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 12 Dealing with the Pain
0200 hours, day 12
de Ghent manor
Sarah had locked the door to her bedroom before she went to bed. She barricaded the door just in case she had visitors. She didn't want to see them. She knew if she did, someone was going to get hurt.
She had been asleep for a few hours when she heard them banging on the door. She heard the Baroness shouting for her to open the door, but she chose to ignore her. It was late and she would tire quickly. Tomorrow would be soon enough to deal with them.
0800 hours
The next morning Sarah was up early. She packed up a few things and threw them into her carry bag. She went down to the kitchen and threw some food items into her bag to last her for a few days. She needed time to be alone. She needed time to think.
She was about ready to leave when the Baroness walked into the room. She had a cross look on her face. She didn't like to be up so early after being out late. She was ready for action.
"Where are you going Sarah? We need to talk." she screeched.
"Talk about what? I think you said enough last night. You not only humiliated me, but the royal family as well. You've won!" cried Sarah.
"You disobeyed me. I told you to stay home. Everything had been planned. The prince was going to announce Jordan as his choice. You ruined it for her." replied Renee.
"Henry was never going to choose her. I told you that. He doesn't like her. I don't understand what it is you want. If all you wanted was to move into the palace, it was all set. As my stepmother you would have been invited.
I wouldn't have tried to prevent it. The palace is plenty big enough to avoid each other. Do you honestly think that's going to happen now? Do you really think after you have embarrassed their son the queen is going to want you around?" argued Sarah.
Renee had to think about what Sarah had said for a moment. She realized that what Sarah had said was a distinct possibility. Would the queen want her around after last night? How would the queen take what she had done?
Had she done the right thing after all? She could have waited until later to tell the queen about Sarah. That way no one would have been publicly humiliated, especially the prince.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I need to be alone by myself. I need time to think. I can't do it here with Jordan around. I might have to hurt her." Sarah replied.
"Where can I find you if I need you?" she asked once again.
"The old bath house by the lake. Henrietta knows where it is." Sarah replied. She then left.
by the lake
It was a beautiful morning for a walk. The air was fresh after last night's rain. It wasn't long before Sarah had reached the lake and arrived at the bathhouse. She went inside and cleaned it up a little.
She laid her bedroll down in one corner of the room. She placed the bag with food and her change of clothing on a small table that was inside. She went outside and sat down. She laid back and began the cleansing that only the sun could bring.
She wondered why the Baroness had been so mean. Did it really matter who Henry chose last night? Sooner or later the truth about who she was would have come out. The Baroness had to know that. Why did it have to be last night?
Why did the Baroness hate her so? What had she ever done to her? Hadn't she always done as she was told? It wasn't her fault that Henry preferred her rather than Jordan. She hadn't gone out of her way to sabotage Jordan's chances to be with Henry.
If Jordan was meant to have Henry, nothing she did would have mattered. He wouldn't have chased after her. Jordan had spent a day with him. It wasn't her fault that Henry didn't like Jordan's personality.
It wasn't her fault that Jordan couldn't hold Henry's attention. She was definitely pretty enough. Some would say she was quite beautiful. Why then couldn't she have held Henry's attention?
Then again why was it for the first week Henry seemed to be spellbound with everything she said. He would allow her to talk and talk and he would listen. He might argue with her or tease her about her beliefs, but he did listen.
Why was it then when the time came for him to listen to what she had to say, he didn't? At the ruins he wouldn't listen. All he wanted to do was talk. He was so happy.
At the ball he was happy to see her, but once again he wouldn't listen. He had to show her his world. While she appreciated that, it wasn't the right time. They needed to talk.
What was she going to do now? She couldn't go to the market place anymore, she might run into him. Would she be able to go to some of her other favorite places? He seemed to show up at a couple of those places.
Hell, it might not even be safe for her here by the lake. He likes to go riding. He might be riding up to the lake right now. It was an isolated place. He did like to sit and think about things. Would she have to keep an eye out for him?
That would defeat the purpose of coming up here in the first place if she had to worry about being found or disturbed, especially by him. She hoped that she might never see him again, but was that at all possible? Did she really want that anyway? She didn't know.
Then of course what was going to happen when she return home? What was the Baroness going to do? She knew she hadn't heard the last from her about what happen last night at the ball. She hoped that the Baroness would cool down and realized that it wasn't her fault.
How was she supposed to know that Henry would latch onto her scent like a hound dog chasing a fox? It was he who had been persistent in his pursuit to be with her. She had done nothing to encourage him.
Surely the Baroness knew that. Wasn't it the Baroness who had said Henry could have anything on the estate he wanted? He decided he wanted her. Was that her fault? What was she going to do? Was it even possible for her to still live at home?
She hope so, she didn't have anywhere else to go. The Baroness had made certain that she didn't have many friends growing up. The only people she really knew were closer to Jordan and Henrietta.
They hadn't been exactly kind to her the last few years. After Jordan got through talking with them after the ball ... well they certainly wouldn't have anything nice to say to her. That only left Michael.
He was a good friend, but their worlds were beginning to go in different directions now. He was becoming a painter, a good one at that. He wouldn't be hanging around with her anymore. He would be learning with some master.
His time wouldn't be his anymore. He would be at his master's beck and call. What was going to happen to her? What was she going to do? What was the Baroness going to do? Would she even let her lived in the manor anymore?
It was a long time before Henry went to bed that night. He couldn't sleep. He was still upset about what had happen. He had gone from being the happiest person in the world when he saw Nicole, no Sarah, standing there in the moonlight ...
to being as unhappy as any person who just had his world destroyed. How could she have done it? How could she have pretended to be a courtier, a Comtesse? Why had she lied to him for so long?
Sure, Leonardo came up with many excuses for a man of his age. His mother was ashamed of his actions. She also came up with similar excuses for Sarah's behavior. But that didn't make it right.
Though he did have to concede one point, he had been the one who had done the chasing. She had always run away. She ran after he freed her servant. She didn't want to tell him her name. She didn't tell him who her cousin was.
She didn't tell him where she was staying. She ran from him after their talk by the lake. In her way she ran after the carriage broke down. She ran the last time that he had seen her before the masque. Finally she ran tonight instead of fighting it out with him.
But she had save his life. She had out foxed the gypsy leader. But then again his life wouldn't have been in danger if they had returned to the monastery like they should have after the carriage broke down.
Still, her passion for life had given him reason to take stock of his own life. Her excitement for reading gave him his purpose in life, to build a University for all to attend and learn regardless of their social status.
She had brought meaning to his life. She gave him a reason to get out of bed in the morning. She made him happy. He fell in love with her. That feeling of love was the most wonderful feeling of his life.
Why did it matter so much that she was only a servant? He had never cared about what other people thought before. Why should he care now? He loved her. He had said something to Leonardo about trust.
He had asked him how he could trust her? That was really the wrong question he should be asking considering, she didn't know whether or not to trust him about telling him the truth about who she was.
She didn't know whether or not he would reject her for being only a servant. He had failed miserably considering the first time he had told her he loved her, they had been talking about social status.
That is, a person is seldom who he is painted to be, it's not who he is. Sarah may not have been a courtier, but she was the woman he loved. What her status in life was shouldn't have mattered.
If he really loved her like he said he did, she shouldn't have been afraid to tell him anything. Once again he had failed her miserably. His mother was right. He should have led her to a secluded place to talk.
That was what she had wanted to do before he tried to take her to meet his mother. It would have given him time to settle down long enough to at least give her the chance to tell him the truth. They could have talked it over.