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 6 A Day of Togetherness
0900 hours, day 6
in a meadow a few miles away
overlooking the castle
The next morning the Baroness and her daughters were off to church hoping to see the prince. Renee wanted to give Jordan every opportunity to make a positive impression on the prince, which she hoped would lead to marriage.
This was difficult activity for her as she had lost two husbands in a short manner ten years ago. She had blamed God for her misfortunes and so had restricted her visits to the church to as few as possible.
Henry, on the other hand, had other ideas. He didn't want to be anywhere where he was the center of unwanted attention. At church he felt he would be gawked at and annoyed by every available young woman under the age of twenty five. It was a scene he didn't want to deal with.
His thoughts wandered to Nicole. He didn't see her yesterday. For some reason it bothered him that he had gone a whole day without her being in his life. He needed to see her today if at all possible, but how? He didn't know where she lived or where to look for her.
He decided he would go for a ride. Maybe he would come across her like he had the other day when she was out for a swim alone. Maybe he would find someone who knew her and knew where she was staying.
The only thing he really knew was, he had to do something or he wouldn't see her again. He got on his horse and took off. He left word with Captain Laurent to be ready with the coach if he needed it.
A brilliant idea had come to him while he was sleeping last night. He wanted to take her to the monastery and show her the Edwardian's library, the finest in all the land. She had told him that she loved the written word.
There was no place better to go, but to the finest collection of books in all of Europe? With his heart now lighten he took off in pursuit of the woman who was beginning to change how he perceived the world.
With the others at church Sarah was free to find her own way for the day. She figured the Baroness would be gone most of the day looking for a way for Jordan to spend more time with the prince.
The Baroness had gloated during dinner of Jordan's ability to steal the prince's heart yesterday afternoon. It would only be a matter of time before the prince and Jordan were married and they would be living in the castle.
Before she had met the prince she would have been happy to be rid of Jordan and her mother. It didn't matter how as long as they were gone. She thought of the prince and Jordan as being perfect for each other, but now her mind was beginning to change and she was quite confused.
She was beginning to have feelings for the prince, feelings that she had no right to have, but she couldn't help but have them. The prince had made her feel so special with the attention he had given to her even though he mocked her at times.
She was beginning to wonder if she was truly falling in love with him. He was so handsome. He had a great smile and an interesting way of looking at her whenever she spoke.
She had prevailed upon Michael to join her in the meadow overlooking the castle today. The view of the castle was breathtaking. She wanted to fly the kite she had managed to come into possession of.
It was Leonardo's flying apparatus. He had called it a kite. He had told her it rode the winds like an angel's wing. Uncle Tom had found it stuck up in a tree. She climbed the tree to retrieve it before Jordan or Henrietta found it.
She planned on returning it to Leonardo, but she didn't know how. Well that wasn't entirely true, she could give it to the prince, but she didn't know if she would even see the prince again.
She didn't know where he was going to be. She was sure it wasn't going to be at the manor. She got the impression that the prince didn't want to encourage Jordan anymore than necessary.
She was interested in trying to fly the kite. She hoped it would take her mind off the prince. It also gave her something to do while Michael painted. He was working on painting a landscape of the castle from afar.
She had to admit he was quite good. He had captured the view perfectly. Maybe it would make an impression on the king and he would hire him to paint more things and places of interest like the bathroom stalls.
It took a little while and some patience, but she got the kite to fly in the air. She ran while letting out more string.
"Look Michael, it's floating in the air." she exclaimed happily.
"Wonderful, I don't know what you're so happy about, you'll be swimming in manure if they get married." replied Michael jovially.
"I don't know why you're bothered so much, I could care less." she yelled back without a care in the world. Her heart felt so light as if it could float in the sky like the kite above. It danced along the eddies of the wind.
"You're lying!" he challenged her. "The prince would be your brother in law. The Comtesse de Lancret would have to serve them breakfast in bed."
"In your dreams Michael. I don't serve any of them in bed now and I won't start then." she argued.
"They'll move into the castle and I'll be rid of them. I'll have the whole manor all to myself. I'll be able to turn things around. That's all that really matters."
She was busy flying the kite when all of a sudden Michael made a comment that shook her to the core. She wondered how he could have come up with such a suggestion after she had spent the last hour lambasting the prince.
"You love him Sarah, don't you?" he declared more as a statement and not as a question.
Michael had seen the prince riding their way. He was wondering what kind of reaction Sarah would have if she saw the prince again. What would she say? What would he say? He loved the intrigue of it all.
"Admit it Sarah." he challenged her to say no.
"What? What are you implying you little snipe?" she asked in shocked.
"What if I told you the prince is approaching? I'm sure he'd be as interested as I am to see how you will answer my question." he smirked.
"I would walk right up to him and say my family is your family, please take them away." she smiled happily.
"Good, because the prince is coming up the hill and he's almost here." laughed Michael.
"Don't you dare Michael. Don't you dare tell him I'm here." she ordered him as she saw the prince riding over the crest of the hill a couple hundred feet away.
She really didn't know what to do. She didn't want to see the prince because her mind was still in a fog where it concerned the prince. She decided to hide behind a haystack and pointed a finger in warning at Michael.
Henry had seen the kite flying high in the sky. Leonardo must be around somewhere close. He could use someone to talk to. Leonardo was a good listener. Maybe he could help him find Nicole.
Henry rode over to the queer looking little man he saw. He wasn't Leonardo. He looked around, but didn't see anyone flying the kite. He looked at the young man, it look like he was painting the castle. Michael bow showing the proper respect.
"Have you seen Leonardo da Vinci?" asked Henry. "I see his kite flying."
Michael's eyes lit up at the mention of Leonardo's name. He had always wanted to meet the Master.
"Da Vinci! Ah no your highness, I have not seen the great master." he answered, his heart beginning to beat more rapidly.
He needed to see Leonardo. "We were going to the Franciscan Monastery."
"The kite, it's his kite. Where did you get it? He must be around here somewhere." Henry pleaded. His mind was going around and around in circles as tried to concentrate on the task at hand.
"I haven't seen anyone else around here your highness. The ... uh ... the kite must have been caught floating in the wind. Ah ... the Comtesse de Lancret found the kite and she gave it to me.
She thought I might see Senor da Vinci in town. She's a friend of his." replied Michael as he began to ramble on. He didn't want Sarah angry with him.
Henry's ears perked up at the sound of her name, Comtesse de Lancret.
"You know of her. Please, I must find her, do you happen to know where she is staying?" Henry asked hopefully.
Michael's eyes lit up. Was it possible that the prince had more than a passing interest in his lovely friend? Was he in love with her as she was with him? Maybe he could play matchmaker for his dear sweet friend.
Sarah, meanwhile, was groaning every time Michael mentioned her mother's name. She wanted the prince to just go away. She wasn't ready to deal with her feelings for him. She needed more time to think.
"She's visiting with her cousin." he replied remembering the story Sarah had told him.
There was no way he was going to lie to the prince. Besides, he wanted to see how Sarah dealt with her prince. He also saw the prince's eyes light up upon hearing the positive news. He decided to go even further.
"I believe she's staying with ... a cousin ... the Baroness de Ghent." he smiled as he caught the sight of Sarah moaning out of the corner of his eye behind the haystack. It looked like she was doing a little dance though he wasn't sure which one it was.
Henry flinched at that news. The Baroness was the last person he wanted to see today. It would mean he would have to deal with her matchmaking. He also didn't want to see Jordan. He had had enough of her yesterday.
"That appears to present a problem." Henry replied.
"I don't understand Sire?" replied Michael.
"I don't like seeing the Baroness, she scares me with the way she leers at me. And don't get me started with her daughter Jordan. She reminds me of a piranha." shuddered Henry.
"Ah ... but the Baroness isn't home Sire, she and her daughters have gone to church, but I know the Comtesse is there all alone ... at home ... at this very moment." smiled Michael as he heard another groan come from Sarah.
"Excellent, I must make haste. Nice painting by the way." replied Henry as he rode off. He needed to find Captain Laurent and have him bring the carriage around to the baroness's house. He felt his heart lighten for the first time in two days.
His heart started beating faster with the anticipation of seeing Nicole again. He urged his steed on, faster and faster. He must get there to see her. It wasn't long before he saw the manor before him.
Sarah came out from behind the haystack. She was upset with her friend. He had betrayed her to of all people, the prince. Yes, she had feelings for the prince, but she knew it didn't matter for she was not of noble blood.
"Michael, you little snipe. Why did you do that?" she screamed.
"Because you love him." he smiled.
"And now he's heading towards my house." wailed Sarah in frustration.
Why was he doing this to her? She was having a nice time flying the kite. She was enjoying her time talking with Michael. She didn't get to do it that very often anymore since Michael's apprenticeship began.
Besides she didn't really know how she felt about the prince. Yes, he could be very charming, but he could also be very annoying. More importantly it was wrong for the prince to be with her.
She was only a servant. There was no future for them. The only thing they could gain from spending time together was heartache because sooner or later one of them was going to get hurt, and it probably would be her.
"That's because he loves you Sarah and wants to be with you. You better run like the wind if you want to beat him home." he laughed noticing that was the second time she hadn't denied that she loved the prince.
Sarah cursed him before taking off. As mad as she was at Michael, she was happy to know that the prince wanted to see her and not Jordan. It pleased her to know that the baroness's plans were futile.
If she hurried she could beat him home. It looked like he was taking the long way around. But could she be ready in time to greet him before he arrived. She hoped Louise and Paulette weren't doing anything.