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"Ella, where are we going?"- Edmund asked for the fifth time.

"We are nearly there, Ed."- I said. Edmund and Phillip sighed. Thankfully, Igor was more reserved.

Early this afternoon, Susan had told me the people from Archerland were to arrive first than the Seven Islanders, so I had to take Ed out. He wasn't happy with the idea of missing lunch but I convinced him by saying I would bring food.

"You said that the last two times I asked."- He grumbled.

"You're so impatient, Edmund. You have to wait."- I continued ignoring Phillip's stare on my back. Ed stopped talking.

Fifteen minutes later, though, he spoke again.-"Are we there yet?"-

"Yes! Here we are."- I said looking around. Lucy and I had found a place near here. It was beautiful and Ed and I had already passed it. That time with Lucy I had decided to search further meanwhile she stayed with Pixmo. I had found this meadow. The trees were bright green and had different kind of flowers. You could see the sky from here.

"Wow."- Ed murmured. He obviously hadn't been paying attention to the surroundings.

I chuckled. He turned around and said.-"Now, care to explain why you brought me here, with my sword, and without eating lunch?"-

"I supposed a picnic would be fun."- I lied.

"Why?"- He asked suspiciously.

"Because a sword practice sounds good. Well, I'll practice with my Bayonet and Katana but still."- I explained.

"And we couldn't have done this in the castle because…"- He asked again.

"Because it's a nice day."- I was seriously getting out of ideas.

Two hours later, we were sitting below a tree eating some apples and watching Phillip and Igor eating grass. I had discovered I needed to practice more often or I wouldn't be in a good shape if we had a battle. Ed had gladly showed me some new moves and explained how Peter, Susan, and Lucy seemed to be hiding something from him. I had said it was probably his imagination, which lead to other topics. One I certainly didn't wanted to talk about.

Peter.

"Peter's been asking me if something is wrong with you."- He said suddenly.

"What? Why?"- I asked nervously.

"He says you've been avoiding him."- He explained trying to catch my eyes.

It was true. Ever since I had discovered I liked Peter I had been avoiding him. He had made clear he liked me like his sister and well I would push him out of my mind without him noticing. The thing is he had noticed.

"I haven't been avoiding him. I just have not been in the places he is in."- I tried to believe that and prepare so I could tell Peter the same.

"All right."- Ed said not convinced.

We talked about other things and joked about many things. Particularly about how clumsy I was. Nevertheless, I talk with him made feel very good. At the evening we started to gallop back home. When we arrived, I was surprised to see someone very familiar there.

"Liam!"- I shouted. Oh, oh! Ed was there.-"What are you doing here?"-

"Well, you invited me to E…enter, I mean to come remember?"- He said realizing Edmund was there. We both hugged.-"King Edmund."- He bowed.

"Edmund, please."- Ed answered.-"Ella, I'm going to get ready for dinner. See you later."- He continued walking away.

"But dinner is not until two hours more!"- I shouted. He didn't heard me.-"When did you arrived?"- I asked Liam.

"Some minutes after you left, Ella."- Corin said appearing at my side.-"Oh, and my father wants to talk with you."- He added in a slow voice.

"What about?"- I asked curiously. I wasn't that good in politics.

"Me, I suppose. How have I been doing or how do I behave. Obviously, I behave very good."- Corin answered with a face that seriously anyone could believe he was innocent.

Liam coughed.-"Of..."- cough-"Course."- Cough. Corin rolled his eyes.

"Well, I better go and see your father. Do you know where he is?"- I said.

"In the library, with Peter."- Corin said.-"Liam, let's go to the kitchen. I'm hungry!"- He continued and grabbed his hand. Liam rolled his eyes. I laughed.

When I arrived at the library, I knocked two times until I heard Peter's muffled voice.-"Come in."- When I opened the door I saw he was sitting in the big desk and King Lune was sitting before him.

"King Lune."- I bowed.

"Your Highness."- He bowed as well.

"I heard you wanted to talk to me?"- I asked quickly. Peter's gaze on me was making me nervous. He had sure noticed I had been avoiding him.

"Actually, I want to talk with the two of you. I wanted to ask about Corin's behavior. He's a little…mischievous."- He said. Clearly he didn't think Corin was just mischievous.

"Well, the Princess is the one that has been with him mostly. She would know better."- Peter answered.

"Corin is…is…he has behaved well. He has obeyed me."- I said. Corin owed me a big one. The look on King Lune's face said he didn't believed it. And, clearly Peter didn't either.-"I don't mean he has been lurking away, but he has been well behaved."-

"Um, well…"- King Lune started but seemed lost for words.

"He's only a kid."- I tried to make him believe me.

"I'll keep a watching him in our stay here. I know how hard it must be for you to deal with him and…"- King Lune began.

"Actually, is a pleasure. He reminds me of my cousin back from…from…from where?"- I whispered. Which cousin? Bloody hell! I had a cousin! So I must have a mother and a father. A whole family. But where were they?

"…she must have misunderstood it, Your Majesty, right Ella?"- Peter's voice broke me from my thoughts.

"I…um…right…yes."- I mumbled.

"Well, that's all. I suppose King Edmund is somewhere in the castle right?"- King Lune asked.

"Oh, yes he said he was going to get ready for dinner."- I answered.

"Well, I shall go to eat dinner, since we must eat before him so he won't see us. Good evening, Your Majesties."- King Lune stated.

"Good evening."- Peter said.

"Evening."- I muttered. When King Lune closed the door, Peter move in front of me obviously thinking I would runaway.

"What?"- I asked innocently. Please don't ask!

"You've been avoiding me."- He accused.

"I have not!"- I defended myself.

"Yes, you have. When I enter the room, you flee. I talk to you, you mumble something and then flee."- He explained. Crap, I did that?

"Um, Peter, I can't flee since I don't fly."- I said trying to change the topic.

He looked at me. I avoided his gaze still I could feel it. I decided to glance at him. His eyes were piercing me. Since when he could pierce me? When I couldn't hold his gaze any longer I looked down. Still, I saw the corners of his mouth twitch, as if he had won something.

"Well?"- He asked.

"Well what?"- I asked in return.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"- He asked patiently.

"I've not been avoiding you. Is just that we have not been in the same places at the same time."- I tried to explain the lie to Peter.

He seemed to believe me since he didn't pressed the subject. –"So, now, Corin really behaved well?"- He said returning to his desk.

"No, but he's funny and good. You can't argue in that."-I answered sitting in King Lune's vacant chair.

"Well…no. I can't. Still, you're taking a responsibility with him, Ella."- Peter said.

"You don't need to tell me that. But he is like…a little brother."- I replied.

"Um, Edmund isn't?"- Peter asked.

"Of course he is!"- I exclaimed.-"But, he isn't that little. Corin is… littler."-

Peter rolled his eyes and passed a hand through his hair.-"You definitely are one of a kind."- He declares.

I smiled.-"I know that."- I teased. He laughs and began reading one book.-"Um, Peter?"-

I ask.

"Yes?"- He replied without looking up from the book.

"Do you think that after the ball, Corin could…could stay a while longer?"- I asked waiting for the response.

Peter chokes.-"W-What?"-

"You heard me."- I stated.

"But, he…he is a lot of responsibility and he already spent some time here…and…"- Peter stuttered.

"But…"- I began.

"No buts, Ella."- He replied his eyes back on the book.

"Peter."- I said in a long voice. He didn't looked up. I went up behind him and saw what he was reading and scoffed.-"Really, Peter? Cooking recipes?"-

"I…uh…mistook the book."- He answered picking another one from the desk.

"Yeah right."- I replied.

"…"- Peter began reading. I looked again.

"Is this the way it is supposed to be read or have I always been wrong? I didn't knew it was read upside down."- I laughed.

"Please, Ella. Corin is kid after all. You said it yourself. He's a big responsibility."-Peter said taking my shoulders.

"Come on, Peter."- I said.

He didn't moved.

"Peter?"- I tried again.

He gave no response. He seemed to search my eyes.

"Come on, Peter, please?"- I pleaded.

He looked at me in the eyes and sighed and looked away. –"All right, all right."-

"Oh, thank you so much!"- I cried and give him a hug. He returned as he wrapped his arms on my waist. I am like a sister to him. I said inside my head. I pulled away and he seemed confused.-"I… thanks. It means a lot to me."-

"All right. Now can I get back to read?"- He asked grinning.

"Cooking recipes?"- I teased. He ruffled my hair.

"Shut up."- He mumbled.

"Um, if not even my parents could shut me up I don't think you can. Anyways, since you seem too fond of that book, the day after the ball we'll make a recipe."- I said.

"What? But I can't cook!"- He exclaimed bewildered.

"Neither can I. But your recipes will help us."- I laughed on looking his face.

"No."- He stated.

"Please?"- I asked. Here I was pleading again. Why?

"No."- He looked away.

"Come on, Peter, please?"- I pouted.

He sighed and said something a long the lines of-"How can she do it?"- And then said aloud.-"All right. But you get to try what we make first."-

I began to complain but he interrupted me.-"Take it or leave it."-

I thought for a moment. How bad could it be? Two persons who don't cook, and cook something make a recipe. It couldn't be that bad could it?-"Deal."- I said.

We laughed when Lucy came in.-"Ella, I need to talk to you."-

"What happens, Lu?"- Peter asked.

"I need to talk with Ella."- She repeated. She seemed scared.

"All right, Lucy. Goodbye Peter."-I said as I took her hand.

"Goodbye."- He said concerned.

When we got out of the library she didn't talked until we arrived to her chamber. She sat on her bed but quickly sat up. I sat on the bed and looked at her.

"What's wrong, Lu?"- I asked.

"Is just that…that…"- She couldn't finish.

Now I was worried.-"What happened, Lucy? Answer. I'm scared."-

"Is just that I think I'm sick."- She answered in a low voice.

"Sick? But you look perfectly fine."- I said as I touched her forehead. She didn't had fever.

"No, not that. Is that my underwear is…red. I'm bleeding."- She replied and looked down.

Red? Underwear? This couldn't mean…? But she's so little! Well, I was littler than her but I was prepared. Lucy seemed to take my silence for something else and went to her drawer and grabbed a cloth. It was tied. She untied it and there was her underwear…red.

"Oh, Lu! You're not sick! It's your period."- I cried.

"Menstruation? But I'm too little for that. I mean…"- Lucy said shaking her head.

"Everyone's different, Lucy. Mine was when I was nine and a half. Yes, I know. Too little, but that was mine."- I said.

"But…but…"- She muttered.

"I think that in the 1940s, menstruation is not talked this…freely?"- I asked.

"No. It's not talked a lot. I remember that when Susan got it, my mum gave her a…pad? Is it?"- She said the story. I nodded.-"But, she just give it to her and went to look for some groceries. Susan had to find out on her own."-

"Um, the opposite happened to me. My mom had talked to me about it before I got it. And when I did, she expected me to cry, but I was happy. I regretted it five months later. The stomachaches were painfully but my mom gave me a pill and it stopped."-I told her my story.

She didn't said anything. I understood.-"Don't worry, everyone's different. Yours may be less painfully."- Lucy nodded. –"Come to my room. I'll give you a pad."-

"Oh, wait!"- She cried and stopped me.-"Don't tell anyone. Not Peter, not Edmund, not Susan. No one."-

"I won't tell anyone. It's something personal and yours to tell. Now come on to my room."- I promised.

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The evening passed quickly. My pads fit Lucy perfectly, she whispered to me on dinner. Beside me, Edmund was glaring at Prince Tor. Since he already knew the seven Islanders were her, there was no use of them to eat dinner before us with the rest of the guests.

Prince Tor was playing his 'role' perfectly. Susan blushed every once in a while. Peter didn't seemed to happy about it, too. Susan seemed to be enjoying it though. Lucy was acting normally and it seemed nothing had happened at all. Peter had asked me what had happened and I make him believe it was on what dress to wear. A big lie, since Lucy wore the same dress to dinner. But Peter being a boy didn't notice those things.

The last day passed, with me getting Edmund out of the ball's way. He didn't complained when I made up an unexpected plan which was a relief because I was getting out of ideas.

As I woke up and started to get dressed I remembered. Edmund's birthday! I hurried up and went out. I found Peter, Susan, and Lucy outside, too. It seemed it was a tradition to wake him up. We entered his chamber and tiptoed until we were in front of his bed.

Susan mouthed,-"One, two, three!"-

"Happy Birthday, Edmund!"- We all shouted.

"Shut up!"- He mumbled.

"Not a nice way to thank us, Eddie."- I said as the others laughed. We all knew that he wouldn't go back to sleep.

"Shut up, Ella."- He said covering himself with the covers.

"Oh, come on, Edmund."- Lucy yelled.

"Who's birthday is today? Who's birthday is today?"- Peter teased in a coo voice.

"Pete, shut up!"- Edmund almost shouted.

"Oh, Ed. Please, it's your fourteen birthday. And there are no surprises. Just family and friends!"- Susan informed. No surprises, just a ball. Family and friends and new ones.

No, no surprises. Nothing at all.

Peter and Lucy had reached him. Peter mouthed,-"Now!"- And they began tickling him. He began laughing and yelling. Susan and I laughed.

"Stop! Pe-Peter! Now!.....Lu! Lucy…please! STOP!"- It seemed Peter and Lucy were about to die laughing when they stopped.

"Get out!"- Ed said.

"See you later, Ed!"- We all shouted. He grumbled. We laughed again.

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Here it is!! The ball will come in the next one. I promise!! I'll probably update it tomorrow or today!

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