Chapter 21

"Wasn't it wonderful?" Sophia skipped into her sister's chambers, her dress swirling around her as she bounced around.

Eliza looked up from her seat at the window, before sighing and looking out into the distance. It was a wonderful day, with the snow looking even whiter than before. The ice reflected the bright sun, causing the light to dance around the ground.

"Eliza, are you listening to me?" Sophia put her hands on her hips. Eliza regretfully shook her head.

"I was saying how amazing last night was. All of those handsome young men who wanted to dance with me. I simply cannot wait to be old enough to claim a suitor! Oh, you're so lucky that you are old enough for romance." Sophia slapped her hand over her mouth as soon as she said those words. Her eyes were so wide that it was almost comical.

Eliza just smiled.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive. I was just being thoughtless. Mother always tells me to think before I speak, but sometimes I get way too excited that I forget."

"Sophia, calm down. It's alright." Eliza watched her sister visibly relax. "Now, what are you doing awake so early? I would have thought with the amount of dancing you took part in last night you would be asleep."

"But I couldn't sleep any longer. And Rachel refused to wake up when I went to speak to her. I simply had to talk to somebody."

"Well, what's on your mind this morning?"

"There was a young man who danced with me almost all night! It was so wonderful. I have never had such a lovely evening. Those balls have always been boring and dreary, but yesterday was different."

Eliza tried to push her own problems to the side.

"You're only twelve years old. What will mother and father say?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I am speaking to you, and not them." Sophia grinned and blushed slightly. It really was rather adorable.

"Well, what is his name?" Eliza grabbed her sister's hands.

But Sophia's face dropped. It was a drastic change of appearance as if her mask of personality had been exchanged for another.

"His name is Jacob." She whispered and looked towards the floor.

"What's the problem, Sophia?"

"He-he's- promise me you will not be angry at me Eliza!"

Eliza shook her head. "I could never be angry at you. Tell me what's wrong."

"He is the younger brother of Prince Jackson."

Sophia physically tensed as she braced herself for her sister's wrath. But Eliza held in a gasp and slipped a soft smile onto her lips.

"And, why might that be a problem?" Eliza asked.

"Be-because Jackson is so awful to you. Father will never allow anything to happen."

"Sophia, I don't think you need to worry about that at the moment. You need to remember that you are still only twelve. For now, you should enjoy whatever happens. When the time comes, I will put in a good word to father for you. I am sure that he is nothing like his brother."

Before Eliza could say anything else, her young sister threw her arms around her neck.

"Oh, thank you!"

After a few moments, she pulled away.

"Well, in that case, I will tell you what happened." Sophia grinned. "He kissed me!"

Eliza rolled her eyes. It was the sort of thing that she would expect to be written in one of the old fairy tales in the old bookshop, but to see it in real life was strange.

"Aren't you excited for me?" Sophia asked, worry etched on her face.

"Of course. It merely reminded me of a story that I used to read as a child."

"What was the story about?" Sophia asked, but Eliza didn't hear her. She was too busy staring out of the window, her eyes narrowed in attempt to see the picture in more detail.

Sophia noticed her absence straight away, and she too looked out of the window. "Is that James?"

"Yes."

"But who is he with? Is that a maid?"

"I have no idea."

Sophia kept speaking, but Eliza zoned her out completely. She couldn't take her eyes away from where James was walking next to a maid. From where she was stood, Eliza couldn't see her in detail, but something told her that she was a very pretty girl.

James and the maid were walking towards the castle, a trail of footprints etched into the snow behind. A semi-permanent reminder that James was with another woman.

As they got closer, smiles could be seen on their faces, and by the way that James' shoulders shook, laughter was obvious. By the time they had reached the doors, Eliza could see them clearly.

And that was the moment that Eliza's hear seemed to shatter into a million pieces. The moment that the maid reached up and kissed James.

Eliza tore her eyes away from the scene and hauled her drapes closed.

Her breaths were shallow and rapid, and her eyes had glazed over with tears.

"Are you alright, Eliza?" Sophia's concern was touching, and Eliza pulled her into a hug.

"I will be. It will take a little bit of getting used to, but I will need to come to terms with it at some point. It is inevitable that he will find somebody else to love.