Penny's POV
"Yeah, Mr. Baldwin was our substitute. . . . .no way he did that to you guys as well?. . .hahaha" I laid on my bed with maelyn on the phone, we've been on this call for about an hour now and showed little sign of ending.
"Yeah so as I was saying. . . ." Before I couldn't finish I felt a small hand grab my phone,
"Hey!" I exclaimed
"Bleh! Mama, Penny's got a boyfriend, Penny's got a boyfriend!" Maddie yelled running out of my room with my phone.
"Hey, Maddie get back here!" I yelled back, I ran after her nearly slipping into the long corridor, soon Noah was able to grab her by her long ears quickly and held her tiny body up.
"Hey let me go you bully" Maddie whined
"Look at a kettle calling a pot black, give Penny her phone back," Noah(13 years old) said
"What in the world?" My mum came upstairs after hearing the commotion,
"Mum! Maddie snatched my phone away!" I said
"Hmph, you were talking to your boyfriend too long," Maddie said, she wriggled her ears free of Noah's grip and gave Penny her phone back with a frown.
"Girlfriend Maddie, I've told you this a dozen times," Noah said
"Nuh uh silly, Penny's a girl" Maddie said, Maddie was only five years old and still very clueless.
"Now back to your room Maddie, no more of this trouble or you won't get any pudding for dessert," Mom said
"Fine!" She turned into her beast form and hopped away.
"Thanks, Noah," I said
"No problem, she does that to me with my Gamedex(basically a game console) controller so I feel you," Noah said
"Speaking of which, Penny you've never brought maelyn over how can I as a mother not know the girl who makes my daughter so happy?
"W-well, it's complicated," I said, I walked down the steps trying to avoid her questions
"Oh come now, how complicated could it be, let her know she's welcome and have her come over," Mum said
"Couldn't agree more," My dad said, he was in the living room taking off his scarf and coat.
"Papa!" I yelled, jumping into his arms
"My little furball, how have you been?" He asked
"I've been good"
"Good, good. and I agree with your mother, maelyn is always welcome to come over, invite her for dinner next week my work leave starts next week so I'll be home to see her" My dad said
"Fine, fine I'll ask her but it's still up to her if she wants to come or not," I said, I let go of my dad and returned to my room.
I stared at my phone, I now found myself struggling to call maelyn who just a few minutes ago I had been on the phone with for more than an hour. I took a deep breath trying to get over the unknown and highly unwanted sense of anxiety looming in my chest and redialed her number.
"Penny, I wondered when you'd call back" Maelyn answered
"Sorry Mae, my little sister snatched my phone and ran away," I said
"No problem"
"Hey I um wanted to ask you something"
"Hm? Yeah?"
"Say we have a hypothetical scenario where my mum and dad wanted you to come over for dinner. . ."
"Your mum and dad want me over for dinner?!?!" Maelyn exclaimed
"Well, um yeah kind of"
"Of course, wait just to confirm this isn't a hypothetical question right?"Maelyn asked
"Oh no they want you over," Penny said
"Fine, I'll be there this weekend if that's okay," Maelyn said
"Yay! But what about you know. . . your dad?" I asked, concerned
"Let me worry about the old pain, right now meeting your parents precedes anything related to my father," Maelyn said
Normal POV
On Saturday afternoon, the Hoffman house was welcomed by a knock at the door.
"Maelyn!!!" Penny squealed, she jumped into her arms and maelyn placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Oh, who's this lovely lady?" Penny's mother, Miranda asked
"Good afternoon Mrs. Hoffman, I'm maelyn, Penny's girl. . . friend," Maelyn said
"Come now I know a pair of lovebirds when I see one come, come sit down I'm already working on dinner," Miranda said,
"Thank you mam, and I brought this for you, as this is my first time visiting I thought it was only right not to come empty-handed, " Maelyn said
"Come now, you didn't have to do all that, any love of my darling daughter is my daughter as well, you're practically family now, but thank you. you can put it on the living room table" Miranda said
Maelyn paused briefly before returning to reality and walking towards the living room. The minute she placed it on the table she was immediately attacked by Penny's younger siblings
"Penny's girlfriend is here!"
"You're super tall"
"Do you have claws?"
"I heard roans have big scaley tails can I see it?"
"You have toned arms, you must be real strong"
They latched onto her arms and climbed her back asking question after question catching maelyn by surprise.
"Guys get off of her, that's not how you treat a guest" Penny scolded, one by one she ripped them off and as she did they transformed into their beast form(actual rabbits on 4 legs and all) and hurried away.
"Dear Dia I've never been happier to be an only child," Maelyn said trying to catch her breath
"I'm so sorry they get like that with every guest, I hope they grow out of it soon" Penny sighed
While Miranda was cooking Penny used that time to show Maelyn around the house but soon enough time flew by and Miranda called everyone down for dinner.
"Oh, this must be Maelyn" Penny's dad, Henry said
"Good evening sir" Maelyn bowed,
"Oh aren't you quite the lady but in this house, we do things quite differently"
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry should I have greeted you another way?" Maelyn asked
"Yes. . . . . . with a hug!"Henry said he hugged maelyn so tight her cheeks nearly turned blue
"Daaad! put her down"
"Oho! I couldn't help myself, finally meeting the girl who gives my daughter so much joy has filled me with just as much joy.
"Enough chatting you all come to sit, dinner will get cold," Miranda said,
Everyone sat at the table as Miranda placed the serving dishes in the middle and everyone served themselves.
"Hey! I wanted that piece of potato"
"Pass me the sauce please"
"Hey No fair why does Noah get his phone at the table?"
"Close your mouth while you chew you look gross"
"Who wants my extra peas?"
There was endless chatter as everyone at the table ate together as a family, a sight that was much more pleasing for maelyn compared to the silent atmosphere of a long dining table with her and her father at the ends barely saying a word to each other besides when they discuss political or noble related matters or when they argue, with most dinners ending with maelyn storming out of the dining room.
Amidst these thoughts maelyn looked down at her empty plate and realized she had finished her food, she had enjoyed it so much and was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize when she had completely cleaned her plate. Too embarrassed to ask for more she placed her cutlery down and waited for everyone else to finish.
"Hm? Maelyn you're plates empty, you've gained another fan of your cooking mum" Penny giggled
"Really? You can have some more if you like?" Miranda said
"I don't want to be stingy," Maelyn said
"Oh you are far from that, I'm used to cooking for twelve people every waking day and every blessed night, one more person won't cause the rest of us to starve, take your fill," Miranda said, Maelyn smiled and happily scooped an extra portion of food.
"Would you look at the time? it's already 7 pm you best head home Maelyn I wouldn't want you to be out too late you're parents would be worried
"Oh, it is late, well I had a lovely time here, thank you for being so accommodating, I hope to come again," Maelyn said
"I'll see her out," Penny said.
They walked out onto the front yard and stopped at the fence gate.
"I enjoyed myself today, you have a lovely family," Maelyn said
"Thank you, I'll see you again I hope," Penny said
"Hm, see you" Maelyn nodded, she turned and began walking to the carriage that had been waiting for her
"Wait!" Penny yelled out, Maelyn turned back wondering what was wrong. Penny threw herself in Maelyn's arms and pressed her lips against hers, maelyn's eyes widened in shock but soon she relaxed into it, holding Penny's waist and kissing her back before they both let go for air
"Bye!" Penny said with her face completely red. She ran back into her house and slammed the door. Maelyn smirked, she wiped off the lip gloss Penny had left on her lips with her thumb and smiled before entering the carriage and leaving.
Soon, Maelyn got back home at around 8:30 pm. Upon walking through the doors her maid came to her and took her coat
"Good evening young miss," Her maid said
"Dorothy good evening. . . . is something wrong?" Maelyn asked
"Well the Lord asked to see you once you returned and he seemed upset," Dorothy said
"Fine, I'll go see him," Maelyn said
Maelyn hands her coat over to Dorothy and goes up to he father's office, he's in his seat, head down facing some papers
"Maelyn, sit," Her father said
"I'm far too tired for whatever this is I'll probably end up sleeping off in the chair so whatever you have to say can be said while I'm standing," Maleyn said
"Hmph, where have you been?"
"I went out" Maelyn bluntly replies
"I hope you weren't with that. . . commoner rat" Her Father scoffs
"First of all, she's not a rat, a rat is more what I'd use to describe. . . . nevermind, I am no longer a child just learning etiquette do you realize I'm at the age where if you died right now I'd immediately take over you and become the matriarch of the Park family"
"Do you have no shame?!?! Even if you wish to frolic around with ladies do so with a lady of Noble standing, come now you are close to Lady Swift!!!"Her Father yelled
"She's Engaged"
"Lady Croix"
"She already has an interest in someone else, *scoff* and look at you giving me relationship advice I must surely be a black flag if the man who got remarried barely a year after his sick wife and mother of his only child died is giving me relationship advice!!!" Maelyn yelled
"Keep your mouth shut Maelyn Park!!!" Her Father sprung up from his sit and slammed his hands on the table
"You bring that other woman into this home into my mother's bedroom and dare to question my relationship!!!"
"Your mother is not the other woman!" Her Father yelled
"That bitch is not my!-"
*SLAP*
"Get out! I forbid you from leaving your room for such things"
"*spits* Mother would be rolling in her grave at the sight of what you've become," Maelyn said, she turned around and left his office slamming the door behind her.
Maelyn rushes to her room and buries herself underneath the covers fighting off tears that threatened to leave her eyes.
"Maelyn? Are you in there?" The Countess knocked at her door, Maelyn sluggishly got up and opened the door for her.
"What do you want?" Maelyn asked
"I heard the commotion at your father's office I was worried. . ."
"Worried I had done something foolish? tsk, don't bother me with your lectures I'm sure you're ecstatic" Maleyn said as she glared at the Countess.
"Ecstatic? Never, how can I be happy when such discord has been sown between a father and his only daughter!? That man! He shouldn't have yelled at you all because of a girl you like"
"What are you going on about!" Maelyn said.
". . . .It's better if we sit down" The Countess said, she sat Maelyn down at the tea table.
"I know you have harbored some resentment against me for a while and good reasons on your part, I'm the woman you brought home after the late countess' death"
"Just answer me this, was my father having a relationship with you before my mother died?" Maelyn asked
"Hehe, you're father is many things but he's not the kind to have affairs he's too problematic for that" The Countess giggled
"That's a funny way to talk about your husband"
"Hmm I know, not much I can like about a man I was arranged to marry as a replacement wife, my only regret is causing a misunderstanding between us," The Countess said
"No, I should be the one to apologize I have been immature in my actions I was even rude to you in front of a friend of mine"
"Maelyn. You're a girl who lived your entire adolescence life with an unreasonable father I can't blame you I just hope we can get closer from now on, huh?" The Countess said
"Yes, I hope so too"
Meanwhile, at Penny's house, she was in the living room playing with her siblings when she suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside.
"Dad? What's going on?" Penny asked
"Stay here with your siblings," Henry said
"Are you Penny Hoffman's father?" The knight asked, Maelyn's dad had done some digging and found out about Penny and where she lived
"Who are you and what do you want with my daughter?!" Henry yelled, The knight stayed silent and merely took out what appeared to be a checkbook he tore out a paper and handed it to Henry.
"What in Dia's name is this?" Henry asked
"This is a blank cheque, simply write down the amount and it'll be yours"
"Papa, what's going on?" Penny comes out running towards her father
"Count Park does not want your daughter with our young miss, he understands this must be an inconvenience to you and asks that you name your price"
Henry looks down at the blank cheque in his hand he is handed a pen and looks back up at the knights.
"Papa please no, I'll talk to maelyn please" Penny begs
"Any amount right?"
"Yes sir, right any amount you wish for"
"Then here take your empty cheque back, that's how much money I want from you, and that Count, nothing! No amount of money is worth my daughter's happiness get out of here or help me!!!" Henry yelled, he threw the scrunched-up check at them, and as they picked it up they scoffed and left the Hoffman home.
The next day Maelyn came over to Penny's house after hearing what her father had done to them the day before.
"Penny! Mr Hoffman! Mrs Hoffman please I need to speak with you!" Maelyn yelled at their front gate.
"Is there anything you need from us Lady Park?" Henry asked
"Mr Hoffman please I need to speak with you and Penny, I need to apologize," Maelyn said, Penny came running out at the sound of Maelyn's voice.
"Mae!" Penny yelled she came running out and hugged Maelyn
"Penny I'm so sorry, I had no idea my father would do such a deplorable thing," Maelyn said, she hugged Penny back and nuzzled her face in Penny's shoulder.
"Maelyn, what your father did yesterday was the biggest insult that I and my daughter have ever received," Henry said
"I apologise greatly Mr Hoffman" Maelyn says she's slightly knelt on the ground.
"I am not upset with you, you are the girl who has brought so much joy to my daughter but if I'm going to hand my daughter over to you then I must be assured that you can protect her from anyone. . . .including your father," Henry said, Penny looked up at Maelyn who was still hugging her knelt on the ground.
"I swear on my life that not even my father shall lay a hand on Penny," Maelyn said, he looked up at Henry with a look of determination. Penny hugged Maelyn even tighter before letting her go and laid a soft kiss on Maelyn's cheek.