Arrival
1590 Words
*Aiden*
After having unpacked and taking a quick shower, I find myself looking out the window again, watching the crowd going into the park. I love seeing how people of all ages, colors and religions can come together here and enjoy the magic … Everyone seems happy and excited.
Suddenly I spot someone that stands out in the crowd, a young woman, walking on her own. Looking halfway like she is a performer here, but I have a clear feeling that she isn’t. She is wearing an elaborate yellow dress, kinda fifties style, with roses on the skirt. Her dark hair is tied back with a red ribbon and she looks like a Fairytale princess, like on her day off. She is carrying what looks like a sketch book under one arm.
But what I notice the most is that she doesn’t seem to just walk, but to ... almost dance along. And suddenly she takes a few dance steps, clearly lost in the music that is playing over the speakers and I can’t help but smile ... She seems like someone quite special.
There is a knock on my door, pulling me out of my daydream and I go open the door, a tangled mess containing Danny Walker and two dogs kinda falling through the door yelling. “Hi Aiden”.
“Hi Danny ... dogs”. I shake my head, chuckling, then look up as Daniel steps inside, shaking his head but smiling. “Hi Daniel”.
“Hi Aiden”. He steps up to hug me. “Hope you had a pleasant flight here”.
I hug him back. “It was fine ... how was the train ?”
“Well beside Danny boy here suffering a harsh rejection … the trip was fine ... much less hassle than flying to be honest”.
“Rejection ? Seriously Danny, you tried scoring women on the train ?” I look at him.
He shrugs. “Well just one, and she was hot ... and it wasn’t a harsh rejection, she was clearly just scared of her feelings”.
“Sure”. Daniel chuckles. “What was it she said ... oh yeah ‘bugger off kid and find someone your own age to play with’ ... wasn’t that it ?”
“As I said; clearly scared of her own feelings ... embarrassed that she wanted me so badly”. He flops down on my bed.
I look at him. “How old was she ?”
“Old enough”. Danny says, wiggling his eyebrow, so I turn to look at Daniel.
He looks thoughtful for a moment. “Hmm early forties I think ... and yes she was beautiful, sophisticated and way out of Danny boys league”.
“Oh ... you like the more mature ladies then ?” I look at the kid or okay he isn’t a kid but compared to me and Daniel it kinda feels like he is, who would have known.
“What’s not to like ? They are usually less ... clingy and much more ... experienced”. He lifts himself up on his elbows.
Daniel just groans and rubs his face.
“Well you might be right”. I shrug. “But maybe like … keep it within a teen year range and don't go for women who could be your mother”.
“I don’t age discriminate ... if she’s hot, she’s hot”. He says with a laugh.
Daniel looks at me. “If I hadn’t met his mother, and happened to know she is a really nice lady I would think he had a mommy issue”.
“Or a mommy kink”. I say with a shrug.
Danny jumps off the bed. “You two are just boring ... and no ... no mommy kink”.
“So no kink and you call us boring”. Daniel laughs, walking to look out the window. “Hey unfair ... you have a much better view than me”.
“Well I am a Fairytale Prince so ...”. I give him a cheeky grin, knowing it is bound to start a lecture from Daniel.
Daniel gets this ... look on his face. “Well technically you are not really a Prince as you are just dating ? Or did you get married ? To a princess, also didn’t you like … blackmail her into dating you with big dogs ?”
He is of course referring to my part as the soldier Birk in the latest cartoon hit ‘The soldier and the magic tinder-box’ based on the fairytale by HC Andersen, ‘The tinderbox’.
“Only pressured her father”. I grin. “And married so prince and future king”.
He shakes his head. “Not the same. No, Folke on the other hand is a Prince of the blood, a Prince of Glamoria ... and as the studio and brand is owned by fairytale inc ... a fairytale Prince”.
“But weren’t you like … disowned for turning bad ?” I try to contain a chuckle.
“Hey ... I am a prince too then, Falke is Folke’s brother … Women like a prince”. Danny mumbles ... then he kinda freezes and starts laughing. “You did it on purpose Aiden ... yanking his chain like that ... cool”.
Daniel rolls his eyes and I make like a half shrug winking at Danny. “It's kinda fun listening to his rants about Folke”.
“I don’t rant ... I simply explain how things are”. Daniel grumbles, making Danny laugh even harder.
*Lenka*
As always I walk through the park in my own thoughts. I love fairytale land, I love the music and the movies, but most of all I love the atmosphere of magic there is in the parks and living within walking distance to their park in Paris, have me visiting several times a week ... almost every day to be honest.
And before you think that this means I am not working, I can tell that I am an illustrator, mostly of children's books and fantasy, and I spend my days in the parks getting inspired and drawing.
“Bonjour Lenka”. A young man, manning one of the little ice-cream wagons, calls out with a wave.
“Bonjour Vincent”. I call back with a smile. I know a lot of the people working here, at least enough to say hi.
Today I am going to work on some drawings for a book about a little dragon that is scared. So I find a bench in front of the castle and soon I am totally lost in my sketches.
“You must be a princess”. A voice says right in front of me, startling me slightly.
I look up to see a man standing there, I guess he is rather handsome, in a very ... slick kind of way, with a smile that says he likes himself a lot. He is not very tall and kinda wide. Wearing jeans and a muscle shirt. “Excuse me ?”
“Yeah you are beautiful and have your nose stuck in a book”. He laughs kinda stupidly. “And you look like you could make a poor beast really happy”.
“And if I am the princess ... who would that make you ? The troll ?” I c**k my head looking at him.
He looks slightly confused. “No ... I would be your prince, of course”.
“Nah ... you look more of a villain”. I give him a sugary smile. “A bit obnoxious and full of himself and well ... he doesn't get the girl”.
Then I focus on my drawing again ... ignoring him. Honestly it is not the first time men walk up to me, acting like they are my prince in shining armor. Truth is that most of them aren’t worth my time, and it is not that I don't believe in love or that I am very picky. I just want ... someone true, warm, honest ... someone that gives me that special feeling.
About five minutes later I realize he is still standing there, and I put down my sketch. “That was a thanks, but no thanks ... you can scuttle along now”.
“Oh ... okay then”. He looks like he doesn't really get it. “Well your loss then ... bye”.
“Bye, bye”. I just smile, not much of a loss if you ask me.
Then I return to my sketch. Realizing that I am not drawing the dragon I was supposed to. I am drawing him again ... the man from my dreams. There is something oddly familiar about him, like I should know him, but I can’t remember fully and it’s like I can’t get it completely right ... I think it’s the nose.
I sigh and put it away, it’s silly anyway, that man doesn't exist ... he is just a dream ... a childish fantasie. There is no real life prince in shining armor out there for me.
Time to focus on that pesky dragon.
- Writer
