pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"They followed the path back to the castle, waving to the maids who were just hanging up the last of the day's laundry. They walked up the stairs and through a large glass door. The one side of the hallway was all windows while the other side was spotted with countless doorways and pictures.
"That way leads down to the kitchen. Down that way leads to more spare bedrooms and closets."
The tiled marble floor was cool again Ariel's bare feet as her neck craned this way and that to see all the beauty the castle had to offer.
"We'll be in the dining hall later this evening." Eric nodded to yet another branch off doorway. "And this is the back entrance, out those door you get to the courtyard with the gates and the stables."
The hall opened up to an arching ceiling and a large staircase with oak banisters. Eric led the way up the stairs, his hand never leaving Ariel's, a grin on both of their faces.
"This is the main hall. We have another ball room downstairs if we wanted to have a party but that hasn't happened for a long time…"
Eric felt a tug on his hand to see Ariel's face staring up at him in a sad pout.
"Why are you sad?"
Though he couldn't hear it, he saw the question in the girl's eyes and released her hand pacing towards one of the arched windows. "My parents used to throw parties and dances all the time when I was younger, but they died in a sailing accident a while back. I could never give up the ocean but we haven't had a ball in a while."
"My mother died in a...sailing accident too…"
Eric saw the girl walk over to look out the window with him. He saw her lips move and when he turned to face her he saw the same sadness reflected in her eyes.
Then her face broke into a silly grin and Eric looked on confused.
"Dance with me! Dance, come on!"
She nodded her head excitedly and Eric followed as she pulled him out into the middle of the floor.
I have a painting back home, oh how do they do it…
She frowned and bit her lip, putting her right hand on Eric's waist while staring at the other trying to remember where it went.
"Oh! You want to dance?"
Eric laughed at the girl when she nodded causing her bangs to flop down into her face.
"Here alright, put your left hand on my shoulder, and I hold your right." His own arm snaked comfortably around the shorter girl's waist and their hands were once again gently joined.
Ariel looked down at her bare feet next to Eric's polished boots on the cold tiled floor and frowned.
"Ah, you don't know how to dance?"
She shook her head and Eric smiled. "Just follow my lead alright?" He began to count off a slow one two three.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel blushed as she stumbled backwards missing a beat but Eric just nodded encouragingly. "It's ok, I've got you. Back, left, together. Forwards right together. Yeah! You've got it."
One two three. One two three.
"I-I'm doing it. I'm dancing!"
"Yes, good job, there you go!"
One two three. One two three.
"Ok, are you ready? Spin!"
The change in pattern barely caused a hiccup as Ariel spun out gracefully and back in again to the safety of Eric's arms.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel's eyes closed as she threw her head back in silent laughter into another spin. The rhythm sped up as they waltzed together around the floor.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel grinned mischievously and Eric raised an eyebrow before laughing as the smaller girl threw herself into another spin. Pulling herself in, heart racing, dancing into her arms, Eric caught her with a grunt.
"You're a natural…"
The music slowed and the two remained, no longer waltzing, just dancing slowly together. Ariel's head fit perfectly on his shoulder as Eric rest his chin on her head.
"What would I give to be where you are? What would I pay, to lay here beside you? What would I do to see you, smiling at me?"
Eric hummed softly, the song that had played in his dreams these past few days, now with this girl in his arms, it wasn't so eerie and lost. At that moment, everything was at peace./pre
"That way leads down to the kitchen. Down that way leads to more spare bedrooms and closets."
The tiled marble floor was cool again Ariel's bare feet as her neck craned this way and that to see all the beauty the castle had to offer.
"We'll be in the dining hall later this evening." Eric nodded to yet another branch off doorway. "And this is the back entrance, out those door you get to the courtyard with the gates and the stables."
The hall opened up to an arching ceiling and a large staircase with oak banisters. Eric led the way up the stairs, his hand never leaving Ariel's, a grin on both of their faces.
"This is the main hall. We have another ball room downstairs if we wanted to have a party but that hasn't happened for a long time…"
Eric felt a tug on his hand to see Ariel's face staring up at him in a sad pout.
"Why are you sad?"
Though he couldn't hear it, he saw the question in the girl's eyes and released her hand pacing towards one of the arched windows. "My parents used to throw parties and dances all the time when I was younger, but they died in a sailing accident a while back. I could never give up the ocean but we haven't had a ball in a while."
"My mother died in a...sailing accident too…"
Eric saw the girl walk over to look out the window with him. He saw her lips move and when he turned to face her he saw the same sadness reflected in her eyes.
Then her face broke into a silly grin and Eric looked on confused.
"Dance with me! Dance, come on!"
She nodded her head excitedly and Eric followed as she pulled him out into the middle of the floor.
I have a painting back home, oh how do they do it…
She frowned and bit her lip, putting her right hand on Eric's waist while staring at the other trying to remember where it went.
"Oh! You want to dance?"
Eric laughed at the girl when she nodded causing her bangs to flop down into her face.
"Here alright, put your left hand on my shoulder, and I hold your right." His own arm snaked comfortably around the shorter girl's waist and their hands were once again gently joined.
Ariel looked down at her bare feet next to Eric's polished boots on the cold tiled floor and frowned.
"Ah, you don't know how to dance?"
She shook her head and Eric smiled. "Just follow my lead alright?" He began to count off a slow one two three.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel blushed as she stumbled backwards missing a beat but Eric just nodded encouragingly. "It's ok, I've got you. Back, left, together. Forwards right together. Yeah! You've got it."
One two three. One two three.
"I-I'm doing it. I'm dancing!"
"Yes, good job, there you go!"
One two three. One two three.
"Ok, are you ready? Spin!"
The change in pattern barely caused a hiccup as Ariel spun out gracefully and back in again to the safety of Eric's arms.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel's eyes closed as she threw her head back in silent laughter into another spin. The rhythm sped up as they waltzed together around the floor.
One two three. One two three.
Ariel grinned mischievously and Eric raised an eyebrow before laughing as the smaller girl threw herself into another spin. Pulling herself in, heart racing, dancing into her arms, Eric caught her with a grunt.
"You're a natural…"
The music slowed and the two remained, no longer waltzing, just dancing slowly together. Ariel's head fit perfectly on his shoulder as Eric rest his chin on her head.
"What would I give to be where you are? What would I pay, to lay here beside you? What would I do to see you, smiling at me?"
Eric hummed softly, the song that had played in his dreams these past few days, now with this girl in his arms, it wasn't so eerie and lost. At that moment, everything was at peace./pre