Fresh Air

Chapter One

Fresh Air

The wind blew the brown hair around Rosette’s face. She tucked it behind her ear and shifted her shawl higher on her shoulders as she made her way back from the morning market place. He father worked in the palace as the chef, he was a bit…different, but he was her father and she loved him just the same. Her job was to fetch ingredients for him since he cooked all the time and didn’t have time to go out.

She worried about her father. He was always by himself and the only company he had were dead sea creatures. She would stay with him in the kitchen as long as she could but she also helped around the palace with a few things like setting the table and making beds.

“Good morning father,” she said as she placed her basket on the counter and started putting the ingredients away.

“Daughter, ‘ow are you?” he asked through his thick French accent.

“Fine father, but I fear there was a storm last night, do you think the prince is all right?”

“I’m sure ‘e iz fine,” he said cutting some fresh bread, “you need to stop worrying about ‘im. I know you like ‘im, but I do not want you to get your hopes up. ‘e is a prince, he must marry a princess.”

“I know, father, it’s not like he’s ever noticed me before. I blend into the wall,” she sighed.

“You do not-“ he started before Carlotta ran in.

“Oh, child there you are. Prince Eric just washed up on shore safe but he needs looking after for the day. I am putting you in charge,” she said grabbing Rosette and dragging her out of the kitchen. They quickly made their way to the Prince’s room where he was laying in bed on the verge of sleeping and looked towards the new people in his room.

“They were caught in the storm last night?” asked Rosette quietly.

“Yes, he went to save his dog,” she said and pointed to the fluffy dog that was sleeping at the end of the bed, “and everyone thought he drowned when the crew came back safe. Please just watch him, make sure he doesn’t leave that bed, No matter what.” Rosette nodded and the maid left.

This was probably the one thing Rosette dreamed about ever since she met the prince when she was ten. Not him being sick, but her being able to be alone with him, and for a whole day? That just makes it better.

She carefully made her way over to the prince who turned to look at her. She gave a weak smile and put and hand to his forehead. She then carefully grabbed a cloth and dipped it in the water that was next to the bed and put it on his forehead.

“You look familiar,” he said. She knew he didn’t know who she was.

“I am no one, sir,” she said quietly.

“No, you are someone. Please, call me Eric,” he said shifting to sit up.

“Yes, er, Eric,” she said moving to help him sit up.

“Wait, aren’t you the chef’s daughter?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said slightly shocked he knew that. Sure she lived in the palace for the past seven years, but she did tend to blend into the background.

“I remember, you were always the one to bring out my birthday cake, and you’d always get the second piece,” he said smiling at the memory. This prince just kept amazing Rosette even more.

“Yes,” she said shifting on her feet.

“And you were always near when I was sick,” he added. She just nodded her head this time. He was looking at her so she knew he saw it. “I guess you were always there to help me, huh?” Again, she nodded. “Do you think you can help me now?”

“Do you need more pillows?” she asked giving him her full attention.

“No, I have plenty, I need help finding someone,” he said.

“Did one of the crew not come back?” she asked worried now.

“No. I’m looking for the girl that saved me,” he said. The expression on his face told her all she needed to know. He was in love with this girl.

“Well, do you know how many girls there are around here? Can you narrow it down?” she said after a while. She had already accepted that there was no chance for her, but she had to think about really helping him find this girl he was so enamoured with.

“Well her hair… was red, I think.”

“You think?”

“And her eyes…oh I can’t remember that well. I was still out of it when I saw her,” he said putting his head in his hands, frustrated.

“What can you remember?”

“Her voice,” he said sitting up at the realization, “I can hear it like it is in the room right now. I hear it as I sleep. It just keeps haunting me.”

“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t help me any further.”

“Oh, right. Is there any way you think you can help me?”

“I could try,” she said shifting on her feet.

“Great!” he shouted jumping out of bed and heading over to his wardrobe.

“Wait!” Rosette shouted and he paused and turned to face her, “I have orders you have to stay in bed.”

“What?” he asked laughing and going back to pulling some clothes out.

“I was told you have to stay in bed today. So tomorrow you’ll have to look for her,” she said walking over to him and taking the shirt out of his hand.

“But if I wait a whole day she could get away. No, we have to start looking today,” he said taking his shirt from her hand.

“I’m sorry, but I always follow my instructions, and that means you will be staying in your bed today,” she said taking his shirt and folding it and putting it into his wardrobe.

“Okay, let’s make a deal, huh?” he asked looking her in the eye. Rosette crossed her arms and looked at him.

“I doubt it will make me change my mind, but go ahead and try,” she said.

“I’ll take you with me, and if you feel I am not looking well then we will come right back.”

“And what happens when everyone notices you aren’t here. It’s my head on the line here.”

“Say I kidnapped you.”

Rosette laughed at that. “Really? Why should they believe you would kidnap me? I mean, you’re the prince and I’m just the help? It’s absurd and no one will believe it.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to kidnap you?”

“Excuse me?” Rosette was taken aback by his question.

“I mean you’re pretty and smart and a hard worker,” he said shrugging and grabbing his shirt from out of the wardrobe.

“But that doesn’t explain why you of all people would want to kidnap me.”

“Look, you already promised you’d help me, and I’m dead set on going out and looking for this girl,” he said as he threw off his night shirt and pulled his clean shirt over his head then turned to her, “now you can stay here and get in trouble because I’m gone, or you can come along and I will take the blame for everything. So what will it be?”

“You leave me no choice,” she said and he smiled, “I’ll have to tell your head maid that you wish to leave your bed and she’ll probably tie you to the bed. It will be awfully uncomfortable,” she said turning and heading to the door.

“Whoa! Hold it!” shouted Eric as he ran in front of the door and stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, “okay, what do you want?”

“I say, prince, are you trying to bribe me?” she asked smirking liking where this was going.

“Yes I am. You see, you are a tricky girl and I have to resort to bribes in order to get you to cooperate.”

“You could just order me; you are the prince after all.”

“No, I’ve never ordered you around before; I’m not going to start now. I like you Rosette, I want to respect you.”

“You know my name?”

“I’ve heard your father yell it a few times before. I assumed that was you.”

“Oh,” she said looking down and shifting on her feet.

“So what will it take to get you to come with me and not tell anyone else about our plans?”

“Anything?” she asked shyly and looked up at him.

“Well within reason.”

“Fine, when you marry this girl, can I have the second piece of cake on your wedding?” Eric burst into laughter at that.

“That’s it? You don’t want like a pearl necklace, or money, or a better room in the palace? You want the second piece of cake at my wedding?”

Rosette sighed, she would love the first piece of cake, but that wasn’t going to happen because the prince was clearly set on finding and marrying this mystery girl. She couldn’t tell him her true wish so she gave him something else. “Yes,” was the simple reply.

“Done, now I want you to go keep a look out while I finish changing and then we’ll head into town,” he said and guided her through the door.

“How do I know you won’t just escape once I am out of the room?” she asked right before opening the door.

“Count to ten then come in, I should finish changing by then,” he said. She nodded and stood outside the door and he quickly made his way back inside and changed.

Rosette stood outside and started counting to ten while her mind went off on a different tangent. She was about to spend the entire day with Prince Eric, and not the way she initially thought with him in bed. The were going to go to town together, granted they were looking for his potentially future wife, but she wasn’t going to let that get her down. He couldn’t even remember what she looked like.

Maybe spending time with her, he’ll fall in love with her and realize this other girl isn’t worth it. Rosette almost burst out laughing at the absurd idea. She’s been around for seven years and only now was the first time he actually said her name and acknowledged her presence to her. Still she couldn’t help but think how much she would love to be with him-

“Hey, it’s been longer than ten seconds,” said Eric opening the door and looking at her. She jumped and turned to him, “sorry for scaring you. You aren’t getting cold feet are you?”

“You bribed me into this, I’m actually getting something out of this remember,” she said walking back into his room and silently closing the door. “Now how are we getting out of here?”