffet before him. Carlotta smiled at the wonder on Eric's face and was about to choose something for him when Catherine came into the room.
"Good morning Eric, morning Carlotta" she said!
"Good morning miss" replied Carlotta.
"Oh Carlotta please, call me Catherine," instructed the younger woman before sitting across from Eric.
"How are you today Eric" she asked, referring to the state she'd found him in last night?
"I'm okay" said Eric a little shyly. Catherine merely smiled at the young Prince, and soon noticed that he wasn't making any attempt to take something to eat.
"What are you going to have" she asked? Eric just shrugged, not entirely sure what half the things in front of him were.
"What's your favourite" he asked, looking questioningly up at the woman who sat in front of him? Catherine pondered the question for a moment before placing a buttered crumpet on Eric's plate.
"Try that" she said. After only one bite, the look on Eric's face was one of utter bliss. Catherine smiled and laughed quietly, her laugh sounding more like music than an actual laugh; something that fascinated Eric.
"What would you like to do today Eric" asked Carlotta, taking a seat next to the young Prince? Eric looked up to Catherine, remembering what she had promised him last night. Following Eric's line of vision, Carlotta found herself staring expectantly at the young woman in front of her.
"I told Eric I would take him outside today" said Catherine. However, as soon as she'd said it, her face was wiped of its happiness as both she and Carlotta looked towards the window. The sky outside was threateningly dark, the wind tearing through the bare trees, and the first spots of rain thumping against the window signalled the approach of another storm.
"Can we go now" asked Eric, not noticing the upcoming storm and having finished his breakfast in record time? Catherine sighed and looked towards Carlotta, neither women quite sure what to say.
"Eric I sorry but we'll have to go another time" said Catherine, hating to let the four year old down.
"But… but you said that we could go today" replied Eric, not fully understanding the situation.
"I know I did Eric…" began Catherine, hanging her head as she struggled to find the right words. Simply telling Eric that the weather was bad wasn't going to be good enough, for he'd simple state that it wasn't that bad right now. But Catherine had been outside when one of these storms hit before, and she remembered the fear she'd felt. The panic attack she'd worked herself into, until her father found her curled up on the front steps, soaked to the skin and barely able to breathe. She shuddered at the memory, something that didn't go unnoticed by Carlotta's watchful eye.
"Wait until the storm's passed darling," she said, "then you can go outside for as long as you like." Although she didn't show it, Catherine was secretly grateful for the maid's intervention on the subject. Her fear for storms was irrational, especially for a grown woman, but nothing she tried ever seemed to calm her down, so she had long ago resorted to locking herself in her room. Luckily Eric didn't question the matter any further, and just accepted that it wasn't going to happen today. He was upset, of course he was. But he was used to people letting him down.
"What would you like to do instead" asked Carlotta, deciding it best to move away from the current subject? Eric was about to answer when Catherine's fiancé Edward came into the room.
"Morning all" he said joyfully.
"Morning Ed" replied Catherine as Edward planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. Edward was a handsome young man of twenty one. His short brown hair was combed back neatly, revealing deep, chocolate brown eyes. He was an athletic man and was usually out playing tennis; which meant that he was in good shape and quite strong. He was from a wealthy family on the east side of Glowerhaven and knew the kingdom's royal family quite well, meaning he often went on sailing trips with King Vernon himself. Despite his background and upbringing, Edward was a relatively down to earth kind of guy.
"Did you sleep well my love" he asked, seating himself next to Catherine?
"Very well thank you" replied Catherine, her spirits immediately brightening again with the arrival of her fiancé. Edward smiled, spreading jam on two pieces of toast.
"And yourself ma'am" he asked, looking across to Carlotta?
"Splendidly thank you sir" she replied.
"Ah please there's no need for that," said Edward, "we've names for a reason, don't we?" Carlotta soon found herself smiling as well, finding it ironic that he was saying that having just moments ago addressed her as ma'am.
Edward was a very likable young man, and, in the back of her mind, one she hoped Eric would grow to be like.
After breakfast the adults began discussing their plans for the day, while Eric sat on the bench beneath the window, looking out at the brewing storm. He watched as the beginning of spring was blown away, as the birds that had not yet made it to their nests fought against the forceful winds.
"I had planned to go sailing tomorrow," said Edward, "though I don't suppose that'll be going ahead now." At the word sailing, Eric turned back to the adult's conversation, drawing all three of their attentions to him.
"Can I come?" Carlotta could only stare at Eric, her face a mask of utter surprise. He had never been bold enough to ask anything of people he'd just met. Edward on the other hand merely chuckled.
"Do you like sailing Eric" he asked? The four year old nodded, though immediately felt guilty that he wasn't offering the whole truth.
"I've never been" he admitted, looking sheepishly down at his feet. Catherine smiled.
"Well I'm sure Edward would be more than happy to take you one day Eric" she said.
"Absolutely" agreed Edward.
At this point, Carlotta knew she had to intervene.
"As much as Eric loves the sea, sailing isn't something that Eric's father permits him to do" she said matter-of-factly. But as soon as the words came out of Carlotta's mouth she regretted speaking at all.
The young Prince couldn't quite register what Carlotta had just said. Usually she would stock up for him, find ways to give him privileges his father forbid him. Why was it that she was now condemning him in the same way?
"But he's not here" said Eric hopefully. Both Catherine and Edward chuckled and looked over at Carlotta.
"Cunning fellow isn't he" said Edward fondly. Carlotta smiled and shook her head.
"Sometimes too much so," she replied, turning her attention to Edward. "If you'd be happy to take him one day then I've no problem about it. But I don't know whether you've time to care for a child on your voyages."
"If I'm being honest Carlotta, I think it would make the voyage much more interesting" he said truthfully. He then stood up and walked over to where Eric was sitting.
"What do you say then Eric" he asked? Eric couldn't bring himself to speak he was so excited, so he just nodded furiously. The corner of Edward's mouth turned up and he ruffled Eric's hair.
"Alright then lad," he said, "I'll get something planned."
"Thank you" said Eric, finally finding his voice! He couldn't believe it, after years of dreaming and longing, he was finally going sailing!