A/N: Not much to note today...
Saberin: Don't sorry. It'll get turned up soon.
Aubrey : Traumatized children tend to need extra 'coddling', aka support from parent-figures.
Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan. And still not Australian.
The docked in Araluen and, as custom, were met by Horace, Cassandra, and the rest of the royal family. Elizabet latched onto Kineta's hip. Scout went down the gangway first. Protocol generally called for Sean to go down first as the reigning king. Scout could almost hear the scolding she'd get from Lady Melissa but she could endure the lecture later. Caitlyn was waiting. The sisters collided with one another in a fit of giggles.
"You're back!" Caitlyn squealed. "And you're wearing a crown this time."
"Where are Papa and Mama?" Scout asked.
"Not here yet. I came with Aunt Alyss. I missed you."
Scout greeted the entire royal family and met Anamaria by the time her cousins made it down the gangway. William and Ace had just enough time to inquire about the liquid she kept in the pendant they gave her before they were joined.
"Gooseberry wine," she answered. The wine was prettier than salts and she'd thought the Araluen princes would get a kick out of it. Gooseberry wine was barely fermented enough to be considered alcohol.
"You're corrupted by your non-drinking parents," William muttered.
"Stop it! She's not old enough for that!" Ace hissed in his brother's ear. The Hibernians finally joined them.
"Sean, Kineta, this is Princess Anamaria," William said before kissing his bride-to-be. Anamaria just smiled and curtsied to each of them.
"Pleased to meet you," she told them.
"You as well," Sean said. Horace and Cassandra came around their oldest son and greeted them the usual way. Sean shook hands with Horace while their wives embraced and then Kineta hugged Horace while Sean and Cassandra jabbed at one another lightheartedly.
"Hope you're enjoying your Araluen crown princess," Cassandra chided.
"Oh we are. About as much as you're enjoying Hibernian elites in almost all your security sections."
"Will those two ever get along?" William whispered to Scout.
"I wouldn't bet on it," she laughed.
"Who is this?" Horace asked as he smiled to Elizabet. The child frowned and hid her face in Kineta's shoulder. Kineta stroked her hair while Sean rested his hand on her back.
"This is Elizabet," Kineta answered. "She belongs to Sean and me. She's a little shy. Elizabet, this is King Horace. He's nice, I promise."
Horace tried to get closer but Elizabet fearfully clutched her mother. "I guess it'll take some time,' Horace said as he stepped back.
"Please don't be offended. She's still learning about trust." Kineta stroked Elizabet's hair. "Horace is alright, sweetheart. He's not going to hurt you."
"Little shy, hm?" Cassandra asked as she took interest in Elizabet.
"She doesn't really do well with new faces. It was probably a bad idea to put her around so many at once," Kineta apologized.
"Well I hope we can be friends."
"You two adopted?" William guessed.
"Yes," Sean answered. "Scout's still the crown princess but Elizabet's our daughter."
"Elizabet, such a pretty name," Anamaria told her with a sweet smile.
Elizabet whimpered and shied back into Kineta's shoulder. She whimpered as though on the verge of tears. "It's alright," Kineta assured her. "Want Scout to take you to meet everyone?"
Elizabet shook her head furiously. Sean and Kineta shared a worried glance. As visiting king and queen the people of the city would crowd to catch a glimpse of them. Already civilians were crowding around. Scout was almost a local though. She'd been brought up in Araluen fief alongside Redmont and, though she was a full-on princess now, she wasn't special. It'd be better for Elizabet to go with Scout the back way while Sean and Kineta went through the crowd.
"Well that's too bad because I have your bag with the Flynn Masque book," Scout tried, seeing Sean and Kineta's plea. Elizabet's head popped up. She glared cold daggers into Scout but she held her ground. She slung down the canvas bag and held it in front of her. "Come on," she coaxed. "You like me."
Elizabet wiggled until Kineta set her down. She ran to Scout, grabbed the bag, and Scout grabbed her. Elizabet hugged the bag closely to her chest and latched onto Scout as though she were too frightened to leave the comfort of someone she knew again. The child whimpered with fear and gripped the canvas bag holding her book so tightly her knuckles were white.
"We'll go in through the stables," Scout said as she mounted Swift. She planted Elizabet in front of her. The two guards of hers that had come, Warden and Matthew, Lady Melissa, Lady Gwen, and Kelly all mounted behind her. "Who's coming with me?"
"Me," Ace volunteered. He mounted his own horse.
"Me," Ace's grandfather Duncan said as he also mounted up. They broke away from the others and hurried down the beach to the opposite gate while the others took the more direct path. Once in the stable they handed their horses off to apprentices and headed to the throne room to wait for the others. Scout settled Elizabet down on a couch near a window. She found her book and promptly went to ignoring everyone around her. Scout wandered back to Ace and Lord Duncan, knowing Elizabet would be fine so long as she stayed in view.
"Is she alright?" Duncan whispered softly. "She hasn't said a word."
Scout took a deep breath and glanced back towards Elizabet. She was fully focused on her book. "She's got this anxiety disorder called selective mutism. She saw her birthparents die and now it's…it's like she can't talk anymore. Sean and Kineta got these people to lay out a therapy plan and she's slowly making progress. When she first came she couldn't use her voice at all. She really tries to speak to us…she tries so hard she cries sometimes. She just can't right now."
"Terrible that happened to a little girl," Duncan said grimly.
"Maybe the family can coax her a bit," Ace suggested. Scout shook her head.
"Don't…I mean, the therapy plan says she needs to learn to trust and have confidence in just a few people at first. Right now that's Sean, Kineta, and me. She doesn't even have major tutors or maids or anything like that. She's got to start whispering to us before we arrange more relationships."
"Well…even silent she seems like a charming girl," Duncan said. Scout nodded.
"She likes Flynn Masque. There's this book of his stories she has. It's the only thing she brought with her from the orphanage and she guards it with her life almost. Sean and Kineta got her more since then and she reads them occasionally but it's clear which one is her favorite."
"I suppose that's what she's reading now?" Ace asked. Scout nodded. The servants' entrance opened and they were joined by Kane and Gabby. Scout smiled widely and ran to them. She threw her arms around Kane. He looked much older than he really was in his Royal Scout uniform.
"You're here!" she exclaimed.
"I'm here," he laughed. "I have to be, I'm in the wedding. How about you?"
"Yes I'm to be escorted by a Prince Julio."
"Princess Adrian for me."
Scout took Gabby's hand before embracing her. The family always said she was partially responsible for the relationship between Kane and Gabby but she couldn't recall doing anything that influential in their lives. Gabby hugged her back tightly. Scout felt the cane press against her back. It felt odd but Scout had become accustomed to it. She'd known Gabby since she was small and the cane was just…well, Gabby. Unlike others she felt completely at ease with Kane's blind girlfriend.
"How's Hibernia?" Gabby asked. She kept her hands on Scout's arms as they pulled away.
"Oh you know…lessons, castles, meetings, dinners…the usual. Sean and Kineta adopted a little girl. Her name's Elizabet."
Just as she said her newest cousin's name Scout felt tiny fingers jerk at her skirt. Scout looked down at one extremely scared little girl. She realized she'd moved out of Elizabet's line of sight to greet Kane and Gabby. She pulled Elizabet close.
"Is that her?" Kane asked. Scout nodded. She stroked Elizabet's hair softly.
"Sorry, Elizabet. I'm right here. Don't worry. Your parents will be back soon."
Elizabet was trembling. Scout mentally made a note to make it up to the child later. Gabby's fingers naturally traced to Elizabet's shoulder when Scout took her. Gabby knew others weren't as accustomed to her blindness as her friends so she didn't explore too far. "Hello Elizabet," she said softly. "Don't be frightened. I don't bite and if Kane does I'll hurt him for you."
Scout felt truly impressed when the light joke earned the smallest smile. Elizabet studied Gabby for several moments before turning to Scout and pointing to Gabby's eyes. "She's blind," Scout explained. "She can't see just like you can't talk."
"I heard about that," Gabby went on. Scout now turned her amazement towards Gabby. She heard much more than anyone gave her credit for. "You know, I don't blame you for forgetting how to use your voice. It must have been scary. Can you put your hand against mine and hold up how old you were on your fingers?"
To Scout's further amazement, Elizabet complied. She released Scout's skirt to press her open hand to Gabby's palm.
"Five?"
Elizabet shook her head, holding up her other two while clutching her book, clearly confused as how to communicate. "Seven," Kane said aloud.
"Hm…when I was five I got really sick. I had a high fever for almost three weeks and couldn't get out of bed. Sounds bad, huh?"
Elizabet traced Gabby's still outstretched hand.
"The week after the fever went away everything started getting darker. Then, one afternoon when I was outside playing with my older brother it was like someone put a candle out. My parents took me to several physicians but there wasn't anything they could do. I had to learn how to live without being able to see. I really hope you find your voice again. If you do we can talk to each other."
Scout felt her jaw actually drop when Elizabet smiled. It was a real smile, not muffled or hid in any way. The little girl looked to Scout and pointed at her book and then to Gabby. She flipped to the back where drawings and biographies of the characters were. She stopped and pointed at Jessie Jepp, an innkeeper's daughter who helped Flynn Masque stow away in her father's business when he was in town. She was like a sister to him…and she was blind. The popular summary of the relationship was that Jessie saw Flynn's heart behind his actions. She wasn't a lover by far but more like what Scout was to William; a dear friend. Elizabet loved Jessie. They'd always assumed it was because, like Jessie, she didn't have use of something everyone else took for granted.
"You remind her of Jessie Jepp from the Masque stories," Scout told Gabby.
"I used to love those stories. Maybe when you find your voice you can read one to me. I bet you're a wonderful reader," Gabby said with encouragement. "But until then I bet Kane or Scout would read them to the both of us. Would you like that?"
"She would," Scout said with awe as Elizabet nodded so hard her blond curls bounced in every direction. The small amount of confidence she'd built up vanished when those that had partaken in the parade arrived. Elizabet promptly ditched Scout and Gabby for her parents.