AN: Hi everyone! Due to my vacation I am not able to upload the next chapter until the 29th of september. So here is a little chapter with a short flashback to summer 1917. Thank you all for your comment! Do you have any wishes for Emma being the flower girl?

Flashback

On a stormy evening, as the rain beat against the windows and the lightning illuminated the sky, 5-year-old Emma lay anxiously in her bed. The thunder outside sent shivers down her spine. With each flash of lightning, she buried herself under her blanket. With each clap of thunder, she jolted upright.

"Daddy!" Emma cried out loudly, "Daddy!" But there was no response.

She remained alone in the bedroom. Emma reached for her stuffed toy and stepped onto the hallway floor with bare feet. It was pitch dark, and the light switch was out of her reach.

It was the head housemaid, Anna, who eventually made her way to check on the girl - knowing of her intense fear of thunderstorms. She flicked on the light and saw the tear-stained face of the child.

"Emma, I'm here," she spoke gently, crouching down to her eye level. "Don't be afraid, I'm with you now." Anna's hand gently brushed away the tears on Emma's cheek.

"May I stay with you, Anna?" she asked hopefully. Anna nodded, "Of course!"

"Good to see you here, Anna," praised Mrs. Hughes as she entered through the connecting door that separated the ladies from the gentlemen.

"I did tell you, Mrs. Hughes," Anna said accusingly as she gently stroked the girl's back, "Can't you see he neglects her? He's never there for her."

Mrs. Hughes shook her head, "He was in the war, Anna. He's only been back for a week. How could he possibly know she's afraid of storms?"

"He would know if he were ever there for her," she said, "Good parents would know," before she moderated her tone and turned to the little girl with gentle words, "It's alright, Emma." With her thumb, she wiped the tears from Emma's cheek, "I'm here now."

"I'll go fetch Thomas," said Mrs. Hughes, but Anna shook her head, "Leave it be, Mrs. Hughes. Emma will spend the night with me."

Just as she had finished reading Emma a bedtime story, there was a knock at the door. The person didn't even wait for an invitation but barged right into the room.

"Thomas..."

"Sergeant Barrow for you," he said curtly.

Anna rolled her eyes, "What are you doing here in the ladies' quarters?"

"I'm here to get my daughter," he declared and stepped closer to the bed.

"She just fell asleep a few moments ago," Anna whispered angrily.

"But in the wrong room," Thomas grinned mischievously.

"Emma wants to stay here," she argued, trying to prevent Thomas from reaching for his daughter.

"But I don't want that," Thomas replied.

"This has been her room for years. You can't just show up and disrupt her life overnight. Please, Thomas, let Emma stay here."

"I was in the war, Anna!" he hissed softly, "I certainly didn't leave my child behind for fun."

"Thomas, you know what I mean."

"Emma is my child," Thomas emphasized through clenched teeth. He certainly wouldn't allow her to dictate his access to his child again. The last time he let her send him away after spending the day with Emma and returning her to her room asleep. He wouldn't stand for it again. He should have put his child to bed properly. The staff constantly gossiped behind his back, saying he didn't care about his child, but they never gave him the chance to be there for her.

"Step aside, Anna!"

Anna resisted, but they both noticed that Emma was stirring. Fortunately, she didn't wake up, but her restless sleep made it clear they were being too loud. Anna reluctantly took a step back. Finally, Thomas was able to reach for his sleeping daughter. He lifted her into his arms, making sure her stuffed animal was always by her side.

"You've always been good at asserting ownership," Anna said softly, glaring at him, "Thomas," she added his first name, "Emma was scared, that's why I brought her to me."

"I'm well aware of that," Thomas replied angrily. At the doorway, he turned around briefly. "Just so you know, I didn't leave her frightened. I read her to sleep and then went back to my work."

Emma woke up as Thomas tucked her into her own bed.

"Daddy," she asked sleepily. Just then, another roll of thunder sounded, and Emma jolted awake.

"Don't be afraid, my little dwarf," he smiled reassuringly. "Just go back to sleep. I'm right here, next to you, okay?"

"Can you tell me a story?" she pleaded.

Thomas nodded and reached for a book.

"Not the one from the book. I want to hear a brand new one!" the girl demanded, suddenly wide awake.

He hesitated for a moment. Emma patted the small, empty space next to her. Thomas sighed and sat down in her bed, putting his arm around Emma, and began a story.

"Once upon a time, there was a little princess. She lived in a beautiful castle," Thomas paused briefly, unsure of what a 5-year-old girl would like to hear. "The princess was very lovable and kind, and everyone who knew her loved her dearly."

"Really everyone?" Emma doubted.

"Yes... everyone," Thomas replied and continued, "The princess was surrounded by a large group of servants. There was the evil footman. The evil footman was infamous for being rude and intimidating."

"Even to the princess? So not everyone is nice to her!"

Thomas shook his head, "No, my little dwarf. The evil footman had a secret. He had a very big heart for the princess. He did everything to make her happy, even if he was unkind to the others in the castle who wanted to harm the princess."

"Who are the others in the castle?"

"There was also the shady valet with his limp. Not much was known about his past, which is why the evil footman feared for the well-being of the little princess, as the shady valet was taking away the evil footmans job."

"Why did he take his job away?"

"Later, little dwarf. Next, there was the grumpy old butler, but he respected the little princess. Then there was the shy kitchen maid. The little princess liked the shy kitchen maid very much. Both of them secretly indulged in cookies when the old kitchen dragon wasn't around."

"Dad?" Emma interrupted him, "Is the little princess also afraid of storms?"

"No," he said firmly, "The little princess knew that the storm wasn't dangerous as long as she was in her magical castle."

End of flashback

"One day, a new servant - the giant footman - came to the castle," Thomas began the bedtime story. Emma lay in her bed, eagerly listening.

There wasn't much time left for stories, as ever since her father became Lord Grantham's chamberlain, he had to go back to assist in dressing his lordship in the evenings. So, there was only a brief moment between the staff's dinner and the dressing of his lordship, varying from a few hours to just a few minutes, depending on when his lordship decided to retire for the night.

"Because the shady valet was driven away by the evil footman," added 8-year-old Emma.

Thomas, sitting on the edge of the bed, nodded. "Exactly. That's why the grumpy old butler needed a new servant. The giant footman was somehow peculiar. The evil footman found out that he worked for the nasty witch. The nasty witch had dark plans. She wanted to take over the kingdom of the little princess and shroud everything in darkness. But she hadn't counted on the now evil valet, because he would do anything to protect the little princess. So, he devised a plan."

"What kind of a plan?" Emma asked, curious.

"The evil footman decided that he had to get rid of the nasty witch," Thomas explained. "Since the nasty witch wishes for the giant footman to become a valet..."

"But the giant doesn't know how to do that," Emma quickly noted. After all, the evil footman had fought for years for his job as a valet.

"That's true. So, the evil valet pretends to help the giant footman. In reality, he enjoys setting a trap for the giant, so that the grumpy old butler believes the giant footman is not suitable."

Just as Thomas was about to continue his story, there was a knock on the door. "Lord Grantham requires you, Mr. Barrow," Mrs. Hughes' voice came through.

Thomas sighed. "I guess the story will have to wait," he said. Emma nodded sleepily. He gently stroked her forehead. "Goodnight, my little dwarf," and he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight, Dad."

With a faint smile, he left the room and returned to his duties, knowing that he gladly embraced the role of the "evil valet" when it came to protecting and making his little dwarf happy.