by sarah faith
"Mademoiselle! Regarde! Regarde!" Miss, look! Look! The helicopter flier spoke suddenly. He unexpectedly started to cheer and laugh, loudly, causing me to lift my head in perplexity. I saw his finger pointed to outside of the helicopter, and I cautiously moved closer to the open door, for I needed a better look outside.
What I saw then would be in my heart forever. Think about the best thing that's ever happened to you. Think about your stomach when it churned and rolled over that one special emotion. Think of your wildest dream coming true. Imagine that feeling multiplied times one million, and you still wouldn't come close to experiencing what I felt at this moment.
Parallel to my helicopter were two more of the same model. In between the two was taut a large net, and dangling in the air above the lush green meadows and beneath the shiny yellow sun, was my prince. He was frantically waving to me with a large grin, and I could hear his deep voice blasting my name across the open space. I yelped in amazement and for the first time in what seemed like forever, I laughed happily. Relief swept over my heart, mind, body; soul like a tsunami would on a small village. How glad I was that I trusted him, how absolutely thrilled I became when I realized that I had probably just saved his life. Sooner or later, if I held on, he would have slipped, and the helicopters wouldn't be right there to catch him. It was risky, yes, it was scary, you bet, it was absolutely life-changing, of course, but I knew the reason that I had let go. Love. Selfless, true and undying love for Freddie was the only thing that brought me to trust him, like I had. I suddenly collapsed into my seat again, and tried to get used to the feeling that we had actually won. I smiled to myself as my eyes suddenly shut out of fatigue and lack of nutrition. The only word that passed through my mind before I fell into a peaceful sleep was the only name that had kept me going through all of this; Freddie.
Someday My Prince Will Come : Chapter 27
Chapter 16
I woke up from a slight jolt. After I opened my eyes, I realized that we were landing on the roof of Freddie's castle. The events that occurred only an hour or so before flashed into my mind. I was instantly awakened and all I could think about is if Freddie was alright. As soon as the mechanical bird hit the substance of the roof, I flung my body out toward the open air. I landed on the roof and saw that the helicopter that contained Freddie was just landing. From where I was, I peered into the closed doors of the copter, straining to see if my prince was alright.
Then suddenly, as if on cue, the door opened and Freddie jumped out of the helicopter. He didn't waste a second and before I knew it, we were embracing and I was crying joyously into his strong arms.
"Arie, oh my Arianne," Freddie cooed into my ear. My arms were about his neck and I pulled him ever so much closer, savoring the touch of his welcoming arms. I can't believe how much I missed him. I can't believe that he saved me. I can't believe that we were finally safe; safe from everything and anything that came our way. We were now invincible, together.
Freddie's arms sucked me closer to his heaving chest. He was still in uniform, and I found it rather difficult to embrace him with all of that equipment on his belt. But equipment or not, I didn't care. I didn't really care if a bomb went off right behind me; there was no way that I was letting go. Not for a long time.
My tears began to subside as Freddie's embrace calmed me down. The thought of his fingers slipping from mine as I let him fall into the air, came rushing back into my thoughts. I sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling dizzy. I clung to Freddie tighter and he just rocked me back and forth, telling me softly that we were okay. I guilty thought about how scary this must have been for Freddie as well.
Putting his life in danger to get me out of that building, fighting a humongous man, jumping out of a helicopter, just to save me; this wasn't possible. What had I ever done to deserve such a man?
Reluctantly, I removed my head from Freddie's chest and gazed up into his glassy eyes. He was near the brink of crying, that was certain, so I gave him a smile and smoothed a hand down his soot covered cheek.
"Let's get you cleaned up," I whispered affectionately. Freddie grinned and pulled me against him one last time before we descended down the elevator into a free life.
I heard a knock sound on my door, and moaned, wondering who on earth would be bothering me at twelve o'clock in the morning. I looked at the digital alarm clock next to my bed and rolled my eyes. More like noon; how long had I been sleeping?
I pulled the bathrobe which hung at the foot of my four-post bed and slipped my arms into the plush material. I smiled against the fabric, rubbing my cheek against its finery. I made my way to the doors rather slowly, and figured that if anyone needed me that desperately, they could wait thirty seconds. I pulled the door open just a peep, at first, so I could behold who was intruding my slumber.
A smile lit up my face and I yanked the doorknob nearly out of its socket whilst jumping into Freddie's open arms.
"Hello doll," he cooed into my ear. I got the shivers up my spine from the warmth of his breath.
"Hi. What brings you here so early?" I said, landing on the carpet softly and gazing into his lovely eyes. He frowned at my words.
"Early? It's noon." Suddenly Freddie's face twisted with worry and he spoke, "Are you okay? Does the back of your head hurt? What about your lungs" Freddie proceeded to feel around different places on my body, and I grabbed his hands just before they trailed to the small of my back.
"I'm fine. I was just teasing you."
"Oh," Freddie said, obviously relieved. "Well, I've brought you some food, go ahead in guys," he called to some people. Apparently, I had failed to notice the hoard of people that accompanied Freddie, because a trail of maids and chefs filed into my disastrous room. Freddie took my hand and led me to the bed, urging me to sit down and relax. I did as he wished, not because I liked this sort of treatment, but because I was much too tired to argue or fight his will. One of the maids pulled open the curtains, and unwanted sunlight streamed through the atmosphere.
I squealed and covered my face with my hands, prompting Freddie to chuckle. Eventually, after dusting, vacuuming and sweeping the room, the flurry of people skidded out of my room, leaving the prince and me alone. I smelled something heavenly and glanced at the tray that was waiting to be attacked. Freddie seemed to read my thoughts, for he brought the tray that was on the desk over to my lap, and set it down softly. I grinned at the prospect of food, and lifted a few of the covers off of the plates.
"Oh, I want some of that," Freddie said, reaching out and grabbing a piece of sausage from one of the steaming plates. I laughed and rolled my eyes. Freddie went around to the other side of the bed and climbed up, letting me snuggle against his side as he put his arm about my shoulder.
"What's this?"
I suddenly jumped at the harshness of Freddie's voice and turned to see him looking at my cheek intently. I frowned, but raised my fingers to touch the sensitive skin that was temporarily part of my face. "It's just a few bruises," I said casually, trying to forget the horror of that session.
Freddie turned my chin toward him and peered at the other side of my face as well. "Those monsters," he muttered with emotion. "What did they do to you?"
My breath became ragged and my throat irked with the pain from rising tears. "I guess their favorite technique was smashing my face with their hands," I said quietly, feeling the need to sob. I squeezed my eyes shut and desperately tried to forget the pain; forget it all.
"I'm so sorry, Arianne. I should have gotten there sooner, I should have"
"Freddie, stop," I said with unbelief. "Stop talking like that. I won't let you. You did so much to save me, and there is absolutely no way that I'm going to allow you to say such things. You saved me from worse, much, much worse, and I couldn't be more thankful to you for getting me out of that awful place. So I have a few bruises. They'll heal. They didn't even hurt until I started to think about them just now," I said with a small giggle. I needed him to know that I was okay. I couldn't permit hi
m to say things like that; it would just make me nervous.
Freddie's hands gently cupped my face and he willingly smoothed my skin with care. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, loving the feeling of his warm hands on my sore skin, and the feeling of being held by him. This is all that I longed for when I was in that room. The only thing that I could think of was getting out of there and being with this spectacular being. Suddenly, I realized that those memories didn't seem as bad. All the horrifying things that took place seemed like a dizzy dream whenever I was around Freddie. I gently shrugged the tray of food off of my lap and turned completely to face Freddie. I buried my head into his chest and started to cry softly. They were tears of joy; mind you, not a sob of fright. I couldn't be happier right now; there was absolutely nothing that could depress me.
"Freddie," I murmured into his neck, "How long have I been asleep?"
"A while," he responded while thinking. "We got here at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, and you've just opened your sweet eyes. But I was sleeping until a few hours ago, so don't get all self conscious." He laughed along with me, until I asked another question, "How long was I there for?"
Freddie mused for a few moments and then answered with spite, "About a day and a half. Believe me, it was the longest thirty-six hours that I've ever been through."
I nodded in agreement. "If felt like days, for me."
"Were you really scared, Arianne? Did you think you were going to die?"
I was surprised at the bluntness of his question, but I knew that he had to ask. I could tell that if he didn't he would always be wondering. So, I nodded and squeaked, "I was scared. More scared than I have ever been in my entire life. But you know what kept me going? It was the thought of never seeing you again. That's all that I wanted, I didn't care about food, or a bed; I didn't even care if those men beat me to a pulp. All that I could hope for was to be in your embrace before I died. Then, I would have died a happy woman."
Freddie didn't say a word, but I could feel his heart beating rapidly behind his chest. I snuggled closer to his warm, protective body and closed my eyes. Freddie and I just sat there embracing for perhaps ten straight minutes. I loved how we were both perfectly content with snuggling like this. Then I realized that I hadn't kissed my boyfriend in a while. I looked up to Freddie with a glint in my eye, and he smiled, knowing that there was something up.
Before he could ask, I pressed my lips to his and immediately entered a realm similar to heaven. He responded by immediately placing his hands around my waist, and slowly, very slowly, our lips molded together in a kiss that was designed to savor. I smiled against his mouth, and I couldn't believe how long it had been since I kissed him. Too long; oh, too long.
Eventually, we pulled away from each other, and I breathlessly stared into his love-stricken face. Somehow, we ended up moving into a position in which he was hovering above me, and my head was smashed into a soft pillow. He smoothed a hair out of my eyes and placed a gentle, loving kiss on my forehead. I smiled and placed my arms around his neck.
"Hey, I need to go, Arie," he suddenly said reluctantly.
"Why?" The disappointment was clear in my voice. I knew that he probably had things to do, but I wanted to be selfish and keep him all to myself.
"Well, I need to take care of a few things. But let's go out and have a picnic tonight for dinner, okay? How about at four? It looks like a warm day, out there," he remarked, nodding toward the open window.
I nodded but pouted. "I'm going to miss you."
"It would be impossible to miss me more than I'm going to miss you," Freddie teased and gently kissed my pouting lips one last time before leaving my room.
Someday My Prince Will Come : Chapter 28
"This is so beautiful, Freddie," I told him as we were strolling around in the pastures outside the castle. At first when Freddie told me that we were going to be dining in a field, I had questioned about the safety of this venture. Freddie just laughed and told me that the castle walls stretched out to about a mile behind the actual palace.
So even though we felt secluded, we would still be under complete security and possibly one hundred pairs of binoculars. This spot wasn't Freddie's favorite place to go, but he figured that since I hadn't seen it yet, that it would be a great place to spend a small little picnic. I honestly didn't care where we went as long as I had him right next to me.
Freddie stopped abruptly and set down the small picnic blanket with a gentle flick of his wrists. I closed my eyes as he placed tour belongings on the fabric, and let the cool wind bite through my snarled hair. I absolutely loved the feeling of wind. It was like a harmless ghost, moving across the earth in an invisible force. It could soothe, yet it could destroy, and I found that balance absolutely breathtaking.
Freddie roused me by grasping my fingers in his hand, and I looked down at his lazy figure with a sweet smile. I sat beside him and snuggled into his awaiting arm. We looked over the peaceful meadow which was calmly stirring beneath the push and pull of the breeze. All of a sudden, my stomach let out a whine of hunger. I blushed furiously and put my hand to my stomach, as if the action would erase the embarrassing memory.
Freddie chuckled and patted my tummy whilst saying, "Looks like somebody's hungry."
I nodded and let out a smile. We, or rather, I, consumed the lunch in about ten minutes flat. There's something about being a hostage in a dark scary room that just send your appetite soaring. I tried to ignore Freddie's snickers of laughter at my ravenousness, and even got to the point of smacking his muscular arm when he accidentally snorted, trying to hide his amusement.
Freddie looked up at me with big puppy eyes from where he was lying and gasped in fake offense. "Did you just hit me?"
I nodded slowly, dramatically. "Yes. Yes I did. What are you going to do about it?"
Freddie didn't say anything but instead, answered me with a grin and the twinkle of his green eyes. My eyes widened and I let out a shriek, flying up from where I sat and running away as fast as I could across the lush green hills.
"You'd better run faster, Arie," I heard Freddie call from right behind me. "I'm catching up!"
"No!" I squealed, laughter almost cutting off my airway. I tried to push my legs faster, but before I gained any speed in the least, I felt arms tugging around my waist. I suddenly tripped, in a bout of clumsiness, and sent me and Freddie falling to the ground. His arms were still around my waist, but he suddenly went limp. I collapsed next to him and even though I had just dropped to the ground, I couldn't contain the laughter that poured through my lungs. How happy I was! I looked up at the sky and saw that there were virtually no clouds.
"Freddie," I nudged the man beside me, "Look. The sky is so blue today."
When Freddie didn't respond, I rolled my eyes and nudged him again. "Freddie. Seriously, look." A few seconds passed, and still, Freddie didn't make a sound, not even a movement. I frowned slightly and positioned myself so that I could look at his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly open. "Freddie," I said again, this time with a pinch of worry mixed in with my emotions. "Freddie, are you okay?" My heart was starting to pound. What had I done? "Freddie," I shouted in alarm. I suddenly pressed my fingers to his throat and felt a slight pulse, barely anything there at all. "Freddie, please wake up," I started to cry. "Freddie-"
Suddenly, I felt hands grab my waist and Freddie's eyes bulged open. "GAH!" he screamed and it sent me yelping in alarm. I flew to my feet and pressed my hands to my face. That stupid boy! He had been faking it the whole time. "That was so not cool, Freddie," I shouted in anger as he rolled around on the ground, almost exploding with laughter. I stood above him and rolled my eyes, putting my hands on my hips as he laid there, laughing like there was no tomorrow.
I groaned in annoyance, he had given me the scare of my life, and I felt like the stupidest person in the world at this moment. And he seemed to think that it was hilarious. Okay, maybe it would be hilarious; in a few weeks. But right now I was not in t
he mood to laugh. "I'm leaving," I huffed, more humiliated than anything else. I turned on my heel and lifted my nose into the air.
"Arie, I'm sorry," Freddie cooed from behind me. "Could you just wait a minute?"
"No," I said stubbornly, and continued to walk away.
"Arianne, just turn around. Come on, doll, just turn around," Freddie pleaded with me.
I rolled my eyes and stopped walking away, but continued to face him with my back. "Why should I?" I answered hotly. I wasn't really that mad. But I figured that I'd might as well give him a hard time for the stunt that he pulled just now.
"Because I love you, Arianne. You're my everything, you're the air I breathe, and you're my world. Without you, I would be dust. I'd be as worthless as sand on the beach, but with you; you make me something. You make me want to get up in the morning. Your eyes bring me out of sadness. Your smile lights up my world, and I love you. So, so much," Freddie said with emotion. I frowned in confusion, wondering why he chose this very moment to say such a sweet thing, and I turned around, perplexity struck onto my features. What I saw made my mouth drop and my breath catch in my throat. My knees went weak, and my fingers started to shake.