Hide and seek [Tag Eric]

Cinderella walked into the stalls after she had seen Eric outside just a moment ago, and she assumed that he was working. At least now she knew where he was, she hadn't seen him since she introduced Jim to him.
"Eric?" She called out, but not so loud so that she would scare the horses.
"Come out, come out wherever you are.." Cindy said in a playful tone and giggled slightly as she glanced into the different horsebooths to find him.

Eric was so lost in his own problems that didn't notice anybody around him. His father was playing harshly with his mind, first his mother, and now Rapunzel.
After speandind the day taking care of Rapunzel, Eric came back to the castle and took some rest. He decided to go out for a ride, to look for Joseph. He knew he could count on Jim on keeping the place in order. So he was taking his stuff to saddle Spirit, and almost bumped with Cinderella when he turned around.

''Hey, Cindy'', he said with a small smile seeing her.

"Hey Eric.." She said with a smile when she saw him to before she glanced down at the stuff he had in his hands.
"Are you going somewhere?" She asked softly before she looked up at him again.
"I thought that we two could-- do something, but if you're busy, I can come back later..?!"

''I was going for a ride actually'', he said looking down to her and walked around her to Spirit...
''You can join me if inside the castle is too boring for you...'', he winked playful and started placing Spirit's saddle on.

"Really? So you don't think I would be in the way?" She asked with a little smile when he wanted her to go with him. Hopefully he wasn't supposed to do something important so that she kept him away from doing it now..
"Where are we going? The woods?.. Then maybe we should bring some guards with us incase there're bandits there.. You know what Jim said, girls have been raped out there.."

''Of course you wouldn't'', he said with a playful smile... ''Besides, we combined going for a ride, remember?'', he smiled and walked back to her to get the stuff to saddle her horse.

''If you feel more comfortable we can bring some guards, but you would be with me, and I would never let anything happen to you'', he said with a small, shy smile and walked to his horse. He could have change a lot, and his life could be a mess now, but his feelings for her were still the same, and maybe spending some time with her could help him to keep his sanity for a couple of days.

"I guess we can maybe let the guards stay home today.." Cindy said with a small smile as she watched him make the horses ready. Eric wasn't really a 'big'' guy, but she still felt safe with him somehow. Maybe the fact that he wants to be a knight makes her feel more comfortable.
"So what have you been up to lately? Having some father/son time now when you have found your father?" She asked with a wide smile as she thought about it

''Or doing their jobs right here at the castle'', he said with a small chuckle. When she talked about his father, Eric made a face, but luckily she didn't see it, ''Well, I guess you can call that... He's always busy and almost have no time for me'', he said calmly, ''But I've made some other friends around, and maybe I'll go back home for a couples of weeks... To check on my mother'', he smiled turning his head back to her.

''And you, getting to know your prince charming better?''. He bit his lip, and looked down to what he was doing.

"Home?" Cindy asked and looked up at him. He couldn't just leave her here, could he? He had promised to stay..
"Will you be here for the wedding?" She asked quietly, and with a little sad tone in her voice.

"And yes.. A little... But I don't think he likes me so very much.." Cinderella sighed and glanced down as she rubbed her arms slightly.
"And I don't think I like him so much either. At least not at the moment.."

''Don't worry, Cindy... I'm just gonna to check on my mother. I miss her...'' and to warn her that dad might pay a visit to hurt her, he thought to himself.

''How couldn't he like you? You are... great'', he said with and arched brow... Great was a nice word, better than wonderful, beautiful or perfect. That how's he felt about her, and he didn't want to bother her with his mess... ''Maybe if you get to know each other better...'', he said blankly while he handed her horse towards her.

"Okay.. Well, then give her a hug from me.." Cindy said and tried so smile a little. She was afraid that he wouldn't come back once he was home again- but she could always visit him when she had the time..

"I guess..." She shrugged slightly when he said that she and Philip should get to know each other better- and took the reins to the horse before she started to move out from the stalls.
"But he's just-- I don't know.. Like nothing is serious to him.." Cindy sighed and glanced at Eric with a little smile.
"And do you really think I'm that great?"

''What? A prince who doesn't get things seriously... Damn, Nirethia is lucky for having you as future queen'', he smiled gently to her as they both walked out from the stalls...

''Of course you're great, Cindy... Don't you ever doubt it again... And I'm not talking this to the princess, but to the friend I know I have in you'', he said simply looking to her face.

Cindy smiled widely at him before she went closer to him so that she could give him a tight hug.
"Thank you, Eric. You're the best friend a girl could ever have.." She said quietly before she let go of him.
"Just promise that you'll come back after you have visit your mother." Cindy said with a pleading look on her face before she went over to her horse again.
"And could you maybe help me up?" She asked with a little laugh. Even though she had hoped that Eric would join her for a ride, the ladies in waiting didn't let her go out without the typical "princess" dress for a normal day- and it was kinda tight.

Eric gladly returned her hug, enjoying one of this rare moments when they were just Cinderella and Eric, and not the princess and the stable boy. He let her go with a small smile upon his lips, that turned to be a smirk at her pleading look...

''I'll come back as soon as possible, I promisse'', he smiled gently and frowned a bit imagining the kind of helping she wanted... ''Hmm, you want me to help you mounting?''

"Oh.. Uhm.. Yes.." Cinderella giggled slightly when she realised that she hadn't been so clear with what she wanted.
"So.. What kind of friends have you made now?" She asked before she glanced down. Even though she know that he would never save "bad" people, but hopefully he would be honest.
"And are you and Jim getting along?"

''Would you believe if I told you I've met a witch?'', he asked with a small smirk upon his face while he helped her mounting the horse... ''She's pretty nice, and very beautiful...'', he chuckled. ''I've met some other people, but nobody very interesting...'', he said blankly and as soon her finished helping her he went to mount Spirit...

''Jim and I are getting good...'', he said simply. He was suprised that none of them punched the other yet so far.

"A witch?" Cindy asked suprised and with a little frown before she laid her skirt right across her legs. She guessed that he was joking, but still.
"And beautiful, eh? Is there-- something going on between you two?" She asked, but couldn't help but feel a little -- "annoyed" by it. She didn't know why though, maybe because there have never been someone between Cindy and Eric before, and a girlfriend could do that..

''Yes, she's a witch in trainning'', he said with a small chuckle, ''but she helped me a lot when I needed''... He turned his face with a slight smirk at her last questions... ''And yes, she's very beautiful... her eyes are gold and they glow when she's making magic... and...'', he made a playful face before answering her last question. ''And she's very commited with a guy... She's like a sister to me... You're not going to lose me so soon, Cindy'', he winked playful and laughed as he shook his head. It could be his imagination, but it seemed like Cinderella didn't like so much about his new friends...

"Oh.. A sister.. how nice.." Cindy said with a little wide smile and looked away when she began to blush a little when he had understood that she had been a little worried.
"But-- helped you with what?" She asked and glanced up at him a little worried.
"Is there something going on that I should know about?"

''Hmmm...'', Eric started with a little pout while they led them to the gates of the castle... ''I had some bruises, broke some ribs when I fell from a horse I was tamming and she helped me healing them...'', he came up with this story. He hated lying to her, but it was necessary to keep her safe.

"Oh.. okay.." Cindy nodded a little and turned her gaze forward as they walked. It didn't seemed like he had been hurt when he helped her up on the horse, and no one can really heal that fast-- right?!
"You know that you can tell me anything, right? And I wont judge you if you have done something wrong.." She said quietly and glanced at him

Eric looked down and smiled sadly. If he told her half of he had done, and what were the kind of person her bodyguards were, she would ran away from him and throw him into the deepest dungeon at her new castle... The olde Eric she knew was still there, very hidden and slowly he was vanishing... He wasn't sure if he wanted that old himself to vanish for good.

''I know, Cindy. I know...'', he said quietly, ''So the future queen is already listening to her commoners guilts?'', he turned to her, his smiled turning into a more palyful one.

Cindy raised an eyebrow slightly to him and just rolled her eyes before she laughed.
"Please Eric, let's just try to -- stay away from talk about Philip, or my future.." She said with a little smile. She knew that it was the only thing that happends in her life, but Eric was always the one that could take her away from the reality for a moment.
"I miss you, Eric.. I wished we could meet more often.." She said in a sigh

''I miss you too, Cindy...'', he said with a soft smile... ''So let's forget about our future or our past... Let's even forget you are a princess and I the stable boy...'', he said with a smirk, feeling like his old himself, ''Let's talk about our present, and where you want me to take you? I know a little of the woods and the river... And some places at town... So you decide our path his afternoon'' He said the places as he remembered each one of them.

"That sounds like a great idea.." Cindy said with a nodd and smiled. But she wondered why he always adressed him as the "stable boy" whenever they talked. He wasn't just that to her..
"The woods sounds nice.. If just there aren't any bandits there.." She said and almost shivered by the thought.
"So, tell me.. How did you meet this-- witch?" Cindy asked and wanted to call the girl something else- but she didn't know what..