In Between

Chapter 11 - The End

Jasper had sat on that bed and played with Eleanor's hair every single night since they got back together. Losing themselves in each others gaze was their way to reconnect.

She still had some work to finish for Sebastian, she didn't intent to meet him anymore, but she left a project in the middle so these days she mostly had been working on it to finish and send it back to him. It was a great experience, after all, she renovated three houses and left them ready to use as Sebastian wished. This interior design thing turned out to be something really amazing for her and she was sure that she would keep working in that field.

The king still drove Jasper nuts most days, but at the least he didn't need to tail Liam anymore, apparently, the fights were over for him and by the smile that he had these days, Jasper almost could bet that Katheryn was back into his friend's life again.

"I want to renovate my room again!"

"What? Why? We painted it last year and I kind of like this new cover? It was your work, don't you like it anymore?" Jasper asked, not wishing to beat around bushes again.

"I do but I want something new like to mark our new beginning, you know?"

"Ok... so why don't you organize a party!"

"I'm not a party girl anymore Jasper!" She said a little disappointed.

"Not in that way Len, a party to celebrate us, for us, not for the world... Do you get it?"

She looked at him thinking about his words, maybe it could be a good thing.

"I will think about it," she said and raised herself to kiss him.

Three days later, the closest friends of Jasper and Eleanor boarded a boat on the River Thames.

She had accepted Jasper's suggestion and chose a small group of friends and family to celebrate her comeback to the Palace and of course her reconnection with Jasper. But she decided that she didn't want to do it in the Palace, mostly because she didn't want to be near her older brother on a day like this. She didn't invite her uncle either because she was not sure what he and Liam had going on and didn't want a bad vibe on her party. But she invited her mother, although she gently declined, saying that she was not in the mood for parties which lead Eleanor to think that she was upset with something but couldn't really tell what but she was almost sure that King Robert had something to do with it.

Her brother Liam, on the other hand, couldn't have looked happier. He came to the party holding hands with Katheryn and the smile in his eyes said it all.

James observed the small crowd from behind, he had also been invited to the party but of course, he was also working. He couldn't quite put behind the fact that this was a royalty party. But most of these people had become family to him, and to his daughter. Sarah Alice walked around the group like she was at home, he was very grateful for the ones who helped him with her, especially Jasper. He was the most attentive with her and he put up with all her child plays, once he even found her curling Jasper's hair with wax.

But today, Sarah Alice was more around Liam, for some reason. James didn't even know they were that close, but Liam was playing with her hair while she was telling something to Katheryn, something that seemed like gossip, from Katheryn's expressions.

He called her out about it and she said Liam always played with her when the King locks out Jasper from his Chambers and today Jasper and Eleanor needed some time alone because they were apart for too long. James couldn't be more proud of his little girl and more anxious about how this young girl read people so easily. He tried to have her around him a while to let the grownups enjoy their party but she ran away calling Jasper's name when she heard the start of a new song that was playing. As surprising as it was, Eleanor didn't have a DJ, she just brought her mix table and put some playlists on and checked it from time to time.