This Chapter is dedicated to all the LITTLE MERMAID fans out there- who still have love for our Beauty and Beast as well :) Enjoy!

Again I don't own them- Disney does sigh:(

Chapter 21- A Cyrpus Love Story

Belle's POV

"And that's how Adam got that scar on his forehead!" Eric exclaimed as he took a sip of his wine.

We were all giggling around the table, truly entertained by the story Eric had just shared about the time he and Adam had made swords out of scrap wood, which had resulted in the "sword fight of the century!" – The unfortunate cause of the scar on Adam's forehead, visible to this day (although oftentimes concealed by a wild piece of bang.)

The atmosphere of the restaurant was rich and inviting, and because it was lit by candlelight, the lighting was dim, which I knew made Ariel feel more at ease. She was a bit paranoid to be out and about with Eric in public, given the well-known upheaval between their two kingdoms. I had lent her one of my longest, darkest coats to conceal herself more. She hadn't thought to bring a lot of coats for the colder weather, considering Cyprus experiences only hot and balmy weather. Though I wasn't prepared for fancy balls and dances, I was accustomed to the changing seasons of France, so I had come fully prepared with warm clothes.

All the stories that Eric and Adam were telling Ariel and me of their childhood seemed too good to be true. I guessed that's the kind of life you led if you were blessed with riches and castles big enough to get lost in. With that life came with a different kind of adventure. Hearing just a couple of their stories made me wonder about all the kind of shenanigans they had gotten caught in - or maybe even gotten away with.

Most of all, I was in awe the way they lived their lives, so carefree and whimsical! No doubt a lot of pressure came with the expectations of their roles as the heir of a duke or a king, but as hard as they worked to exceed the expectations of their titles, they played just as hard. Ariel, I could tell, was particularly entertained at the stories of her beloved's youthful mischief! We laughed as they went on about raiding the kitchen of the duke (Adam's father) for alcohol during one of Eric's visits. Apparently Eric visited Adam's estates in France very often. He even stayed many months at a time.

"Do you remember? Thirteen and trying alcohol for the first time?" Adam asked, as his fingernails were lightly scrapping against the table.

"At such an age, wine tasted like…like…" Eric started.

"Shit?" Adam finished with a chuckle.

"Yeah! I mean love the stuff now," he added as he took a sip of his wine, "but as a thirteen-year-old, it was disgusting as hell!" Eric laughed, and we all joined in, laughing along with him.

"Yeah. So then the next night, we drank scotch, thinking that would be better. And it wasn't!" Adam chuckled again.

"Tasted like death at the time!" Eric interjected jokingly.

"What's worse, shit or death?" Adam chuckled as he scratched his brow.

"Why, death of course," Eric replied.

"Well, scotch has become my go-to now!" Adam said.

"You and scotch - doesn't surprise me," Eric noted nonchalantly. As I tried to suppress another giggle, imagining this comical scene of their childhood, I suddenly remembered that my cloaked customer's favorite drink was scotch as well. God! I missed him! Why couldn't Thursday be tomorrow?

"Ariel, you should've seen your debonair man Eric passed out in the kitchen from what looked like a half bottle of scotch! I had to lift his prissy ass back all the way up to his room! Do you know how many stairs that was, mate?" Adam exclaimed, laughing, interrupting my daydreaming thoughts.

Eric buried his head in his hands in a mixture of laughter and embarrassment. Ariel seemed highly entertained as Adam related Eric's past, listening and laughing along with us.

"Do you remember that old maid of yours? She would pass gas every step she took too and from the hallway?" Eric chuckled. "Going up the stairs behind her was the worst!"

Adam burst out laughing, holding his torso. "It was like she was making music with her ass! So foul!"

"You two are awful!" Ariel teased.

The four of us went on laughing and talking for another half hour or so. I lamented that although the waiter came around again to pour more wine in our glasses, there was still no food on our table. I had eaten my piece of bread calculatingly as I sipped my wine. The wine was hard to swallow – I wasn't used to its bitter taste - but the bread helped. While my father was an avid wine drinker, sometimes bringing a barrel to last a year or so in our storage room, it was not something I had experimented with often. I'd had a glass or two now and then, but my father was always mindful of getting the sweeter red wines for us because of me.

But to my dismay today, Eric had ordered a bottle that was not smooth enough for my taste. You could tell they were royals, for they seemed so used to the taste of wine, gulping it down as if it were water. It was a drink that they had probably been exposed to since they were children, and experienced earlier on than the rest of us middle class folk.

Remembering my father and his wine barrels, I missed him. He was so attentive and kind. My mother had been lucky to be married to such a thoughtful husband. It made me feel guilty that I had lied to Adam about who he truly was when Adam had mentioned seeing us saying goodbye the first day I came to the Parthenon. I was still ashamed about it and probably always would be.

As everyone took a sip of the new bottle, I decided to hold back on the wine till the food came. Eric and Ariel were whispering something on their side of the table when, from the corner of my eye, I noticed Adam looking sidelong at me.

"You don't like your wine?" Adam asked with concern.

"No, well, it's not that," I replied bashfully. I was embarrassed to admit my aversion to wine due to not being used to the taste as the aristocrats around the table clearly were.

"It's okay if you don't. I don't care for wine much either," Adam replied kindly.

I smiled in return. "I'm not actually too used to the taste of this one. I prefer a sweeter type."

"Ah," Adam said, "I understand." He called for the waiter to bring more bread.

"Thank you," I said. Adam smiled as he returned to the conversation at hand, sipping his wine. It was nice to feel so attended to.

That was the sweet side of Adam I would see a glimmer of now and then. Today it was much more apparent than before. Remembering our conversation earlier today about Adam's loss of his mother, I felt sorry for him. I knew I had promised myself that I would be honest with him if he gave me any hint of romantic feelings for me, but now I was starting to feel that honesty might be much worse for a friendship than I had thought. He had already suffered so much loss of love in his life.

The delicious aroma of our food arrived before we even saw it hit the table. We started with caviar and an endive salad that was almost too beautiful to touch. However, our stomachs won out over our eyes and it was devoured within minutes. As I nibbled on my crackers with caviar, Adam offered me pate from another plate of hors d'oeuvres he had ordered. I didn't get to eat pate as often as I wanted, so I was excited when Adam offered.

As Adam and Eric were getting lost in their childhood stories once more, I felt a kick on my ankle. I looked across the table and saw Ariel giving me a meaningful look to leave the table with her. I nodded as I placed my fork down, gathering the skirt of my gown up a bit to help me out from the table.

"Where are you ladies going off to?" Eric asked.

"The ladies room. Just want to freshen up a bit," Ariel replied.

Once inside the ladies room, Ariel shut the door behind her and looked around to make sure we were the only ones there. Seeing we were alone, she began pacing back and forth, rubbing her hands together and biting her lip. She appeared to be very nervous.

"Ariel?" I asked worriedly.

She blurted out, "Do you think Eric is hiding something?"

"What do you mean" I asked in pure puzzlement.

"Well, for starters, I've asked Adam and Eric more than once this evening why Eric stayed with Adam's family for long periods of time, but they've dismissed my questions completely," she said with frustration. "And that was just today!"

It was true. Ariel had asked the question several times during the evening, enough times that even I had noticed and wondered. She had good reason, for Eric and Adam had constantly been going on and on about their childhood antics all evening. A stranger passing by our group would probably have thought them brothers; the way they talked about their shared childhoods and living in the same home for years.

"Is that really what is bothering you?" I asked. I was wondering whether she wasn't perhaps really bothered that Eric had been spending a lot of time with Adam today. Perhaps it was putting a damper on Ariel's personal time with her prince. After all, I remember realizing that I had feelings for my tavern hero when I had seen Katarina sitting on his lap purring flirtatiously. I guess jealousy can creep up without any warning when the one-on-one attention you desire becomes suddenly divided.

"There are lots of things bothering me," she replied with a frown. "I try my best to hide it, but in the back of my mind I am immensely paranoid that one of my father's spies from Cyprus is here around campus. I can see him doing that. He always has one of his trusted guards around me at home. It's suffocating." I nodded, empathizing with her situation. "But Belle, tonight what's been bothering me the most is Eric dismissing my question over and over again," Ariel went on. "And that's just today! I've known Adam for more than a year now. When the three of us first met in Cyprus, I would always wonder why they were together. They talked all the time about their lives, and the events they mentioned always took place in Adam's family home in France. Even back then, I would wonder why Eric stayed with Adam's family so much of the time. I've asked Eric when we were alone before, and he's dismissed it. So today I thought that maybe if I asked in front of you and Adam, he would feel cornered and wouldn't dare dismiss it, but he did! He changed the subject and then went on reminiscing about his childhood with Adam! He completely ignored me!"

I hated to see her so upset on what should be a fun-filled evening. "Are you sure he's deliberately ignoring it? Maybe it's just not really a big deal," I offered to try to make her feel more at ease.

"I don't know. Eric is usually not the dismissive, ignoring type. I mean, I know Adam and Eric were smoking cigars earlier. First I could taste it on Eric's breath when he came to our room and kissed me, and when I mentioned it when we were alone in the front lobby requesting a carriage, he admitted it to me right away. Not that it bothers me, but he's just not the type to conceal anything from me. He's pretty forthcoming about things. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it," she sighed as she rested her palms on the counter, looking into the mirror. "But I just can't go back out there and continue the evening, feeling this way. Feeling like he's hiding something from me." She met my eyes in the mirror.

"Oh, Ariel, I am sure it's nothing. Eric loves you so much. Anyone can tell," I reassured her as I got a clean handkerchief from the pile set aside of the sink. I wet the cloth under the faucet and then handed it to her.

"Thanks," Ariel said as she dabbed the side of her cheek and under her neck. "I know he loves me, but to hide things? I just don't know if I can handle that."

"Come on! Give him some credit. After all, it seems as though you never said goodbye to him when you came here to the Parthenon and he didn't get upset with you and lash out. Besides like I said earlier, I really think you are just overthinking it," I told her.

"You really think so?" asked Ariel with a pout.

"I really do," I asserted. "It's very apparent to see how much you trust one another. If it was really something worrisome, I'm sure he would tell you."

Ariel finally nodded and dabbed her forehead with the damp cloth I had provided her earlier. With some encouragement and coaxing, I was able to get her out of the bathroom. As we returned to our table, Eric and Adam immediately stood up respectfully to receive us and give us room to sit back down next to them.

"Everything okay, love?" Eric asked Ariel, softly grasping her hand. She nodded as she met my eyes. I smiled at her, hoping it would prompt her to show more cheerfulness than worry, and she slightly curled her lips up, attempting to smile.

"Our food just arrived," Adam told us. He raised his glass. "How about a toast? To friendships, old and new." He smiled at me as he said it. I smiled back as we all clanked our wine glasses.

As the night wore on, the restaurant got busier. The doors opened more frequently, letting in a slight draft each time, and I noticed more patrons seated in the booths and tables as waiters tended to them, carrying bottles of the finest wine. It really was a lovely setting. Who knew this place existed so close to the Parthenon? I sat listening to Adam, Eric, and Ariel reminiscing and sharing stories. It was entertaining, but I must admit that at times I felt a bit left out from the conversation. After all the three of them had a significant history together, while I was a newcomer to the group. But despite this, Adam never failed to acknowledge my presence. His little gestures - putting his hand on mine, frequently casting me reassuring glances to make I was all right - comforted me and made me feel tended to and not alone.

I had been a loner most of my life. Not on purpose, but still by my own doing as well I suppose. Growing up, my shyness was misunderstood as not wanting to bother with other people, and I never felt that I fit in.

But here, I didn't feel like such a pariah. Here at this table were three people who actually LIKED me and considered me a friend. It felt nice to be so accepted, even though I was from a simple background. Perhaps I had to learn to give myself more credit, I mused silently as I sipped my coffee. University seemed to be helping me come out of my shell, and for once I didn't feel so vulnerable.

Eric insisted on dessert, so we decided to share a couple of tarts. I had never tasted anything as delicious as the cherry tart we ordered. Adam and I smirked at each other as we both caught Eric feeding Ariel a piece of tart. They were so perfect for each other.

"So, tell me: how did you two meet, exactly?" I asked.

"Oh! How silly of us, Belle - of course you don't know! Here we are, babbling on and on as if you've been a part of it the whole time!" Ariel said apologetically.

I smiled at that. It was kind of nice knowing that the reason they hadn't explained details to me wasn't that I was invisible to them, but that I complemented the group so well that they actually forgot I hadn't been in their little "club" since the beginning. The feeling of acceptance was wonderful. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so content. It was as though my lifelong craving for companionship had finally been fed.

"Well," Eric began, "I guess you could stay it started with Adam. That was how I saw Ariel for the first time. See, I often stayed with Adam for months at a time. Not at first - I mean, when I was little I came to visit every now and then. But maybe when I was around 6 years old...that's when the visits got longer, sometimes for months at a time, right, Adam?" Eric cocked an eyebrow questioningly at Adam.

"I think it was more like age 10," Adam corrected. "You always came to visit from time to time since we were very little, but the really long stays didn't start till around age 10."

"Why did you stay for so long at a time?" I inquired, and noticed Ariel's thankful look. Someone had to ask, and although Ariel had done so several times but received no reply, I was sure Eric wouldn't dare do that to me, a new friend of the group and all.

Eric coughed a bit and Ariel and I both noticed Adam and Eric looking at each other intensely. Adam seemed to be sending the message that whatever was going to come out of Eric's mouth better be well calculated, because if it wasn't, Adam was going to blow a gasket! It was a little peculiar. Did they forget that Ariel and I could see them?

Noting the tension in the air, I decided to rephrase my question. "Oh, I'm sorry if that sounded rude, Eric! It's just that I've never been away from my own father till now, and I miss him dearly all the time. I can't imagine how you were able to do that every year, especially starting at such a young age."

Eric smiled, clearly relieved. "It was my father's idea, actually," he explained. "My father wanted me to have access to the best teachers in case the time came for me to help rule the country. But world-renowned professors do not dare come to Cyprus soil, given the present civil hostility between the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Adam's father was able to supply the best tutors in the world. My father and Adam's were best mates since the Parthenon. They attended school here together, but that was during a time where home wasn't as hat was before things got incredibly serious. They were like brothers, and likewise Adam and I grew up the same way - like family - so it made sense for me to stay with Adam and share his education."

"Not to mention that Eric filled the void of a prodigal son my father never had, so of course Father welcomed Eric with open arms like a breath of fresh air," Adam muttered sarcastically. I looked up at him, shocked by the pain in his harsh voice, but he didn't meet my gaze.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Eric continued, "when I came of age to attend university, my father wanted me closer to home, so he could personally instruct and prepare me to rule our country if the time ever came. So, tutors in France stopped, and university life in Cyprus commenced."

Ariel was quiet the whole time and looked solemn as she fiddled with her butter knife. I could tell it pained her to know that Eric's father and her own father were at odds, and not in just some small way either. It occurred to me that King Triton's throne was under threat not only from from Eric's father, but from Eric as well. After all, King Triton did not have any sons to be his heir - he only had daughters. How would he feel if Ariel married Eric, thus turning over King Triton's kingdom to the enemy? But on the other hand, I mused, perhaps it would be a way to unite the two kingdoms and end the strife?

Curious, I asked Ariel and Eric, "How did two people on opposing sides of a civil conflict meet and fall in love?"

The question turned Ariel's solemn expression to one of excitement. Her blue eyes widened and her lips opened as if to burst out telling their love story, but Adam's chuckle interrupted her attempt.

Eric looked at Adam again with that same tense, apprehensive look he had had before. I could tell that Adam's chuckle was meant to deflect some sort of tension going on, though I had no idea why.

"It's actually a hilarious story!" Adam said, deciding to answer for the two. Eric still looked worried about what Adam might say. Ariel and I exchanged a look, silently agreeing with each other that we were getting very dodgy vibes from both gentlemen.

Adam began his story. "Eric and I were in Cyprus because my father and I were dropping Eric off with his father once and for all to start university there. We were having one of those wild nights - boys will be boys after all." He laughed, and I saw a slight smile emerging from Eric's lips, but he still had the same concerned look in his eyes.

Adam continued, "Anyway, while our fathers were smoking cigars and catching up on the news, we got a little drunk, snuck away, and took a boat out to the ocean. Now, granted, it probably wasn't the best choice being drunk while trying to steer a wooden boat into the ocean, but hey! It's that very action that brought us to Ariel's cotillion ceremony!"

"So you're saying if you didn't get drunk and make the senseless decision you did to drive a boat, you wouldn't have met Ariel? Do you guys know you could've been killed?" I scolded.

"Love is always worth it," Eric said as he squeezed Ariel's hand bringing it closer to this lap.

"Wait, wait, wait! You still haven't gotten to the part where you both finally met," I urged Adam.

"Well our boat kind of…toppled over. Luckily we were near the shore, but..." His voice deepened dramatically, trying to sound intense and dangerous. "We were in enemy territory!" He looked around the table meaningfully, trying to heighten the suspense.

Eric rolled his eyes at Adam's theatrics and continued the story. "As we swam to the shore, I heard a beautiful voice. It was coming from the outdoor coliseum. I wasn't as inebriated as Adam claims. But even if I were, no one would be able to NOT notice her voice. It was...magical. Like the voice of an angel." He smiled down at Ariel next to him. "We crept closer and sat up in the hills that towered up behind the back of the coliseum, where no one could see us. Below, thousands of people were seated, listening to Ariel. Even though I was far up behind the stands hiding out with Adam, I could see King Triton. No one could ever miss his trident. He sat looking proudly at Ariel and the rest of his daughters sat next to him. I knew I'd be in trouble if he saw me, but I didn't care. I just sat there, captivated by Ariel's heavenly voice. At that moment, I knew that I HAD to meet her, no matter what the consequences."

"Wow!" I said with a sigh. It was so romantic - Eric was willing to put himself in danger just to meet her! "How did you manage to meet her without getting caught, or worse yet, killed?"

"Ah, well, that's where my buddy Adam here comes into play." He grinned. "It seems that when it comes to the Master of Disguise, Adam holds the crown." Then he gave a startled yelp of pain. "Ow!"

Adam said innocently, "Oh, did I accidentally kick you? Sorry." He gave Eric a hard, meaningful look, then turned to me and continued Eric's story. "Like I said, we were kind of drunk-"

"You were drunk. I wasn't!" Eric protested.

"Okay. Do you really want to confess to Belle that you were sober enough to knowingly put on a woman's ballgown just to see Ariel backstage?"

Eric buried his forehead in his hands in embarrassment. "Thanks for that, Adam," he moaned jokingly.

"So, yes, Belle: we dressed up as women to meet Ariel. There! I'm man enough to admit it," Adam said with a sly smile as he darted a look to Eric.

Ariel and I were holding our stomachs in laughter.

Ariel added, "Just to clarify, Belle, there were a number of performers that day. It wasn't just me having a coming-out ceremony! Lots of upper-class young ladies around Cyprus celebrate theirs as well, and sometimes there are multiple ceremonies on the same day. The coliseum gets booked so the young ladies can do the performance portion of their coming-out party and all their families come. More often than not, the whole city comes out to see the talent of the young ladies. The talents showcased by the young ladies vary, but it's mostly singing, playing an instrument, reciting a poem by heart, or performing a dance. I was the last one to perform that day, so there was a lot of hustle and bustle backstage. It was easy for Eric to slip in without being noticed. Only women are allowed backstage, so that explains why Adam and Eric had to be disguised as women." She giggled at the memory. "You two made fine-looking women by the way!" she added teasingly.

"I can't believe you guys did that!" I said in awe.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with it. Keeps me in touch with my feminine side!" Adam said with a wink as he finished his cup of coffee.

Eric pleaded, "Belle you've got to promise never to tell anyone! Plus I did do it for true love after all!"

"Your secret's safe with me," I reassured him. "Now, tell me the rest! What happened when you came backstage?"

Ariel explained that Eric had come into her dressing room claiming to be a servant while Adam, disguised, guarded the door. "At first, I screamed! I mean, there was a strange man or a 'she-man' in my dressing room!"

"She did! I heard it from outside. At first I thought we blew our cover," Adam said.

"I was scared, especially when Eric took off the wig and the gown," Ariel went on. "I recognized him right away. I knew who he was. He was the enemy, and I was told to never talk to any Turkish Cypriots, let alone the opposing family whose mere existence threatened my father's throne! So my first thought was 'Maybe he's out to get me!' But from everything I'd heard about Eric, there was never anything malevolent said about him. And he didn't look threatening. He looked warm and kind, and honestly, a little nervous! He started apologizing right away for startling me, and explained that he heard me sing and he thought my voice was beautiful, and he just had to meet me. I remember hearing my heart beat so loud and I couldn't make it out if it was mine or his. I just looked at him and I saw very kind eyes, and, well...sometimes you just know." Her voice trailed off as she looked lovingly at Eric.

Adam rolled his eyes at her sentimentality. "Anyway, while they were inside doing all the 'falling in love' stuff, I knew we were going to get caught if we didn't get away soon. So I peeked in -"

"And that's when I saw Adam! He recognized him immediately with his red hair and all," Ariel said. "Adam had come with his father time to time to discuss business with my own father. So when I saw him guarding the door, it made me feel better. I knew any friend of Adam must be trustworthy, even if he's supposed to be the 'sworn enemy'." She winked at Eric.

"Wow, Adam, your father is quite the businessman, working with both Eric's and Ariel's fathers," I commented.

"Yeah, you have no idea the pressure I'm under to one day do the same," Adam said. "If I'm the Master of Disguise, he's the Master of Business."

"So you are the Master of Disguise? Do you go around in disguise a lot?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh, no! I mean, um..." He coughed, loosening his collar a bit. "I, uh, just meant that it was my idea and all for us to dress up as women. And I've made Eric dress up like different people sometimes just so we can get out of my dad's eye to do fun stuff," he said quickly, as if he was trying to quickly brush over the subject. I simply nodded, getting the hint he was feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Then what happened?" I asked.

"Well, Eric and Adam had to get back to the shoreline and find a boat so they could get away, since theirs had capsized," Ariel said. "I helped them with that. They still had to be disguised as women for fear that someone would try to hurt Eric. Eric said he had been a little reluctant to stay in Cyprus, because it meant not going back to France anymore to spend time with his friend. But he said that now he thought it was the best thing that could've happened to him, because it meant being closer to me." Ariel practically swooned at the memory. "We agreed to meet up secretly after that. Ever since then, we've always managed to find ways to meet. Since he began attending university, it's been trickier for him to sneak away from his personal guards, but not impossible. We had set places and times to meet, and codes that only he and I could understand."

"Very intricate codes, if I may add," Adam commented. At our puzzled looks, he added defensively, "What? I found them in Eric's room one day and I couldn't figure them out!"

"You let him see the code?" Ariel yelped at Eric.

"No! He snuck into my dorm room one night, claiming he was running away from the Parthenon for a while to get this obsessed girl off of him," Eric said, trying to defend himself.

Adam buried his forehead in his hands. "Really, Eric? Is this payback or something?" Adam clearly didn't appreciate Eric divulging his girl problems.

"Maybe," Eric said with a smirk as he took a sip of coffee.

I knew Adam had a bit of a playboy background from the gossip I heard from school, so this was no surprise to me. But it was comical to see Eric putting Adam in his place and hearing about all the adventurous qualms they had faced together.

"Please don't judge me, Belle," Adam pleaded.

I laughed in response. I couldn't help it. "Easier said than done!" I teased back. "Don't worry, Adam, I think you're perfectly normal. Dressing up as woman, going boat riding while drunk and running across the continent to get away from an obsessive ex-girlfriend...all pretty typical things in my book." I grinned.

But he looked so embarrassed that I relented and patted his hand. "Don't worry," I reassured him. "Actually I think it all sounds quite exciting!" He smiled back, looking relieved.

Eric said to Ariel, "Anyway, Adam was visiting and saw one of your letters on my desk."

"It's not like I could make out your 'love code' anyway, Ariel," Adam added mockingly.

Ariel rolled her eyes at his comment, then turned to me and continued the story. "We started off as friends. Even though we had that immediate connection, I was still taken aback and especially cautious, given that Eric was 'the enemy.' But little by little during our meetings, I found myself falling in love. It helped that Adam was sometimes around to hold guard during our secret meetings, since he visited Eric often, especially in the summers. The rest is history."

"Well, it looks you've explained everything to Belle...except for the part where you left for the Parthenon without telling me!" Eric pointed out. "I looked for a coded message everywhere, thinking that I had maybe misplaced it. When I hadn't heard from you in a while, that's when I learned from my guards that you had actually left the country."

Ariel looked upset and regretful. I almost felt a little uncomfortable that Adam and I were there. It seemed like a conversation that should be between the two of them.

"I know," Ariel said softly. " I regret not saying goodbye. We've talked about this already. My father found one of your coded messages and confronted me about it. I pretended I didn't know what it was or who it was from, but he could see from the dialect that it was Turkish. So I had to be VERY careful after that and not do anything to cause more suspicion, which meant I couldn't risk writing to tell you what was going on. But I AM sorry. It was my fault for not hiding the coded message better. My father was concerned that I was befriending someone from the enemy side, so he sent me away to university in France to put a stop to it. I had no say in the matter."

"But it didn't stop me from following you, once I knew where you were," Eric said lovingly. "I'd follow you to the ends of the earth, if I had to."

She kissed him, then said, "Well, that discussion got a little heavier than I was expecting! The last thing I want to do is talk about my father! I could use some fresh air."

"Shall we head out?" Eric asked. She nodded.

As we were leaving the restaurant, I felt satisfyingly full from both the conversation and the food. The meal was so decadent and delicious; we hadn't even had room for dessert. I was, however, a bit tired, and I hoped I wasn't too obvious about it - I didn't want to come off as rude. But by the end of our feast, I couldn't hold back my yawns, which got more and more frequent. The nights of working at the tavern were taking a toll on me. Thank goodness I don't have to go to work till Thursday! I thought – but then felt a pang in my heart at the thought, realizing that it also meant I had to wait five days till I saw my secret customer.

We decided the only way to digest all the rich decadent food we had eaten for dinner was to take a walk, so we all headed to the inn where Eric and Ariel were staying. The corset I was wearing was not helping, and although I didn't wear mine as tight as some women do, it wasn't doing anything to ease the situation. At least the walk would be the jumpstart we needed to make our bellies feel more at ease!

Eric and Adam walked side by side in front of us. Ariel and I trailed behind as I told her about the lovely group of girls I had met earlier today.

"I can't believe you went out of your way to get to know people!" Ariel exclaimed.

"I can't believe I forgot to mention them to you!" I replied in equal astonishment.

"My goodness, Belle. How many times have I tried to encourage you to go out there and make friends? Every time we go to class, I talk to everyone before the professor walks in, but you just sit there reading your book!" Ariel added. I couldn't help but bashfully agree. She was right. I could tell Adam agreed as well as, overhearing our conversation, he looked back at us and met my gaze with a smile.

Ariel went on, "I'm proud of you, meeting new people. I know it takes you out of your comfort zone sometimes."

I nodded. "Well, these girls were pretty nice. Reminded me a lot of you." I paused to lift up my skirt a bit so I could walk over the cobblestone path that had just come up. The path had changed its texture since we were now walking over a short bridge. The path wasn't entirely level, and I noted Ariel too lifted one side of her skirt ever so slightly. People walking in the opposite direction too were taking careful steps. The women held tight on to their men with one hand for steadiness and support while the other hand lifted up their skirts to prevent tripping.

The cobblestone path finally turned into one of smoother texture as we reached the other side of the bridge. The area was starting to look familiar. Where have I seen this bridge before? The stream below it, that building there – why, EVERYTHING looks familiar! Then I realized I was near the tavern. As I looked from out of the bridge, there it was - my place of work, dimly lit in the far distance. We were far enough from the tavern so that I couldn't see details inside, but it didn't stop me from wondering if Gaston was present, or if Katerina had finally arrived to help out, and of course if Mrs. Potts was okay. Suddenly I realized that I was nearer to the tavern that I had ever been on my own two feet. Usually I would be viewing this image from the window of a carriage.

"By the way," I whispered, "That's the tavern there yonder."

Ariel looked over and smiled. "So that's where your lover and you romance, huh?" She giggled.

I smiled in return. "Anyway, about the charming girls I met this morning," I continued at normal volume. "Tiana is the president of the sorority, and Ariel, you would love her! She's so down to earth!"

"I've heard of her mother, actually. She's THE seamstress to the rich and famous! She's made almost every cotillion gown for all the royal ladies in the world. If you don't have one made from her to wear, you might as well not even have a cotillion." She laughed, then added in a softer tone, but still loud enough for the boys to hear, "You know, the day I met Eric at my cotillion I was wearing a gown that Tiana's mother had sewn."

As we approached the Inn, it seemed too soon to end the walk. However a yawn coming out of nowhere disagreed with my thoughts, reminding me that it was probably best to end the night sooner than later.

"Do you guys want to come up? I can ring for some more coffee," Eric suggested.

From the corner of my eye I could see Adam staring at me with his deep blue eyes as if he were trying to read my thoughts. "I don't know, friend. Belle looks tired," he said.

"Come on, just a little cup of coffee," Ariel insisted as she tugged on my hand, pulling me toward the entrance of the inn. I didn't want the energy from tonight to end. I had never hung out with a group of friends like this before, ever in my life. However, I truly was feeling weary and I knew what I needed more than anything was sleep.

I smiled but politely declined. "Adam's right. Ariel, it's been a long week. I could use some sleep, and more coffee will just keep me up."

Ariel smiled in understanding. "I know," she replied softly as she let go of my hand, understanding that working at the tavern and keeping up with studies were taking a toll on my stamina.

Eric came around Ariel and placed his arm around her shoulders pulling her in.

"At least let us arrange a carriage to take you and Adam to the dorm," Eric offered politely. We didn't refuse.

Many Thanks to TRUDIROSE for Beta-Reading this chapter!