The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 1

Well, this is it! Merry Christmas to you all and I hope that you have enjoyed these special little stories. So here is my Christmas present to you, the final installment of the Twelve Stories of Christmas.

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 1 Cinder

I hurried through the hallways of the palace. It was quiet, except for the blizzard outside. The snow was swirling and the wind was howling, but the castle was warm with its blazing fires and tight windows. It was a much older building than my own home and had a tendency to be drafty and chilled in the winter, but they always kept it livable because the large fireplaces built in every room. I had grown use to it of course, after living here for ten years. I had been sent here against my will, but at least I wasn’t alone.

I smiled at the thought of my best friend. And though he had been sent here more against his will than I had, he had been able to keep my spirits up and I in turn had tried to do that same. Especially when the Corilish Royal family had taken such a dislike to both of us. When that whole catastrophe had happened, we had written the royal family back in Teresian that it had been the fault of both of us, that way when the scolding return letter had been sent to us, it wasn’t so bad, but truthfully it had been all him.

Apparently in Corilan it was a huge insult to kiss a girl’s hand when introduced, which of course was a normal practice in Teresian where both of us had been born and raised. In fact, it had been such an insult that the eldest princess still did not talk to either of us. The bid for the marriage contract probably should have ended right there and then. After that, the bid for the second princess’s hand was over. Although she had not been the one insulted directly, she would not look at us and barely talked to us.

When I say us, I mean us, because we were to both be educated in the same way and so we were treated the same by all. The prince had to be educated for obvious reasons and the servant, though less obvious, needed to know just as much as his prince. One would be making the rulings and the other would be advising in the rulings, so we were basically treated the same here with no distinction made between us. Which meant the anger of the entire Corilan royal family was felt by both of us.

“I have a letter here!” I announced when I entered our rooms.

“From home?”

“Of course! It looks to be our Christmas letters. It is thick, which I would assume means that it has your letters from your family and my letters.”

“Well, open it then,” he laughed and jumped up, placing his book down. I ripped into it so quickly that I almost ripped one of the letters as I did so. I laughed at my clumsiness and limped over to where he stood and handed him his letters and then took mine. I plopped down and began to read. I had just started on the first one when a cleared throat from the open door alerted us to the presence of someone. In the door, stood the princess that we had been sent here for and had completely failed to gain.

To say that we felt good will toward her was a lie. She had been rather vicious toward us, especially when a young man at her court had caught her eye. What made it worse was when she had heard that his family had been assured that if the marriage contract failed he would gain her hand. After that there was absolutely no hope for Teresian to gain her as a queen. Not that she was really worthy of it. She was spoiled and selfish and in all honesty, had absolutely no interest in the responsibilities of being a queen. I wondered what she could possibly be wanting now. We were going home in less than two months, something that everyone had been thankful for. So why she was standing here now, looking at us almost with regret was beyond me.

“Prince Peter,” she said bowing, “and Troy Peterson, I have come to wish you a Merry Christmas and to give you both my deepest apology.” My eyebrows lifted and I turned to see how he was reacting to all this. He was reacting the same way. We then turned our attention back to the princess and waited.

“I know that I was distant from you all ten years and in the last three I have been downright mean at times. I just, well I was done. I was angry that I was the only sibling that was being forced to have an arranged marriage and I really did not like the idea of moving to another country.”

“You would have been taken care of.”

“I know that. Believe me, I really and truly know that I would have, but I guess I want love in my life and you Prince Peter would never have been that for me.”

“You never allowed me to be. You never even allowed me to get to know you and you most certainly never allowed yourself to know me.”

This was becoming a very awkward moment very quickly and I shifted on my feet to try and relieve some of the anxiety.

“I know I know. I am … sorry for that, but I cannot love you or allow myself too. Do you not want love Prince Peter? Do you want an arranged marriage?” She asked, truly confused.

“No, but I was willing to for the betterment of my country.”

“Ah, well forgive me, but my loyalty is to my country, not yours.” Her voice was stern, but meant no insult.

“The marriage would have strengthened our countries’ ties.”

“Why? So that when Hiflin goes to war with you we would have been pulled in too?” There was silence now, very little could have been said to defend the truth.

“That wasn’t the reason we started this whole thing, not in the very beginning anyway.”

“I know,” she said looking down, “but you know well that we are already very strong allies. If you go war, we will help, probably not in troops but in money and supplies perhaps.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, I hope that you continue to have a very Merry Christmas and that when you return to Teresian you may find someone to make you happy. As happy as I am with my Zetler anyway.”

“Well, thank you for the wishes, but I fear that for now I am done with marriages. I only wish to rest and learn to be me, without the worry or the drama that comes with securing a wife.”

The princess looked confused and she tilted her head before asking, “Do you not want love?”

“I doubt I will be able to have it princess. Since I cannot have you then I will be forced to have someone of great wealth in my own court.”

“And you do not believe that you could learn to love this person?”

“No, I have learned to fear the woman who was raised with unlimited money.” Corilan had great wealth and the princess was not lost on the comparison.

“And what of you? You are a prince. You were raised with great wealth.” She bit out.

“True, but I was treated like a pauper for the last ten years of my life and any greed that money instilled in me has been driven out.” The princess looked down in shame and I sensed that she was angry, but partially because she realized what had just been said was true.

“Listen princess, I want to leave with a good will between us. If this does not leave us with good feelings toward one another, I at least would like to achieve indifference with a willingness to help.”

“As do I Prince Peter.”

“Then I suppose that this conversation should end before anything else is said.”

“Yes, I believe we should.”

“Well, then a very Merry Christmas to you princess and I hope your marriage to this Zetler is as perfect as you imagine.”

“And I hope that though you look poorly upon love and marriage as of right now that you find it anyway.” With that she left and we turned back and looked at each other.

“Well, let us get back to our letters.” I said. He nodded and we sat. I was just settling in to read my first letter when I saw that the original outer package that held our letters was a letter itself.

“Well,” I said picking it up, “looks like we missed one. Should I read it allowed?”

“Go ahead. After what just happened I could use some good news.” I smoothed out the parchment and put it back together so that I could read it.

Dear Peter and Troy,

I hope this Christmas letter finds you well. Your individual letters are packed here and We hope that they bring you much joy. Your presents are coming, but unfortunately we doubt that they will reach you by Christmas. One of the presents took longer than was originally thought and so the packages left later than we would have liked. There is only one more thing to mention and that is this. Peter, the King’s health is failing and the doctor feels that he needs to give up the throne within the next two years and then move to a quiet estate. With that said, we want you to take the throne three Januaries from now. However, the court demands that you have a queen by then, a decision We agree with. So when you return this spring a competition for your hand will begin. We will wait until you’re home before we give you more information, but it has been decided that you will marry by the Lover’s Day following the competition.

Best Wishes to you Both,

The Royal Family and the Peterson Family

I looked up and saw my shocked face mirrored back to me. Neither of us could believe it. Ten years had just been wasted in a pointless marriage contract and now we were about to be thrust into an even more humiliating situation. We just stared at each other for what seemed liked forever and then we finally dropped down on our seats. He left first to go lock himself in his room and I picked up the forgotten letters before I too ran to my room, still in shock.

I did not know what to do and I had no idea what was going to happen or how we were going to handle this new development, but whatever the outcome, it was not going to be the relaxing ending we had been hoping for.  

The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 2

I hope you all enjoy this! One more day and one more story to the end!

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 2 Lizzy Requelst

I looked at the pile of beautiful presents all under the tree and sighed. I was the first one up on this Christmas morning and I just could not wait until everyone else was up and about. Of course, I did not expect them up for at least another hour because we had gotten in from our trip late last night. We had planned to stay at the estate until tonight, but then Adam had become so worried that Santa Claus would not find him that Uncle Christian decided that instead of trying to explain that Santa Claus could find you anywhere, he and his family decided to leave early, which made us decide to leave too.

Quite honestly I was perfectly fine with the decision and was even happy for it. At the estate there was very little for Mary to do and so she often bothered me to pass the time. I had complained to my parents once and they had talked with Mary. She in turn gave some excuse that she had had no idea that it had upset me so, but of course the very next day she bothered me even more out of revenge. After that, I never told on her again. Mary never got physical with me, but there were times when I worried that she would. So far of course, she had stayed her hands, but due to some close calls I stayed as far away from her as I could when I could.

So now that we were back at the palace she could go off and gossip with all her friends and gain the favors of all her men and basically ruin someone else’s life. However, I stayed happy and kept myself busy, though I was often alone. I noticed that Mother and Father had both been taking an active interest in how much time I was spending alone. Mother worried that I wasn’t being socialized enough when it came to proper social interactions and etiquette and Father worried that I wasn’t happy. I had tried telling them both that I was happy and that I knew enough etiquette to last me a life time, but they seemed unconvinced. Well I was telling the truth about the etiquette part, but the happy part was different. I would have liked someone my own age to talk to, but everyone who came was at least fourteen or fifteen and the younger ones that did come usually stayed to their rooms and were forbidden to go to any parties. So as it was, I hardly say anyone this side of fifteen.

“Good morning Lizzy,” my mother said.

“Good morning mother! Is father up yet?”

“He is right behind me, as is your sister.” I looked up as they both came walking out and we all sat in chairs around the tree. As tradition demanded, my father opened his first and then my mother, then Mary and then me. If Peter were here, he would have gone after my mother and before Mary. Oh, I just wanted Peter back home, where we could play games again and talk and maybe I would finally have a good and gentle sibling. When we were all finally finished, I looked at my presents and smiled. I had four new outfits, a new deck of playing cards that were beautifully hand painted and new china for teas. I had my suspicions that this was a subtle way for my mother to tell me that I was going to be hosting many a tea from now on.

“There is one more gift and this one is for us all.” My mother said going to her writing desk. She pulled out a thick letter and handed it to my father who unfolded it and read it to us.

My dear family,

I hope you are all doing well! I am writing this letter to say that I hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas and to bestow my gifts. In this letter will be smaller letters for each of you telling you where you may find my gifts to you. However, there is one gift I can give to you Mary and Lizzy and that is that I have agreed to Mother and Father’s deal and I am coming home in March. I should be there early on in the month. Cannot wait to see you all!

Merry Christmas,

Your Brother and Son Peter Requelst

“Peter is coming home!” I jumped up when I said this. Mother and Father laughed in mirth and Mary just rolled her eyes at me.

“Yes child. Now calm down and I will give you your letter.” I squealed in delight.

“Oh come on Lizzy, grow up!” Mary yelled, standing and snatching her letter from my father’s hand.

“Mary,” my mother scolded, while my father snatched the letter back from her. “You have no right to yell at her sister so. I will agree that such a reaction is a little childish for her age, but it pertains to a much beloved brother and it is Christmas.”

“Yes and your disrespect to me,” Father said, “will mean that you will get your letter last.” He gently handed me my letter and I ran to my room and quickly opened it.

Lizzy,

Thank you for your gift. True, I haven’t received it yet, but I’m sure I’ll love it. You always send the nicest things. Now all I have to say to you is that you need to go to the barns. Once they see you they’ll know what to do.

Peter

I threw on my coat and ran for the barns on the other end of the main gardens. It was about a fifteen minute run, but it felt like forever. I really did hope that Peter liked what he got from me. I knew not what the others got him, but I had sent a new dinning coat since he had mentioned in one of his letters that he had stained his at an important dinner for one of the foreign prince’s and since then he had nothing to wear to formal dinners so he had not been invited. I of course thought that this was ridiculous, since they could have easily given him one as a loan, but we all knew that for whatever reason the entire royal family had taken a dislike of Peter. Mother wouldn’t say for sure what had gone wrong, only that Peter had unknowingly insulted one of the princesses so badly that it would seem that they would never quite forgive him. Mother was actually pretty good friends with Corilan’s queen and she seemed greatly pained that this queen would not forgive Peter. Though it would seem that mother understood their customs well enough and would not further insult them by asking them to forgive him.  

Finally I saw the barns and I picked up my speed. As I neared the barns, I saw a stable hand look up run back inside. When I reached the doors, all of the stable hands that I had made friends with over the years stood there and were grinning with such pleasure that I thought that they out shone the sun.

“What is going on here?”

“Princess Lizzy,” Fred, the oldest of the stable hands, said stepping forward. “Your brother has a present for you and has asked us to keep it for you until today.”

“And that would be?” I wondered if it were a horse, but that hardly made sense. He knew that I had a horse already and that I liked her a lot. It couldn’t be a dog because mother would not allow them in the house or a caged bird because she hated their smell.

“This Princess.” He motioned for a young stable hand and he stepped forward with a tiny kitten. She had a big red bow tied around her neck, which she was trying to bite off.

“Oh she’s so pretty! It is a she right?” I asked as I took her in my arms.

“Yes, all calico’s are.” I nodded and looked down at her as she looked up at me with her green eyes.

“She’s so tiny and pretty.” As if understanding me she started purring and she tried to rollover in my hands.

“Oh she is positively adorable! Cute as a button.” She purred louder when I said the last phrase and I smiled.

“You like that name? Buttons?” She yawned and I took that as a yes. I looked up and smiled at the stable hands.

“Thank you all.”

“Oh, it was our pleasure Princess. Your brother wrote to us asking us to find you a kitten and we did that. You should really be thanking your brother.”

“Thanks I will.” I turned and ran out, wishing them all a Merry Christmas as I did. I had a thank you letter to write and Buttons was going to help me do it.  

The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 3

Okay so here is Day 3. Please be aware that you really need to read Day 4 before you read this one. I would also suggest that you read Lily's or Day 5 too, but you don't absolutely have to. Enjoy!

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 3 Michael Requelst

Her lips were soft and supple; better than I imagined it and much better than I remembered. What I had not been expecting was for just a split second she was kissing me back. I relished the feel, knowing that any second she would realize what was happening. Though I wished, oh how I wished that she wouldn’t. True, all I thought about for this entire Christmas season was how to get her under the mistletoe, but what I did not even dare to dream about but what I secretly hoped for was that she would stop running. That she would give up and kiss me back, that I could finally call her mine. Of course, if she wasn’t ready for it just yet, her temper was just too much fun not to push it over the edge from time to time.

I knew my time was up when I felt her tense. I pulled away just as she did and ducked, knowing her hand was coming. I leap from her before she could get her bearings and I ran to her balcony. I looked back at her just as she looked for me. She was flushed and her fire was jumping in her eyes and she was beautiful.

“Michael Requelst! What were you thinking?” She yelled, standing there and trying not to jump around in anger.

I turned my gaze back to her and smiled like the devil. “I was thinking that I wanted the perfect Christmas and you just gave that to me my Christmas angel. You now have my deepest thanks.” With that I flung open her balcony doors and jumped off the balcony. John was waiting for me outside, having known what I was going to attempt. I smiled at him when I landed and he just shook his head.

“You know, maybe she would finally warm to the idea of you and her if you would just calm down and stopped pushing.”

“And miss all of her temper flares? Never. I am perfectly fine with how things are.”

“Yeah, I know, but you wish that it was different.”

I sighed, “You really know me to well.”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“The one thing I don’t quite understand is how she could accuse me of all this … woman mistreating.”

“That would be mistreatment of women.”

I waved my hand at him. “Same thing. I just don’t understand, I mean you know me. I don’t chase women.”

“Chase, absolutely not.”

“Thank you.”

“Flirt maliciously, yes.”  

“Flirt maliciously?”

“Yes flirt maliciously. You my friend see a girl and instantly think that it is your duty to flirt with them.”

“John, how can you accuse me of this?”

“Because you do. I mean I will agree that the women usually start it and that they practically follow you around because as many of them say about you, you are charming and too handsome for your own good.”

I felt my chest swell with the complement, but then I realized something. “So Lark will not even think of me as someone to court because women find me so attractive?”

“Unfortunately for you, yes.” Suddenly, I didn’t like my unbelievable good looks as much as I did my entire life.

“But you just said that they approach me.”

“Most of the time yes.”

“So I should just stop approaching women?”

“Yes, but unfortunately that will not stop them from approaching you, so I feel that that will help very little.”

“Why?”

“Because Lark could care less about who approached whom. You not only need to stop approaching women, but you need to stop flirting with them, and I don’t care who starts it.”

“So she wants me to stop … having fun?” I liked Lark, I mean I really liked Lark, close to a true love, but this seemed a little unfair.

“No, she wants you to prove that you have the ability to stay faithful.”

“I am falling for her and you know that I have never thought of anyone else in, well, years.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t and from her point of view you have done nothing to prove this.”

“I see.” I was silent the way to my room and once there we talked about everything else but Lark. However, John couldn’t stay forever and then I had to go spend some time with my parents and Adam. It was fun and there was much laughter, especially when Lizzy showed up. She was delightful as always and I could hardly blame her for wanting to stay with us because her sister could be quite nasty when she chose. She even had a surprise for us.

“Peter is coming home!” she announced toward the end of the night.

“Is that the surprise you were talking about all day Lizzy?” My mother asked.

“Yes, my parents told me today. I can hardly wait.” She bounced out after that and I just laughed.

“Did you have a good Christmas Michael?” Adam asked me as we headed to bed. I looked down and ruffled his hair.

“Yes I did Adam. A very good Christmas.”

“What was your favorite gift?”

“Why your gift to me of course.” He laughed and ducked into his room, but in truth I had just told a little white lie. However, I was surprised where the actual answer lay. I loved my stolen kiss of course, but it hadn’t been given. No my favorite gift was John’s. For, though he didn’t give me anything tangible, he gave me the greatest thing I could have asked for. He had given me the key to making Lark mine, permanently, and that was all I could have wanted.   

The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 4

Okay, so I had some issues yesterday with the internet so since I couldn't get this to post then I just decided to post Day 4 and Day 3 at roughly the same time. You need to read this one before you read Day 3. Trust me.

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 4 Lark Redwood

I tried to ignore him as he joked with my brothers, mother and father. It was Christmas tea and so it was spiced with mint and the cakes were specially frosted and shaped. They were made to look like Christmas trees and they tasted of sugar. I loved this special food, for we only got it once a year and here Michael was, ruining it.

“Don’t you agree Lark?” John asked me. I jumped at his voice and I turned to see that they were all looking at me.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the question.”

“In that daydream world of yours again?” My mother said, non-too pleased. It was rude after all for me not to pay attention, especially when there was a guest. Not that he was much of a guest; he was over our house more often than he was his own.

“Do not scold her on my account Lady Redwood,” Michael said, “after all she is a dream, so it is simply her nature.”

My father laughed and slapped him on the knee. “That’s my boy.”

“Such a charmer he is Lark, are you sure that you don’t want to accept his advances?” My mother said, smiling at me. Furious, I stood and left, walking straight to my room.

I shut my door and leaned against it, but not before I heard their laughter. To them it was all a joke. To them it was no big deal, but it was a big deal. It was a huge deal. Because, no matter what I said and no matter how much I wished it wasn’t true, I was attracted to him. Unbelievably attracted to Master Michael Requelst, actually. He was so handsome and funny and he was surprisingly caring and thoughtful, which of course made him the perfect charmer. He was in many ways perfect and there inlayed the problem.

He knew how perfect he was. He knew it and he used it to charm many a woman, which meant that he really had no interest in me. He never really would and I knew it. He joked and planned, but it was all for not. I knew that Michael would never really like me, he just pretended to because I was pretty and John’s sister. I knew from years of childhood fantasies that John wanted me to marry Michael. In fact, many a time, when we played princess and dragon, John would play the dragon and I would play the princess and Michael would be the knight set to rescue me. He always did and I would always give him a handkerchief as my favor and he would kiss my hand.

This was fine, until one day his kisses sent a warm tingle up my arm. These games were still fine until one day his eyes locked with mine and I saw in them a question and a challenge. Though we were a little old for them now, I still allowed them even though I was thirteen. That is until I saw that his eyes wonder to other women. His eyes would still lock with mine, but once he was gone I would hear that he was entertaining other women, dancing with other women, making other women laugh. Kissing other women.

When I heard that one, I decided that there would be no more games. I made sure that the next time he came over I told him exactly what I thought about him and walked away before he could even defend himself. He was hardly worth my time if any of this was true, but I was determined to be fair. If he showed remorse and true gilt then I would know that what his eyes were telling me was true and we could go back to the way things were before all this. However, this is not what happened. No what happened was he began to tease me and torment me. Telling me that I was the only girl for him but then going and flirting with these other girls.

John tried to tell me to listen to what he was saying because it was true, but how could I? He had proven to me by his lack of action that he cared very little for my bruised heart. John even went so far as to tell me once that Michael cried when I had stopped playing and told him that I thought he was horrible for tricking me in such a way. My defense was obvious. If he had felt as such why did he suddenly turn around and tease me so mercilessly? John of course tried to defend his friend and made up some bizarre excuse that he just didn’t know how to tell me his true feelings, but I was too smart to fall for that.  

However, Michael and I had stayed good friends and even got along for the most part, that is until my sixteenth birthday two years ago. Mother had been parading me around the entire party, saying things like, “She is sweet sixteen and has never been kissed! Can you imagine? Why it is positively shameful.” I had laughed it off with the rest and in truth a part of me was proud of the title. It meant that I was hard to find favor with and that only the best could win my fancy. I had special plans for that kiss, so you can imagine my great shock and anger when right there in front of everyone, as we were just sitting down to open my gifts, he grabs me and kisses me.

Stolen! My first kiss was stolen and there was nothing I could do. The second his thieving lips had left mine, he had run for the doors to the gardens with my brother and Jacob in toe, laughing and whooping the whole way. What made it worse was that everyone, including my mother thought it some great joke. They laughed and congratulated me on how I could choose someone far worse than him. Well I was having none of it. What made it even worse was that when he came back the next day, it was almost like he expected that kiss to have changed things. Well, I once again told him exactly what I had thought of it. John later told me that my harsh handling had left him in a bad way for a day or two, but how could I believe it? He was obviously acting in front of my brother.

Things after that did seem to change though. He never stopped teasing me, but he seemed to try and hold actual conversations with me as well. I found them enjoyable when he wasn’t trying anything, but of course I could hardly tell him that. He would think that he was gaining ground. He probably already thought that since he had been able to squeeze a dance from me every ball this year.

No Michael Requelst was just too handsome and charming for his own good and would not fool me.   

“Hi Lark,” Michael said, swinging up onto my balcony that I was standing on, “What are you doing out here where it is cold?”

I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I had noticed lately that even when Michael wasn’t teasing me I still came back with a sharp answer, so I was trying to answer him in the manner that he started. Since he started normally, I would answer normally.

“I was just thinking.”

“With your feet planted in the snow? Are they not frozen by now?” I looked down and I realized that yes, all feeling in my feet had disappeared.

“Oh.”

“Come on,” he laughed, “let’s get you back inside.” He flung his arm around my shoulder and led me into my own room and sat me before the fire. He placed a blanket on my lap and then stood there, not really sure what to do next.

“Thank you,” I said, for I really was thankful, especially since I started shivering violently after I sat down.

“No problem. So what were you thinking of so darkly on Christmas that if made you stand in snow for so long?”

“The past.”

“Anything in particular?” He asked leaning in. I leaned back as far as the chair would let me and pushed him back with my hand, but gently. The truth was that he really wasn’t such a bad guy and I suppose that the spirit and mercy of Christmas was getting to me and so I was willing to be more forgiving.

“Childhood games,” I answered truthfully. He jerked back a little and looked at me closely.

“Oh,” and I could tell that he knew exactly which game I had been thinking of. In embarrassment, I turned away and stood.

“Perhaps I will go back out. I did leave rather rudely.”

“Ahh, I wouldn’t say rudely, just impulsively. I’m leaving of course. I need to go spend some time with my own family.”

“Oh right, how is Adam?”

“Well, he was more excited than everyone else of course. We made sure that his Christmas was grand. He got most of what his little heart desired, but not wanting to spoil him to much we made sure that he didn’t quite get everything.” He smiled and I couldn’t help but smile back. I started walking out of my room and he followed, staying right next to me.

“So what did you get?”

“Oh well you would call me spoiled I suppose because I got everything I desired.” He laughed just as we made it to my door. “What about you?”

“I got everything, except one thing.”

“And what was that?” I turned to him, but his smile alerted to his naughty thoughts.

“This,” and he grabbed me, and kissed me. For a second it was warm and delightful, but then I realized who it was. I pulled away and slapped him, well tried to anyway. He knew it was coming and he ducked and leap for my balcony.

“Michael Requelst! What were you thinking?”

He turned back and smiled like the devil. “I was thinking that I wanted the perfect Christmas and you just gave that to me my Christmas angel. You now have my deepest thanks.” With that he flung open my balcony doors and jumped off.

“Ahhh!” I screamed after him. I was mad. I was furious! I had hated it, but only because it had just made my Christmas a little brighter too and I didn’t want it to. 

The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 5

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 5 Lily Valley

I held Jacob’s last letter to my chest and looked out into the snow cover garden. I had received his letter three months ago. He had written it nine months ago, and he had cautioned me to the fact that he might not get another chance to write before he and his family left Mikapo to come back. I wanted him back so desperately, I could taste it. He had left close to two years ago and it would be over two years by the time his family made it back across the ocean.

He had hated it. He had never come right out and said it but I could tell from his letters that he was always uncomfortable there. He had described their customs and how he could only see his mother and sisters during two hours of the day. He said that his mother had adjusted back to her old traditions rather well, but his sisters never got use to it. So that after a few months they had to move into a different house, away from his mother’s family so that they could live in a way they were used to.

I sighed. I just wanted him home. He just wanted to be home, but it was a pointless endeavor to stand wishing here all day, just like trying to stay death’s hand is pointless. I turned and put the creased, worn and in some places torn letter back inside my drawer where I had his other letters. Some were from before he had even sailed away. They were nothing as boring as love letters, but they had been sufficient in keeping us connected. I closed the drawer and walked into my family’s common room where both my father and mother sat. My father was reading a new book that mother had given him and mother was trying out her new set of calligraphy quills that I had given her. In between them, they held hands, their fingers linked and held tight.

“Lily, where are you off to?” My mother asked me as I took my coat, glove and hat from their hanging place.

“To Lark’s. We are going to build a snowman with John and Graham.”

My mother blinked at me and I thought that perhaps they might be tears. “But darling, it is Christmas. I thought we could spend it together.”

I looked around at the dead room. True, the fire was crackling warmly and the room was cozy, but this was not me. I would stay restless until I had a suite of my own and someone to hold hands with.

“Patricia, perhaps we could allow this one outing.” My father lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. She smiled gently at him and nodded to me.

“But, once the snowman is made, you are to come right back and we will have Christmas dinner.”

“Yes mother.” I donned my winter cloths and headed out into the snow. There had been snow on the ground for a few weeks now, and it had dulled and dirtied, but a new snow turned the older snow pure white. It had fallen last night and this was perfect for making our snowman. We always made it after the third snow fall.

“Lily!” Lark called from far off. She waved and both of her brothers turned and waved to me as well. I happily waved back and hurried my steps.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Lark said, handing me an old hat that held a scarf, two pieces of coal, a large button and a broken string that still held a few red beads.

“Why? So I can hold the stuff?”

“No,” she laughed, “so that we don’t freeze. We were expecting you fifteen minutes ago.”

“Sorry, I got distracted and my mother didn’t want me to come at first.”

She nodded and we watched as the two boys rolled the bottom snowball. “Come on John,” I called once it was up to his knees, “you can surely do better than that.”

“Then you do it Lily.” He said it in a serious voice, but I knew he was joking.

“Um, the boys always do the bottom two snowballs and the girls always do the top and decorate.”

“Yeah but this was easier when Jacob and Michael were here,” Graham complained.

Lark snorted. “Jacob perhaps, but Michael? Don’t hold your breath.”

“I agree with Graham,” John said through gritted teeth. He and Graham finally stopped rolling when the snowball was up to his mid-thigh.

“I suppose that’s good enough. Now start the second one, chop chop.” Graham and John shot me evil looks, but bent over to start their next job anyway.

Lark sighed heavily next to me. “Aww, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“The silence. It is so nice, something that would never have been achieved if Michael were here.”

“Why isn’t he here? He has never missed a third snowfall snowman building before.”

“The entire royal family went to spend the week before Christmas at one of their many estates. He should be getting back soon, but I’m not sure if it will be today or tomorrow.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” We continued to watch the boys as they went to work and finally they were done. That was when Lark and I went to work. We packed the snow into a nice snowball and then rolled it and rolled it until it was the perfect size for the head.

We then had the boys help us to place it atop the middle snowball. Once it was set and would not move unless knocked directly, we started making the face. We put the hat on his head, then Lark put the two coal pieces as eyes, while I put the button as a nose and then the string of beads as a neat red mouth.

“How does it look?” We said together, stepping back.

“Good as always.” John said, “I think maybe we should …”

“I’m here! I’m here!” We turned to see Michael running like wild around the corner. When he saw us and the finished snowman he stopped and frowned.  I felt bad for our handsome friend, especially since he seemed so crestfallen that we had done all this without him.

“What are you doing here?” Lark asked.

“I came here to help with the snowman, but apparently I was not needed.”

“Oh trust me my friend, your help would have been much appreciated. Why don’t we have some tea and you can tell us all about what you got for Christmas.” Michael brightened up and walked away with John, with Graham following close behind. Lark followed as well, none too happily, but stopped when she realized I wasn’t.

“What’s wrong?” The others stopped too and looked back at me.

“I promised I’d go home as soon as the snowman was finished.”

“Oh, well will I see you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Why don’t you come by and we’ll have tea.”

“Alright, good-bye Lily.”

“Good bye Lark and to you too John, Graham, Michael.”

“Good bye Lily,” John and Graham called, but Michael of course had to be Michael.

“Good bye loveliest flower of the court. Merry Christmas.”

“And a Merry Christmas to you too!” I turned and walked off. The garden was always lovely after new snow, but of course the stark whiteness reminded me of Jacob. His face and voice was usually always blank as snow and that made me miss him all the more. When I finally got home, my mother and father were still in the common room and were happy to see me. We had dinner a few hours later and I sat there mainly listening to their conversation, but I got to be a part of it from time to time.

“By the way Lily,” my mother said, as I rose to go to bed, “the servants brought in a letter for you today.” I looked over to where she nodded and I saw a letter with my name on it. This is not what made me stop though, it was the handwriting. It was from Jacob and I practically ran to my room.

Lily,

I hope this gets to you in time. I have already left by the time this reaches you, but I just wanted to say, Merry Christmas. Have a Happy New Year.

Jacob Noblehouse

It wasn’t long. It wasn’t romantic in anyway, but it was Jacob and that meant that it was perfect. 

The Twelves Stories if Christmas: Day 6

Here is day six. A quick spoiler alert for those that have not read the first book yet and I wrote this to be the Christmas right before the events of Book One. As always enjoy!

The Twelve Stories of Christmas – Day 6 Sarah Hemlock

Brianna left my room after we had talked most of the day away. We had spoken of our trip to the courts this summer and I could tell that she was happy. More than happy and that made me happy. I smiled at myself in the mirror and began brushing my hair again. It was still blond and from what I could tell, I did not have one gray strand yet.

Yes I was happy. Nothing could ruin this happiness. My happiness was strong. It was endless. It broke. Tears started pouring down my cheeks and I stood in anger and stomped my feet until I could stop.

I should be happy! Why wasn’t I happy? I had two beautiful daughters and I was miserable. Most of the time I could ignore it, but I could never forget it. But this just proved that happiness was worthless, pointless. I could still function and live without it and no one could argue that. Why, when Abigail died it was like someone had ripped into my stomach and emptied me out. But I could forget her eventually. After all she was just my sister. I could survive without her memory.

“Abigail! Come back. Where are you going?”

“To play in the snow.”

“But you’re new shoes you just got for Christmas, they’ll get ruined.”

“Fine then I’ll wear my old ones.”

“No, you’ll ruin them too.”

“I can do what I want Sarah!”

“No you can’t Abigail!”

“Can too!”

No! I could not think of that. That was too painful a memory. All the fun and laughter, it just poisoned you to the realities of the world. That was why I had nipped laughter and simple pleasures in the bud when I saw them developing in Ella and Rose. Brianna had to be pleasant since she would make the best marriage, so I had allowed it, but no, not for the other two. Some might think me cruel for it, but I saw it as mercy, especially since Ella was so much like Abigail.

Oh why did that little brat, that plain faced, fire spitting brat have to look and think and sound so much like her mother? This pain was unbearable and I did not deserve to have this constant reminder. I had paid my dues and I had done such a nice job of blocking the pain of her death from my mind when she had finally passed on. It had been merciful when it happened and I could go a full week without having to face it, but when I came here it was like a torture chamber. Everything reminded me of her. The look of the house, the smell of the linens, the bright spark in her daughter’s eyes. Ella needed to learn now that just because you breathed didn’t mean that you got the niceties of life. I was doing my niece a favor.

“Ella! Come back. Where are you going?”

“To play in the snow.”

“But you’re new coat, it will get ruined.”

“Fine then I’ll wear my old one.”

“No, you’ll ruin that one too.”

“I am allowed to play outside Aunt Sarah. I can do what I want out there.”

“No you can’t Abigail!”

“… Abigail? Aunt Sarah I’m Ella.”

“Yes, I know who you are you stupid girl. Go to your room and you are not allowed to come out for the rest of the day.”

That was enough of this! It was Christmas, I should be happy. It was the season of light and joy.

“Hello my light and joy.”

“Harold! Stop, not here.”

“What? I am just giving my new wife a kiss under the mistletoe.”

“Yes, but in front of everyone?”

“Why not? We kissed in front of everyone at our wedding.”

“Yes, I suppose we did you blue eyed boy.”

“You forgot the word awesome in there somewhere.”

I gripped the side of my desk and squeezed. These memories had to stop. I needed some fresh air. I walked to the window and pushed it open. The cool air did wonders for me. I could forget about my unfaithful husband and all his charms, promises and hypnotizing eyes. Eyes he had dared to give Rose. Eyes that induced gilt in me every time they looked up at me.

“I didn’t kill you. You killed yourself.” I said to the room.

“What do you want for Christmas my dear?”

“Nothing my love. All I could want is growing inside you right now. He or she will be a perfect addition to our family. Right Brianna?”

“Yeth.”

“Yes Brianna, not yeth.”

“Sarah, she is two, give her a little break.”

“Oh alright, but only if you kiss me.”

“More than happy too.”

“STOOOOP!” I took a deep breath only to have it come out as a heavy sob. I sunk to the floor and cried into the carpet.

I eventually stopped, though it was hours later and I just kept thinking over and over again.

You must be happy. You must be happy. You must be happy. You must be happy.

Why am I not happy?

The Twelve Stories of Christmas: Day 7

Here is Day 7! This is from the point of view of Abigail Kiral and I would say that if you haven't read the first book yet, spoiler alert! Otherwise, enjoy!

The Twelve Stories of Christmas - Day 7 Abigail Kiral

I watched my darling little girl play on the floor of her nursery. It was the morning of her fourth Christmas and though she had experience three before it, she had no idea what was coming. She was only four months for the one and the other two she was still too little to truly understand what was going on, but for this one I could not wait to see how her eyes would light up when she saw all those presents under the tree.

“Ella,” I called to her.

“Mommy! It’s Christmas mommy!” She ran up to me and pulled me along to where she had been sitting and playing with her dolls.

“Yes, I know my little robin.”

She giggled and covered her mouth with her hands. “Why do you call me that mommy?”

“Call you what?”

“Call me robin,” she said handing me a doll. I had to play back of course, but it was no chore for me. She was so lively and her energy was catching.

“Because you have the fiery heart of the robins and brown hair.”

“That’s a silly reason mommy!” she laughed.

“Oh is it?” I grabbed her and tickled as fast as I could.  She squealed in laughter and tried to escape my arms, but I had too far a reach and she was laughing too hard to run.

“And what is this?” We looked up, seeing Edward standing in the doorway.

“Daddy!” Ella lunged from my arms and tackled her father around the knees.

“Ella, careful,” I cautioned, but Edward just laughed and waved me off.

“Let her be, my love.” He looked down at Ella with such love that my heart grew with such pride that I could feel a lump of tears.

“Daddy, it’s Christmas!”

“That it is my dear, and do you know what that means?”

She let him go and took a step back, her face having turned serious. “I sure do daddy. The priests told me the Christmas story last Sunday.”

“Oh, did you like the story Ella?”

“Yes! It was beautiful and I liked that baby Jesus was placed in straw.”

“And why is that?”

“Because straw smells good and it must taste good too if all the horse’s eat it so much. He should be placed in the best.” Edward threw back his head and laughed and I smiled, standing and walking over to her, petting her pretty little head.

“That is a good answer Ella. A very good one indeed, but do you know how we celebrate Christmas now?”

She scrunched up her face and thought. “I don’t know.” She finally announced, “Sing in barns.”

“No,” I chuckled. “We give gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“Yes, in fact, your gifts are placed even now under a tree.”

“A tree?” she thought for a moment, but then she smiled. “The Christmas tree!” She sprinted from the room and tore down the hallway.

“I suppose we should follow her then.” Edward sighed.

“I blame you, you know,” I said taking his hand and leading him after our energetic daughter.

“My gift is out her mommy?” Ella, now five stood before me, walking toward the barn.

“Yes my robin. You will see.” She took off as she always did and I followed slowly. The pain was increasing now and soon I knew that I would have to limit my movements to the house. The doctor was still hopeful that whatever this was would go away with some rest, but I knew better. I knew it like one knew that the sun would rise in the east. I was dying. Nothing could stop it. Not the doctor and his medicines, or Edward and his reassurance and not even the love for my daughter, the strongest thing I had even experienced.

No, I was dying and I knew that unless I was lucky, this was my last Christmas, so I intended to make it a good one. For Ella and Edward. I worried for them best. I feared that Ella would never really know me and would even forget me in the end. But most of all, I feared that Edward would not survive my death and Ella would end up losing both of her parents all at once. I had made Edward promise me that he would not abandon Ella, but though he assured me so faithfully, I could tell that he had no idea what I truly spoke of.

So that was why I walked to the barn now. “Can I go in now mommy?” She had waited at the doors and seemed confused at my slowness.

“Of course my daughter.” She threw open the doors and instantly sent poor James flying backwards as he got hit by the door.

“Oof!” I looked at Ella in shock, never realizing just how strong her little lanky frame really was.

“Ella apologize to young James.” She ran over to him and helped him up.

“Sorry James.” He nodded, brushed himself off and promptly left without a word.

“Ella, you must be more careful.”

“Sorry mother.” I hid a smile, for she only called me mother when she knew that she was in trouble.

“Well, come along, we should get back to your father.”

“Yes mommy.” She skipped along down the aisle and I wished so that I could join her, but the pain in my bones and joints could hardly handle my weight, let alone quick youthful jumps.

“Stop Ella.” She stopped before a stall and as if on cue, a young buckskin gelding lifted his head over the bottom half of the door.

“Who is this mommy? He was not here yesterday.”

“That is because he is my Christmas gift to you.”

“Really? My own horse?”

“Yes, you spend most of your time out here anyway and I think that you should have your own.” She rushed me and hugged me around the legs. She was taller than she had been last year and I lost a tear realizing that I would never see her as tall as me.

“When can I ride him?”

“When you have named him and when the sun dawns on the morrow.”

“Oh, but I want to ride him today!”

“Now Ella, I am glad that you like him so much, but for horses it is Christmas too. Give the poor boy a rest for he has traveled far in a week to be here.”

“Yes mommy.”

“Good girl. Now run into the tack room and grab a brush. I will show you how to brush him so that you can do it the next time.” She ran off before I could even finish and once she was gone I turned to the horse.

“You know don’t you?” He snorted and reached for my outstretched arm.

“Yes, I knew you would. Animals always seem to know these things. I’m dying and that little girl, she is mine. I will not be here a year from now I think, so you must be her protector. Be her friend when she has none and let her cry with you when she must be strong with everyone else.” He stared at me with his large black eyes and I sighed, realizing the foolishness of it all. “Well, I’ve started, I might as well finish. You are to be with her until she no longer needs you. Is that understood?” I turned, not expecting a response, but when he snorted, threw his head up and stomped his hoof I stopped and looked back at him. In those eyes I thought I saw some understanding and a small spark of hope flew through me. Christmas had given me the hope that I could try this and it would seem that that hope had been fulfilled.

“Mommy! I thought of a name!”

“Oh and what would that be my robin?”

“Sun. For he shines.”

“That he does my love, that he does,” and I looked down at her, knowing that soon her smile would be hidden from me forever, along with her voice and eyes. I would cry later in my grief, but she would survive to see a brighter future and that was all I could really ask for.