Everyone Loves A Party

The slap woke her up sharply, her mind trying to assess her surroundings all at once the memories came flooding back to her and she sat up to see Mrs Mackenzie's worried face looming over her.

She grabbed her face roughly apparently searching for physical tells of her ordeal.

"Are you alright girl" Mrs Mackenzie asked

"Did you just hit me" she asked the woman

"Of course not My Lady" she let go of her face and walked to the other end of the room where she had placed a pot over her fire place dipping her hand into the boiling water she pulled out a rag squeezed it and came back to her laying the wet rag on her forehead she didn't really feel anything

"I could have sworn I felt a slap on my face" she murmured staring crossly at the woman

"What happened" Mrs Mackenzie asked hands on hips staring at her

Davina could imagine being talked down to this way by anyone outside her family, but they have been together a long time in some ways she was more a mother to her than her real one

"I fell asleep is all" she said not quite meeting her eye

"Even though you just woke up"

"Yes and I feel much better now so help me dress"

"Davina..." This time worry touched her voice, there where very few things she did not share with the woman and that usually meant something very bad.

"I said I am fine if you will not do as you're told then get out" her voice was cold

The was a short silence in which Davina refused to look her in the eye

"As you wish"

**************************************************

The sun had risen to peak now though it made little difference to the snow covered earth, Davina could barely remember a time that was not winter. She stared out the window as Arden stood behind a veil curtain sculpting her likeness her red head would occasionally peak through to look at her

When she had discovered the girls talent it seemed a waste not to use it over the years she had sculpted gifts and decorations for her but the girl had become a pain as most artists did in the end insisting on not showing her work until it was finished, and wanting to sculpt only her apparently her essence was difficult to capture as this was the seventh on she had sat for in the past month it was not as though she had anything better to do though

Eventually Arden stepped out from behind her cloak of mystery.

"I would like to get your hands exact so we'll use a mold" she said

"You want me to put my royal hands in a bath of goop" Davina replied trying her most withering look but her heart was not in it

"Just one your grace yes"

"And if I refuse"

"Your grace u do have the most exquisite hands you see and without them the sculpture would be ruined"

"Mmh hmmm, you only flatter me because I feed you"

Arden laughed and it transformed her face she was quite pretty "Of course not your Grace"

"Fine"

As she went to prepare the mold that is when Davina heard it the unmistakable sound of a gallop, there had been no events planned for her to attend, her heart started to beat faster as blood roared in her ears whether from excitement or fear she didn't not know she tore out of the room, distantly she heard Arden call out to her but she did not stop she ran down what felt like thousands of stairs passed shocked maids and guards, she ran out into the foyer and ripped opened the entrance doors distantly she wondered where the guards were and then she was outside just in time to see him dismount his horse to the stable hand.

He turned when he heard the door open and smiled widely and she ran and threw her arms around him burying her nose into his coat he smelled like horse it was disgusting but she looked it anyway.

He laughed and hugged her back

"Quite the welcome little sister" he said

she laughed and hugged him tighter

"Davina, I cannot breath" she let go of him and took a step back smiling brightly at him

"Why are you here?" she asked

"I came to see you of course" he replied taking her hand and leading her back to the entrance door where a distraught Miss Mackenzie stood hands clasped tightly in front of her "running around with no cloak, it's a miracle you haven't frozen to death"

" Cold does not bother me"

After Miss Mackenzie had herded them inside the tower in front of a fire with a hot cup of tea Davina sighed relaxed in her brother's company

"What is that" Lucien asked pointing at the 8 foot mold covered in silk

" apparently it is my likeness in stone, though I have no seen it the in house artist is terribly temperamental"

" much like someone else I know"

she glared half heartedly at him but she was too happy to be angry, her family rarely came to see her in her prison she was the 9th child of a powerful king, less than a spare though she knew they loved her, she had to remind herself why she was locked away in the first place, her brother Lucien the second child and second son of the kingdom visited her most frequently of all her family which was barely ever really apparently being second son allowed for much leeway, her first brother Elijah was In line for succession after father so he had much kingly duties to attend while her sisters 6 in all four already married off to different kingdoms sent letters daily, but she could scare remember what they looked like and her parents did not visit.

" what are you doing here brother truly" she asked finally

he sighed and set down his cup

"Father is hosting a ball" he said

she stared at him waiting for him to continue

" And?" she prompted

" I was sent to collect you for the ball, you are to attend"