𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄. chapter sixty-four; Under The Apple Tree " He cared more for staying. "
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THE GARDENS WERE expansive. Perfectly trimmed hedges lined it, providing a bit of privacy from the rest of the estate.
Elspeth led Demetre through rows of flowers in every color he could imagine, perfectly cared for, lively reaching for the sun. They passed a smattering of tables and benches, and two fountains before he saw the orchard.
Somehow he could tell Elspeth loved it there.
The hill continued up a bit before rows of trees began. A few of them bore brightly colored fruits, while others simply provided shade and lumber.
They entered the rows, a canopy of leaves protecting them from the sun briefly, save for the beams that poked through, and only then did Elspeth take his hand.
"Have they always been at odds?"
"Fraser and Douglas?"
"Mhm."
Elspeth tugged him to a halt beneath a rather sturdy-looking apple tree, taking a seat at the base of it. Demetre followed suit, allowing his spine to rest against the trunk, stretching his legs out before him.
"Hans was raised to be Duke," Elspeth explained, "He was. . . perfect. Well-mannered, level-headed, but kind. Funny. He was the best part of all of us. A perfect combination. . . The rest of us have always been imbalanced. Hans helped us find balance."
Elspeth smiled sadly, letting out a small sigh before readjusting to lay on the soft grass beneath them. She rested her head on Demetre's thigh, staring up at the canopy of leaves as they rustled in the soft breeze.
"Fraser has always been a stick in the mud."
Demetre snorted.
"Father thought he'd be a perfect knight because of it," Elspeth said, "I think those lessons amplified it. He was a rule-abiding kid; I swear he chastised me more than our parents did growing up. . . He cares. He does, I know he does. . . he just has a different way of showing it most of the time. . . Douglas is more like me. Wild, free, untameable. Fraser always said I had an excuse to act the way I did, growing up with three brothers, being the youngest, living under my mother's influence. . . he said Douglas didn't have an excuse. That he needed to mature, realize that he wasn't the little brother anymore."
Elspeth remembered the days she had spent with all four of them on the estate. Running wild; Douglas gave into her antics first, always. Hans supported her fighting off of suitors, but never let her refuse lessons for very long. Fraser reminded her of the rules and chastised her for her manners while brushing dirt out of her hair.
And at the end of every day, no matter who had argued or who had gotten in trouble, the four of them were always together. Each day ended with family dinner and lounging in the sitting room, with Elspeth painting, Douglas plucking keys on a piano, Hans reading, and Fraser studying.
