Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
WINTER 1000, CHRISTMAS AT DATRAM:
It is snowing when I arrive at the castle, light snow, barely there. My brother and Hayley greet me at the main door with Rebekah.
I greet them all enthusiastically.
"But where's Maxwell?" I ask Rebekah.
"He's at Goldstone with Dean and Darren," she informs me.
Dean and Darren are my cousins, the twin sons of the late Prince Jackson, my father's brother and my uncle. He married Maxwell's aunt, the lady Myryam, meaning they are Max's cousins as well. After my uncle died, Dean became the Duke of Goldstone.
"The three of them will be here by the end of the week," Rebekah finishes.
"That is fantastic," I tell her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Well, shall we go inside, or are you going to keep me out here?" I ask James.
He rolls his eyes at me but laughs. "Come in, princess,"
We spend the week busy with winter traditions. The first and most tiring: posing for a portrait. Hours without moving for days. Mother always insisted on having a portrait made of James and I each year right before Christmas. I missed the last five years and when I came back and looked at the family gallery James looked pretty dark and gloomy on his portraits. I'm glad this year we'll be doing it together, like the old days. With the crown jewels on and our fanciest clothes, we stand where the painter instructs us for hours and hours until he is finally done.
Just as Rebekah said so, Dean, Darren and Maxwell arrive by the week's end, along with their cousin Claryssa and the rest of the Beaufort family.
We take part in the rest of our family traditions: we head to the woods to select a tree and chop it down, we decorate the tree, make cookies and throw the batter at each other, prank each other, hide gifts for each other around our favourite parts of the castle, one for each year we have, James, insists he'll give me 21 gifts because we are the same age. We engage in snow fights, we go ice skating and skiing and hold the annual banquet and dance. I wish Peter were here so we could dance. I guess we'll dance when I go back. We drink and dance, play games and laugh all night. I end up going to sleep very late, nearly 4 am. Oh, I'll be crushed tomorrow, but I've had a great time with my family and friends. On New Year's Eve we'll be throwing a masquerade ball, so Hayley, Rebekah and I pick out dresses for the ball and masks to match. I really missed them all. It's been a long time since last I saw them. I'll have to come to visit more often. Not that my time in Narnia isn't great, but I grew up with these guys, blood or not they are my family and I love them all, plus I really miss my twin brother James.
Two nights before new year's eve I go drinking to a posh pub with Maxwell, Rebekah, Dean and Darren (our cousins, also twins, just one year younger than James). We have a blast, throw darts, play pool, sing happy songs, dance, gamble, tell stories of the old days. Us Datramites really know how to party. I'll have to invite them all to Narnia next year, they are all great company.
