To Keep a Promise

.12.

'Well, I didn't want to bathe. My old governess was mean and scrubbed too hard' she was pouting but it was playful.

The family laughed and I chuckled along, looking around at the faces of the people that I had spent the last few weeks with. The King and Queen were smiling at each other lovingly, no doubt remembering the younger days of their children, long gone but not forgotten. Caleb was teasing Aria and Mason was joining in. Even the maids and butlers seemed to be in good spirits. The events of the day had made everyone realise that the time they spent with each other was special.

A feeling of sadness washed over me as I realised that while I was here now, I could be moving on at any time.

'I was not the only one who did silly things!' Aria exclaimed 'Mason used to let the horses out because he liked watching the old stablehand chase them in the yard'

Masons head shot up and his eyes were wide.

'That was you?!' The Queen was shocked but the King was barely hiding his laughter. His shoulders shook, 'Poor old Earl, he couldn't understand how they were getting out. He must have replaced that lock 5 times'

I giggled at the look on Masons face, like he was caught in the act. My laugh captured his attention and he turned to face me. 'Surely you did silly things to annoy your family when you were young!

My face went blank and the laughter stopped, Mason immediately looked apologetic and Aria, worried. 'I am so sorry Eve, I did not think...' My hand rose to stop his apology. 'It is fine. When my parents were alive, I was very much a nuisance for them' I saw the Queen raise her eyebrows when Mason had called me Eve and she looked between us with interest.

Aria punched Mason on the shoulder 'Bad move bro', her whisper had never been that much of a whisper.

I smiled at the uncomfortable faces around the table 'Did Aria tell you what she did at school a few months ago?'

Aria gasped, her eyes panicking. 'Eve, no! You can't tell them'

Caleb grinned ear to ear 'Well now you must'

'We were outside for riding lessons, when Aria decided that she would rather gallop than the slow walking we were doing'

'It was so slow!' She interjected

I shook my head, 'But I don't think she was ready for how much energy her horse had, and he took off with her across the field'

The Queen was beginning to giggle and Caleb was smirking at Aria, they all hung on my word.

'And before she could react, she was thrown off into... a pile of mud!'

Mason began to laugh harder than I'd ever seen 'Well she does love mud!'

With everyone laughing I felt relief that the mood had shifted away from the lies I'd made up about my family. While I was my parents child by blood, this family had treated me more like kin in the time I'd been here than my own blood had done in my entire life. Even Ingrid, the kindest of my siblings, did not stand up for me in front of my parents.

'Shall we retire the library and sit in front of the fire for a little while? The Queen suggested it and Aria was up from her seat before she'd even finished the sentence 'Caleb, we will be playing a game!' She called out over her shoulder. He followed her with mock impatience but it was clear he was enjoying spending a lot of time with her.

The King and Queen rose much more gracefully, walking together toward the corridor. When I stood from my seat, Mason was there in front of me offering his arm as an escort. I was nervous as I looped my arm around his, but it made it easier that we were walking side by side, and I would not have to look at him.