The General's Daughter

Chapter 6

We arrived at the castle and I was grateful that it was just a normal day at court. There was no event taking place and no hoards of would-be suitors to watch out for.

There'd just be the one.

It didn't take long for me to learn what Papa's surprise was. I understood the moment the doors to the conference room were opened and I was able to see that Prince Philip was speaking with a woman with bright red hair and who was wearing men's clothing.

"Aunt Keira!" I cried happily, rushing toward her.

She turned and caught me in her arms, hugging me tightly. It had been ages since I'd seen her.

"It's good to see you," she said and then lowered her voice so only I would hear. "Especially still happily unmarried."

Blushing, I involuntarily looked up to where Alex was standing, watching us.

"As long as possible," I whispered back and then pulled away and hugged Uncle William who was standing beside her.

"Did you bring the children?" I asked as Mother embraced her sister.

"We did," Uncle William answered. "They're in the nursery at the moment."

"Not that Waverly is pleased one little bit about being left with the babies," Aunt Keira said. "Just five-years-old and she's practically an adult, you know."

I laughed along with everyone else. My little cousin had always been independent. She hated being lumped together with her 3-year-old twin siblings. Mother said she wasn't very different from Aunt Keira in that respect.

"Actually," she said, with a meaningful glance in my direction. "I should check on them. The maids here have no idea what to do with them when they get wild. Especially Will."

"Yes, he takes after his mother, that one," Uncle William teased, making us all laugh.

Aunt Keira sent him an unamused look before turning to me.

"You should come too. I promised Waverly I'd bring you just as soon as you arrived."

That was probably true, but I knew by the look in my aunt's eye that she was making an excuse to speak to me in private. I wasn't sure who else caught on to that but I didn't argue. Any reason to put a little space between Alex and myself, was fine by me. Especially since he also seemed as if he'd like a private word.

"How are you holding up?" she asked once we were alone.

I sighed. "Alright...for now."

She looked at me critically. "The prince?"

I was amazed that she knew about that. It was no secret that Alex and I were close, but his more obvious attentions were a fairly recent development. Much more so than my aunt would have been able to notice before today.

She laughed at my expression. "It wasn't that difficult to figure out. I knew he had feelings for you. Most people who were accustomed to seeing you together, did. But you were decidedly cooler to him back there, and he seemed a little....hesitant."

I hadn't realized that people would note a difference in our interaction. And we'd only been in the same room for a few minutes.

"He...kissed me," I said, feeling my face warm again. "He hasn't proposed...not exactly. But he as good as did. He said he'd wait until I was ready. But he has to know if he's wasting his time or not. He only has a year to make a choice."

Aunt Keira watched me and it was hard to tell what she thought.

"Do you want him to wait?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "I'm afraid of giving him an answer either way."