𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑜𝑛. ʙʀɪᴛɪsʜ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

24 ♔♕ 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟶𝟶𝟻

"Alex," Rose called, lowering her sunglasses down to peer over them at her brother.

"Whaaat?" He replied, mimicking the singsong voice she had used.

"Be a darling and move Bella's sun-bed for her will you...the suns moving past her legs."

It was the middle of summer. And, by some stroke of luck, it was actually warm. Teetering on too warm actually.

The younger members of the Powlett family had gathered with their friends on the grassy hill that led down to the lake on the grounds of Raby Castle, their country home. Someone had set up some speakers and the drinks were coming thick and fast meaning everyone was having a jolly good time.

"What's wrong with your legs?" Alex asked with a sigh despite him already swinging his legs off his own sun-bed.

"They're tired from all the sunbathing." His sisters quick reply made the smile that had already begun to spread over his face increase, and a deep chuckle rumble up through his chest as he walked over to Bella.

"Where do you want it then Bell?" He asked, pushing his own sunglasses up onto his head as he swiftly lifted up the top of the bed with one hand.

"Show off." She grinned, sticking her tongue out as he pretended to use it as a weight, "bit further back please."

"Not wanting to get your arms tanned?" Alex questioned as he dragged the sun-bed closer towards the trees.

"Have you seen this?" Bella replied quickly, lifting up her left arm that was still covered with a thick cast.

"Well yeah but I thought it might be a new trend."

She just chuckled at him as she sat back down on the bed, really trying to keep the same face when he also sat down on the end of it. "I think it might go down as the worst trend in history."

"I don't know you know...I think you could make it work."

"Oh really?" She teased, one eyebrow lifting up in a challenge.

"Hey, you two!" The shout from Rose broke the tension that had built between them. Turning to look over in her direction, the two of them simultaneously placed a hand over their eyes to shield them from the sun.

"Yeah?" They shouted back, sharing a smile as their voices mixed together.

"We're off for a swim in the lake, you coming?"

"Can't get it wet." Bella replied, lifting up her arm in demonstration.

"Me neither." Alex continued, pointing to his own bandage on his thigh.

With that, Rose nodded and proceeded to follow the rest of the group down the hill towards the lake, the music softening to a distant thrum as they wandered off.

"What've you done?" Bella asked once Rose's figure had fully disappeared down the hill.

"Oh it's nothing," Alex shrugged, swatting a fly off as he glanced down at his leg, "just a bit of shrapnel."

"That's what my brothers always say." She replied with a disapproving frown, her face softening as she looked back up to him.