I aim to write chapters based on some of the kids ;) Hope you enjoy this one down below.
Replies to reviews:
Sav.129 [chapter 52]: Thanks, hope you enjoy the next!
Guest (1) [chapter 52]: Sadly yes.
Guest (2) [chapter 52]: That's to come in future chapters :)
Guest (3) [chapter 52]: You're welcome and hope you enjoy the next chapters revolving him and his siblings!
Anne finished brushing her hair and turned on her seat to look at Rose. "John Philip is a bad omen," she said. "I mean, he was born in the plague!"
"You do realise that this is the same John Philip we've played with when we were children?" Rose asked her sister, rolling her eyes. "I can't believe we're still on this. You can't say that about people."
"What dress should I wear?" Anne asked, disregarding her sister's words. "The King of Sweden is coming with his Court and Mother said we should put on our best dresses. Don't try and outshine me, I will be wearing gold silk."
Rose groaned. "Why are you in my bedchamber again?"
"My brush broke. I will get Father to get me a new one," Anne said. "Oh, and the necklace you got from the Czar of Russia is not so bad either."
Rose clicked her tongue and got up from her bed. "If you need me, I'll be walking Olly the Dog."
Anne ran her hands through her hair. "Have fun! Don't get too dirty."
Rose rolled her eyes and left her bedchamber, retrieving Olly from his chamber. She thought it was quite silly, conveniently not remembering that she and Anne begged their parents to let their pet dog have a whole chamber for himself even though their kennels did the job just as well. Their dog was getting older anyway so no one minded and his chamber wasn't guarded.
She headed downstairs and gave the guards bright smiles as they bowed as she walked. She found the cook hurrying by with her son slacking behind and she giggled when he pulled a face of disdain her way.
Elliot was thirteen and he dropped a piece of paper on the ground as their shoulders touched and they walked the opposite ways. He continued on and she bent down to pick the paper up just before Olly got his jaws on it.
She walked on and opened it, blushing furiously when it said to meet him behind the stables in fifteen minutes. As an employee of the castle, their staff had learnt how to read and write as a new target to flourish the education rates in France. It helped them get their children on better paths to increase their income. It was very smart and Rose had been the idea behind it after visiting the orphanage frequently with her parents.
Heading into the throne room, she burnt the piece of paper away, brushed her sweaty hands against her skirts and left, grinning with Olly bouncing about around her feet.
...
Rose's ears went bright pink when her lips met Elliot's and she quickly backed away, letting out a giggle.
"Are... Are you alright, Princess?" He asked, confused.
Rose grinned. "I... I am," she replied. "T-That was my first kiss."
"It was mine too," Elliot replied nervously. "W-Was it good?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "It was. Really good."
"But you backed away."
"Don't mind me," Rose replied. "I just don't want us to get in trouble. You are supposed to be helping the staff prepare for the King of Sweden's dinner service."
Elliot gasped. "Oh, yes! I-I have to go but will you..."
"Will I...?"
"Meet me tomorrow, same time?"
Rose nodded. "Yes, I will."
He stepped back and bowed lowly before kissing her hand and making her giggle. He then left, leaving Rose to untie Olly from the tree nearby and walk them back to the entrance of the castle.
In her own little world and the biggest grin on her face, Rose didn't realise when she bumped into someone, almost falling back until he quickly steadied her and cupped her cheeks.
"Papa!" She cried out in shock. "Uh, I took Olly out for a walk."
"Where have you been for the past fifteen minutes, Rose?" Francis asked her suspiciously.
Rose narrowed her eyes back. "I just said, Father. I took Olly out for a walk."
"Riiiiight," her father drawled out. "Your sister is looking for you."
Rose sighed heavily, making her father's face shift.
"What did she say now?"
"Nothing," she quickly said. "I think she wants to be the star of the show. She wants the King of Sweden's attention."
Francis gasped. "But she... she likes Oskar?"
"She does," Rose said with a smirk. "I will tell you everything about it if..."
"If?"
"You stop spying on me, Father," Rose said, crossing her arms.
Francis gasped. "I do no such thing!"
"Windows, behind walls, reading my diary and trying to place it intricately back in its place," Rose listed. "Father, I am more observant than you believe."
"Fine," Francis muttered. "Now, Anne."
Rose grinned. "She intends to marry him and here is how..."
...
Mary tutted and groaned when her husband kept going on and on about their daughters' love lives. Weren't they as active and romantical as them when they were their age?
"I swear to God, that if you keep going on about our daughters, you and I will not have any bedchamber time for weeks to come," Mary warned him.
Francis sighed and sipped his drink, staring at Rose and Anne converse with the King of Sweden before he asked his eldest for a dance. They were the stars of the whole room, gliding effortlessly around the floor.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Oskar's mother, the Dowager Queen of Sweden asked.
Francis swallowed deeply. "It is."
"Your daughter is beautiful," she said. "You and the Queen must be so proud of her."
Mary beamed. "We are."
"We are," Francis said as well, sharing a warm smile with his wife. "She's our little queen."
"Perhaps, she'll be a bigger queen," the Dowager Queen replied. "You know why we've been entertaining your Court for the past two years."
Francis nodded. "Marriage."
"They are smitten," she continued. "Surely that means something."
"It does," Mary said.
"One minute you're trying to auction her off to Scottish nobles and now... She could well be the Queen of Sweden in just a few weeks time."
Mary and Francis shared a glance.
"We do not want our daughters to marry so young. Perhaps, in two years when she's fifteen?" Francis replied.
"I see," the other queen mumbled. "Should we announce a long engagement then? Just as yours and your wife's own was?"
Mary shared a nod with Francis before saying, "Yes."
They returned their gazes back to the dancefloor where Anne was looking into Oskar's eyes lovingly. He didn't seem as taken but he was still respectful and kind. It made them slightly weird about the situation and Francis left the women's side in search of more wine.
As he headed over to the drinks table, he found his eldest son all alone in the corner of the room. Searching the hall for Robin and Rose, he returned his attention back to John when he couldn't find them.
"Father-"
"Why don't you ask a girl for a dance?" Francis suggested. "Otherwise the subjects will start calling you broody as they do your uncle."
John smirked. "Is he... Is Uncle Bash going to come to Court?"
"Not soon, he's busy. Why?"
John shook his head. "Nevermind." He then shifted on his feet nervously. "Was my mother your mistress?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Someone said that Grandfather, your father, had many mistresses but the one he kept going back to was Uncle Bash's mother. And my mother is Aunt Mary's best friend, well former best friend and you had me with her... I-I don't know what I'm saying," John mumbled, making a move to leave but Francis stopped him.
"Tomorrow."
"What?"
"I'll explain everything tomorrow with Anne and Rose," Francis promised him. "I'm sorry people are talking about you behind your back and now I understand why you asked for my brother. Should I send for him?"
John blushed. "No, I do not want to inconvenience anyone-"
"You won't be." Francis sighed. "Your uncle is a tough man. He did as he pleased, still does the lucky bastard..." He smiled lightly. "But one thing he kept saying over the years whenever I tried berating our father for how he treated him was 'all bastards know how to survive by themselves'. I don't want that to be the case with you because I do want to be a part of your life, I did from the minute you were born. I did hurt the people I love making the decision to claim you but I never realised that the one suffering the most out of it all was you."
John faltered and he shrugged, bowing his head. "Robin and Rose are nice but..."
"Anne isn't?" Francis asked knowingly. "My eldest daughter is vain and she's her own woman, I guess. But you needn't worry because her dislike for you stems from her fears of abandonment. Which is impossible because I did favour her and Rose seemed to flourish when I wasn't overbearing on her. But I see why Anne may feel threatened. Lately, my focus has switched to my sons." He sighed. "The younger boys, James, Joseph and Peter. She feels neglected but that is no reason to take it out on you. She will come around."
"I-I have to go," John said, quickly leaving as Francis caught the back of his daughter's dress just in time to see Rose leave.
Curiously, the King followed after Rose. He figured that John needed space for now and when he rounded the corner he saw his precious daughter, her lips locked with the boy who belonged to the cook.
"Francis, I thought you were going to get us drinks-"
Both froze when Rose screamed, and she and the boy turned to them in horror, shame and embarrassment.
After a while, Mary started to laugh.
"Hello, Elliot," she said kindly. "Can you excuse us for a minute?"
Elliot quickly bowed to them before leaving the trio to their peace.
"Mother, Father, it's not what it-"
"Your Uncle Leith used to be a kitchen boy," Mary said, nudging her husband's shoulder. "Then he rose through the ranks and became General of the French military service two years ago. Before that, he saved your father's life when they fought to reclaim Calais. Then he helped your Uncle Bash with his King's Deputy roles as he tried to remain in your Auntie Kenna's good books. You never know, Elliot might just hold some lands of his own one day. Right, Francis?"
Francis playfully glared at his wife before nodding. "I will allow you to keep seeing this boy under observation. I remember being his age! Sex was the only thing on my mind."
"Francis!"
"Father!"
"She isn't ready for that," Mary said, giggling. "But I do agree. Boys are sexually active and girls, well we can hold our own. Sex is power, it's a weapon but you are too young for that and if Elliot is the one or who you like for now, he will have to respect that."
Rose nodded happily. "Alright. Thank you!"
"Just be happy, Rosie," her father said, kissing her forehead. "And go and check on John for me, please? He needs a friend right now."
"Okay, Papa!" Rose said, heading off.
Mary turned to him in surprise and smiled softly. "We should get back inside to make sure that our other daughter isn't too spirited on the dancefloor."
Francis chuckled, offering his arm to her and she took it. "I am so not ready to deal with all this love drama."
"Neither am I. I had three more years until I had all this grief about me," she said lightly. "We should definitely steer them well away from brothers, full, half or otherwise."
Francis bowed his head, hiding a smile. "Definitely. Otherwise, they'd definitely be their mother's daughters, creating havoc over love. To this day, you're still my one and only."
"And that goes the same to you too," Mary replied, grinning.