Title: Forever Yours
Author: rooster dawn
Pairing: see below
Alternative Universe
Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended. Ever After is the property of Twentieth Century Productions, no copyright infringement intended.
Summary: This story is loosely based on the movie "Ever After"
Good feedback is good for one's soul and everyone's happiness.
Author's note: In the movie the time period covers five days between the time Prince Henry meets Danielle and the Masque Ball. I have tried to stretch out the story to almost two weeks to give them more time to get to know each other better. Besides I think it would be hard for two people from different stations of life to see each other every day and fall in love.
part 2 Freedom and Love at First Sight
1300 hours, day 2
Michael's studio
A few hours later Sarah managed to get away from the house without anyone noticing. She met up with Michael at his studio near the center of town. She needed some advice and positive reinforcement if she was going to pull off her plan of being a courtier.
Michael was a dear friend of hers since ... well as far back as she could remember. He was a queer sort of guy, not very masculine like Prince Henry. He knew a lot about what was going on in town and was quite familiar with all the fashions.
She hoped that if she played her role right, she would cause a minimum amount of distraction. She hoped to march right over to the guard of the prisoners, give him the twenty pieces of gold, and go home with Uncle Tom.
She should be in and out in no more than ten minutes with nobody being the wiser. The last thing she wanted to do was to attract any attention and come under scrutiny of the nobility. She wasn't a real courtier. She didn't know how to be one. She didn't want to be found out.
"Are you out of your blessed mind Sarah? You don't know anything about being a courtier. Dressing above your station could get you five days in the stockade if you get caught." Michael asked in disbelief.
"I need to save Uncle Tom, that's the only thing that matters. You would do the same for me." she replied in anguished.
"You've never been to court before." he argued.
"Then I won't be recognized." smiled Sarah.
"What have you told the baroness?" asked Michael.
"I'm out picking wild flowers." she smirked as she turned around with her arms out wide.
She went behind the screen to change into one of her fanciest dress. It was very beautiful, something she was not use to wearing. It had been awhile since she last wore it.
"Pass me my dress and don't look." she ordered Michael.
"Why should I look, there's nothing to see." smiled Michael.
"I've grown Michael. I've filled out since we last went skinny dipping." she replied.
"If you're going to do this Sarah, you need to walk right in there like you own the place. No one will even question that you're a courtier if you show confidence in yourself. Remember, keep your head up." replied Michael in an effort to reassure her.
"With so many yards of cloth I still feel like I'm standing here naked." sighed Sarah realizing she was out of her element. She thought she would somehow stand out in a crowd like weed in a rose garden. She would, but not for the reasons she thought.
"These shoes are too big." she whined.
"You look beautiful Sarah. They won't be looking at your feet." replied Michael. "Let me cinch you up in the back and do something with your hair."
Twenty minutes later she walked through the center of the courtyard to the area where Uncle Tom was being kept. She paused for a moment to catch her breath before walking up to the guard.
She held the bag of coins up so the guard could see and announced for all to hear "I have come here to address the issue of this gentleman, my servant, to pay off his debt."
"I have twenty gold pieces here to pay off this man's debt. Release him!" she demanded with authority.
"You can have me for twenty pieces of gold, but this man is going to the Americas. He has been sold." smirked the dirty and very grubby guard.
"Release him, I demand it!" she cried out. "Or I shall take this matter to the king."
"It's the king who's sold him. He's the property of Cartier America." snarled the guard. He reeked of an odor unfamiliar to Sarah. One she hoped never to experience again.
"He's not property. You can't chain men like chattels. I demand that you release him now." ordered Sarah as sternly as she could. She wasn't going to back down until Uncle Tom was free.
"Get out of my way!" bellowed the guard.
At this time Prince Henry was returning to the Summer Castle from his little romp. It had ended when the guards finally caught up with him. He had stopped to aid an old man in distress.
He had heard the commotion and a woman's voice rising. She appeared to becoming angry. He road over to where she was. She was breathtakingly beautiful. He needed to meet her.
"Get away from here!" yelled the guard as he raised a hand threatening to strike Sarah.
"That's no way to treat a courtier." interjected Henry, a little miff in seeing such disrespect to the nobility. He was even more upset that the guard was threatening to become physical with a woman.
Sarah instantly recognized the sound of his voice from earlier in the morning even though her back was to the prince. She froze for a moment wondering if the prince would recognize her after their unfortunate meeting this morning.
She didn't want to turn around. She feared what the prince might say or do upon seeing her. But she knew she had to do something. Things were getting out of hand quickly. She noticed with a quick glance that a crowd was beginning to gather.
The last thing she had wanted was to draw attention to herself. She decided to suck it up and face the prince. Slowly she turned and bowed to him showing him the proper respect, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Sire, I've come here to get my servant. I have offered to pay off his debts." she began.
"The king sold him. He's to be ship to the Americas." the guard argued.
Henry acknowledged to himself at least that this was the king's current policy of dealing with thieves. He didn't want any rift rat around. It was easier to just get rid of them. Let someone else deal with them.
"He's only a criminal and a thief." replied Henry with distain as he looked again to Sarah. "Have we met before?"
Thinking quickly Sarah replied "No." she didn't want this encounter with the prince to be about her. She needed to keep him focus on the matter at hand, freeing Uncle Tom.
"Servants aren't thieves your highness, those that are, can't help but ... " she began to argue.
Henry was taken aback by her defiance, but he was willing to listen. She was very beautiful and had a pleasant enough voice.
"Really, then by all means, enlighten us." he encouraged her to continue.
"If you suffer your people to be ill educated and their manners corrupted from infancy, and then punish them for crimes their first education disposes them. What else is there to be concluded, that you first make thieves, then you punish them." explained Sarah.
She glanced around at the crowd as she waited an answer from the prince. She noticed the crowd had grown larger and that they seemed to have agreed to what she had said. She saw a look of resignation from the prince.
"There you have it then, release him." ordered Henry. He wondered if she might be a lawyer.
"But Sire." argued the guard.
"Now!" ordered Henry.
The guard released Uncle Tom. Sarah went over to him and told him to meet her at the bridge. She then turned back to the prince. Still not looking him in the eye.
"Thank you Sire." she said before she began to walk away quickly.
She had been the center of attention for far too long. The best thing now for her was to get as far away from the prince and as quickly as possible. No need to stay in the prince's sphere of influence. No good could come of it.
Henry got off his horse and quickly caught up to her as she tried to make her escape. He needed to know more about her. She was quite beautiful, well educated and well versed. She was an enticing enigma.
He caught up to her and walked beside her. He needed to talk with her. He needed to know more about her. He needed ... he wanted to be with her.
"Have we met before?" Henry asked again. He felt like they must have at some point. He thought he knew every courtier.
"I don't believe so Sire." she replied wondering why the prince didn't go away and leave her alone. Didn't he have something better to do? Hadn't he said something this morning about his need of a new life.
She was only a servant, a woman the prince had met only a few hours ago, but had already forgotten about. Had he even seen her, the woman, or had he seen just a servant kneeling before him.
"I know all the courtiers in the province." he continued to prod.
"I'm visiting a cousin." she finally answered hoping that he would understand that he should forget about her. Who she was anyway? She wasn't that important. She wasn't going to be here long enough for him to get to know her.
"Which cousin? Give me a name so I can visit you." he begged.
"The only one I have Sire." she replied failing to answer the question that was asked. She tried to continue walking away from him, but he continued to walk along side of her.
"Are you being trying to be coy with me on purpose or are you refusing to tell me your name?" he asked as he study her beautiful features once more.
She turned to face him a little frustrated wondering what it was going to take to get rid of him. She replied "Yes, ... and no."
She tried to move away, but he held on to her arm as they continued their walk. Why was he doing this? Why won't he leave her alone?
"Then give me your cousin's name so that I may visit." he pleaded. He knew many of the families of the nobility in the province.
"For any woman who can quote Thomas Moore is worth the effort." he smiled.
Sarah was pleasantly surprised, yet happy to hear that the prince knew of Thomas Moore. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
"The prince has read Utopia?" she asked hoping he loved it as much as she did.
"I found him to be sentimental and boorish. I find that the plight of the everyday rustic bores me." he replied trying to feign disinterest and trying to rattle her.
"I take it then that you don't converse with peasants." she observed.
"No." he replied.
"The country's character is defined by as you would call them, everyday rustics. They form the legs that give strength to the foundation for which you stand. Your position demands respect." she tried to explain so he would understand.
How could the prince have read Utopia and not understand this simple concept. It's the basis of an enlighten society. Didn't the nobility believe in an enlighten society? Or was he just playing with her?
"You find me arrogant." he stated with surprise at her audacity.
"You gave back the life of one man, but did you consider giving back the life of the others?" she answered causing him to feel a bit embarrassed.
"Please give me a name." he pleaded.
"I fear the only name I can give you is Comtesse Nicole de Lancret." she answered.
Before he could say anything more to Sarah, Henry heard his mother, Anna, calling him. As he turned to see her coming toward him, he let go of Sarah's arm for a moment.
Sarah, upon seeing the queen, knew it was time for her to leave, to get as far away as possible. She might be able to fool the prince. He was after all only a man who was interested in her because she was a woman.
He couldn't see past the pretty dress she was wearing, but she was sure the queen would view her with much more objectivity.
She would be able to see that she didn't act, talk, or have any of the social graces a courtier should have. She was a fish out of water in the presence of someone who knew the truth.
The distraction was only for a few seconds, but it was long enough. Sarah disappeared into the crowd. Henry was annoyed that his mother couldn't have waited until he had returned to the castle to speak to him.
"What is it mother?" he asked with a little attitude.
"Your father wants to have a word with you." she replied.
"He always wants to have a word with me." moaned Henry. He wondered where the Comtesse had gotten off to so quickly. He wondered if he would see her again. He hoped he would be able to find a way to see her. He sensed something wonderful about her.