Chapter Text
Jasper had sat on that bed and played with Eleanor's hair every single night since they got back together. Losing themselves in each others gaze was their way to reconnect.
She still had some work to finish for Sebastian, she didn't intent to meet him anymore, but she left a project in the middle so these days she mostly had been working on it to finish and send it back to him. It was a great experience, after all, she renovated three houses and left them ready to use as Sebastian wished. This interior design thing turned out to be something really amazing for her and she was sure that she would keep working in that field.
The king still drove Jasper nuts most days, but at the least he didn't need to tail Liam anymore, apparently, the fights were over for him and by the smile that he had these days, Jasper almost could bet that Katheryn was back into his friend's life again.
"I want to renovate my room again!"
"What? Why? We painted it last year and I kind of like this new cover? It was your work, don't you like it anymore?" Jasper asked, not wishing to beat around bushes again.
"I do but I want something new like to mark our new beginning, you know?"
"Ok... so why don't you organize a party!"
"I'm not a party girl anymore Jasper!" She said a little disappointed.
"Not in that way Len, a party to celebrate us, for us, not for the world... Do you get it?"
She looked at him thinking about his words, maybe it could be a good thing.
"I will think about it," she said and raised herself to kiss him.
Three days later, the closest friends of Jasper and Eleanor boarded a boat on the River Thames.
She had accepted Jasper’s suggestion and chose a small group of friends and family to celebrate her comeback to the Palace and of course her reconnection with Jasper. But she decided that she didn't want to do it in the Palace, mostly because she didn't want to be near her older brother on a day like this. She didn't invite her uncle either because she was not sure what he and Liam had going on and didn't want a bad vibe on her party. But she invited her mother, although she gently declined, saying that she was not in the mood for parties which lead Eleanor to think that she was upset with something but couldn't really tell what but she was almost sure that King Robert had something to do with it.
Her brother Liam, on the other hand, couldn't have looked happier. He came to the party holding hands with Katheryn and the smile in his eyes said it all.
James observed the small crowd from behind, he had also been invited to the party but of course, he was also working. He couldn't quite put behind the fact that this was a royalty party. But most of these people had become family to him, and to his daughter. Sarah Alice walked around the group like she was at home, he was very grateful for the ones who helped him with her, especially Jasper. He was the most attentive with her and he put up with all her child plays, once he even found her curling Jasper's hair with wax.
But today, Sarah Alice was more around Liam, for some reason. James didn't even know they were that close, but Liam was playing with her hair while she was telling something to Katheryn, something that seemed like gossip, from Katheryn’s expressions.
He called her out about it and she said Liam always played with her when the King locks out Jasper from his Chambers and today Jasper and Eleanor needed some time alone because they were apart for too long. James couldn't be more proud of his little girl and more anxious about how this young girl read people so easily. He tried to have her around him a while to let the grownups enjoy their party but she ran away calling Jasper's name when she heard the start of a new song that was playing. As surprising as it was, Eleanor didn't have a DJ, she just brought her mix table and put some playlists on and checked it from time to time.
"Look Jasper it's your song!" Sarah Alice yelled running to him. "You are the reason" by Calum Scott was playing.
Eleanor looked at him, puzzled face. "Your song?"
"Jasper heard this song over and over when you were working far from us. He said it reminds him what he had to do, but I never understand what he meant by that." Sarah explained.
Eleanor knew the song too well. "Care to explain Jasper?" She asked teasingly.
"I... well the lyrics are very … it fits us perfectly..."
Eleanor made a mental note to hear the song again in a more quiet place. Trying not to embarrass Jasper too much, she just kissed him softly and smiled at his assumptions.
Katheryn approached Eleanor with a shy smile. "I want to thank you!"
Eleanor looked surprised. She had just come close to the mixing table, to change to something more cheerful and was caught by surprise by her words. "For what?"
"Your talk with Liam made him come back to me and mostly made him look at himself again like he was worthy and that really changed him."
"I did it for my brother, I am happy that he is happy, but I'm not completely happy with the fact that you chose Robert over him." Eleanor spoke hard to her and didn't look happy.
"I didn't choose, Robert made that choice, he basically claimed me for himself and then through me away like I was some object."
"Well, that's Robert!"
"Not the Robert I use to know!" Katheryn added sadly.
Eleanor saw in her eyes that she was being honest in her words, and more than anyone else, she knew how it was to be used by her older brother. "It's not the Robert I used to know either. But he is the one we have now so we need to deal with it. I didn't want to sound mean, but I want you to know that I will not be friendly if you brake my brother's heart again. Liam deserves some peace in his life."
"I don't intent too! And we are very happy now!"
"I notice!" Eleanor said with a half-smile that gave some hope to Katheryn.
Seeing that she was still insecure about her words, Eleanor hugged her. "Look I... I just want him to be happy ok? Sorry about my ways. Its just … Well just know you have my total support and I'm happy for you. Maybe we will become friends one day..."
Eleanor walked close to Liam, with Katheryn, in a way to showed her that she really was ok with them. Liam fished his phone from his pocket and make a face when he saw the caller ID.
"Why didn't you answer?" Eleanor asked.
"It's Uncle Cirus! I'm done with him and his crazy moves."
"What are you talking about?"
"I just thought I could trust him for a moment, but I was totally wrong. I don't want anything to do with him anymore. Too much craziness in his head." Liam concluded, giving Eleanor another feeling of relief. She was worried about this new friendship and she didn't trust their uncle for sure.
"Happy to know that, well happy to know that you are not planning some crazy move with that mad man."
"I'm not, don't worry and I'm ok Len, don't worry about me. " Liam added, pulling Katheryn to his side.
Eleanor contemplated her brother, he really looked happy and comfortable around his girl, thought that made her scan the boat to find Jasper.
The party was a great idea, but both Jasper and Eleanor were dying for some time alone, so her room was the first place they went as soon as they got to the Palace.
"Oh, I missed you all day!" Jasper said nuzzling her.
"You had me all day Jasper, don't be greedy."
"You know what I mean."
She kissed him and pulled him to the bed by her side. "I do!"
"Len?"
"What Jasper?" She loved to call him this way. "Wait! Before you say what you want to say. Why that song?"
Jasper didn't answer right away.
"It... It's like the guy wrote what I was thinking every single day that you were away from me."
She smiled and grabbed her phone. "You are the reason" started to play again, and they listened to it in silence, holding hands. Their song. Their guide to come back to each other.
"Len?"
"What?"
"I want to grow old with you!" He said slowly caressing her face.
"What does that mean?"
"Means whatever you want, since I can be by your side. I want to grow old with you and when I kiss you I want to say you still take my breath away. I want this for us. Do you want this?"
Eleanor felt her eyes watering. What more she could ask from this man. She never felt more loved than she felt this moment. "Yes, Jasper I want to grow old with you!"
"You made me the happiest man alive. I love you so much!"
"I love you too!" She said kissing him deeply. He hugged her tight like he was going to lose her. "I really do Jasper!"