Princess Rosalie
"One more time, Lily, let's go," I said, padding Lily as she began to fly high into the clouds again.
I woke up feeling slightly tired, and how could I not be? Yesterday was a very hard day filled with many emotions that didn't allow me to sleep at night.
For one thing, I got my Lily back, but for another thing, I almost lost William, my protector, and that really scared me.
Over the last couple of days, I have gotten closer to William, and I feel like I can trust him now.
But that worried me a lot because I wouldn't want my Father to try to do something against William.
I mean, I already am worried about Celeste. Since William came with Lily, I haven't received any other letter from her.
I was tempted to send her one, but I don't want my Father to know about any of this; I worry so much for her.
'Maybe I could ask William if he could do something to bring her over? She raised me and is almost like a Mother to me.' I thought before shaking my head.
Then again, if I were to say that I don't want Sofia to feel upset about this, she and Izzie have been amazing to me.
However, I miss Celeste profoundly and wish I had one of my family members here, but since they're all dead, Celeste was the only one I had.
My Father never cared for me, and I worried even more if he was behind this. I couldn't imagine why.
What motive could he possibly have for attacking Whelsire? I mean, he did betrothed me to William, so why attack?
It didn't make sense, so I decided to take a ride with Lily after breakfast to clear my head.
It was close to midday, and I knew Lily would need a break soon, so I decided to lean her back to the stables.
I didn't know Whelsire very well, so I spent most of my time around the castle. Lily would take me around the castle or in front of the trees.
Once we touched the floor again, I smiled and patted Lily as we made our way towards the stables.
It was then I couldn't help but think about what could have happened with William yesterday; I felt a huge relief when I saw him enter the room.
I wanted to run up and hug him in the moment and never let him go; even so, I wanted him to kiss me.
"Stop it, Rose," I said low as I shook my head and entered the stables with Lily.
I got off Lily and removed the rope and saddle to allow her to drink water and rest for the remainder of the day.
I placed her inside her stable room and closed the door as she smiled and relaxed before leaving.
"See you soon, Lily," I said as she smiled and nodded.
Sometimes, I wonder what she says or what it would be like to have a conversation with her, but it's probably silly.
Wassalia Day was getting closer. I mean, Whelsire does receive more snow like Freezenberg than most kingdoms, but then again, it was mid-November.
Wassalia is a month away, and I wonder if that's a good thing or not. I am really wondering what will happen.
Whenever I was with my Father, there was never any celebration; it was a regular day, except for Celeste and me.
We would trade gifts with each other and spend the whole day together since my Father would drown his sorrows.
Would he come to spend Wassalia Day with me this year to make it seem like we are a family? Or will he come up with an excuse?
If I am honest, I wished it was the second one because I didn't want to see him.
"Hey, Rose, there you are!" Liz said happily. My eyes widened, and I turned slightly afraid before I smiled and let my guard down.
"You scared me, Liz," I said as I shook my head, and she took hold of my hand and raised her eyebrow slightly.
"I am sorry, Rose, I didn't mean to," she said, smiling as I smiled and nodded at her.
"I was just looking for you," she said, and I looked at her confused.
"Me? Why?" I asked her, slightly smiling, as we stopped on the steps outside the castle as she smiled at me.
"William is looking for you; both you and him are going to have a meeting with my parents," she said as my eyes widened slightly.
'Shit!' I thought as I felt myself getting slightly nervous.
'Why did her parents want to meet with William and I?' I thought as I smiled at Liz.
"Do you know why?" I asked her as she shook her head.
"Nope, but don't worry about it, Rose. It will be fine," she said as I took a deep breath and nodded.
"If you say so," I said as she smiled and nodded. We continued to walk inside as a gush of wind hit us.
"Looks like we're in for the first snow soon, excited Rose?" asked Liz as I nodded.
"There is a change in the wind, which means snow," she added as I smiled.
I was excited about the snow since, in my kingdom, we have never received snow; I have only heard and read about it.
I only visited Freezenberg once, and when I did, there wasn't any snow; Freezenberg and Whelsire were very well known for their snow.
When we walked inside, I thought we were heading towards the office, but we were heading somewhere else.
"Where are we going, Liz?" I asked her as she smiled.
"Dad is resting today and is being put on bed rest, so the meeting will be in the small living room outside their room," she said as I nodded.
"How is your Father doing, by the way?" I asked her as she smiled.
"He's doing well, Rose. We had breakfast this morning with him in his room, and he seems to be doing well," she said as I smiled.
"That's great," I said as she smiled.
"Rose, how were you able to identify the flag so quickly?" she asked me as I smiled.
"I'm not sure if you heard, but I, too, took classes from Ever Realm Academy," I said as she frowned.
"So you went to Ever Realm Academy, too? Did you meet William there?" she asked me, and I shook my head.
"No, my Father brought me tutors from the school," I said as she nodded.
"Did you ever go to school in person?" she asked me as I thought momentarily.
"Honestly, I am not sure, Liz; I try to remember pieces of my childhood, but every time I try, I can't..." I said, slightly upset as we stopped. She took hold of my hand and smiled.
"It's okay, Rose, I get it. Your life was hard," She said as I nodded.
"I try to remember my childhood, but I can't remember anything after my aunt died; living with my Father hasn't been easy," I said as she nodded, and we continued to walk.
There are times I do try to remember, but my mind can't remember, and my head ends up hurting.
I get frustrated with myself because I was only 7; how is it that I don't remember?
"Maybe you just need time, Rose. Here, you will be happy, and hopefully, that will help you heal fully and remember," she said, smiling as I nodded.
"Thanks, Liz. Anyone tell you that you sound like an adult?" I said, smiling at her as she smirked.
"My Mother and siblings," she said as we both slightly giggled and continued to walk.
Once we stopped outside a door, Liz opened the first door, and I immediately saw her parents sitting down on the couch in front of the fireplace with William standing in front of them.
"I found her," said Liz, smiling as she stood aside for me to be seen.
"Thank you, sweetheart," said Sofia, smiling as Liz nodded.
"Good luck," she whispered before she left as I smiled at them.
"Come in, Rosalie; we were just talking to William about something involving you two," said Sofia, smiling as I smiled.
"Thank you. May I ask what it pertains to?" I said as I walked in, and they nodded.
"Your wedding," said Sofia as my eyes widened.
"We're thinking about moving the wedding to a few weeks," said Hugo as I looked over at William, and he nodded.
"Does this have something to do with last night's attack?" I asked, looking at Hugo and Sofia, who nodded slightly.
"It's for the best," said Sofia as I smiled and nodded.
"May I ask how, though? I mean… I'm sure you both know Amathest is a small kingdom; it doesn't have many resources like Whelsire does. How would this help Whelsire?" I asked.
"It's not so much of the help for Whelsire; it's more about establishing stronger alliances," said Hugo as I nodded.
"Providing the new rulers with strong candidates raises the chances of alliances because of the preparation," I said as Sofia smiled, and Hugo nodded happily.
"Exactly," said Hugo as Sofia smiled, and I saw William raise his eyebrow at me.
"She for sure took classes from Ever Realm Academy," said Sofia, smiling joyfully as Hugo nodded.
"When would it be?" I asked as they sighed and turned to look at William and then at me.
"That's up to you two, but I say the sooner, the better," said Hugo as I looked at William.
"I'm good with any date, Rose," he said as I sighed as I thought before nodding slightly.
"I'm good with any date as well," I said as they nodded.
"We'll have to wait after Wassalia, hoping your Father gets back in time for the wedding," said Hugo as I nodded.
'If he ever comes back in time,' I thought as I smiled at them.
"We have also sent an emergency letter to your Father about the decision to move the wedding sooner; he should have received it by now," said Sofia as I nodded.
If I'm being honest, I didn't want my Father at the wedding. I didn't trust him, and I had a feeling something terrible would happen if he were to attend.
"How big of a list do we need to have?" I asked, hoping the answer was small.
"That depends on you, darling," said Sofia, smiling.
"But the more, the better for alliance and for the word to spread about the future heirs of Whelsire," said Hugo as I looked at William.
He stood before his parents near the fireplace before walking over to me and standing next to me.
"Says the one who cut our list by 2/3's," Sofia said as I frowned and heard William chuckle.
"You cut the list that much, Dad?" asked William as Hugo nodded.
"Your Aunt Amber was inviting the whole world, and we didn't need that many people," said Hugo as Sofia shook her head slightly.
"We still had a lot, darling," said Sofia, smiling.
"How many?" I asked as she smiled.
"230." She said as I nodded and looked at William. He nodded as well.
"Still, that was better than what Amber wanted initially, and it was mostly family and close friends," said Hugo as Sofia laughed.
"I think that sounds good for me," I said, looking at William as he nodded.
"Me too, but mostly family and friends," said William as Hugo and Sofia nodded.
"I would like to add one thing with urgency," I said as they looked at me, slightly confused, before I spoke.
"I would like us to have extra security if that were possible," I said, noticing Hugo and William looked slightly confused before they nodded.
"Any particular reason why, Rose?" asked William as I looked at him and nodded.
"You know why, William. I told you this already," I said, looking at him before turning to face Sofia and Hugo.
"I don't trust my Father or his friends at all," I said as Hugo and Sofia looked at me surprised.
"Why?" asked Hugo, confused.
"Did something happen?" asked Sofia, worried as I shook my head.
"No, but… You all saw how my Father treated me; I was nothing more than a punching bag. Either that or furniture in his castle," I said, looking slightly down before looking back up.
"Rosalie, do you know who your Father is close with? Like his friends?" asked Hugo as I nodded.
"My Father didn't have many close friends. There were only three main ones he would always hang around with; the rest were allies," I said as they looked confused.
"What do you mean allies?" asked William as I nodded.
"Like people with whom he talked business and who could be potential trade partners," I said as he nodded.
"Did he ever make trade deals with them?" asked Hugo as I shook my head.
"No, it was rare that he did. It was always his same group of friends, but he kept his options open in case of anything," I said, and they nodded.
"He did plan ahead, that's for sure," added Sofia as I nodded.
"But as I said, he just talked with them once in a while; he tried not to get too involved because he didn't want to make a big deal with them," I said as Hugo raised his eyebrow.
"Why?" he asked as I slightly looked at William before looking back at Hugo.
"With bigger trade requests, they usually want something in return to ensure they are benefiting from it as well," I added, and Sofia's eyes widened almost as if she knew what I was going to say.
"Amathest is a small kingdom and doesn't have many resources," said William as I nodded.
"What did they want that your Father didn't have?" asked Hugo.
"It's not something that my Father didn't have; it was something he didn't want to give up," I said, slightly biting my lip before looking at William slightly.
"Which was?" asked William, raising his eyebrow and looking at me confused as I took a deep breath.
"Me," I said as his eyes widened.
Prince William
"Me," said my little Dove as my eyes widened. I felt my blood boiling in that instant.
"Of course, marriage is always the answer for higher resources for a trade," said Hugo as she nodded.
"So, this is the first time he cracked," I said as she shook her head slightly and looked at me confused.
"Were you betrothed before Rosalie?" asked Mom as she slightly nodded.
"Once, to King Lyvot's son," she said. I looked at her, shocked, and realized my parents looked as surprised as I was.
"What happened?" asked Dad as she slightly bit her lip.
"My Dad called it off; he didn't go into detail. All he said was that the union wouldn't benefit him in any way," she said as I looked at her, confused.
'What the hell?' I thought as I looked at Dad, who nodded at me slightly before I looked at Rosalie again.
"After that, Duke Ben wanted a union, but my Father declined and said I wasn't enough for that," she said as I looked at her, slightly upset.
I knew very well that it hurt her to say and remember that, but I don't think she really understood what her Father meant by that.
He didn't mean that she wasn't good enough for him; he suggested that Duke Ben's son wasn't helpful to him in any way.
There was a pattern here for sure, but then it hit me. She mentioned two people. Could they be the ones her Father was close with?
"Rose, are King Lyvot and Duke Ben close of your Father's friends?" I asked as she nodded, and my eyes widened.
"Was there a big issue with your Father and them?" asked Dad as she shook her head.
"Not really; Duke Ben was a bit upset about my Father not wanting to consider the arranged marriage, but not that I recall," she said as we nodded.
"Do you know any secrets of your Father?" I asked as Dad stopped me quickly.
"William, stop," said Dad as I looked at him, and he shook his head.
"We talked about that, not now," he said as I felt slightly agitated before nodding and sighing.
"Don't trust them, Hugo," said Rosalie, slightly afraid. I saw Dad look at her, confused.
"Why do you say that Rosalie? Do you think they could hurt us?" asked Dad as she sighed.
"My Father, no doubt; I mean, you all saw what he did to me; I don't think he would hesitate to hurt someone else. Especially if he knows their weakness," she said as Dad sighed.
"What about King Lyvot and Duke Ben?" asked Mom as she shrugged.
"King Lyvot sent soldiers to attack Whelsire using someone else's flag; I wouldn't fully trust him until you hear from Lady Malorie," She said as Mom nodded.
"Duke Ben is different. He would be the one I would trust out of the three," she said. I couldn't help but frown, confused.
'Why would she trust him?' I thought, not liking the ideas that my brain was throwing at me.
"The best thing we can do is keep our ears open, and I think using the wedding would give us an advantage to have them close," said Dad as I nodded.
"I agree," I said as Mom nodded.
"It looks like we have a wedding to plan," said Mom. I nodded and turned to look at Rosalie, who smiled slightly.
"I'll call for Izzie and have her get with you to start organizing Rose," Said Mom as she nodded.
"Thank you," she said as Mom stood and walked over to her before taking her hands.
"Elizabeth and I are here and with you like Izzie. If you need help, let us know, and we will help you," said Mom as she nodded, smiling.
"Thank you, Sofia," said my little Dove, smiling happily.
When I saw this, I couldn't help but feel happy. My little Dove has been through a lot, and Mom's support was wonderful.
She was alone and unprotected before, but now she's loved and protected by everyone, and that's how it will stay.
We're here to help her, and I was going to ensure that would never change.
"Rose, why don't we discuss a couple of things for the wedding?" I said as she nodded, and Mom smiled.
"We will see you at Dinner time," said Mom as I nodded and looked at Dad.
"And you relax, Dad," I said, chuckling as he chuckled and smiled.
"You behave," he said. I nodded, and Rose and I excused ourselves and left their room.
I knew what he meant by that, but I needed to know more, especially about what my little Dove knew about him.
"Where are we going?" she asked as I shrugged.
"Wherever you would like to go, little Dove," I said as she thought momentarily.
"The library?" she asked as I nodded.
"The library it is," I said as we made our way towards the library, and I must say it was the longest walk of my life.
As we entered, I ensured no one was there as we walked towards the library couches. Liz is usually here, but today, she wasn't.
I must admit I was a bit glad about it because I needed to talk to my little Dove about something, and I didn't want anyone here.
"Why didn't you tell me you were betrothed before?" was the first thing I asked her as she looked at me, surprised and shocked.
"I didn't think you'd want to know the people I was betrothed to; I mean, you didn't tell me anything about your side," she said as I raised my eyebrow before smirking at her.
"You're playing a dangerous game here, Dove," I said as she crossed her arms and stood up in front of me before raising her eyebrow.
"Are you jealous?" she asked, confused as I chuckled.
"Says the person who was jealous of my cousins," I said as her eyes widened.
She didn't have to say anything for me to notice that she was jealous of my cousins; I could see the fear in her eyes.
"That wouldn't happen if you introduced me to them earlier," she said, upset, and I couldn't help but slightly chuckle.
My little Dove looked adorable, trying to be upset. It was obvious she was jealous, but she didn't know what to do since I believe she's never been jealous.
"The opportunity never showed up," I said, smirking. She rolled her eyes slightly, and I raised my eyebrow at her.
"Already giving attitude, little Dove? Are you sure that is wise?" I asked her as she shrugged and turned around with their arms crossed.
"Then it slipped my mind to tell you I was betrothed before as well," she said, and I couldn't help but tighten my fists slightly.
"How many times?" I asked, taking hold of her arm to make her face me as I looked deeply into her beautiful dark blue eyes.
I expected her to feel a bit afraid and go into a panic because of what happened to her, but her eyes showed no signs of fear; she wasn't scared.
"Why do you want to know?" she asked, not taking her gaze off me.
"Remember the deal we have, Dove," I said as she sighed.
"Once, just once," she said as I felt a huge relief.
Partly because not only did I hear, but I also saw in her eyes that she was telling me the truth, which meant she was still innocent.
"Listen to me, Dove. I don't care what your Father thinks or plans to do with his life, but he will not drag you again," I said as she looked at me confused.
"The moment he agreed to this deal, you became more of my crew, and no matter what he says, you will not be rearranged again; this ends with me," I said as her eyes widened, surprised.
"W-Why?" she asked, confused, not leaving my gaze as I placed my hands on her cheek without leaving her eyesight.
"Because…." I said but paused as I pressed our foreheads together and closed my eyes.
"Because why?" she asked, not pulling away. I slightly pulled my head away from her and lifted her chin so our eyes could meet again.
I looked down at her lips and saw her bite her lip slightly before swallowing hard as I turned to look at her eyes.
Once her eyes were on mine, I slowly lowered my head slightly as she closed her eyes before brushing my lips onto hers.
I was expecting her to pull back and reject the kiss, but she leaned in and responded the moment my lips touched hers.
It was a soft, gentle, romantic kiss. I didn't want it to end, but I didn't want it to overwhelm her, so I pulled away but pressed my forehead onto hers for a minute before pulling away.
I brushed my finger across her cheek as she moved her head to my hand, and my other hand took hold of hers. I was about to say something when I heard a familiar voice.
"There you are, Rose; I've been looking for you," said Liz as we turned to see her carrying three books.
"What are the books for?" I asked as she smiled.
"Dress designs, duh," she said as my little Dove giggled, and I playfully rolled my eyes.
"And since you are the groom, you need to leave since you can't see the dress she chooses," said Liz as I shook my head.
"Alright, I'll leave you two ladies to it. I'll come back later, Dove," I said. She smiled and nodded. I looked at Liz, waving me off, as I walked out of the library.
I was making my way to find Edward when I walked past Izzie carrying an empty tray.
"Izzie, can you make sure Rose eats something?" I asked her as she nodded, smiling.
"Of course, William; don't worry," she said as I smiled.
"She's in the library with Liz, organizing the wedding since we are moving the wedding date," I said as her eyes widened.
"That's wonderful news, William!" she exclaimed happily as she hugged me.
"Don't worry, your Mother and I will make sure to help her with anything she asks," she said, smiling as I smiled.
"Thank you," I said as she walked away.
I was about to continue walking when I heard a familiar voice that made me stop and turn to see him smiling.
"I leave for a few hours and come back to something different?" asked GrandDad as I smiled at him and walked to him.
"Hi, GrandDad. Yes, things have changed; we have moved the wedding to an earlier date," I said as he nodded.
"Is the date set?" he asked as I shook my head.
"Not yet, but it will be after Wassalia Day," I said as he thought momentarily.
"Why not have it before Wassalia day?" he asked as I sighed.
"Isn't it too close of a call? I mean, Wassalia day is only a few weeks away," I said as GrandDad nodded.
"True, but it isn't something that can't be done; we could make it work," he said as I thought momentarily.
"I don't know. I would have to ask Rose about that. Dad says the sooner, the better, but we'll see," I said as he nodded.
"Why?" asked GrandDad, confused as I sighed.
"We had a meeting with the parents, and Rose said something that worried Dad and me," I said as he frowned, confused.
"What did she say?" he asked as I sighed.
"She said not to trust her Father at all and requested additional security for the wedding," I said as GrandDad frowned, confused.
"For a reason, she said that," said GrandDad as I nodded.
"Do you think she knows something we don't about her Father?" Asked GrandDad as I shrugged.
"I am not too positive, but if she said this, it could be because she knows something, right?" I asked as he nodded slightly.
"Or because she's lived with him and knows how he is," he added as I remembered what she said.
"I guess you are right on that; I mean, she is a victim in all of this, GrandDad," I said as he nodded.
"I tried to ask her something about her Father, but Dad stopped me from questioning her," I said as I heard a familiar voice cut me off.
"And with good reason, it would have seemed you were interrogating her," said the voice as I turned to see it was Mom.
"Dad, so glad to have you back," said Mom, smiling as GrandDad smiled and nodded.
"Hugo's, alright?" he asked as she smiled and nodded.
"He finished his lunch and is taking a nap. Which means I have time to sort out some things," she said as we nodded.
I was about to say something when Isaac approached us, running with an envelope.
"Your majesties! This letter came with urgency," he said as he handed the letter to Mom as she looked confused.
"Who is it from?" she asked before looking down as I saw her eyes widen.
"It's from Enchancia; it must be Lucinda," she said excitedly as she opened the envelope and read.
"What does it say, Mom?" I asked as she continued to read before letting us know what the letter said.
"Lucinda says she sent a letter to Malorie asking her to meet her, and she responded," she said as I looked at GrandDad and our eyes widened.
"What did she say?" I asked as she continued to read the letter to us.
"Lady Malorie said she will meet her in a few weeks due to her short availability," she said as I looked at GrandDad, confused.
"But she will meet her?" I said as Mom nodded.
"That is what the letter says, and so will your Father and I," said Mom as I nodded.
"I am going to write to Lucinda and ask her to tell Lady Malorie to send her a precise date for us to be there," said Mom as I nodded.
"Excellent Idea, Sofia. That way, you two can ask her and try to resolve the issue," said GrandDad as I nodded.
"What issue?" asked a familiar voice as Liz and my little Dove approached us.
"Lady Malorie finally responded to Mom's friend," I said as they nodded.
"What did she say?" asked my little Dove as I took a breath before answering.
"Lucinda said she will see her in a few weeks," she said as Liz looked confused.
"Weeks? Why so long?" asked Liz confused.
"Well, remember her husband is missing," said GrandDad as I cut him off.
"And Dad is the prime suspect," I added as Liz crossed her arms angrily.
"Why don't we just have a trial? We know Dad is innocent in all this," said Liz as I thought momentarily.
"She does have a point; why isn't there a trial?" I asked as they all shrugged.
"There's no big proof; at most, they can call your Father to question him," said my little Dove as GrandDad nodded.
"By whom? The King and Lady Malorie think he's responsible and will do anything to try to say he's guilty," I said, upset, as Mom sighed.
"We mustn't think like that, William," said Mom as GrandDad nodded.
"Your Mother is right, William. They wouldn't question your Father, but the council might," said GrandDad as I raised my eyebrow.
"But whom? May I remind you all that there's also the treaty issue, and no one trusts each other right now. How sure are we that they will listen and believe Dad?" I asked.
"We aren't sure, but we must believe the law will prevail and that there is still good and hope in this world," said Mom as GrandDad nodded.
"Besides, King Bailey is known to be fair; he created the peace trial after all," said GrandDad as we all nodded.
"I hope you're right, Dad," said Mom as I nodded.
"How is Uncle James doing?" I asked as Mom smiled.
"Good. Your Aunt Vivian sent me a letter saying he is doing much better," said Mom as I nodded.
"That's good news indeed; I can't wait to see them this Wassalia year!" said Liz excited as I nodded before noticing something was off.
"Where is Edward?" I asked as we heard familiar voices.
"Right here," said the familiar voice as we all turned to see Edward coming with Dad.
I quickly looked at Mom and noticed she raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms immediately.
"What are you doing out of bed?" asked Mom as we chuckled, and Dad shook his head.
"I am fine, dear; I have been resting since this morning," said Dad as Mom shook her head angrily at him.
"Well, I'm glad that you're alright, Dad," said Liz as she hugged him.
"Mom, he looks fine, and he already rested the whole morning," said Edward as I nodded.
"I have an idea; why don't we have lunch at the gazebo parlor, like a little picnic," I said as GrandDad and Liz nodded.
"Great idea, William. This way, Dad gets some fresh air and walks a bit," said GrandDad as we all nodded except for Mom.
"Come on, Mom. We will all be there; nothing is going to happen," said Edward as I nodded.
"Then we could have a little bit of a tournament," I said, looking at my little Dove as her eyes widened.
"What do you mean?" Asked Mom, confused, as I looked at Liz, who was smiling and nodding.
"A little flying derby brother?" Asked Edward as I nodded.
"Better be ready to lose," said Liz as I chuckled.
"Challenge accepted, sis," I said as she smirked, and we turned to see Mom as she sighed.
"Alright, alright," said Mom as she smiled slightly, and we all cheered.
"You all have your Father's stubbornness, you know that?" Said Mom as Dad raised his eyebrow.
"You're not to settle yourself, dear," said Dad as Mom rolled her eyes and shook her head before walking away.
"Oooo, Dad….." said Liz as GrandDad chuckled.
"You better go apologize, Dad, before she puts you in the dog house," I said as GrandDad nodded.
"For weeks," said Edward as Dad shook his head.
"I'll be alright, boys," said Dad as we all chuckled.
"If you say so," I said as we all chuckled before Dad made his way towards Mom as we all headed to the gazebo.
It was then I felt a sudden tug, and I looked back to notice my little Dove looking at me, slightly worried.
"Don't worry, Dove. No one is making you do something you don't want to," I said as she smiled.
"It's not that, it's the other thing," she said as I smiled.
"Oh, you don't want your Father to know that you are a secretly trained flying derby rider," I said as she bit her lip.
"Don't worry, Dove, what we do as a family stays within the family," I said as she nodded.
"Besides, no one really talks to your Father," I added as she smiled and seemed more relaxed.
"Thank you," she said as I smiled and nodded.
"Come on, Dove," I said as she nodded and began to walk in front of me as I followed.
Once we arrived at the gazebo, I quickly saw that the table was all set up with our lunch and that everyone was already there.
We had some of the servants nearby, and as soon as we took our seats, they began to serve our food.
It was something small and light, which was great since we were going to do some flying derby.
As we ate our cucumber sandwiches with carrots on the side, Mom told stories about when we were younger, which made us laugh.
However, I think she was just using this as an excuse to ignore Dad, which was funny to us because he was indeed in the dog house.
"Come on, Sof. I'm sorry, I said that darling," said Dad, and Mom simply smiled and ignored him.
"You should have seen them when they were younger; it was amusing to see who was more stubborn," said GrandDad as Mom looked shocked.
"Surely, you remember that I was less stubborn, Dad," said Mom as GrandDad nodded.
"That I do know," he said as we all looked at him confused.
"What do you mean, GrandDad?" Asked Liz, confused as we all looked at him.
"You all have your Father's stubbornness; the only one who is slightly calm is Edward," said GrandDad as Mom nodded.
"And sometimes he can still be a bit stubborn," said Mom, looking at Dad, who smiled nervously.
"But you still love me," said Dad as Mom rolled her eyes playfully before smiling.
"Yes, darling. I still love you, even though you make me upset sometimes," said Mom, smirking as Dad smiled and hugged Mom as she shook her head, and we all laughed.
"Alright, let's do this!" said Liz excitedly as I nodded, and we got up from our seats.
"Ready to lose dear sister?" I asked her, smirking as she smiled.
"In your dreams, Willy," she whispered, smirking as I nodded.
We quickly noticed that the stables boy had prepared our horses for departure.
"We start here, circle around the castle, and then come back for the landing," I said as she nodded.
I looked back at my little Dove, who seemed slightly hesitant about getting on her horse. I looked at her until our eyes met.
It was then that I smiled and nodded at her, gesturing that it was okay if she wanted to fly her horse or not.
Liz and I got ready behind the line, and when the whistle was blown, we quickly took off and began our departure.
I quickly took advantage, leaving Liz behind before she appeared from nowhere, making us be side to side.
This continued as we were getting to the finish line, and we could hear our family cheering us.
I was a little hesitant about winning. I wanted Liz to win, but she would know I let her win if I were to lose.
In other words, I had to try my best, which meant I had to beat her since she was still slightly far from beating me.
I was about to cross the finish line with an easy landing when suddenly I felt another horse fly past me fast, making me lose my balance for a second.
As I looked at the other rider, I couldn't help but smile proudly. It was my little Dove. She had actually passed me and won the race.
I looked down and noticed my family cheering as she landed. They walked over to her as Liz and I landed.
"Rosalie, that was amazing!" exclaimed Mom.
"I didn't know you knew how to race?" asked Father surprised as she smiled.
"Who taught you?" asked GrandDad as she smiled nervously.
"No one did; I taught myself how to when my Father forbade it and locked Lily," she said as they nodded.
"She's the only thing I have of my Mother, and I plan to cherish her as much as I can," she said as they smiled and nodded.
"I think it's an excellent idea," said Mom as Dad nodded.
"Great way to honor your Mother," added Dad.
"Don't worry, we won't tell your Father anything," said GrandDad as she smiled.
"Thank you," she said, smiling as they nodded.
"Wow, my sister-in-law is a rule breaker? Never would have guessed it," said Edward as she slightly blushed and smiled.
"I guess she is the one for you, brother," Edward whispered as I smirked and saw how well she was fitting in with my family.
'She turned out to be my mysterious rider that night, and just maybe she could be the one I am looking for.' I thought, not leaving my gaze on her.
"Rematch?" I asked her as she smiled and nodded.
"You're on," she said, and I smirked and nodded at her. We took off into the air again and continued to have many relay races.