A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 2: Playing Games

Aurora hummed a Waltz as she danced through the halls of the castle toward one of the guest chambers, Eric trailing after her, unable to keep the smile from his face. He'd escorted her the entire night, like the gentleman Snow White claimed he was, and obviously she'd had a good time. He was glad she had.

She spun in front of a door as Eric caught up with her and she leaned back on the wood with a sigh and a smile. Eric leaned an arm on the stone to stand over her, smiling as well.

"I take it you had an enjoyable time, Rose," he smiled as she swayed on her feet, still grinning.

"Eric, I am exhausted," she sighed. "But the good kind of exhausted. I had a wonderful time. I wish the night hadn't ended."

"As do I," he replied, and he meant it. "If you would still like to see my talents with an axe perhaps we can persuade your godmothers to let me use a small area around your cottage for an arena?"

"Certainly!" she grinned. "I'm sure they won't protest, as long as I'm home."

"Excellent," he smiled. "I shall be waking you at dawn. You should get some sleep."

"Thank you for escorting me tonight, Eric," she smiled, sweetly.

"You're welcome, Rose," he nodded.

He was about to turn to head toward his own chamber when she stepped closer and onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek, making him freeze in his spot.

"Good night," she smiled before hurrying into the room and quietly shutting the door behind her, leaving Eric to stare at the door in wide-eyed shock.

"You have a way with the ladies, lad."

Eric jumped with a start and turned to look behind him before looking down to see Beith leaning against the stone wall at the top of the stairs, a goblet of wine in his hand.

"Does the queen know you'll be polishing your sword to images of that one tonight?" Beith smirked, taking a long draught from his goblet.

Eric glared down at him before marching toward him, leaning down to grip the lapels of his new jacket and hold the dwarf up to his face.

"If you ever speak of her that way again, I'll use my axe to bring your head closer to the ground," Eric growled, but grunted when Beith's foot connected with his stomach and the Huntsman dropped him to the floor, letting him land on her feet, laughing.

"So you like her, eh?" Beith smirked as Eric recovered from the kick, watching the dwarf lean on the wall again. "We thought you might."

"We?" Eric echoed in a pained tone.

"The queen and the lads and I," Beith elaborated. "She was tired of seeing you mope around since we defeated the evil queen, so she sent us into the villages to find someone suitable for you. Looks like we picked the right one."

"I do not need the queen and her little minions to play matchmaker for me," Eric snarled, standing tall again to head down the stairs to his chambers. "I am fully capable of attracting a woman myself."

"Certainly, but we've taken the search work out of it now," Beith retorted, making Eric stop on a step and, for once, look up at him. "The search is half the battle. Now all you need's to win her heart. Just don't make a mess of it, lad. We can't do all the work."

Eric sneered at him before turning to head down the stairs completely, heading for his chamber. Snow White was nice enough to have a chamber made up for him here for nights such as these, or times when he was needed in the castle. His home wasn't far, but in times of war, or threat to her, it was more sensible to stay as close as possible. He sighed as he entered the chamber, leaning back heavily on the door, replaying the night in his mind.

His mind wandered to thoughts of Aurora. He had spent most of the night just watching her as she danced with other, more skilled, men on the floor. Nobles, mostly, and even William. Any one of them looked smitten with her, as he must have looked as well, and he would have worried she would be swayed by William's charms, if he didn't know of the boy's deep love for Snow White. The thought of any of them being taken with her made his fists flex.

Eric shook his head, as if to shake away the jealousy, before stepping toward his wardrobe to start undressing. He couldn't wait to get out of this ridiculous get-up Snow White made him wear. It was bad enough that he wasn't too fond of most nobles – Snow White and William being the exceptions – but now he had to dress like them? Ridiculous.

Eric…

He spun around, instantly yanking a dagger from the sheath strapped to his thigh, his shirt being flung away as he searched his room for the intruder.

"If you value your life, show yourself," Eric demanded in a low, warning tone.

"Lower your weapon, Huntsman," the voice called…a voice he'd heard just that night, making him frown and lower his dagger.

He spotted three small, colored lights float into his window. They were the size of fireflies when they floated in, but soon, the red, green and blue lights grew until they were grown women standing in front of him. He recognized the faces, but when he'd seen them earlier that night they had been older, and their clothes had been rags, not the fine dresses they wore now.

"You are…Rose's godmothers," he realized, sheathing the dagger completely. "You are…fairies?"

"We have watched over Rose since she was a babe," Merryweather in blue explained. "We are the ones who blessed her with the gifts of beauty and song."

"Why have you come to me?" Eric wondered. "I thought you hated me."

"We do not hate you, Huntsman," Fawna in green objected. "In fact, we are happy that Rose has met you, but you must be warned."

"Warned?" Eric frowned.

"We saw how you looked at her," Flora in red replied. "We have come to tell you, on her sixteenth birthday, she will be leaving this place."

"Leaving?" he echoed, feeling his heart race in panic, though he wasn't completely sure why. "Leaving where? Why?"

"She must leave this land, to go across the sea on the night of her sixteenth birthday," Flora continued. "This will be in one month."

"Her mother and father live there," Fawna explained. "It is where she belongs."

"We have kept her here since she was born," Merryweather resumed. "For her protection."

"Protection from what?" he questioned, and he noted the look in the three's eyes as they glanced at each other. "What more is there to this story? Tell me."

"We have told you too much already, Huntsman," Flora refused.

"Then why tell me anything at all?" he wondered.

"To be kind," Fawna explained. "You are the first man she's taken a liking to so quickly, and the first man to feel the same of her. We wanted to prepare you for what is to come."

"Who is she that she needs protecting and three fairy godmothers?" Eric demanded.

"You will find out soon enough, Huntsman," Merryweather assured him as the three floated back toward the window, their forms shrinking. "Bring her home safely tomorrow."

"Wait! You have to tell me—"

He cut himself off when they flew out the window and into the night. Eric sighed, tiredly before turning to sink onto his bed, wondering what he'd gotten himself into…again.

The Next Morning...

Eric sighed, tiredly as he secured the synch on his horse's saddle waiting in the courtyard for Aurora to arrive. His night had been restless after the visit from Aurora's fairy godmothers. He had so many questions, but he knew they wouldn't tell him anything else, and he couldn't ask Aurora. She knew nothing. Probably for good reason. But what reason?

He growled as he slapped a saddlebag shut then stepped to his steed's head to scratch the animal's nose.

"What have I gotten myself into, Ahlerich?" he sighed. "She's sweet, beautiful, and…wonderful, but she's leaving in a month. What am I to do?"

"Good morrow, Eric."

He jumped and turned around to see Aurora standing behind him, all smiles and bright-eyed.

"Rose," he chirped as Ahlerich nudged his shoulder with his nose from behind. He straightened and cleared his throat before nodding, "Good morrow. I hope you slept well."

"I did," she nodded with a smile. "And you?"

"Somewhat," he replied, truthfully. "But I am alert and awake enough to take you home."

She smiled with a nod as she stepped around him to pet the horse's neck.

"Is this your horse?" she wondered, stroking his silky mane.

"He is," Eric replied, turning to her to watch her. "His name is Ahlerich."

"A very nice name," she smiled. "And he's so beautiful. Did the queen give him to you?"

"In a sense," he nodded, drawing her attention to him. "After Snow White defeated Ravenna she had William and I search the grounds and stables. She told us to choose which should be set free and which we should keep. She also told us to choose a horse if we wished. I chose him."

"Did you name him as well?" she wondered.

"I did. I know not if he had a name before that, but he seems to like it. He responds to it well enough."

"You're a pretty boy, Ahlerich," she smiled, scratching the side of his neck and giggling when he threw his head up as if to agree with her.

"We should go," Eric advised. "Your godmothers will be worried if I don't get you home safe."

"Yes, I suppose," she sighed, making him frown in wonder at her tone.

"You don't wish to go?"

"Not particularly," she admitted in a mumble, picking at a lock of Ahlerich's mane.

"Well, at least I can stay for a little while before coming back to the castle," he smiled as he stepped behind her.

She gave a squeak of surprise when he gripped her waist and lifted her up onto the saddle. She used his shoulders to balance herself as she stared down at him with wide eyes. He only grinned back up at her as she adjusted herself on the saddle, then he swung up behind her, his arms wrapping around her from behind, taking the reins.

"Ready?" he asked against her ear. "You're navigating."

"I hope I don't get us lost," she murmured, making him smirk.

"I don't believe that for a second, Rose," he whispered. "I think you want to get us lost."

"Why would I do that?" she asked, honestly.

"It allows us to spend more time together," he replied, making her blush but she kept her gaze ahead so that he wouldn't see the color in her cheeks.

"Will you tease me the entire ride to my home, Eric?" she murmured, shyly.

"How else will we pass the time?" he smirked back, unable to help himself as he gently kicked the horse to walk.

In that moment, he decided that since he only had a month to spend with her, he would make the most of it. No over thinking it. No regrets on either side, he hoped.

"My godmothers and I play a game on long journeys," she replied, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Tell me about it," he requested, then added, "But first, tell me which way to head."

"Oh, of course!" she chirped, then looked ahead to add, "Go…eastward."

"You don't sound to certain of that," Eric noted through a smirk. "I knew you wanted to get us lost."

"Eric! Stop!" she pleaded, nudging him in the stomach with her elbow, but he could hear the smile in her tone and see the red appearing over her ears. "I will tell you about the game and you will stop teasing me."

"Very well, sweet Rose," he chuckled as they continued on.

"The game goes like this: One of us will describe something we see and the other has to guess what it is. Simple?"

"Very," he nodded. "Would you like to start?"

She nodded before looking ahead when they reached the gate and Eric stopped his horse to speak with the guard.

"I am taking this young lady back to her home," he explained. "The queen is aware of it."

The guard nodded and ordered the gate be opened, allowing Eric and Aurora to pass through. She stared ahead in awe as they emerged on the beach of the shoreline where the castle was located.

"This is not the way we came when we arrived," she breathed as the gate closed behind them once they were clear.

"A different entrance was used last night," he explained, then smiled, "Were we not going to play a game? Describe something you see."

"All I see is the ocean…" she breathed.

"I thought I was meant to guess what it is you see," he smirked, but when she didn't answer, he frowned at her in wonder, but soon smiled when he saw her simply staring at the rolling waves of the ocean.

"It's so…beautiful," she murmured. "I've never…seen the sea before."

"Never?" he frowned in disbelief, and she shook her head, making him grin, "Well, then we'd best make this first memory rather special, eh?"

"What do you mean?" she frowned in wonder, but didn't look away from the sea. Her frown deepened when she noted Eric was leading Ahlerich straight for the water. "Eric…what are you doing?"

He said nothing as he urged Ahlerich to gallop toward the water, making her grip his arms as they still held her and the reins. They came to the water with a splash, making her scream in delight as he laughed and the horse reared back as he stood in the shallow water. Eric led the horse to trot in the water along the edge, letting Aurora stare at the ocean for a moment before he pulled Ahlerich to gallop again, this time out of the water and along the shoreline. She laughed heartily as they galloped along the beach, and he couldn't believe how much he adored her laugh. She shouted in delight as she threw her arms out as if she were flying, making his grin widen as he pushed Ahlerich to go faster and faster.

"I'm flying, Eric!" she laughed as they still galloped along the beach, but a moment later, they could both sense Ahlerich had slowed his stride. She sat back, lowering her arms and pleaded, "Don't run poor Ahlerich to death!"

"As you wish, milady," he grinned, pulling the horse back to stop him and making him trot again, turning him up and away from the shore where the plains began. "Wasn't that exciting?"

"My heart is pounding!" she sighed through a grin, leaning back against his chest without thought, but Eric said nothing. She sat forward and stroked Ahlerich's neck, adding, "And I think his is, too. You flew, Ahlerich!"

Ahlerich threw his head up as he breathed heavily as if to say 'Yes, I did!'

"Yes, flew us right toward the trail," Eric smirked, pulling Ahlerich to slow down to a walk as they made their way eastward. "Now, why don't we play this game you suggested so I avoid teasing you, eh?"

"Oh, yes!" Aurora smiled, glancing around to find something to describe. "I see…something fluffy and white and very high."

"The single cloud in the gorgeous blue sky," Eric smirked. "Far too easy, lass. Is it my turn?"

"Oh…yes," she pouted, making him chuckle at her disappointed tone.

He looked around, trying to find something to describe, but no matter how hard he tried not to, he kept glancing at Aurora, even though all he could see was her bright golden hair shimmering in the morning sun. Deciding not to fight it any longer, he gave in to the urge telling him to tease her again.

"I see something flowing, and the color of gold…and it shimmers like sunlight on a river," he finally reported.

She gave a frown of wonder as she looked around. To her, that sounded like a piece of fabric, or even a gown, but there was no one else on the trail, let alone anyone in a gown. No merchant selling fabric, either. They were all alone. She gave a sigh of defeat and took a lock of her hair in her fingers to twirl it, absently. She refused to be defeated. Her eyes glanced at the lock in her fingers before she made a double take. Her heart thumped in her chest as realization dawned on her, and she lowered her hand from her hair.

Eric watched her closely, noting her hand lower to her lap and her shoulders fall slightly. He knew she'd figured it out, and wished he could see her face, being sure she was blushing profusely.

"And still, you find a way to tease me," she grumbled.

"Do you not like the compliment?" he smirked, leaning closer to her ear. "You are a shy little thing, aren't you?"

"Eric! Stop!" she pleaded through a giggle as she tried shrugging his face from her and he sat up, chuckling. "It's my turn, now."

"Very well," he nodded. "See if you can stump me this time."

Aurora glanced around, lightly biting her lower lip in thought, but as she looked around, she realized there was nothing that he would not guess what she was describing. She gave a sigh of hopelessness before looking down to his hands as they held onto Ahlerich's reins. She suddenly had a thought that if he could tease her, why couldn't she tease him back?

"I see…something that comes in a pair," she began, keeping her gaze on his hands. "They are strong, but can be gentle…and are skilled in many things."

He had to admit, this one was tough. He could see nothing that matched her descriptions, and he almost wondered if she was describing something in her mind's eyes. Was she imagining something? How was he to know what she was thinking?! He leaned over to see her face, trying to see where her gaze had led her, only to find her staring at his hands holding the reins. A smirk came over his lips when he instantly realized what she was describing, and that she was trying to beat him at his own game of teasing.

"If you believe I will be effected by teasing in the same way you are, you're mistaken, deary," he murmured into her ear, making her straighten in her seat. "If anything, it will only spur me to tease you more. And I believe you see my hands in front of you."

She swallowed hard and only gave a silent nod, making his smirk widen. He shifted his hands to open them, holding them palm up with the reins entwined around his fingers, making her look to his hands with a frown of wonder.

"Give me your hands, Rose," he whispered, making her straighten even further, but she hesitantly lifted her hands to rest her palms in his. "Do you know how to ride?"

"No," she choked, slightly then cleared her throat. "I…I never learned."

"Well, you shall learn today," he smiled, wrapping his fingers around her own. "Take hold of the reins."

She obeyed, but instead of pulling his hands back, he still held his hands over hers as she gripped the reins. He allowed the horse to keep going without any instruction to her, making her frown in wonder as to why he was remaining silent.

"Eric?" she called, gently.

"Aye?" he replied.

"Does teaching not require some…speaking?" she wondered.

"In my experience, hands-on instruction works much better," he replied. "If there is anything that needs correcting, I'll tell you."

"A-Alright," she nodded, nervously, noting her cheeks heating and her heart thumping in her chest. "Can we still have conversations?"

"Of course, Rose," he snickered. "Tell me about your life with your godmothers."

With that simple statement, she began talking about her home, her godmothers, and everything she would do during her days. She spoke of speaking with animals, how she played and where she played when she was young. Eric only smiled and listened as they continued on their journey to her home, wishing the journey would go on forever.

A/N: I was holding onto this! Sorry! reviews?