Hey! So I'm writing this chapter as I'm supposed to be writing an essay, which I am now regretting. School starts on Thursday and I have hardy started my holiday homework because I'm too busy spending my time with Eliza and the rest of the royals!

 :) I think this deserves lots and lots of votes! Haha enjoy! Let me know what you think in the comments Xx

Chapter 18

"Has the date of the wedding been decided?" the king asked his daughter as they were eating supper.

Eliza shrugged and stared at her plate of food. She hadn't been paying any attention to the wedding plans. It was a silly idea, but Eliza had been thinking that if she tried to ignore the inevitable it would all go away. As simple as that.

The queen answered for her. "Well, the Queen of Zari has expressed that she wishes for it to be in February. We have over two more months to prepare, and no one will be delayed in travel due to the weather. I think it shall be the final day in February."

Eliza closed her eyes. Perhaps if she thought about other things to look forward to she wouldn't dread it so much. Like Christmas. That was certainly a day to await. What would it be like at the castle?

As if reading her mind, Danny changed the subject. "Will there be a winter ball this year?"

She opened her eyes and sent Danny a grateful grin.

"Of course, dear," the queen nodded. "Christmas wouldn't be the same without it."

"Oh, Eliza, wait until you see the winter ball! You will have the most wonderful time." Sophia sighed dreamily. Winter had always been her favourite time of year. "And we get to wear beautiful gowns!"

"Will Mrs. Ovens make them?" Eliza asked.

"No. She is far too busy with your wedding dress!"

Sighing, Eliza put her fork down.

"You've rather taken a liking to that lady, haven't you?" Andrew added.

"Well, of course. She always helped me out in Grea. No one else did anything." Eliza answered truthfully. Mrs. Ovens would forever be her favourite women in the kingdom. In fact, if Eliza could pick any person to be her mother, Mrs. Ovens would take that title. Not that her own mother wasn't great, but she had known Mrs. Ovens for much longer.

"James helped you out, too," Sophia helpfully added. She ignored the look that Danny sent her way.

"But, Sophia, that was different. Isn't that right, Eliza?" Rachel said, holding back a slight giggle.

Eliza just nodded. She knew that her face was as red as the tomato that was currently on her plate, but she was just glad that no one had said anything about it.

"You're rather red. Are you alright?" But alas, Sophia failed to comply with her wishes. She seemed genuinely worried, but her face relaxed when she saw the rest of her siblings laughing.

"Will Delilah be allowed to attend the winter ball?" Eliza briskly changed the subject. Oscar had just walked into the dining room, and the three sisters grinned. But he was oblivious.

"I hope you don't mind me interrupting, but the invitations to the winter ball are about to be sent. Deli- I mean Miss Trivilla is wanting to know whether there are any more to add." He said before anyone could answer her question.

"Elizabeth, is there anyone that you wish to invite?" the king asked.

"I don't think so. As long as Delilah is allowed to come," she sent Oscar a cheeky smile, and she didn't fail to notice the red creeping up his ears.

"Very well, then." The king nodded to Oscar as he left. Andrew quickly pulled out his chair and jumped up, muttering an excuse on his way out.

He caught up to Oscar and followed him to find Delilah busy sealing the final of the invitations. He made polite conversation with her.

No one noticed when he slipped in one extra invitation to the pile.

***

Watching her brothers and sisters riding stirred up an odd feeling in Eliza's chest. It was warm and tingly, and it made her smile slightly. She really was lucky to have siblings.

Oliver and Danny were busy racing around the field, with Sophia and Rachel following at a more appropriate pace. The girls were laughing, no doubt talking about the young prince that Sophia had recently met and 'fallen madly in love with'. Everyone knew that it was just a childish crush, but that didn't stop Sophia talking about him in every given moment.

They had asked Eliza to go with them, but, just like Andrew had, she passed up the offer. While she wasn't terrible at riding, she knew that she would hold them back. They would be careful in order to protect her.

Being treated like a china doll was getting rather boring for Eliza. The entire family had been like it. She was constantly being asked if she was okay, and when she went riding they gave her the calmest horse who was incapable of going too fast.

Eliza watched as Danny's horse came to a sudden halt, causing him to nearly fly off. Her breath caught in her throat and jumped up in fright. But Danny had clung on, and he was okay.

Suddenly, Eliza had a familiar feeling sweep across her. She knew that this had happened before. In fact, she was certain of it.

'Eliza, will you race me?' Danny asked six-year-old Eliza.

'You know that mother wouldn't want us to go too fast! She told us to be careful.' Eliza argued back.

'I am being careful.' He answered. 'If you won't race me, watch how fast I can go!'

Eliza shook her head at her brother's silly ideas. If only their nanny would come back from taking baby Oliver back to the castle. She had left both a servant and a guard to watch, but they were too busy fluttering their eyelashes and giggling at each other to pay any attention to the two children.

Danny jumped up onto the animal and kicked the side of his horse, and quickly began moving. He went faster and faster until suddenly a bird flew out in front of them. It was just a small bird, but it was enough to frighten the horse.

With one large buck, Danny had flown off the horse, much like the bird that had caused the accident.

Eliza screamed and dropped the reins of her horse. She ran to her brother, careful to avoid the dangerous legs of the horse that was still bucking.

She dropped to the ground to check if he was okay.

'Danny! Are you alright?' she asked, fear filling her voice. But she didn't get an answer.

The guard looked up and when he saw what had happened, he ran over to them.

'Danny! Wake up Danny!" Eliza tried again. She didn't know why he wasn't answering. 'Danny!' It came out as a sob now.

'Princess, you need to let me get to him,' the guard said, gently tugging her away. But she just clung on more.

'No!' she answered.

'I'm going to help him, Princess,' he insisted. Another guard came up to them He lifted Eliza away, and held her up in the air, his arms tightly holding onto her waist.

Eliza didn't remember anything else other than the fear that she had felt at the moment. She could picture the guard carrying him away to the castle, while she just kept crying.

The whole memory had brought tears to Elia's mind. She was living it for the first time, and it was an odd sensation. She had to find out if it was true. Perhaps if it was, it would mean that all of her memories would come back.

She ran through the gardens, not worrying about the odd looks that she was getting. She ran all the way to where Danny was now riding at a slower pace. He stopped the horse when he saw her.

"You fell off your horse!" she said, her breath heavy from running.

"Not quite," he replied, watching her with confusion. He had just nearly fallen off, but he had managed to save himself.

"I'm not talking about now" she replied. "When we were little. You were riding a gray horse, and it bucked you off. You had wanted to race me, but I said no, so instead you wanted me to watch you go fast."

"Well, yes. How do you know?" he asked. His eyebrows were furrowed as he waited for her explanation.

The rest of her siblings rotted over, equally confused at Eliza's outburst.

"I'm not sure. I just remembered it. I don't remember anything else about it though."

Danny jumped down from his horse, and before she even realised, he pulled her into a hug.

"You remember!" he said as he lifted her up from the ground slightly.

"What happened after the guard took you away?" she asked, still crushed in his arms.

"Well, I'm not completely sure. They said that I was lucky to survive with no long term injuries."

"What's going on?" Oliver asked. Danny finally released his sister. He turned to Oliver with bright eyes and the widest smile that Eliza had ever seen.

"Eliza remembers something from before she disappeared."

He turned to her with a large grin, and Eliza could do nothing but grin back.