A/N: Hello all! There aren't any reviews to respond to today, so enjoy chappie 12, my favorite and review please!

Chapter 12

Six months passed since we had first arrived in Ayortha. Mother and Father wrote regularly, as did I back to them, and Jem became a closer friend than I had ever had. (besides Emily)

Chris and Emily's relationship grew steadily after the ball, and I was happy for both of them(but not surprised in the least.).

It was Chris's birthday tomorrow night. Instead of a sing, the Ayorthans were holding a ball, as they had to welcome us six months earlier. This meant another shopping trip.

Emily's gown was wine red, with white lace peeping out of the collar and sleeves. My gown was a forest green, with white embroidered leaves.

That night while we were changing for bed, Emily asked me a question.

"What does love feel like?"

"Not sure, I don't believe I ever have been in love." I replied. "Why?"

"I think I really love Chris," she said shakily. "Like, 'spend the rest of my life with' love."

"Do you think-did he...?"

Proposal?

She nodded solemnly. There was complete silence, then we both screamed and danced around the room. It was girly, yes, but...there was no one around to see.

Chris had proposed to her yesterday and planned to give her the ring at the ball.

We would be sisters!

"That's one grand-daddy of a birthday present you're giving my brother, Emily," I said. "And all I gave him was a book..."

After helping Emily prepare for the ball (her hair was done so that five roses surrounded a bun at the back of her head), she helped me get ready. My hair was left loose again, and I tucked a white rose behind my ear. I refused to look as good as Emily on her special night.

Emily and I walked through the grand oak doors into the ballroom. My eyes landed on two figures by the refreshment table.

"Mother! Father!"

Mother turned quickly and saw me racing towards her. She hugged me tight, as well as Father.

"We've missed you so much, El," Mother said. "It's not the same without you at home."

After talking for a while, I went off in search of Jem. After I scoured every square inch of the room, he was nowhere to be seen. I decided to explore the castle.

There was a door off to the side of the hall outside the ballroom. I went through it and stopped in my tracks.

A stair rail, so steep and curved, I had to slide down. It was undignified, yes, but it was worth it. I ran up to the very top and positioned myself on the rail.

The ride down was amazing, my hair flew back and I tried not to scream.

But there was a person standing at the bottom. I would hit them! I was going too fast to stop!

"Look out!" I cried.

It was Jem. He turned and laughed as he saw me flying down the rail, but he didn't move. Instead he opened his arms and I sailed into them.

I remembered Mother telling me of her and Father's trips down the stair rail at Grandfather's wedding.

"That looks very amusing," he said, still holding me. "I didn't think princesses were permitted rail riding."

"They aren't."

We both raced up the staircase and slid down, after locking all the entrances to the room. (I learned from Mother's mistakes.)

We had slid down so many times that I felt motion sick. We sat down at the bottom of the stairs.

"It's half passed three atleast," he said, yawning.

"Hmm," I said, too tired for words. The windows were all open and I shivered from the draft.

"Here,"

He took off his velvet coat and draped it around my shoulders. I murmured thanks and felt my eyelids slowly closing. My head found it's way to Jem's shoulder and rested on it, and he didn't move away. Gradually we both fell asleep at the bottom of the stairwell.