MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Sorry for the long wait, but I've had a lot to do with going to school and work. Not to mention during the school year, I only get one day off from both school and work. So I haven't really had time or energy to write. But every now and then I find time and inspiration. Sorry again for the lack of updates, and thank you to the people who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story since the last update. I hope you enjoy and remember to review! Thanks!


It had been a little harder getting away from the staff than back at home. But Genevieve had managed to do it, while also bringing along Anne.

"James?" she called, looking around.

"Boo,"

Whipping around they saw James hanging upside down from a low branch.

"Hi!" piped Anne, running to the branch.

"What are you doing in that tree?" Genevieve asked, never expecting to see a prince in a tree, though it didn't surprise her to see James in the tree.

"Having fun," he responded "Want to try?"

Genevieve smirked at his cheeky remark. Anne, on the other hand, ran towards the base of the tree, trying to grab the nearest branch.

"What if someone were to see us?"

"We aren't going to spend the day in a tree,"

"A day?!" Genevieve exclaimed, "We can't spend the day away from work!"

"Fine, an hour,"

"So we'll spend a hour in a tree?" asked Anne.

"No!" he exclaimed, climbing up to a higher branch.

"There," he said, pointing to a large brown building not far off. "That's where we're going."


"A barn?" Anne questioned "What's so special about a barn?"

"It's a stable," James corrected "And it's what in the stable that's so special."

"You mean we're going to ride horses?" gasped Anne

"Horses?" Genevieve echoed, her heart being to race. "You mean we'll be riding them? Without anyone helping or watching? No carriage or anything?"

"Yes," he said, "Wait, are you scared?"

"No!" she said a little to quick. "I'm just not a big fan of riding."

"She's scared of horses," said Anne.

"I am not!" she argued, "I just don't like them when they're by their self."

"You ride to town every week, right?"

"Not every week, only those that the William family goes, or if we are able to bargain a ride from a farmer,"

"But on horses, right?"

"It's different when they're attached to a carriage, they can't throw you off. There's a... barrier, I guess,"

"You guess?"

"It's just different, alright," she said "I don't like horses. Now can we please drop it?"

"Alright, we'll find something else to do," he said, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"What?" Genevieve asked in surprise.

"If you don't like them like that much and don't want to ride them, we can find something else to do," he explained

"Now wait, I never said I didn't want to ride," said Genevieve. "Besides if we'll just be wasting time trying to think of things to do, and waste the whole day."

"You're sure?" he asked

"Yes, now let's not waste anymore time,"

And so James went into the stables while the girls stayed outside. A few moments later he came back with two large Arabian horses, one chestnut and the other grey.

"This," he said handing the reigns of the chestnut off to Genevieve, who seemed to take a small step back. "is Pansy, and don't worry Pansy is very gentle and doesn't get spooked very easily. So it should be a very gentle ride."

"And the other one?" asked Anne, pointing to the grey horse.

He smiled. "Titian,"

"I suppose he's a real brute then?" joked Genevieve

"No, he's probably the laziest animal in the whole world. But on occasion he can be a useful horse,"

"Where's my horse?" piped Anne, looking around for another horse.

"You'll be sharing Pansy with your sister," he explained "I couldn't get you a horse, without it looking suspicious."

"And taking two horses wasn't suspicious enough," Genevieve said with a slight smirk, as she helped Anne up onto the horse.

After seeing that her sister was up safely, Genevieve hoisted herself up. Though there was something about the way she sat, that caught James's attention.

"Would you prefer a sidesaddle instead of the one we have on?"

"What?" asked Genevieve before noticing her position on the horse. Instead of straddling the horse like James and her sister were, she had her legs draped over the side of the saddle with her ankles crossed. "Oh!"

Quickly she swung her leg over the other side of the saddle, careful not to knock Anne off.

"Sorry, I suppose I didn't realize I wasn't all the way on," she chuckled.

James said nothing, but simply gave her a dubious look before leading them down a sheltered path near the stables. For a while, no one spoke. Anne was too busy to notice anything wrong, as she was busy petting and cooing over the horse. After a few minutes of the sound of trotting hooves, Genevieve decided to speak.

"So, do you have anything that you don't like?"

"What?" he asked, looking back at her.

"Well you now know something that I don't like, is there anything that you don't like?"

"No," he said, a little too quickly.

"Oooh," chuckled Genevieve, enjoying watching him squirm a little. "What is it?

"No, no, no, I learned your fear by accident," he said "I'm not telling you it just because I know yours. You will just have to find some other way."

"Is it heights?"

"No,"

"Bears?"

"No,"

"The dark?" piped up Anne, finding more enjoyment in the guessing game than the horse.

"No," he answered, becoming annoyed.

"Failure?" Genevieve guessed, with a small smirk.

"No!" he shouted, shooting a glare at her in return.

"Spiders?"

He paused. "No,"

"You're afraid of spiders?" Genevieve asked

"I'm not afraid," James objected "I just don't like them."

"So what happens when you see one?"

Yet before he could answer, the sound of more hooves and the tinkling laughter of the ladies.

"Quick, hide!" James exclaimed, yet when he looked back, there was no Genevieve, Anne or even a horse.

Soon two horses came trotting down the path, one with a woman who was fair skinned with freckles, and had hair like fire, pulled back into a tight bun, wearing a green dress decorated with golden vines and roses and long train that barely brushed the ground. The other horse sported a woman with hazelnut colored hair, a somewhat wide nose, and skin that was barely sun kissed. She wore a sapphire blue dress, with a sliver trim and neckline that bordered on being scandalous.

"So this where you've wandered off to," the red hair twittered, in a high pitched voice. "Anita and I were hoping to go for a ride with you, but it seems that you've already beaten us to it."

"Well..."

"It's actually very funny," said Anita. "We were just talking about how funny it would be if we ran into you, and here you are!"

"Hysterical," he said, dryly.

Yet neither seemed to notice, as the girls continued chatting.

"So what brings you out here on this fine day?"

"Well,"

Yet before he could answer, a rustle was heard near the riding party. James stiffened, praying that it was just some woodland animal. Soon Pansy emerged from the brush, still saddled yet no rider.

"I was out looking for Pansy," he quickly explained, urging Titan over to Pansy. "She somehow got away from us, and came wandering out into these woods. So I volunteered to go look for her."

"Don't the stables have people for that?"

"Of course they do!" he exclaimed, grabbing ahold of the reins. "But seeing as how I was already going out, I volunteered to look for her."

"Oh," both girls chorused.

"Well," James said, after a long pause. "I suppose I should be getting this girl back to the stables."

"Of course your highness," said Anita, as the girls began to make their way back down the path. "We shall see you at dinner then?"

"Certainly," James bowed. "Good day ladies."

"Good day!" they chorused, urging their steeds into a gallop.

Waiting till they were out of view, he began looking around for the two girls he actually wanted to spend time with. Hearing a rustle of leaves, along with the small snapping sound of a branch. Looking up, he could just barely make out two pairs of dull blue eyes staring back at him.

"I'm sure you enjoyed that?" he asked

"Oh greatly. Though I have to ask, don't the stables have someone to think up better lies?" Genevieve teased, gently lowering Anne down to him. Once they made sure she was on, Genevieve swung off the branch and onto the horse.

"Oh shut up," James grumbled, though he couldn't help but smile a little as he urged his horse farther down the path.


They rode for a little while longer, eventually taken a small beaten road that lead off into the forest. Soon they came to a large pond, surrounded by trees giving them perfect cover.

Dismounting, Genevieve couldn't help but shiver. While a good month had past since the end of summer, the weather had not changed much till now. Now the weather had began to become colder, Genevieve wouldn't be surprised if frost were to start showing.

"Cold?"

"A little," she admitted. "Though, it still warm enough to go without a cape."

They walked the horses to a nearby tree, and tied them up.

"Gen! Come look!" cried Anne, pointing at the pond.

"What?" asked Genevieve, as she secured the reins to the branch.

"Come look!" Anne insisted, pointing frantically at the pond's surface.

"Alright, alright," she said, trotting over to where her sister stood. Yet when she looked at the pond, she nothing but her own reflection. "Anne I don't..."

Yet before she could finish her sentence, Anne tackled her.

Splash! Both girls went tumbling into the water. Sopping wet, both gasped for air, soaked to the bone.

"Anne!" Genevieve exclaimed

"Sorry," Anne said, though from the sheepish smile, it was clear she wasn't.

"You little...!" Genevieve began, as she quickly snatched her sister up in her arms. Anne squealed as she was lifted out of the water.

"Woah, hold on!" James exclaimed, running to the edge of the pond, ready to separate the girls. Yet as he got closer, the sounds of Anne's squeals were ones of delight not fear. Genevieve was even laughing, and not a small chuckle but full fledge sounds of enjoyment erupted from her, as she swung Anne around.

"You little devil!" Genevieve laughed, as she threw herself back soaking Anne and herself once more.

When both girls surfaced, they spied James on the bank. Giving each other a wicked smile, they began to chase after him.

"Oh no!" he exclaimed, as both girls latched onto him trying to drag him into the pond.

"Come on," Genevieve goaded "Have some fun."

"I'll get wet!" he protested

"So?"

"We're wet," Anne pointed

"Exactly! Come on James, have some fun," she begged.

Sighing, James let the two sisters drag him and with a little help "throw" him into the pond. With all of them wet, they began to splash and laugh together. Taking turns, Genevieve and James would toss Anne off of their shoulders. Finally when they were soaked and cold, they all laid out to dry.


"If my lord or lady were to see us now, there would be no end to their fury," lamented Genevieve, softly stroking Anne's hair, as the little girl slumbered peacefully in her lap.

"How did you come to work for a family like the Williams?" James asked

"How does anyone come to into a job? They're hired," she countered.

"But why this job? Why this family?"

"Well," she hesitated, unsure of what to tell him. While he was her friend, she wasn't exactly keen on sharing her childhood. "my mother was the one who got me the job."

"Your mother?"

"She used to work at the estate before she died," Genevieve explained.

"What about your father?"

"He... he wasn't always around to take care of us," she said "I don't remember what it was he did, but I know it kept him away for weeks at a time. Since he wasn't always there, my mother had to find a way to make a little money."

"And that lead her to work for the Williams," he finished.

She nodded, staring down at the still sleeping sister in her lap.

"And how did you start working?"

"I was about 8 or 9, we weren't making enough. I offered to help," she said "At first it was small tasks, then when we found out that mother was pregnant again, I began to try and do more. It of course helped that I was 12."

"What happened to your mother and father?" he asked

"A few weeks before Anne was born, we received news that he was shot and died,"

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be. I barely remember him," Genevieve said, no longer looking at James, but at Anne. "Things got worse when Anne was born. Mother died, and it was just us. Luckily the master let us keep our job."

"That was generous of him," James said thoughtfully.

"Yes," Genevieve agreed, every word tasting bitter. "We owe everything to him."

"Is that why you stay?"

"No,"

"Then why?"

"Because... because soon we'll have enough. Soon Anne and I will be out and away from everything," she said "Soon, everything will be okay."

"You alright?" he asked, noticing the bitter tone.

She paused, letting the taste rest in her mouth. Every story, and event that came from her mouth sounded foreign. Almost like it was fantasy. The story she wished she had, rather than the one she got.

"Um, yeah," she lied, "I just... I don't feel like doing this anymore. Maybe we should head back."

"Alright,"

So they made their way back in silence. The remaining days were spent away from each other. When time came to leave, Genevieve watched from the front of the carriage as the royal family waved each carriage off. Catching James's eye, she gave a little wave. When she waved back, she knew that things were alright, and hopefully everything would be back to normal.


I was so worried that I wouldn't have this out in time for Christmas. I really wanted to give you guys a chapter as a present. Luckily, I managed to pull together some ideas, and am actually pleased with the results. So thus ends the palace visit, and now our heroes will return to their normal environment. Well, at least one of the heroes. Though I am really excited for the next few chapters. Hopefully they turn out the way I want. Can't say when the next chapter will be out, hopefully in less than 4 months, though don't hold your breath. Hope you all liked this chapter, and I look forward to your thoughts. Thanks!