Chapter Text
Elizabeth smoothed the skirt of her dress down. Running a quick hand over her hair, she stepped forward more confidently than she felt, listening to the car drive away behind her. The bulk of the castle loomed in front of her. This was her dream job, but she was still incredibly nervous. This was it, though. She had already passed all the background checks and hiring process except for the last one. Meeting the family.
She walked up the the small door in front of her, and rapped on it timidly. It opened almost immediately to reveal a kindly old man. “Miss Elizabeth Kelley, I presume.” At Elizabeth’s small nod, he opened the door wider. “Come in, my dear. I know the boys are eager to meet you.” He ushered her through multiple corridors and hallways, finally opening a doorway and stepping into the room. “Your Royal Highnesses, may I present Miss Elizabeth Kelley? She is here to meet with you regarding the tutoring of His Royal Highness, Prince Alan.” He stepped aside and ushered her into the room, then walked out, closing the door behind him, leaving Elizabeth alone.
But not actually alone. Five pairs of eyes stared at Elizabeth as she dropped into a low curtsey. “Your Royal Highnesses.” As she rose back up, she chanced a look around the room. As she had surmised, the room was empty except for her and the five princes seated in various fashions around the room. They were all dressed more casually than she was used to seeing, the eldest two still in their formal clothing from a speaking engagement she had listened to that morning, but with their coats slung over the backs of their chairs, their ties loose and sleeves rolled up. The middle prince, Virgil, was wearing jeans and a flannel, while the youngest two were actually wearing shorts. The eldest, Scott, Crown Prince of Keddwin, rose from his seat.
“Come in, please.” He ushered her towards the group of chairs in the middle of the room. “Alan.” His voice was not raised, but the young boy took it as the clear command it was, and he unfolded himself from where he was curled up with his cars on the floor and walked over to them. He held out his hand for her to shake, which she took.
“It is nice to meet you, Your Royal Highness.” The boy wrinkled his nose.
“I hate it when people call me that. I’d much rather just be Alan. Can’t you just call me Alan? Please, Miss Kelley?” Elizabeth hesitated. She didn’t know the protocol for this. She glanced up, looking for help. Aquamarine eyes met hers, and the ginger nodded briefly.
“If you’d prefer that, Alan. But only if you call me Elizabeth. I don’t much like it when people call me Miss Kelley either.”
The eight year old nodded solemnly. “Ok, Miss Elizabeth.” He grabbed her hand. “Do you want to some see my new car track?”
She smiled. “I’d love to. However, I think your brothers were wanting to talk to me. Do you think I could come play in a minute?”
“It’s fine.” The Crown Prince interrupted her. “You can play with him for a few minutes. We’re not in a hurry. I think we could all use a break.” Sighs of agreement came from each of his brothers, and Alan crowed happily, dragging her down to his track and passing her a car.
They spent several minutes playing, and as she sat, she could hear quiet voices behind her. The men were catching up with each other, and she resolved not to interrupt what was obviously very rare time to spend together. She had fun with the young prince, enjoying his enthusiasm. “One day I’m going to join the Air Force, like Scott, and I’ll be able to fly way faster than this.”
She nodded. “Once you’re grown up, I’m sure you will. What plane do you want to fly?”
“I’m going to fly a Blackbird. It goes super fast.”
“A Blackbird? Isn’t that an American plane? Where are you going to get one of those?”
“Scott said he’d get me one, when I’m old enough to fly it.” The boy declared with utter confidence in his big brother. Elizabeth had to smile at the trust in his voice. It was obvious he cared deeply for his eldest brother.
Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder, realizing that the conversation behind her had stopped. She saw the polished shoes of the eldest prince standing directly behind her, and realized that he must have been listening to their conversation. “Alan, I’m going to have to steal your friend from you for a little bit.” He held out his hand to help her up. “Miss Kelley, if you would.” She took his hand, and he pulled her easily to her feet.
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Alan didn’t put up any protest as she left him, content to continue to play by himself. Prince Scott showed her to a seat, then settled into his own chair across from her, his next eldest brother next to him, and the other two on each side of her. It felt oddly like an interrogation. “So, Miss Kelley. Tell us a little bit about yourself.”
She took a deep breath. “Well, I’m twenty-three. I grew up not far from here, actually, in Longford. I have been a tutor for five years now. The last family I worked for ended up moving unexpectedly, and I had commitments here that I couldn’t leave, and so was unable to go with them. Those commitments have since ended, but they had already found a replacement for me, and so I have found myself looking for a new place to work.” She paused, working up her courage. “Forgive me, but I had thought I would be meeting with the king-“
The Crown Prince cut her off. “His Majesty is busy, but I can assure you that I am fully authorized to make this decision.” Sapphire eyes glared at her, and she swallowed thickly.
“Scott.” The ginger on his right placed a hand on his arm.
He blinked, then softened his gaze. “I apologize. I did not mean to frighten you. That was not your fault, and really had nothing to do with you.” He smiled, going from terrifying to charming in an instant. “Forgive me, please.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. Don’t worry about it.”
He scrunched up his nose, looking so much like Alan that she wanted to laugh. “Don’t call me that, please. If you’re going to be living here you’re going to have to call us by our names eventually, and you might as well start now. Welcome to the family, Ms. Kelley.”
“You mean, I have the job?”
He smiled again. “Yes. No one we’ve brought in to interview has even taken the time to talk to Alan, much less gotten down on the floor and played with him. They’ve all been too busy trying to get our attention to actually care about him. I’ve seen your resume, and I know that you’re academically qualified. The only question was if you would get along well with Alan.”
“It was all a test?”
“It was.” Alan came up behind her, looking incredibly pleased with himself. “I like her. Can she stay? Please, Scott?”
“She can stay, Allie boy.” Scott reached out and ruffled his hair. “She can stay.”
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The rest of the afternoon was spent discussing how things worked around the castle. As the youngest, Alan had less formal engagements than his brothers, but he still had some. She was responsible for keeping on top of his schedule, as well as attending many of them as his chaperone, on top of his schooling. There was a large spreadsheet of the appropriate clothing for each type of formal occasion, both for him and for her. She was going to need to go shopping right away, but they offered her plenty of money up front to cover those costs.
Each of his brothers wanted some involvement in his learning, although their availability might be sporadic. John wanted to teach him computers, which she was thankful for, since they were not her area of expertise at all. Gordon would be teaching science, specifically ocean science, as well as taking him swimming at least once a week. Virgil was the artistic one, and was going to teach him piano, painting, and art history. Scott was the busiest one, but still made plans to join them at least once or twice a week to teach him some aeronautical science, and encourage the love of flying both brothers obviously shared.
After hours of planning, Scott and John’s phones both went off, and after hurried conversations, they both scrambled to unroll their sleeves and secure their ties. Pulling their coats on, they made their hasty apologies and turned to leave the room together. “Wait, please.” She called after them. Hardly believing her own daring, she walked after them, and reached up to smooth John’s collar from where it had caught on his hair.
“Thank you.” He smiled and nodded, then hurried off after his brother.
She turned back to the three princes left in the room. “I suppose I’ll be going then. I have a lot to get done tonight, if I’m going to start tomorrow.”
Alan ran over to her. “Can I show you your room first, please?” He grabbed her hand, and turned such pleading eyes on her that she had no chance, not that she was much inclined to resist anyways. She nodded, following him out of the room, vaguely aware of one of his brothers following behind them. Probably both, if she thought about it. He kept up a steady stream of chatter the whole way, and by the time they arrived she was more lost than she would have cared to admit. “This is my room, and yours is right next to it.” He announced proudly, waving his hand at two nearly identical sets of doors.
He pushed hers open, and they walked in. “Yours doesn’t have much in it yet, but when you move your things in it will look better.” He declared confidently, not noticing her shock. The room was gorgeous. The bed was bigger than her current bedroom, and the entire room was decorated in various shades of blue and turquoise with gold accents. The open closet was huge, and across from the bed was an amazing hardwood desk and chair.
Alan continued to prattle on, not realizing that she had stopped in the doorway. “It’s a bit much, I know. We can have it redecorated however you want.” A hand landed reassuringly on her shoulder, and she turned to see golden brown eyes looking at her gently. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re going to be great. Alan already loves you, so most of your work is already done. The only problem now will be to get the little rascal to do his homework.”
She smiled back at him. “Don’t you worry about that. I have my ways.”
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It was late when she finally got home, and immediately set to packing up her meagre belongings. Most things she simply left for the next renter of the flat, utensils, plates, linens. She didn’t need them in the palace. All of her clothes and personal items filled a depressing three boxes. As she finished, she collapsed on the bed, utterly worn out from the stress of the day. Rolling over, she stared at the picture on the nightstand. “You’d be proud of me. It’s a great job. And they seem like good men. I wish you could be here. I really miss you, Dad.” Tears began to run down her cheeks as she rolled back into the middle of the bed and cried herself to sleep.
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She was up early the next morning, and after washing the tear tracks from her face, began to lug the boxes down the stairs. She was greeted at the door by the man she had met yesterday, who this time introduced himself while he helped her to gather the last boxes. “I’m James, Miss. I specifically work for the Crown Prince, but I do a little bit of everything as well. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m always happy to help.”
The ride to the palace was quick, and before she knew it, James had shown her to her room and delivered her boxes, leaving her to unpack in peace. As she finished the last few details, a knock sounded at her door. She opened it to find John, looking ill at ease. “How can I help you, Your Highness?”
“John, please, Miss Kelley. You’re going to be with us so much you’ll basically be one of the family. It will save a lot of time and headaches if you just call us by our names.”
“Very well then, John. But only if you call me Elizabeth.”
He smiled. “That’s a deal I can agree with.” He held to his hand to shake. “It’s good to meet you, Elizabeth.”
She took it, surprised by the strength hidden in his grip. He was too tall and thin to look as strong as Scott or Virgil, but there was an impressive amount of strength concealed by that lean frame. “It’s good to meet you too, John. What can I do for you?”
“I, uh, I noticed your face when Scott was talking about the formal clothing you were going to need. I guessed you didn’t have too much of that, and, well, I got Virgil to guess at your size, he’s really good at that kind of stuff, he has a real eye for it, and, uh..”
She smiled. “I’m not going to be offended, John, whatever you’re trying to tell me. You’re right, I don’t have much of that kind of clothing. Most of what I own is like this.” She gestured down at her forest green sweater and dark jeans, with tan boot tips peaking out underneath. “It’s nice enough, but not for formal events with the royal family.”
He still looked nervous, but he didn’t seem to have much experience with women. It was the other three of the oldest four brothers that the newspapers constantly speculated about, even though Gordon was very openly dating Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and the other two hadn’t been on any confirmed dates in years.
“Well, I brought you some dresses. Our tailor always has dozens ready-made, so I gathered some up in what I really hope is your size, and thought I’d bring them to you. That should give you one less thing to worry about.”
Her throat choked up, and she had to take a deep breath to keep from crying right then. “Thank you, John. That’s so thoughtful. I was honestly really worried about that. I know there’s a party tomorrow night for Virgil’s birthday, and I had no idea how I was going to have something ready in time.”
He smiled, seemingly relieved that his offer had not been met with offense. “May I bring them in? I know Alan will be here any second, and I’d love to get these hung up before he crushes them with one of his hugs.”
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Alan appeared knocking on her door right after John had left. “What are we doing today?” The boy bounced excitedly, and Elizabeth grinned.
“Well, I was thinking today you could show me where you’re at in your lessons, and then maybe we could take some time and you could show me around the castle. You can be my tour guide. I don’t really have any work ready for you to do today.”
From the look on his face, the idea of no lessons was not a terrible disappointment. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand, tugging her across the hall to a door opposite theirs. Pushing it open, he dragged her into what was clearly a school room. Two desk sat side by side in the middle of the room, one his size, and one made for an adult. An old-fashioned blackboard hung at the front of the room, and school supplies, science equipment, and art utensils were scattered around the room. He sat down at his desk, pulling out his workbooks, and then booting up the computer to pull up his work.
She quickly glanced over the information he was rapidly throwing at her. He was about at his age level in reading and writing, but in math and science he was doing much more difficult work. The project he had been working on for computer science was incomprehensible to her, and she was immediately thankful for John’s offer to teach him that. The rest of the stuff she could work with, already formulating a plan to engage the clearly brilliant kid.
When she finished looking over the work, he grabbed her hand again and dragged her out into the hall. “You already know where my room is. Next to your room is Scott’s, then John’s.” He indicated each door as they passed. “Down that hallway is Dad’s room, but we don’t go down there. That’s his space. If you go this way, here’s Virgil’s room, and his studio is right next to it. Gordon’s is after that.” Each door had something small marking each of them, Virgil’s a small splash of color in the corners, Gordon’s a subtle pattern of waves across the wood.
Alan continued dragging her down the hall. “Here’s the pool. That’s Gordon’s favorite place to be. Next to that is the gym, which Scott goes to all the time.” The boy wrinkled his nose, clearly not understanding his brother’s fascination with working out. “This room,” he pushed the door open to reveal the room they had met in on the previous day. “Is our room. No one is allowed in here except me and my brothers. And you too, I guess. Not even Dad is allowed in here. It’s where we go to hang out when we’re not busy.”
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Gordon rose from where he was sprawled across the couch as they entered. “Hey, Al. Shouldn’t you be doing schoolwork?”
Alan ran to hug him. “No. Elizabeth said we would start tomorrow. Today I’m supposed to show her around the castle.”
“Did you show her the most important place yet?”
Alan gasped. “I forgot!”
“Well, come on then, Squirt.” Gordon swung Alan up onto his shoulders. “Let’s show her. We can’t forget that.”
Elizabeth followed them down the hallway until they entered a kitchen. “Most breakfasts and lunches that we don’t have official duties we fend for ourselves here. James or Connor are almost always around if you need help, but even Alan’s pretty handy in the kitchen. What do you guys say to some lunch? I can make a pretty good grilled cheese.”
Alan clapped his hands. “Yes, please, Gordie. I love your grilled cheese.”
“Elizabeth?” Gordon questioned, lowering Alan off his shoulders and beginning to get the ingredients out.
“I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense. I’m making some for Alan anyways. It’s no trouble to make you one too. Al, if you’re wanting to help, you have to-”
“Wash my hands, I know. You tell me every time.” The grumble was much less threatening when the boy was already following the order.
In no time at all, Gordon had three grilled cheese sandwiches sitting on plates at the table, tomato soup steaming in bowls next to them. Elizabeth poured the milk as Alan fetched spoons, and they sat down to eat. Gordon was a surprisingly good cook. The sandwiches were perfectly cooked, cheese oozing out the sides as they picked them up to eat. Elizabeth soon gave up on eating them without making a mess, and the boys laughed heartily as she tried to wipe the strings of cheese off her face.
They were all still giggling as they scampered back along the halls towards the sitting room, Gordon and Elizabeth acting much less like adults and more like the eight year old they were chasing then they probably should have been. They all came to an abrupt halt when they rounded a corner and nearly ran into Alan, who had stopped completely still in the middle of the hallway, staring at the king. Gordon stepped slightly in front of his brother, his carefree demeanor changing instantly into military precision. “Father.” He bowed his head, as did Alan. Elizabeth made a deep curtsey.
“What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be doing your schoolwork, Alan?” The king’s demand was harsh, and Elizabeth could easily see where Scott had learned his glare from. “And who are you?” His grey eyes turned to Elizabeth.
Gordon stepped up again. “She’s his new tutor, Father. We were just getting back to work. We went to make lunch.”
“Very well. See that you get back to work, Alan. Your studies are important.” They stepped aside to let the king pass, and it wasn’t until he turned the corner that Gordon and Alan relaxed.
“Come on, Al. Let’s keep going.” Gordon grabbed his hand, and pulled him along the corridor. The boy was much more subdued than before, almost looking fearful, and refused to let go of his brothers hand the entire walk.
As they entered the sitting room, Alan ran from Gordon to curl into Scott’s lap. Scott set down the tablet he was working on and wrapped his arms around his brother. “Gordon, what happened?”
Gordon walked in, throwing himself back onto the couch he had occupied before lunch. “We ran into Dad in the hallway.”
Scott nodded. He ran his hands through Alan’s hair, soothing him in the way Elizabeth would have expected his father to do. “It’s okay, Allie. Don’t worry about him. You’re okay.”
Elizabeth watched from the back of the room as Scott soothed his brother. She didn’t want to interrupt, but then John walked in behind her and dragged her to a seat. “Come in. You’re stuck with us now. You don’t have to hide back here.”
“I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Nonsense. Come in.” John seated himself on the chair to her right, nodding to his brothers and tousling Alan’s hair. “So tell us, Elizabeth, what do you like to do to relax?”
“I love music. I play the piano, although I’m nowhere near as good as Virgil.” Right as she said that, he walked into the room.
“Another musician? Finally. It’s about time we had someone else around here. Maybe we can play some duets sometime?” His smile was so hopeful she found herself nodding, even though the idea terrified her. She hated playing in front of people.
“I also like to read.” John leaned over.
“What do you read? I love to read too.” The two swapped favorite books and authors until Scott interrupted them.
“Dinner should be ready in half an hour. You guys need to go get ready. You know how Father gets when we’re late.” The boys quickly scattered, clearly used to this. Alan grabbed Elizabeth’s hand again. He still hadn’t quite recovered his bounciness from earlier, and each mention of dinner only seemed to push him further back into his shell. She grasped his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
John followed them down the hallway, walking on Alan’s other side. “You know you have to come to dinner too, right?”
Elizabeth shook her head. She hadn’t realized that. “What do I wear?”
“Wear the grey sweater dress. And make sure Alan wears a tie. Dad’s pretty strict about that.” John stopped at his door. “See you in a few minutes. I can show you down to the dining room if you want.”
“Yes, please.” Elizabeth hurried Alan along to his room, digging in his closet for an appropriate outfit. Pulling out a light blue shirt, navy slacks and a navy tie, she set them on his bed with an order to get dressed before she ran back to her room to change. The grey dress that John had recommended was perfect, a simple sweater dress with a green and gold belt. Changing into some flats, she brushed out her hair, twisting part of it back into a simple updo and pinning it with a gold clip. Some simple gold jewelry, and she was finished.
Going back to Alan’s room, she found him halfway dressed, half of the buttons done on his shirt. She let him finish buttoning while she looped his tie around her neck and tied it, helping him secure it when she was done. She tucked his shirt in, fastened a brown belt around his waist, and brushing his hair quickly while he tied his dress shoes.
“Do I have to wear these shoes? They pinch my feet.” He complained.
“Hush, Alan. It will be okay. You need to wear them for dinner, but as soon as dinner is over you can take them off. And tomorrow I’ll figure out how to get you some more comfortable ones. Then we can get rid of these ones.”
The idea of tossing the hated shoes clearly appealed to him, and he allowed her to finish brushing his hair without complaint. Just as she finished, there was a knock at the door. “Are you ready?” John called through the door.
They got up and opened the door. John was standing there waiting for them. He had shed his sweater from earlier, and was now wearing a gold tie and navy jacket and pants with a light blue shirt, the same color as Alan’s. “Looking sharp, Alan. Love the tie.”
“Is this really okay? I know there’s the spreadsheet, but I didn’t have time to look at it.” Elizabeth asked anxiously.
“It’s perfect. He’s still a kid, he doesn’t need to bother with a jacket for a family dinner.”
Alan grabbed onto John’s hand and tugged on him as they walked. “Elizabeth said I can get rid of my shoes later.”
“Oh really?” John arched an eyebrow.
“They were hurting his feet. I told him we could find some that fit him better, and then we could get rid of these ones. I hope that’s not a problem?”
“Of course not. He’s been growing a lot recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s outgrown a lot of his clothes. Get a list together, and we can make sure to get him whatever he needs.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course.” John walked in silence for a few more moments. “You look very nice, by the way.”
Elizabeth blushed. “Thank you. I just took your advice, so you can take all the credit.”
“I hardly think I would look nearly as good in that dress.” John protested, smiling slightly. His smile faded as they reached the door in front of them. “We’re here.”
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Dinner was much more quiet and sombre than Elizabeth had grown used to in the short time she had known the family. Alan barely said a word the entire meal, not that anyone said much. Scott carried most of the conversation, asking his father about his day, but even he was more stiff and much more formal than usual. The king didn’t speak to his three youngest sons or Elizabeth, aside from correcting Alan’s table manners, or to berate Gordon’s clothing choices, or complain about the slight lines of paint still visible under Virgil’s fingernails. Whenever he was particularly harsh, Scott would try to catch his attention, drawing it away from his brothers, but as the dinner went on, they all seemed to grow more and more quiet, and Alan began to curl in on himself. Elizabeth laid her hand on his under the table, and gave him a quiet, encouraging smile.
The food was delicious, but Elizabeth was still grateful when the meal was done and the king left. She grabbed Alan’s hand on the way out, needing the reassurance almost as much as he seemed to. She had felt welcomed and at home with the boys, but the king was a very different story. They were all a little more subdued than normal. By the time they reached the sitting room, Gordon had recovered most of his energy, but the others still seemed quiet.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Alan kicked off his shoes. “Can I throw them away now?”
Scott turned on him, his own temper clearly shortened by his attempts to keep his father’s attention off of his brothers. “You’re not throwing those away, Alan. They’re perfectly fine shoes. We’re not going to waste them.”
“Scott.” John interrupted. “They’re too small. They’re hurting him.” Elizabeth looked up from her spot kneeling at Alan’s feet to show Scott the red lines rubbed raw onto the boy’s feet. She helped him slip his socks off, then carefully rubbed lotion onto the sore spots.
“I’m sorry, Allie. I didn’t know. I thought you were just complaining.”
“It’s okay, Scott. I know you didn’t mean it.”
Scott tossed his coat over the chair with the rest of his brothers’, and pulled his tie loose, then off completely. Seeing his big brother remove the hated article of clothing, Alan immediately began to yank at his own tie. Elizabeth took over for him gently, before he could ruin it, and dropped it over the back of the chair with the others. Alan ran barefoot over to his cars and began to play. “Do you want company, Alan?” She asked.
The boy shook his head. “I think I want to play by myself for a little bit.”
“Ok. Just let me know, and I can come play if you want.” Elizabeth turned towards the seats. Gordon was sprawled in his usual position across the couch, his tablet held above his head. He seemed to be watching a video of some sort, although she couldn’t see what it was. Virgil had gone over to the piano in the corner, and was quietly playing a tune, one she had never heard before. Scott had dropped into his usual chair, John standing next to him. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but assumed it was going well, based on the smiles on both their faces.
As she walked over and took a seat, John moved behind Scott, and began digging his long fingers into his shoulders. John was good at it, going off the pleased groan that burst out of Scott. Gordon jumped up. “Me next!” He called, and John laughed indulgently. Elizabeth felt like she was intruding, seeing them so relaxed and open with each other, but knew that if she were to try to leave, they would stop her, so she stayed put.
Gordon sank back into his chair. “So, you’ve met our dad now. Is he anything like your dad?”
Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “Gordon!” John chastised softly.
“What?”
“My dad died six months ago. He hadn’t been well for a long time, so it wasn’t a surprise, but it’s still hard to remember.” A box of tissues appeared next to her, and she grabbed one and wiped the tears off her face.
“I’m sorry.” Gordon said softly. “I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean any harm.” Alan suddenly wrapped his arms around her, and she let him curl up into her lap. The quiet comfort was a big help, and she was able to recover more quickly than normal.
After a few minutes, Alan pulled back. “Whenever we miss mom, they like to tell me stories about her. Virgil says it helps to talk about it. Maybe you could tell us about him?”
Wiping the last tears from her eyes, Elizabeth laughed. “You are wiser than your years, Alan. I would love to tell you about him.”
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They traded stories until it was late, and Alan began to yawn from his place curled next to Elizabeth. “You need to get to bed, Alan.” Scott ordered. He scooped the boy up in his arms, and Alan snuggled into his brother’s neck. Elizabeth moved to get up, but Scott stopped her. “I’ll put him to bed tonight. Just relax.”
He carried Alan off, arms curled protectively around his little brother. With Scott gone, Gordon began to demand back rubs, which John ignored in favor of grabbing a book from the shelves around the room and offering it to Elizabeth. “One of my favorites. I think you might like it.”
“John!” Gordon demanded again.
“I’m coming.” Elizabeth curled up into the chair, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet underneath her. As John caught his brother from behind, and instead of giving him a back rub caught his head and began to rub vigorously, she opened the book and began to read. “In the beginning the Universe was created. This had made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.” She tuned out the noise of their wrestling, and lost herself in the book.
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Before she knew it, the book was lifted out of her hands. She reached after it, but all she got was a chuckle. “You need to go to sleep. It’s nearly midnight. You have to keep up with Alan tomorrow, remember?”
She glared up at John, before remembering that he was second in line for the throne and she should probably listen to him. That didn’t mean she had to be happy about it. “Fine. I’ll go to bed. Can I have the book back?”
John shook his head. “Nope. If I give it to you, you’re just going to go to your room and stay up reading it. I’m keeping it until tomorrow.”
Elizabeth scowled. That was exactly what she had been planning, but how did John know that? “It’s what I would do.” He laughed, offering her his hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your room.”
She uncurled her legs, slipping her shoes back on and taking his hand to get to her feet. Glancing around, she realized that they were the only two left in the room. “Scott and Gordon went to bed hours ago. They’re both early birds. It comes from the military, I think. Virgil went to go paint.”
Elizabeth gathered up Alan’s discarded shoes and tie, before following John out of the room. He slung his jacket over his shoulder as they walked. “So, how was your first day? I know dinner with Dad can be a bit much, but we only do that once a week at most. You don’t have to do that every night.”
Elizabeth let out a breath. “Aside from dinner, today was amazing. Everyone was so nice, and welcoming. I can’t wait to actually start teaching Alan. He’s so smart, he’s going to be a joy to teach.”
John smiled proudly. “He is smart, isn’t he? Each of us has our thing, but Alan is just good at everything. Except for English. He hates English.”
“I noticed that. Don’t worry. I have some ideas to make it more interesting.”
“That does sound promising.” They stopped at her door. “Goodnight, Elizabeth.”
She pushed open the door. “Goodnight, John.”
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As the door shut behind her, Elizabeth stepped into the room, flipping the lights on and beginning to change for the night. Depositing her jewelry on the nightstand, she walked into the bathroom and began to brush out her hair. It truly had been an amazing day. She had never thought she could feel so at home, especially not in the royal palace. Carefully hanging the dress back in the closet, she slipped into fuzzy pajamas and climbed into bed. Taking a few minutes to journal, she then set the book back onto her nightstand and crawled under the covers. She flipped the light off, and soon fell asleep.