Chapter Six

Danielle watched in mild amusement as Yasmine tried in vain to explain the workings of a supernatural slit in time to a rather unwilling Chloe. She was, presently, perched on the edge of Danielle’s bed, making a production of ignoring Yasmine.

“This climate is so bad for my hair. I mean, holy crap, would you look at this mess? I have to be on in less then an hour!”

“Chloe, you must have fallen off the cliff in Woodsborough Canyon…”

“If I broke a nail, I swear heads will roll!”

“You’re looking at Woodsborough… centuries before you were born…”

“Does this place have room service? Or a phone? Or do you all really pretend to live in the dark ages?”

“You fell through time!”

“Like… Amish people right? You know, the whole horse and buggy type deal, no contact with civilization?”

“You are in the 1300s!”

“Hey! Prince Charming!”

Charles looked up startled. Chloe was pointing at him from across the room.

“Yeah you. Mind grabbing me a latte? Do you guys have those here in psychoville?”

“I… we don’t… what’s a…huh?”

Danielle rolled her eyes and slipped a comforting hand on Charles’ shoulder. She’d had enough of this prima donna.

“Listen Blondie!” She snapped, shutting Chloe up, “You aren’t the princess around here. Have you comprehended anything we’ve been saying to you in the slightest? Or are you truly that thick?”

Danielle couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. Three years later, she could still deliver so that someone from the future… well, her time, understood. And by the look on Chloe’s face, she noted, she understood well. Danielle tried to suppress her smug smile as she continued.

“Now listen to me. We’ll help you, but you’ve got to stop and accept what’s happening.” She let her voice go softer, “Do you understand Chloe?”

Danielle was afraid Chloe was going to burst into tears for a moment. Chloe’s lip trembled and her eyes searched Danielle’s face for, Danielle assumed, a hint of a lie; that her leg was being pulled. She looked ready for someone to pop out and say, “HA HA! JUST JOKING! FUNNY EH?” When no one burst out to yell surprise, Chloe snapped.

Launching herself from the edge of the bed, she wrapped her hands around Danielle’s neck. Rebel yells let loose from her as she rattled Danielle around the small hut.

“You freaking nutcase! You fruitcake! What’s wrong with you?! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”

If she hadn’t been busy struggling for breath, Danielle would have laughed at the insult. She’d never been called a fruitcake before.

Charles and Yasmine were instantly wrestling with Chloe’s arms and yanking her off Danielle. Charles held her back once Danielle was free. He stared at the struggling blonde in his arms like she was a possessed fish. She was still screaming, and waving her claws uselessly at Danielle.

Danielle rubbed her neck weakly before laughing out loud. Yasmine frowned and Charles looked at her as if she’d gone crazy. Chloe let out one more shrill screech and then went limp in Charles’ arms. He looked down at her cautiously for a moment, hesitant in case she suddenly leapt up again to wreak more havoc.

When she started sobbing into her blonde tresses, Charles dropped her like a hot pancake and leapt away from her. He looked like he wanted to run, but instead took a slightly defensive stance between Danielle and Chloe, who now curled up on the floor.

Yasmine glared at Danielle and Charles, who returned her looks of confusion. She knelt down next to Chloe and gently placed her hand on the heaving curve of her back.

“Maybe you two should go for a while.” She said softly, not taking her eyes off the back of Chloe’s head, “Let her calm down.”

Simultaneously, Charles and Danielle nodded. Soon they found themselves wandering aimlessly along the riverbank. Well, more like Danielle was wandering aimlessly with Charles following awkwardly behind her, constantly on the lookout. It would be just their luck tonight that some wild animal decided it was hungry for young girl or a group of bandits would happen by and think, Hmm… pretty young thing for the taking!

It was a while before Danielle noticed the strange calm of the night was broken by an even stranger silence from Charles. She looked up from where she’d been trailing a stick in the water to catch him watching after her, his brows done up in a slight frown.

“Are you alright Your Highness?”

He grimaced at the title. It had always seemed wrong when Danielle used it, even jokingly as she was now. She saw him cringe and quickly swept over to stand before him.

“Charles… what is it? What’s wrong?”

A hint of panic edged into her voice. He was always a tad quiet, but not like this. He heard the panic and quickly shook his head, sending tousles of brown hair swaying.

“There isn’t anything wrong, Dani. I just…I am not sure.”

Three years later, Danielle still found his accent and perfect speech amusing. She sighed and sat down in the grass, pulling him down next to her. After a moment, she spoke.

“Is it your father?”

Charles chortled softly. He sighed and shook his head slowly.

“There’s always my father, Dani. But no, that’s not what I was thinking of.”

A small line creased between Danielle’s eyebrows as she studied the side of his face. She reached out one tan hand, oddly pale in the moonlight, and shook his arm.

“What is it Charles?”

The air seemed to suddenly turn electric as he turned to face her. She felt like she’d been plunged into icy glacier water, which in turn was burning her and couldn’t understand why. Something about the look in his eyes…

Danielle had never thought about marriage or love or any of that since she’d fallen through. But now that this electric current was making itself annoyingly evident, she realized she’d never really be able to be with someone besides Charles. Not because she couldn’t fall in love with someone else, not even because she loved him that way, both of which were legitimate, but because she had no choice here. It was a miracle she hadn’t been burned at the stake in the first place. Even more amazing the crown prince had befriended her.

But as these new ideas crossed her mind and his dark eyes smoldered into hers, she was struck by the closeness of their friendship. It was different then her and Yasmine, more in depth. But that was all she really could feel. Friendship.

But… here, in this new… old… Woodsborough, would there ever be someone else?

The weight of his gaze suddenly began to crush her, and she quickly looked out over the river. She heard him sigh and lean back on his elbows in the tall grass.

“It is not of any importance Danielle.” He said, “Please forget my ramblings.”

“Charles…”

It was almost a moan. He raised a finger and placed it to her lips.

“Hush.”

She smiled awkwardly under the pressure from his finger and leaned back.

It was a few minutes later, that a crease formed between Charles’ eyebrows and he frowned up at the sky.

“Dani?” He asked, the stars twinkling in his eyes.

“Yes?”

“What’s a latte?”