In response to everyone who reviewed in the last chapter. I just want to give you all a gigantic hug and thanks for your lovely reviews. They truly made my day. I love you all so much :* And because I love you all so much, thank God I had this chapter banked and ready for you all to read. You all deserve it.
Honest to God, I have no idea where this idea came from. I think I was doing laundry and taught myself how to fold a bed sheet alone.
Photo #62: May I Have This Bed Sheet?
Grace.
That word was predominant in Eadlyn's childhood and was still present to this very day. She was always taught that a princess and first and foremost, a lady, must be graceful at everything she does. Boys weren't off the hook. A prince and first a foremost, a gentleman, must be graceful at everything he does.
Literally everything. Even the unexpected.
Eadlyn looks at the next photo and smirks at the sight of her twin. Ahren has his arms outstretched, his posture straight and poised as he stands parallel to Miss. Lucy. It looks as if they're dancing with one another but what throws Eadlyn off is the bed sheet the two of them are holding in between.
Grace and a bed sheet? Eadlyn has no idea what connection those two could ever have.
-o-
"Nope," Ahren says, tearing the sheet of paper from his spiral notebook.
He crumples the torn sheet and throws it over his shoulders. It bounces on the ground of the laundry room where he currently resides, landing somewhat near the other discarded sheets.
'Dearest Camille,' Ahren starts again before that letter becomes like the others.
Though Ahren prefers to write his letters to Camille in his room, sometimes he just needs a change of environment in order to produce the best letter possible. As of right now, he's sitting on top of an inoperative washing machine in the castle's laundry sector. The maids are scurrying around, doing repetitive loads but Ahren disregards the sounds. Sometimes a little background noise is needed to have true focus.
"That's corny," Ahren says to himself, tearing another sheet.
And to think that's only his rough copy. He would spend his day writing drafts to Camille - drafts that took place in a cheap notebook just so the final copy could be on standard stationary.
The next ball of paper lands at Lucy's feet. She puts down her basket of freshly dried linens and picks it up. Her eyes immediately land on Ahren and she smiles at his young love. She clears her throat which causes Ahren to jump a little before turning around. He sees her wiggling her fingers with the paper ball in it, gesturing to the ones on the floor with a nod of her head.
Basically, Ahren's made a mess.
"You make my job worth the pay," Lucy jokes.
She begins to pick up the papers before Ahren puts down his notebook and pencil and runs over. He takes over the clean-up of his own mess, apologizing for unintentionally making it in the first place. Ahren walks over to the nearest recycling bin to discard them and that gives Lucy an idea. That boy needs a serious break from those letters.
"Help me with this," Lucy says, picking up a crumpled bed sheet from the basket of fresh laundry.
Without questioning why, Ahren helps Lucy to fold this. He doesn't know what exactly to do so he mirrors whatever Lucy is doing. He watches as Lucy takes the corners of the sheet on her end and does the same. When she meets the corners in the middle, Ahren copies with his end.
"Your folds should be sharp, Mr. Schreave," Lucy says with a formal tone in her voice.
Lucy straightens her edges with precision, almost as if her fingers were magic wands. Ahren looks at her with an expression that's a mix of awestruck and dumbstruck.
"Folding a bed sheet is kind of like a waltz," Lucy starts as she walks closer to Ahren. She takes his corners of the bed sheet and folds it into one. She kicks her foot under the bed sheet and Ahren takes the new corners at the bottom. "One person cannot be ahead of the other and it's done with such grace that not one person can do alone."
Ahren never thought that laundry was like writing - full of similes metaphors.
"Keep your back straight," Lucy tells him, tapping his spinal cord. Ahren adjusts his posture. "You could become a permanent hunchback due to all the letter writing."
Ahren smirks a bit.
"Miss. Lucy," Ahren starts as she begins folding a pillowcase on her own, "aren't the men supposed to lead the waltz?"
"Traditionally, yes," Lucy replies, "but what happens when the man has no idea how to waltz?"
"True."
It was surprising to be receiving etiquette advice from the maid thought the method of folding laundry. Her apron doesn't mean anything less, it was just unexpected.
"Not to mention." Lucy leans in closer to Ahren's ear and whispers, "ladies love a man who knows how to fold laundry."
Ahren nods at that. Even with all the maids and help to do the laundry for him, there was something beneficial in being able to do those tasks by himself.
"Well, in that case," Ahren starts. He picks up another bed sheet and fans it out to Lucy. "May I have this bed sheet?"
"Make sure your folds are sharp, Mr. Schreave," Lucy repeats before picking up her ends.
Lucy and Ahren...who would've thought that I'd have a chapter based on those two.
Stay Tuned - a trip across the world
