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 4 Henry's Conflicted Mind
1300 hours
at the lake
Henry was now totally confused. He really didn't know what to do. He had lived his last twenty fives years bored, listless, and had no idea of what direction he wanted his life to go.
His father, the king, was pushing him to get married. Get married! What an absurd idea! He didn't know what he wanted to do and his father wanted him to get married. He wasn't ready to get married. It held no interest what so ever to him.
Maybe if he was seeing someone. Maybe if there was someone who had caught his eye. But to get married just because his father wanted to make nice with King Alfredo of Spain, then no, that was no reason to get married.
At least he got his father to cave in a little. It was up to him now to find someone to marry. But how do you find someone to love and marry in only a week to ten day when no one has interest you in twenty five years.
Though he did meet someone interesting the other day. She was passionate, intelligent, and not bad looking. She spoke her mind pretty well and was well read. For only those who were well read would be familiar with Thomas Moore.
Since it was useless to talk to his father about it and his mother would want to get involve in any matchmaking possibility, that left only Leonardo to talk with. Might as well go the lake where there won't be any distractions.
"Do you think there is only one perfect mate?" Henry asked looking for Leonardo opinion.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. God didn't put so many women on this earth so you wouldn't find one especially for you." replied Leonardo.
"Then how can you be certain that you will find her?" Henry asked.
"And if you do find her, is she really the one for you or do you think she is? What happens if the person you're supposed to be with never appears or if she does, you're too distracted to notice?"
"You need to learn to pay attention Henry." sighed Leonardo. Henry was thinking about this too much. He was making it more difficult than it really was he thought.
"Then let's say God puts two people on earth and they're lucky enough to find each other, but one of them gets killed. Then what? Is that it or by chance you meet someone new and you get married all over again?
Is she the lady that you're supposed to be with or was it the first one? And if that is true, what if the two women were walking side by side and you happen to meet the first one first or is the second one supposed to be first?
Or is everything chance or are some things meant to be?" asked Henry. He didn't have a lot of time. He needed some input from Leonardo in how to find the person that he was meant to be with. He didn't want to be unhappy like his mother and father.
"You ask a lot of interesting questions, but there are no simple answers. Sometimes there are no answers. But in your case you can't leave everything to fate my boy, she has a lot to do.
Sometimes you have to give her a hand." replied Leonardo. He was amused to see Henry focusing on a single idea. From what he understood from the king that was an unusual concept at the present time. He liked the way Henry tried to rationalized the different scenarios.
"What are you doing?" asked Henry. He had noticed Leonardo putting around during their talk or should he say his monologue.
"I'm going to try out my new shoes. I'm going to walk on water." answered Leonardo.
"Have fun." replied Henry as he shook his head in disbelief. This old man was interested in so many different things. Why couldn't he find one thing to be interest in?
Later that day Sarah decided to go looking for truffles for dinner that afternoon with Buddy, her prized hog. If there was a truffle to be found in the area, Buddy would find it.
She had nearly finished filling her basket when she noticed that her hands were getting quite dirty. And it was quite warm that afternoon. She had been perspiring more than a lady should.
Mindful of what her stepmother had said to her about her cleanliness, she decided to go swimming to clean up and cool down. She took off her skirt leaving her with blouse and petticoat on.
She was quietly enjoying a peaceful and relaxing swim when suddenly she was startled from her peaceful serenity.
"Looks like rain." a man said to her as he walked by.
She looked up to see a dirty old man standing over her. She screamed repeatedly causing the man to fall into the water beside her.
When Leonardo had decided to go walking on water in his boat shoes, Henry quickly got bored and wandered off still debating about meeting his perfect match. He was brought out of his internal debate by the sounds of a woman screaming loudly.
Henry took off running towards the sounds of the screams. When he arrived at the edge of the clearing he saw Leonardo assisting a young woman from the lake. He went over to the edge of the water to assist Leonardo and the woman.
"Comtesse!" he exclaimed excitedly. He had been thinking about her for two days now. She was the catalyst of his inner torment about his perfect mate. He was quite happy to see her.
As Sarah neared the edge of the lake she noticed Henry standing there waiting to assist her and Leonardo, she was surprised, confused, and quite happy to see him. She didn't understand why he was standing there.
She was kind of surprised that the prince called her Comtesse considering that she was dressed more like the servant she was rather than the courtier who had attracted his attention a couple of days ago.
How was it he couldn't see her for who she really was, but as the woman who had worn a pretty dress. She guessed it didn't matter what you wore once you had gotten his attention.
She didn't understand why it was she couldn't wait to get away from him a couple of days ago, but since her conversation earlier this morning with Louise, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She had done a mental inventory of the prince and found herself wanting.
What she wanted from the prince she didn't know. Was it his good looks? He was quite handsome and very tall. Was it for his conversation? Sometimes it was fun to spar with someone over ideas.
She had enjoyed her debate with the prince even though at times it seemed he was just being disagreeable her. Or as Louise thought, the prince was a man, she was a woman, he took an interest in her, in what she had to say.
"Your highness." eked out Sarah as she slipped in the water.
Henry pulled her up and out of the water. He wrapped his cloak over her shoulders to keep her warm and to help her dry. It wasn't long before they had taken up their conversation from where they had left off a few days ago.
"How was your walk Senor Leonardo?" asked Henry. He had thought the old man to be a fool, but was quite happy to see that he had found the Comtesse for him.
"I tripped over an angel. I think I should leave walking on water to the Son of God." he replied in a grumpy tone.
"Where are your attendants Nicole?" asked Henry. Every woman he had ever met always traveled with at least one or two servants for company or for vanity sake, he didn't know which.
"I gave them the day off Sire. I wanted to be alone to think." she replied.
"The day off? Of what, life?" he asked in amazement.
This ought to be interesting he thought. If he worked this conversation right he would gain major insight into her thought process. Was she all about Thomas Moore or did she think about other matters?
"Don't you get tired of all the people waiting on you all the time? Don't you want more?" she asked a little annoyed at his attitude.
"Yes, that's one of the reasons I'm out here with Senor Leonardo, but they're servants, it's what they do." smiled Henry. He had her now he thought.
"I wish I could dismiss their humanity as easily as you dismissed theirs. They are human beings worth knowing." Sarah replied disgusted with Henry's lack of compassion.
"How do you do it?" asked Henry as he moved in for the kill.
"What?" she was totally confused now.
"How do you live each day with so much passion?" he asked with a taunting smiled.
"Only when I'm with you Sire. Why do you like to irritate me so?" she asked with annoyance.
"Why do you rise to the occasion?" he smiled mischievously.
They both laughed. Henry was beginning to like Nicole even more. She was sensitive, but not to the point of losing her strength. He loved the passion and the fire in her eyes. She was special. He needed to know more.
Sarah, even though she was beginning to feel something in her inner being, resented the prince's arrogance. As much as she liked his attention, he could be so condescending in his manner. He did like to tease her too much.
"I must be going." said Sarah.
"You're angry with me?" Henry smiled with satisfaction. He liked seeing so much emotion from her. He was seeing the real Nicole he thought.
"Yes, if you must know." she replied even more annoyed.
"Why?" he challenged. He was laughing inside.
"You're trying to bait me with your egalitarian manner." she tried to explain.
"You Mademoiselle, are a walking contradiction. I find that quite fascinating." he replied baiting her even more.
"Me?" she replied shocked. She forgot that she wasn't a servant girl to the prince. She was a beautiful courtier.
"Yes you. You espouse the virtue of a Utopian Society, yet you live the life of a courtier." Henry explained.
"You own all the land, but take no pride in working it. Isn't that a contradiction?" she argued back with gusto.
"First I'm arrogant and now I have no pride. How do I manage that?" teased Henry. She was even more beautiful.
He was loving every moment of this conversation. He couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun, especially with a beautiful young lady.
"You have everything and yet the world holds no joy for you. You make fun of those who find reasons to see all the possibilities." she replied with frustration. Why did he choose not to understand?
"How do you do it?" he asked in amazement.
"Do what?" she asked quizzically.
"Feel so much passion for those less fortunate than yourself?" he explained.
"Because I care about those whom I share my life with." she explained hoping this was the end of the conversation.
"You didn't tell me what you were out here thinking about Nicole." smiled Henry as he threw down another challenge.
"I was wondering why after I embarrassed you and then thanked you for helping me, that you decided to chase after me. I was wondering why it was so important for you to know my name when I am not going to be here long enough for you to care." she sighed wondering why she was even telling him this much.
She felt like she was being drawn into his world, a world she couldn't live in. Why was all this so important to him anyway? Why did he care anything about her? Why did she care about what he thought? Why was she feeling so funny around him? Her whole body felt weak. Her mind was beginning to feel like ...
Sarah heard Henrietta calling in the distance. It was time to go before Henrietta saw her with the prince.
"Forgive me Sire, but I must go. It's getting late." she told the prince as she handed his cloak back to him.
"Why are you running off Comtesse? I haven't answered your question." Henry replied. "I'm playing tennis tomorrow, will you come?" he asked hopefully.
"I must go Sire." she replied again as she took off running leaving Henry to wonder 'Why does she keep doing that?'