Aurora L. Rose's Story

For the second time that morning, the young man opened his hooded eyelids to greet the open world. There was nothing particularly interesting about the place where he was lying. It was somewhere in a small forest that was crowded by trees, bushes, and other forms of vegetation. There was the faint sound of the blowing wind. Nothing more. The place was sullen, and somewhat dark. He scratched his forehead, which was layered in dew-like sweat, and then with his other hand, he lifted up a slightly crumpled piece of parchment with a sketch of a man's face on it. He read the entire poster quietly to himself:

"Wanted, dead or alive. By order of her majesty, Princess Aurora and her fiancé Prince Phillip: thief by the name of Monsieur Hood, also known as "Robin Hood" Wanted for thievery and harassment. Reward will be given to whomever catches this man."

He sighed. Now he remembered. He remembered everything...
He remembered the amnesia, the darkness, the poster, and then the girl. Especially the girl. It was in that order, too. He had awoken in the midst of the early morning when everything was still dark. He was lost and confused, but not scared. For some reason, he did not panic at all. He figured it was just his character. He reached the belt upon his waist to find a crossbow and a dagger. Later, the man wandered through the darkness of the forest to discover the poster of the thief man in the moonlight. He stripped it from the tree it was posted on due to curiosity and interest. It just felt...right. And then as he traversed father into the wood, the starlight danced through the trees and shone upon a figure with golden hair. The girl. She was unconscious, and Will couldn't stop staring. But why? There was something inside of him that pitied her. By her appearance, he felt the need for reconciliation.

It was all so confusing, and it was all so real.

He brushed off the leaves that had accumulated upon him from his brief slumber, and started to walk forward. He had no idea where he was going, but he was heading somewhere. He had to. Something didn't feel right. Where was the girl now? Why did her appearance make a lasting impression on Will? Why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Was she far away, or close?...

Suddenly, there was the sound of booming footsteps coming from behind him. He turned his head around, only to be greeted by the sight of two black stallions. They were close; close enough to trample him over. Instinctively, he jumped to the side, meeting the safety and cover of thick green-hued bushes. There were plenty of them in this area. He pushed himself over to his side, and got a glimpse of something strange: a large majestic-looking coach. Although it was grand and somewhat inviting, there was something odd about it...

Due to the two horses' whinnies of surprise from Will's split-second action, a woman came into view. "Who goes there?" she cried. The young man did not respond. In fact, he made no sound as he creeped silently through the underbrush. He moved out of the woman's line of sight, towards the back of the cab. Through the windows, his eyes rested upon the image of what appeared to be a woman in a green cloak. Her hood was up, and he could not see her face clearly. However, he could pick out the slight structure of her features through the hood. In other words, the way she looked with the hood on brought back memories of who she was. Although he did not know the lady's name or why she was here, Will's facial features lowered into a deep scowl. Whoever she was, he had a bad feeling about her. She looked demure, yes, but something told him she was someone not to be tampered with...

Now far away from the suspicious woman, he turned away from the carriage and began to sneak a little faster. It was then he caught sight of another girl. The girl from earlier, to be clear. Will's heart dropped into his stomach. She looked confused, and she was feet away from the coach. With a basket in her hands, she cried “Who goes there?” clearly trying to act brave in the midst of the situation.

Getting closer, Will swiftly sprinted past her, grabbed her by the forearm, and dragged her to the nearby undergrowth of the forest with blinding speed. He refused to let her be caught, whoever she was. But why? For his own sake, or for the sake of herself and the other woman? He debated that question inside of his head while he was glaring at her with intense eyes, and pressing his pointer finger up to his lips. He was ordering her to be silent, all the while being silent himself. "Stay still," he said as softly as he could with his deep scruffy voice, "There are people nearby, and I don't trust them. I don't think you should either..."

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It seemed as though the girl's second plea for help had affected the people more than the last one. The archer woman kept on shooting, while the man chased after the wolves in a fashion similar to Alice. He had injured the last hostile creature just as Alice had pulled the dead wolf off of her body. Exasperated, she gulped down air as if her lungs were empty. She could feel a small bead of sweat dripping down the side of her forehead. The girl turned the bronze sword in her hands one last time, and then managed the strength to stand up. She watched as the last few wolves retreated, darting away with incredible speed. The four of them had scared them off, and now all was at peace.

Alice sighed an enormous breath of relief, and placed a hand on her waist as she slumped over, still slightly out of breath. She looked down towards the ground, and then lifted her face up, only to catch a glimpse of the lion-faced man that lay just feet in front of her. Shock, not panic, made her shriek and jump far away from his figure. Only seconds ago, that face was a man's. There was a tail behind him now, too. She stared at him with a frightened look on her face, and then with a few short breaths, she slowly began to regain her composure.

"I'm so terribly sorry, sir..." she quickly spat out, her eyes now begging for forgiveness. "I didn't mean to, I swear..." Now she was anxious, all the while being perplexed by the man's metamorphic transformation. What had just happened? So many things...too many things, for sure.

She turned to face all three of the strange people who had just appeared. "I suppose I should be thanking you all now..." she blurted out. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't think of anything. For once in her life, Alice was at a loss for words. She wanted to improvise something, but she couldn't help it; the thought of the man's transformation was distracting her too much. She scurried up to him. Although she wanted to come closer due to curiosity, she kept her distance.

"All you alright, sir?" she asked him softly and firmly. "How did you do that?"

"Laaaand Hooo!!'

Eric was wrestled from his nap in the crows nest by a loud shout from below. They were near port. He nearly leapt in excitement, though that would have sent him hurtling into the sea. He grinned happily as he slid down the ropes back to the main deck. The sun had dipped below the horizon. They would restock and stay the night at this port, and Eric would make his way toward the nearest kingdom. Undoubtedly the kingdoms of this land would know who he was, and may be able to shed some light on his amnesia.

The men all jumped to work hauling in sails and prepared to dock. Eric approached the helmsman and patted him on the shoulder. "Take us in helmsman!" The sailor answered with a smile and a nod. Eric waved farewell to the helmsman, heading below decks to retrieve Grimsby. He had the feeling he would need him on this adventure. He burst through the door. "Come Grimsby! We are all set to make land, and I'll need a guide to the nearest kingdom." Grimsby slowly rose from his seat with a smile. He lifted his pipe to his lips and blew a small smoke ring. "Peace my Prince. My maps show we are nearby the kingdom of Rosethorne, ruled by Queen Aurora Rose. If we purchase steeds from this port town we should be there by morning." Eric beamed. He was more than excited to learn some more information, as well as to partake in an adventure.

When the ship finally made port, a gang-plank was dropped to the pier and the crew exited with glee. Whether the men yearned for alcohol, female companionship, or a warm bed all were pleased with the stop. The port city was quaint, with not too many shops or ships docked. Eric and Grimsby were among the last to disembark, and without missing a beat headed for the horse merchant. They purchased two capable mounts and set off on the trail, leaving the men to enjoy the town life.

Come nightfall the two were still merrily on their way, with Grimsby continuing to recount stories of Eric's life. Though the fog was dense, and they'd traveled through the night, the two were in high spirits, laughing and joking about like two lifelong friends would. Eric's sword, a part of his Princely attire, bounced as the horses trotted along the path. He wished to make the best impression possible on the queen, even if they may have met before. He felt wrong meeting with royalty in his sea-mans clothing. Grimsby had also spiffed up, wearing a ruffled white shirt in an elegant blue suit. Eric felt good about this expedition, even without firsthand knowledge of his own life, he felt good about this.

"So you're telling me I was in a sailing accident?" "Oh absolutely sir, it was terrible. You sailed away in anger at your father, the King, and a massive storm hit. You were caught in a small fishing vessel, and succumbed to the sea. We found you barely conscious on the beach, this was the first time..." The adviser was cut off by a voice from the fog. "Who goes there?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. It was a feminine voice, but still quite authoritative. He slid off of his mount, grasping the hilt of his sword, just in case. He approached the voice slowly. "Prince Eric, of... uh.." Damn, he'd forgotten the name of his kingdom... "Meridian. I search for Queen Aurora Rose, of Rosethorne. I assure you, we come in peace." That went well... hopefully. He really did not want to get murdered by a group of bandits or something of that nature. He continued to approach with caution, keeping his eyes peeled for potential danger.

Eric took the woman's hand and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles. "A pleasure your highness." He released her hand as she drew closer to him and whispered. "Listen. Prince- Eric, was it? I... I'm having a really hard time remembering anything. My fairy says that you are the captain of my Naval fleet. Is this true? Can I trust you?" Her face was stern and unforgiving. Hopefully she would feel that she could indeed trust him. Eric raised an eyebrow, looking over Aurora's shoulder, and noticing a fairy heading to speak with Grimsby. Of course, Grim had his memory, and so would the fairy. They probably knew each other.

Nevertheless, Eric was ecstatic that she had lost her memory too. Finally someone to share in his confusion. He grasped both her hands tightly, nearly giddy with energy. "Aurora my dear, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. He looked into her eyes with sincerity. "My Queen, I am just as forgetful as you. It seems i am in fact your Naval Commander, and I am at your service. I promise you I am trustworthy, and I will escort you to the ends of the earth if together we can find the solution." He knelt down and gave a small bow, showing his loyalty. Even if she wasn't 'his' queen. He was but a prince, and she was his commander.

Grimsby was approached by the fairy and was given a quick briefing. He nodded in agreement. "Indeed Peabottom. We will escort you. I assure you we will provide only the best defense against aspiring vandals." The Fairy was pleased with his response, and with a quick nod was off to inform the Queen. Grim took a puff from his pipe as the Royalty concluded their discussion. It seemed to be going well.

The discussion was interrupted shortly by the fairy, giving Eric a chance to admire Aurora. The ever present glow from Peabottom created a light, revealing the woman's face for the first time. Her hood covered most of her gentle face, but left small strands of brown hair, creating a sort of frame. She looked to be a few years Eric's junior, but her prose and posture stated that she had no less than the elegance a queen deserved. She was stunning. Through his ogling, a spark erupted in his mind. Had he ever had a lover? Grim had not spoken of one in their talks, but perhaps he just hadn't gotten there yet. Or perhaps he just had not found the right girl. He would ask Grim about this when the two were with a free moment. Until then, he was quite content with keeping the lovely company of Aurora. He had caught a few words of the talk between Aurora and her fairy. They were headed to find Babayaga, where they would hopefully find some answers.

The fairy dismissed herself, once again leaving Aurora and Eric alone to speak. "Your highness, we will escort you to Babayaga." Before the queen had a chance to refuse he spoke up again. "I will not take no for an answer." He bowed swiftly and spirited away to Grimsby. Grimsby removed the pipe from his lips to speak to Eric about their plans, but the ever-ready prince spoke first."Grimsby my good man, we will escort these fine people to wherever it is they wish to go, and we will protect them with our lives. I'd like you to follow beside this carriage and keep a watchful eye. I will be inside speaking with the queen. Be seeing you friend!" The prince turned on his heels once more to return to the queen. Grimsby chuckled at the young man's spirit. This Eric had been gone for some time, ever since he learned of Ursula's existence, and of the war. Eric had been quite stoic as of late, and the adviser was happy to see a smile light up the man's face once more.

Eric returned to Aurora, who seemed surprised, and maybe a little overwhelmed at Eric's spritely manner. He stood in front of her, grasping the hilt of his sword. "My companion Grimsby there will keep watch on the exterior of the carriage, while I ride along inside, to protect you if there should be an attack. I trust this arrangement will satisfy you?" Eric was itching for adventure, and everyone could tell. Still, he would stay vigilant and not let his excitement distract him. Though it did occur to him that his behavior may not be in the best of taste.

Eric took the queen's hand once more. "Aurora, I apologize for my behavior, I am simply overjoyed to know that I am not alone in my forgetfulness. I will curb my enthusiasm from here on out." He led her to the carriage. "Now, shall we leave this forest before something hungry comes along? He gave a reassuring smile, hoping she would think him trustworthy enough to accompany her.

Eric sat quietly while Aurora described the events of her morning, and how she had forgotten the identity of her true love. He bowed his head silently. It must be painful... to know you were capable of such happiness to warrant a marriage, only to lose it and have no memory of who, how, or why... and in the wake, to set out on a journey of such importance. Queen Aurora seemed determined to tough it through her predicament. Though hers was not much different than his own. He too had no true memory of his life... but at least he wasn't living an obliterated love.

He could tell how nervous the queen was. She had taken it upon herself to solve this problem for everyone, and that was quite the burden to bear. He was very glad he happened upon her. These were dangerous woods. He was sure Aurora could handle herself, but Eric had extensive combat training, and would stop anyone and anything from attacking her. But The queen's fear and nervousness was not only for herself, but for all who had been affected. She was clearly a remarkable ruler, and Eric was proud to serve under her.

She was nervous about the witch Babayaga as well. Eric wasn't extremely knowledgeable about magic, as it hadn't come up in he and Grim's talks. If this witch was the cause of all of this then she must have a way to counteract it. Perhaps the witch had a cure, but not a reason to use it. Perhaps Babayaga liked it better this way.

"I'm sorry. It's just, Peabottom doesn't understand. How could she? I confess that I am both happy you are experiencing this with me and sad to hear you say so. What do you remember, Prince Eric?" It was a question he'd asked himself before. The answer was not helpful in the least. "I... I don't remember anything. Everything I know about myself is what others have told me." He couldn't help but be jealous of Aurora. She seemed to be more with her mind than he was. Whenever he tried to rack his brain, there was just that melody. It had been buzzing around his brain since he'd first awoken. He payed it no mind though, it was obviously just a shanty from his crew. "I've spoken with Grimsby about my past. He told me I was one of the greatest sailors on the sea, and that I was a prince, and your Naval Commander, but apart from that I'm lost. It was pure luck that I happened upon you in the first place. When I awoke I was on my ship in the middle of the sea. He chuckled slightly. "There is nigh more disorienting than waking with no memory in the middle of the ocean.

He looked up at her for the first time during their conversation, and she looked concerned. He took her hand, and in an attempt to lift her spirits, he reassured her. "Aurora, even if this Babayaga doesn't have the solution to our predicament, there is an enormous amount of magic in this world. Someone somewhere will have our answer, I can feel it in my bones." Despite the prince's unflappable confidence, she did not seem convinced. He sighed, taking her other hand, now speaking in a much more serious tone. "Aurora. If I promise you nay, 'swear' it to you, by my honor that I will not give up on our quest, no matter what obstacles we may face, will you do the same? There is nothing in this world that can break a sailor's word." He punctuated this with a small smile. He knew the only way they would succeed would be for them to roll with the punches and keep searching no matter what, and she needed to know he was with her one hundred percent.

She did not seem to have the same confidence in his words as he did. Though he could tell she believed him, and rightly so. He meant every word. He might not have his memories, but he still had his sense of honor. There was no amount of amnesia that could make him forget that. Before he could think of another brilliant speech that would barely do its job, the carriage slowed to a halt. Before he knew it Aurora was slid into his side and a fairy was in the window. He caught a brief whiff of the queen's dark silky hair before she slid away. It held a very nice floral scent, probably leagues more pleasant than his salt-stained strands. He decided he would bathe as soon as possible, given the chance. Eric shook himself back to reality to notice that the queen was not pleased with her fairy.

"PEABOTTOM!" "Forgive me, you majesty. But look! We have found Babayaga! I would recognize her magical imprint anywhere!" "Well, let me see then." "Oh! Of course! Here you are, my queen! As you can see- it's a party! She's throwing a party! How strange, and yet, how convenient! Don't you think, my queen?" "Thank you, Peabottom. Please, start us on the way." The exchange was short, but direct. Her majesty was not being quite as polite as she could have been with her fairies. Though they werent exactly what you would call 'regal.' Peabottom herself was a little over the top sometimes. Even so, Aurora seemed a little estranged to the job of Queen. Eric assumed that was why she was a bit flippant with the fairies. He supposed as long as the fairies didn't have a problem with it, no harm no foul.

The queen read the paper and slid it to Eric. "Either luck has finally swung our way, or we're walking into a trap, Prince Eric." He nodded quietly as he read over the flyer for himself. It was innocent enough. He didn't know Babayaga at all, so he had no idea what to expect, but he was not one to miss a party. It sounded like a decent enough time, and if they got some answers during, that would be nice as well. Although it could very well be less than inviting. He would have to be prepared. "And something tells me that if I've lost my memory, luck is certainly not going to be with me. Still. This is the only lead we have, so if we are to walk into the trap- best be prepared for it." She was right with him now, as if she finally believed in his earlier promise. "Are you prepared to stand by your words, Prince Eric?" The prince gave a small smirk in response. "Of course Aurora. Like I said, I'll not leave your side."

The carriage began to move again, likely headed for Babayaga's party. Eric would have been content with riding in silence, but something was eating at him, something Aurora had said earlier, about luck. Eric turned his head to see her staring quietly out the window. Her quiet gaze lazily strewn across the trees outside. Her lips were turned, in a thoughtful frown. Something was obviously eating at her too, undoubtedly her missing memory. She was having a tougher time than he. Eric had always been a 'live in the moment' type of person, so that was likely the reason he was having a smoother go of it. "Aurora, you may take this or leave it, but luck is what you make of it. What I mean to say is, this memory loss we share can be looked on as a curse, or we can look on it as a gift of sorts. For me at least, I'm thinking of this as a chance to look at life through a new pair of eyes. A pair of eyes that I might not have had when I could remember my past. I don't mean to lecture you, all I'm saying is... look on the bright side Your Highness." He finished his thought... then brought his head to the window again.

Eric didn't know exactly what compelled him to say what he did. The queen seemed worried, as if she was trying to take the full burden for fixing this problem. Maybe she was just that generous of a person. Regardless, he knew deep down she had not always been quite so stoic. He was just trying to cheer her up... they were headed to a party after all.