(Y/N POV)

It was the usual format that we sat in, except this time with the inclusion of our "guest". Alexander and Eliza were at the ends of the table with the boys on one side and the girls on the other. They made it so the eldest boy (Philip, in this case) would be seated beside Alexander, and the youngest beside Eliza. It was the opposite for the girls, with the eldest - me - seated beside Eliza, and the youngest beside Alexander.

With baby James' need for assistance with his meal and older James' reluctance to be beside his brother, older James was offered a seat between baby James and Junior. It was oddly satisfying to see both sides even for once, instead of three on one side and four on the other. My only hope that was the next child was to be a boy (and if I remembered correctly, it was going to be, should events not disrupt that).

With the meals handed out to us by Gertrude (Frances also helped by setting the table), we sat in silence. The family was back together again, yes, but who would have thought that we would be joined by someone who I'd never considered meeting. Alexander didn't know how to act especially.

'Are you eating that?' Junior broke the quietness, turning to the older James who had barely touched his food.

'...No.'

'Can I eat it?'

'Knock yourself out.' He pushed his plate over to Junior, a huge smirk spreading across his face.

Eliza was visibly shocked by this behaviour and instead chose to ignore it. 'Children, why don't you all share with your father what you have been up to over this month, hm? Philip, you go first.'

Philip gulped. 'Studying.'

'That's a delight to hear,' complimented Alexander.

Eliza smirked. 'Oh, and your poems, you have been hard at work with those, haven't you?'

Laying his cutlery down, Philip's face turned pink. 'N-not that much -'

'Oh, you have. You've seen him, haven't you, Y/N?'

Philip's eyes shifted rapidly over to me and he subtly shook his head.

'No - yeah - erm, he has a bit. He's intent on his schooling, though,' I lied.

'If you say so.'

'Like your father, then, are you?' the older James questioned.

Philip shrugged. 'Maybe...'

Moving along, Eliza glanced at Angelica. 'How about you, Angelica?'

'I've been dancing,' she confessed. 'I think it's fun.'

'Really?' Alexander perked his head up. 'You will have to show me a thing or two, then.'

She grinned at him. 'I think I'm going to dance for the world one day!'

'I'm sure you will, my dear -'

'Ow! Stop kicking me!' Philip winced. He nudged Junior away with his shoulder.

'I'm not!!'

'Junior?'

The boy looked at his mother, a fork of food from the older James' plate in his mouth.

'What have you been up to?'

He gulped. 'I came up with a plan to get to the moon!'

'How's that?'

'I thought that the building stairs to the sky idea was stupid, so you know those rocket things from the future that Y/N talked about?'

By the mentioning of the future, older James glared at me. I put my head down and continued eating.

'Yes?'

'I thought I could build a rocket and then I could fly it up to space!'

'How do you anticipate that you will build one?' asked Alexander.

'I'll find things from the garden, sticks and rocks, and I'll put them all together into this great big rocket!'

Frances shook her head. 'That would never work.'

'Nuh-uh, it would!'

'And what about you, Frances?' Eliza finalised.

'I've been writing letters to my sister Mary,' she stated with excitement, 'my handwriting has gotten better, Alexander!'

'Really? You shall have to show me!'

'It has,' Philip agreed.

'She's a good drawer, too,' added Angelica.

'Why look at you, Franny!' Eliza exclaimed. 'Your family will be proud of you.'

Alexander set down his cutlery and glimpsed around to all of us. 'There is... news that we have decided to make you all aware of.'

'Now, Alexander?' Eliza's face tensed.

'Now is the best time, for we are all together.'

'Am I included?' The older James raised his hand.

Alexander sighed. 'If you must be.' He looked at me and Emily. 'Girls... You're more than likely aware that our situation here will not better itself in the upcoming months.'

Junior furrowed his eyebrows.

'Be anything, it will only worsen.'

'Could you phrase it any harsher?' Eliza criticised.

Alexander dismissed her question. 'I was visited after the court by the President, who made it clear that he was unable to make it but could catch me at the last minute. I informed him of what had occurred, and he has made a great offer to me that I believe you should both take into careful consideration.'

'What?' Emily spoke out for the first time tonight.

He took a deep breath in. 'He has offered for you both to stay at his residence for a while, that is, until things calm themselves. It is simply not safe for you to stay here.'

The older James poked his head around the table. 'Then why did you publish that notice?'

'That's for us to discuss later, not now -'

'No, if it's dangerous, then wh-'

'Yes,' I disrupted their ruse; both stared at me. 'We'll go.'

'But Y/N, dear, you must think about it first -'

'It'll be safer,' I stopped Eliza, 'we can't stay here if it's not safe. If we stay, we'll be putting everyone here at risk.'

'But I don't want to go,' Emily disagreed at once. 'I-I like it here. I don't want to go.'

'Emily, we'll be safe -'

'No!' She stood up from her chair; merely from her voice, I could sense the tears whelm up. 'I don't want to go! I don't know him, I'm happy here! I won't go!' Emily left the room in a hurry, wiping her sleeve over her eyes.

A snort came from the older James who carried on by taking a drink from his glass. 'Quite the family life you have,' he joked.

'It is the only chance you have, Y/N,' proceeded Alexander. 'Please, do whatever you can to convince her.'

'When will we be coming back?'

For a couple dozen seconds, nobody had an answer. We had resorted back to our silence so extreme that I could hear Emily's soft cries from the bedroom.

'I don't know, Y/N,' Alexander concluded.

'I don't know.'

~~~~~~~~~~

Good morning/afternoon/evening, people, two things.

Firstly, HAPPY 253RD BIRTHDAY, VALENTINO!

Secondly, here's a thing that I made based off of one of those art templates.

Simply put, I put all of the combinations into a randomize generator along with twenty-four major characters. Whichever combination I got (e.g. A1 and Philip), I had to draw that character over that section.

Of course, this is not my original artwork as I traced over so all credit goes to the original artist who created the template.

Here are the results.

If you are wondering why some of the names aren't on there, it's because they are characters who are yet to be introduced :P

(By the way, Katelyn is the name for Y/N in the redraft)