Eric woke up earlier than usual. Breakfast wasn't going to be served for another hour, so Eric decided to relax. As he lay there staring at the canopy above his bed, he admitted to himself that he was rather excited to tour the kingdom with the silent girl.
An hour later, Eric dressed quickly, picking his typical loose shirt and plain blue pants. He tugged his boots on and smoothed his hair. When he looked at himself in his mirror, he tried out a flirtatious smile. Max made a noise that sounded almost like a chortle.
"Hey, buddy. None of that. I just want to look good. You know, for the people in my kingdom."
Max just stared at him.
"Oh, whatever," Eric said. "I'll see you later, Max."
With that, he headed down to the dining hall for breakfast. The silent girl was dressed in blue, which made her eyes stand out and her hair look more beautiful than it had the day before. It was pulled back away from her face with a large bow. With her hands folded softly in her lap and her eyes bright from a good night of sleep, she was breathtaking. The girl gave him a smile and his heart flipped in his chest. She looked really good in blue. After a moment, Eric realized he had been staring at her for a while. He smiled sheepishly and took the chair next to her at the table. He jumped in his seat when Grimsby said,
"I trust you slept well, Eric?"
Eric hadn't even seen Grimsby walk into the room. "Er… yes I did, thanks," he said quickly. He turned to his pretty guest. "Did you sleep well, uh-" Eric didn't know what to call her still so he just stopped and looked at her.
She nodded. And smiled.
"Well, you two better be off if you're going to tour the whole kingdom today," said Grimsby. "I'll call for the carriage."
"Oh," said Eric. "I was sort of thinking we could take the buggy. I'll drive. That way, she can really see all of the kingdom."
Grimsby raised an eyebrow, no doubt thinking about the inappropriateness of Eric and the girl being alone without a chaperone, but he made no comment. He just nodded and left to order the buggy.
When they walked outside to the courtyard, the girl stopped, her eyes wide. She was staring at the horse. She almost looked frightened.
"Are you afraid of horses?" Eric asked. "Come on. This is Gunther. He's the kindest horse in the stables." He reached for her hand and pulled her towards the animal. She followed without resistance. When the were directly beside Gunther, Eric placed her small hand on the horse's long nose. "See? He's not going to hurt you."
The redhead's face brightened and she rubbed Gunther's nose. He nuzzled her shoulder in response. "Good," Eric said. He smiled down at her. "Ready to go?"
They waved goodbye to Carlotta and Grimsby. Two guards opened the palace gates and they were off. They had barely been on the road to the town for a minute, when the girl began pointing and smiling at everything she saw. Eric was confused. She acted like she had never seen trees before. He began to really wonder where she came from. He turned to look at her and jumped in surprise. She was hanging from the back of the carriage.
"Hey!" Eric exclaimed. "I don't want you to fall." He reached for her arm and pulled her back up. "The view is less dusty up here anyway."
The girl blushed. They crossed the bridge into the main square of the village. It was bustling with activity. Eric guided the carriage to the very center. There was so much activity and the girl was fascinated in all of it. Everything, from the blacksmith's billows to a crate of chickens made her smile and gasp and jump up and down. She caught sight of a small puppet show and raced over, pulling the cloth puppet off of the puppeteer's hand.
"Blimey!" came a voice from beneath the stage. "'Oo do you think you are?" It growled.
Eric rushed over. "Sorry, sir. I don't think she's ever seen a puppet show.
The puppeteer came out from behind his stage. "Well, I don't care if she-" he stopped. "Oh, Prince Eric. Your highness. I didn't realize."
"No, that's alright. We'll just be going now. Have a good day." Eric took the girl's elbow and steered her away from the puppet stand. They walked down the streets. Eric loved the way she was so fascinated by everything. It was like she was discovering a different world. Maybe she's from a mining village where they don't have animals or puppet shows or bakeries, he thought to himself while they stopped for some of the kingdom's famous "Ocean Pearl Cupcakes."
After they finished their snack, the girl caught sight of a dance pavilion. She rushed towards it excitedly. Eric was an experienced dancer and he guided her through a few simple steps. She stumbled but he caught her and made it look natural. He had always had a talent with making his dance partners look flawless while they danced with him. He lifted her into the air and spun her around. She wasn't at all heavy and Eric was strong. She learned the steps quickly. Her hands rested in his lightly so that he could lead her around the floor. She followed his motions, turing when he flicked his wrist and stepping closer to him when he pressed on her back. In minutes, she went from being a beginner to being the best partner he had ever had.
After their dance, Eric walked her towards the street venders. He had some gold coins in his pocket. "You can buy anything you like," he told her. She looked confused. "You can have anything from these merchants. I'll pay for it," he explained.
She smiled and nodded in understanding. For the next hour, she ran around to the different stalls. She tried on jewelry, tasted some roasted peanuts, and avoided the fish stands. In the end, she picked two baguettes, a pair of boots, and a little black hat. Eric bought her some flowers as well. He hoped she like them.
As they drove out of the town, Eric noticed that the girl was eying the reigns. Well, he thought. No harm in letting her drive for a bit.
He handed over the reigns. The redhead flicked them hard on Gunther's back and he took off at a mad gallop, jostling the buggy. Eric tried to stay calm, but the girl steered them directly towards a cliff. He ducked down, sure that they were going to plummet to the bottom of it and be smashed against the rocks, but they landed with a solid thump on the other side. Eric looked at the girl in surprise. She smiled at him. For the hundredth time that day, he wondered who this girl was. She obviously didn't know how to drive a horse and buggy, but she did it without fear. She looked at everything like a person opening their eyes for the first time. He didn't even know her name and he liked her.
They drove through the countryside and the more Eric looked at the silent girl, the less he thought about the mysterious one who had saved him on the beach. Maybe this redheadl was more special to him after all.