//------------------------------//
// Chapter 25 
// Story: Brotherhood and Sisterhood 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

Trixie laid on her comfy and plushy mattress and sighed in content, "Trixie can get used to this."

Sonata was sitting on the bed next to her, "I guess it's okay even if we're force to share a room together."

Sunset  was trying to read a book she got at the library but her thoughts kept  lingering to a certain stable boy she met. If her mother was here and  knew about this, heaven knows she would have forbid such a union to take  place. But since she wasn't… A smirk spread across her lips.

"Sunny, what are you thinking of?" Sonata inquired.

"Uh? Oh, it's nothing." she held the book closer to her face making sure her sisters didn't see the blush on her face.

Trixie raised her brow, "Nothing? You've been goo-goo eyed all day." with a smirk she slowly asked, "So, who is he?"

Sonata gasped and squealed, "Is he a count or a duke?!"

Sunset kept her book up feeling flustered, countering, "It's not like that!"

Trixie sat up, "Ah, he must be a knight then, one of the lower stations of nobility."

Sonata shrugged, "Oh well, at least it's better than nothing like a stable boy." she giggled.

Sunset nearly dropped her book and nervously said, "Well… would it be so bad if one of us did fall for a stable boy?"

Trixie  scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Sunset. We were born the best therefore  we deserve the best. We may have not have gotten the princes but there's  still plenty of noblemen out there that can give us all we want."

"I wouldn't mind marrying a baron because that's what my father was."

Sunset realized something and asked them, "Do you remember your fathers?"

Sonata  and Trixie exchanged confusing looks with the former admitting, "A  little, but it's been so long I just don't think about him."

Trixie  nodded, "Same with Trixie, all I know is that Mother married him  because he was wealthy enough before he died in his sleep."

Sunset  furrowed her brows, "Don't you find it strange that all our fathers  died and Mother remarried without so much giving herself time to  grieve?"

Trixie stated, "At least she stopped remarrying after my father passed."

Sunset  pointed, "But that's only because she made the marriage agreement with  the king. Something tells me if the agreement didn't happen she would  have still remarried over and over again."

Sonata questioned, "But why would she do that? What would be the point?"

Her older half-sister pondered on that, "That's… a very good question…"

Trixie  sneered, "Oh please, you can't believe that Mother would be so crude as  to get rid of her husbands…?" then her face faltered and she gulped,  "Would she?"

Sunset frowned, "I don't want to think so, but well…  you saw how she was at her breaking point after the wedding so I  wouldn't be surprised if that was the case…"

Sonata mentioned, "But didn't your father die because he spoke against the king?"

A pang ached in Sunset's heart at the reminder.

Trixie quickly pointed, "There see? There's no way Mother can be some husband killer if your father died from treason."

Sunset sadly sighed, "Maybe you're right." she got up while closing her book, "I need to take a walk." and she left the room.

Sonata voiced out, "Was it something I said?"





Timber  had finished up for the evening and headed back inside to go to his  room that was located in the servants' quarters. But as he was about to  make a turn, he heard crying and decided to investigate. To his surprise  he found the Lady Sunset weeping to herself in a parlor. He carefully  approached her and softly inquired, "My lady…? Are you okay?"

Sunset made a slight gasp and looked to see Timber standing over her. She quickly wiped her eyes.

"I didn't want you to see that."

"Why?"

"Because… a lady cannot express her emotions no matter how much she wants to…" she hung her head.

"Ah… The rules of society, am I right?"

She looked up and was stun, "How… how did you know?"

"Their  royal highnesses have dealt with this kind of thing before. And as a  stable boy I have seen and heard so many nobles trying to keep it in.  Makes me glad I was born a commoner."

She chuckled, "You have no idea how lucky you are." and slowly started to feel better.

"Well  maybe, there are moments where it can be frustrating, like having  little to no money, getting enough to eat, wear decent clothes…"

Her eyes widen, "Is it really that bad?"

Timber  shrugged, "Depends on your situation. Take me for example, I got this  job because someone was nice enough to throw me a bone…"

"Like an actual bone?"

He  made a low whistle, "Whoa, you really were born all high class weren't  you? No, throwing a bone means they were willing to give me a chance."

"That's very interesting."

He chuckled, "Only you would think so."

She slightly frowned, "Are you implying that I am not smart?"

He  quickly said, "Of course not! I'm just saying that you are unaware of  other people's surroundings. Like what was the last time you said thank  you to your servants or gave them something that could help them?"

Sunset smirked, "Funny you should say that…"

When  she explained finishing telling her story about being one of Lady  Chrysalis's daughters and how she helped the maids of her household  become the new princesses by helping them making their escape from the  dungeon, she saw Timber's mouth was wide open in shock.

He ended up sputtering and pointing out, "You- you were the reason they got to switch and marry their true loves?!"

She gave a smug reply, "That's right."

"You- that's- I can't- wow!" he smack his forehead in disbelief.

She giggled.

He uttered, "That's so incredible… You're incredible…" he turned away and blushed.

She felt the redness spreading through her cheeks and looked up to him with hope gleaming in her eyes, "You… you think so…?"

He looked at her with a tint of pink still on his cheeks, "Yes…"

She  slowly stood up and addressed him formally, "Sir Timber Spruce, I would  like to extend an invitation of courtship to you, I would be most  honored if you accept."

He stared at her in bewilderment and didn't say anything for the longest time until he tenderly answered, "Yes…"

She smiled brightly at him.

He bowed, "And with your permission, milady, would you permit me to escort you back to your room?"

She nodded and held her arm out.

He placed his arm around hers and slowly they walked out of the room and went down the hall.

Sunset questioned, "So how do you know their royal highnesses so well?"

Timber  replied, "I've known them for a long time now. When I was first  starting out as a stable boy I saw them playing them in the gardens. I  was ten at the time, the same age as Prince Capper was, and I was  fascinated of how well they got along and enjoyed each other's company.  It made me wish I had brothers of my own."

"Are you an only child?"

"No, I have a sister. Gloriosa Daisy."

"You don't like her that much?"

"I  never said that, I love my sister with all my heart but sometimes she  can be… overbearing… She overdoes things and end up getting hurt and  stressed because of that. I try to tell her she needs to take it easy  but our lifestyle hasn't made that easy."

Sunset made a sympathetic look, "I'm sure…"

"Sometimes… I dream of making a better life for us… to live in splendor… to never have to worry about money or station again."

She  sighed, "Having money isn't all that great. As rich and influential my  family was, I still felt empty inside. I didn't have my father to help  me grow into adulthood, and my mother took control of my and my sisters'  upbringing to make sure that we would be the proper young ladies that  we would be. After all, we were the future brides of the princes, of  course we had to act like that."

"Huh… in a way you were a servant to your mother…"

Her eyes widen at the thought and told him, "Yeah… I guess I kind-of was… We all were."

They  kept making small talk as they climbed the stairs until they reached  Sunset's chamber. They faced each other by the door with their hands  interlocked.

"Well, this is where we must depart, my lady…" looking at her with half-lidded eyes.

"So we must good sir." she beamed.

They slowly let go with him still holding her left hand and brought it close to his lips and kissed it.

"You sir, are incurably romantic."

"But of course! How else is a gentleman supposed to win a fair maiden's heart?"

She teased, "Oh really? What if the gentleman already has the maiden's heart?"

He smirked, "Then he has to spend every day, every hour to make sure that he keeps it."

She giggled for the second time that night.

"Meet me in the gardens tomorrow after lunch."

"I'll be there, I promise."

"Until then, milady…"

"Until then…"

Timber  slowly moved away from her and went back down the steps. Sunset slowly  opened the door and went inside. The both of them felt unbridle  happiness hoping the feeling would never diminish from their hearts. For  the rest of the night, they thought only of each other and couldn't  wait for tomorrow to come.