When walking along the bright and clean white and gold halls, painted frames of past royals hung precisely at any open spot, you could hear the rushed steps of servants as they raced to get the rooms spotless before the king arrived. the clatters of plates and utensils, the clicking heels from the maids as they set the table for the royal family.

In the kitchen, you can hear the head chef shouting out orders to his cooks, making sure each entrée and appetizer was made exactly right, as to not disappoint the king. He called to the bakers in the next room over, making sure all the ingredients were measured perfectly as to not be too sweet for the royal highness. He looked out one of the few windows in his kitchen, seeing the sun near the peaks of the distant cliffs. the beautiful blue of the sky was changing to pretty purples and pinks as the night approached.

Inside the Queen's royal quarters, she sat up in her large bed, the red blankets pulled up and over her enlarged stomach, which carried her seventh child. She half-hopped for a boy, after having six beautiful and wonderful girls already, but she wouldn't mind another princess. Her hands held on to a book with a camellia flower on the cover. it was a copy of her favorite "story" that she had hand made for her youngest daughter, not the one still in her belly, that one is in her closet drawer for later.

Her youngest was sleeping peacefully, curled up into her mother's side. Her name was Fallon, and she had her father's wavy sand blonde hair but her mother's kind chocolate brown eyes. she was only a few months and a year old, but she already had so much personality to her. She was quick to grow close to her mother, and her sisters. the servants loved seeing her race as fast as she could down the halls, the nanny laughing lightly as she chased her.

With the seventh babe on its last few days before arrival, the servants were worried Fallon would be sad to lose the constant attention that was given to her daily. But considering the older daughters were never really upset during this very situation, that same worry shrunk quickly.

The king, sat in his office, works diligently on signing papers for trades and offers that would surely help the citizens in his kingdom. Reading every last letter over and over to better understand what he will be allowing to happen. His advisor stood beside him, pointing at the signature lines and answering any and all questions given to him about the new laws and services. His finger clad with fancy rings tapped lightly on the dark oak wood, his head rested in his palm as he listened to his advisor explain a simple complaint from a loyal citizen. His blue eyes glanced around the room, from bookshelf to bookshelf, painting to painting, window to window. the sun was half-way behind the far cliff edge now, meaning dinner was just about ready.

Almost like his mind was read, a knock came to his door. "Come in!" he called, looking over to his doorway and sitting up straight to look more serious. "Your highness! The Queen is going into labor! Be quick, sire!"

He wasn't expecting that.

The king jumped from his seat and rushed down the halls, the butler and advisor following suit. The pained moans of his wife started to grow louder, echoing farther down the halls the closer he got. He entered the room with a big push on the door, seeing the midwife helping the Queen, along with the in-house doctor. King Randolph saw each of his daughters standing off to the side with the nanny, who held on to Fallon as she cried lightly into her shoulder at her pained mother. "Malissa! take the girls outside! be quick now!"

His highness demanded her to lead the princesses out to the gardens, as he moved to his wife's unoccupied side.

—//—//

Malissa, the raven haired nanny, nudged the daughters out of the palace and over to their mother's favorite spot outside, the pavilion. This beautiful open concept version of a gazebo had its columns wrapped tightly in vines of blooming pink roses with a round tiled center, a pretty pattern with a different flower in every other circle inside the bigger circle shape. Soft white benches adorned the open areas between the foliage covered poles. This darling area was hidden away behind tall hedges that surround the outer space, a good two yards from the actual structure.

The princesses took seats where they could, Fallon sticking close to her oldest sister, a beautiful cherry brown eight year old with the clearest blue eyes in her magenta dress, Ashlyn. The sisters sat in order from oldest to youngest (with the exception of Fallon between the two eldest daughters).

The second eldest, Blair is a six year old with the fairest skin, the darkest hair, and the deepest blue eyes in her warmest red gown.

The third, and technically middle child at five years old, had pure chocolate hair and eyes to match, wearing a deep ocean blue dress, was named Courtney.

The fourth happily wore her green attire, which paired well with her golden locks and sweet mocha irises. Her mother had given her the name Delia.

The fifth daughter looked like the polar opposite of her almost year older sister, having been born ten months apart. Edeline favored the color orange in her outfits, matching nicely with her milk chocolate hair and ocean shore blue eyes. All seven sat in a row, chatting giddily to each other about having another sibling in the house.

Well wait a minute. Did I count that right? Let me count again.

Ashlyn, Fallon, Blair, Courtney, Elliot, Delia, Edeline! That's seven! there should only be six girls here! "Oh! Elliot! My goodness boy, when did you get out 'ere?"

Malissa yelped, her accent apparent as her hand clasped atop her racing heart at the unexpected boy. The girls that weren't seated next to him looked over confused and jumped as well, having not heard him arrive either. He grinned and laughed at his godmother's question, answering with her same accent. "Sorry Lissa! I saw the princesses 'eading over 'ere from my window and decided to follow along."

While he spoke, he took a quick glance over towards Ashlyn—being he was a year younger than her, and carried the tiniest admiration for her—before facing the head nanny once again. She sighed, walking over and pulling him from his comfortable seat between Courtney and Delia and lightly pushed him to the exit of the pavilion. "Well surely you 'aven't finished your chores, 'ave you? or your studies?"

He laughed at the force upon his back, "Oh, come on, Lissa! Its all I've been doing my 'ole life! surely you'll let me 'ave some fun, aye?"

She shook her head with a smile, the loose raven strands waving along at the movement. "Oh sure! after you finish your chores!"

"Aww man!" the brunette boy groaned as he trudged away back inside, rushing up the staircase and down the halls to the library. what he didn't know, was the princesses giggling at the non-royal child and only one of them watched as he jogged away.

—//—//

As the years go on since the birth of the seventh princess, who has happily given the name Geneveive, the family grew as the castle's routine changed ever so slightly. The blonde infant looked just like her father, and the kingdom hopes she shares his kindness and compassion.

The daughters got along quickly, taking turns caring after their new baby sister. Fallon was a little upset at first, no longer getting to sleep in the same room as her parents, but grew to love sharing a room with her sisters instead.

All the children had some type of hobby they liked to pursue when they get the chance, between tutors, studying, and etiquette lessons. They were quick to leave the classrooms to learn horseback riding, or croquet. The princesses begged their father for music and dancing lessons, just to learn something they will actually enjoy instead of something boring, like how to formally speak when amongst other royals.

Their main educational lessons were held in a small classroom, right next to the library where a certain boy worked and slept all day. And by worked, I mean he cleans and organizes the books in certain categories. But since the only books taken out are for teaching purposes, there's tons of story books left untouched everyday, so he barely even moves anything at all. What he does do most of his work days, is read the summary, first, and last chapter of every book he could reach, too lazy to read the full things till he finds something that's actually interesting. He even keeps a journal of the book title, author, and small facts about the books he has read. He even writes down the genre! Why? you may ask...

To impress a girl! Silly!

He wants to show off how smart he is.

Elliot is very much allowed to be apart of the educational classes, not so much the etiquette ones, but he checks it out every now and again. He was even caught when they were teaching the princesses how to properly slow dance or waltz with a partner. He was (with his luck) paired with Ashlyn due to similar heights, and was flushed and fidgety the entire time.

Once the class was over, she had no hesitation in her mind as she quickly moved away from him and towards Blair. Lets just say, he cried about it to his mother later that night. He only stopped when she gave him a treat she had made earlier that day, as she was one of the castle top three bakers.

Something Elliot never noticed, was the one princess that came into the library whenever she got the chance to—to not only grab a few story books to read later on but—to also steal glances at the unknowing boy clad in navy blue while he was busy. She liked seeing the focused look on his slightly tanned face, or the wide grin the grows when he finds something interesting.

She shook her head to erase her thoughts, and head out the door. the click of it closing caught the attention of Elliot, but when he saw no one there, he shrugged and continued on. like he always did.

—//—//

When the mini librarian turned eleven, the Queen announced her eighth pregnancy. Everyone was surprised she wanted more kids, since everyone tends to stop around four. What really shocked the kingdom, was that she was having twins! and seeing her everyday, you could really see how big her already stretched out stomach got at a really fast rate. Elliot was upset at the news, knowing that he'll be given more chores around the castle since more people will be helping the queen care after her daughters.

He was also welcomed more into the princesses lessons, which lessened more and more as he grew, having learned many things in his library. The boy reads almost four books a week, five if he was quick with his chores.

Courtney, who grew to be a book lover as well, read just as many books as him, typically picking up the books he just finished to try and use them as conversation topics between them, if she ever got the chance. Which was rare since he still trailed after Ashlyn like a lovesick puppy—well love is a strong word, more like crush-sick? its was just a crush, he swore. and yet it still crushed her heart.

—//—//

Later that year, when the gardens shifted from being covered in grass to being covered in snow, the twins were born. the first was named Hadley with her blonde hair and blue eyes, while the second was named Isla with her un-matching brown hair but blue eyes. With the new arrivals, came some moving around in the bedrooms. Geneveive was moved out of her crib in the nursery to a small twin bed with her sisters, well some of them.

Ashlyn, Blair and Courtney moved to a different room, with new beds and more space to grow as pre/teens. and of course, the twins were stuck in the main nursery with Malissa having her own bed not too far away. The queen insisted on having the cribs in her quarters for the first few months, and although hesitant, Malissa agreed and helped with the other littles.

In the last few weeks of winter, a ball was decided on the celebration of the twins, as well as giving the eldest princess a late birthday dance party (of which shes been asking for since she learned how to do the Viennese Waltz, which had been a few days before her actual birthdate.

Elliot was overjoyed, practicing to himself—late at night with a single candle lit—on how he was going to ask Ashlyn for a dance. He was shaking in his boots as he (half-hazardly) helped prepare the giant ballroom for guests in the coming few days. He grinned wide when the princesses came down and waltz with each other around the center, singing to their own tunes.

When the local band came in to rehearse, it seemed like the party started a day too early. with the daughters pulling on some butler's hands to join them in more dance "practice". Even Geneveive tugged Malissa to dance with her, when it really looked like the toddler was just hopping around while swinging the laughing woman's arms to her own beat. The queen also joined in, pulling her husband along as they laughed, the feeling of nostalgia filling their hearts.

Elliot was pulled in by Courtney, who sucked up her nerves as grabbed the boy she liked, despite knowing he didnt like her in the same way. And while he was a little upset, he got to see a side of Courtney that he hadnt seen before. Her wide smile that seemed so free and careless while she moved gracefully with him to the beat. And to see her follow your lead though she clearly had more experience, made you feel excited to learn more about her.

And maybe, his heart raced a little faster than normal...

and maybe, she was grateful to see the flushed tips of his ears whenever his eyes were on her own...

Oh how they all wished it stayed like this forever...

2400 words exactly wow! 2460 after editing

a nice background/context thing for this story thing ive got going on.

anyways, hope you enjoyed!
stay safe, i love you guys /platonic! drink some water, eat some food, get some sleep! ❤️

Written: 3/30/23