4 Family | Chapter 4

Hands intertwined, Derek and I enter the brightly lit ball room, where it is clear the ball is at it's best. Couples dancing cheerily in the middle of the floor with the rest of the crowd observing with drinks in there hands or clapping along to the melody.

I look up to the balcony and see that all the royals are sat in their assigned chairs, however, they dont seem to hold the same atmosphere as the joyful one below them. All of their faces portray anger, or slight guilt. Definitely not an emotion that is typically present at a birthday celebration. Prince Alexander's crystal blue eyes catch mine, him sending me a small smile before looking beside me at Derek, when his smile instantly retracts and he goes back to serveying the party, holding an emotionless expression. I hear Derek stifle a laugh beside me and I turn to him in confusion to see him smiling slightly with his head down, but with an expression I can't make out in his dark orbs. Did he see the Prince? Do they somehow know each other?

"Derek, there you are, I've been looking for you, son" I hear the familiar voice of Victor, which captures my wandering attention. I look beside me to see the man, dressed in a very nice looking suit, his belly protruding slightly from his shirt. There's no doubt he looks handsome, with his light hair slicked back tidily.

I look down to see little Carter by his side; his little smile, which is the splitting image of his fathers, adorning his face.

"Sorry, father. I was just showing Evangeline the grounds" Derek explains, his hand squeezing mine slightly, as if he was asking me to comply.

"Yes, I've never been here before, so Derek was showing me the beautiful gardens" I confirm, giving his father a sincere smile. To which he mirrors, with a nod of his head.

"A little birdy told me Prince Alexander asked you for a dance Evangeline," He smiles and I do the same, looking down by his side to see Carter giggling, and I give him an accusing look, to which he shrugs his shoulders and points towards Derek with a innocent smile on his lips. I laugh and so does Derek and his father.

"Do you somehow know Prince Alexander, Evangeline?" Victor asks me, no amount of judgement in his eyes, just curiosity.

I shake my head with a little laugh, "Not really, he helped me one night when I lost my way and ended up by the tavern in the woods" I explain and he nods in understanding.

As the tune of the previous song stops, one of a slower nature takes its place, and many more couples make their way to the middle of the dark oak floor.

"Derek, are you going to ask her to dance?" Victor smirks and Carter lets out an adorable chuckle before dragging his father away from us, leaving us alone.

"Well, would you like to dance, Princess?" Derek walks in front of me, bowing slightly with my hand still in his, but mine only resting on top so I could pull away if I wanted to deny, which I did not.

"Of course" I reply with a slight laugh before he fully grasps my hand and pulls us into the crowd of happy couples slow dancing. I place my hands on his chest, as I did not know if this piece of music had any specific choreography, but as I glance around the room, seeing everyone's different interpretations of it, I'm positive it does not.

Derek places his hands on my lower back, subtly pulling me closer to him. I can feel his heartbeat through his chest and it comforts me, making my heartbeat mirror his. I feel calmer than when I was dancing with the Prince, which I would believe is only because of the many people watching us, and not the Prince himself.

"Evangeline," Derek says my name softly and only then had I realised I had been staring at our moving feet all the while we have been dancing together.

"Are you well?" He questions for the second time tonight, both when I have been lost in my thoughts.

"Perfectly well, excuse my rudeness" I say as my eyes find his, and I look deeply into them. Observing Derek at such close proxemity, I wonder if he is in fact older than what I initially thought. Still in his early twenties most definitely, but he seems much more mature and trustworthy, as I look into his eyes. The dark brown orbs somehow being home to little green specs that glow in the warm light of the room.

"What's on your mind?" Derek, tilts his head subtly as his eyes squint with curiosity. A handsome gesture. I feel a blush arrise on my cheeks and a smile creep at the corners of my mouth at the thought of telling him what I was actually thinking. Instead, I ask him the question I was wondering.

"How old are you?" I say, a smile still placed on my lips as he gives me a toothy grin, and I notice two dimples that indent his cheeks, a rare feature that I'm not used to on a man, but a handsome one none the less.

"Im 21," he states and I'm pleased with my accurate guess, he definately seems mature for his age.

"Why, Do I look that bad for my age? Working since 13 takes a lot, you know" He says in a playful tone and I can't help but laugh at his defence. He laughs along with me, his chest rumbling under my fingers, making this much more intimate than you would expect.

I shake my head, closing my eyes and looking down.

"Rather the opposite" I whisper, then look back up at him, a little smirk placed on my lips as I see his confused expression.

"What was that?" He asks, and my eyes wander over Dereks broad shoulder to see Carters smiling face in the crowd behind us, pointing us out to his laughing father. I giggle as Carter waves, jumping up and down. Then I ask a question that's been on my mind ever since I met this amazing family.

"You don't look much like your father, do you take more after your mother?" I speak without really thinking, he hasn't told me about his mother, I hope I did not strike an uncomfortable topic. My mind is answered when his face falls and our eye contact is lost.

"I apologise, I shouldn't have-"

"No," Derek cuts me off, his face still showing signs of detest, but his eyes return to mine, showing me the sadness that resides there. "Don't apologise, but... do you want to know the truth?" He asks, his eyes looking into mine, flickering from each eye to the other.

I nod my head silently as my hands come up to rest around his neck as our bodies still slightly sway to the song that is rapidly coming to an end. His hands tighten around me and he looks down, as though hes collecting his thoughts or piecing his words together, and of course I give him the time he needs. He lets out a quiet sigh as he presses his forehead on mine, I did not realise what an effect this would have on him. And our close proxemity equates to a circus in my stomach, which is a feeling I've never felt before.

He pulls away only slightly and looks down, "I'm sorry, it is just.. hard for me to say, I don't think I've said it out loud before", he explains, like he is embarrassed. I place my hand on his cheek, and he looks back at me with beads of worry glistening in his beautiful, dark eyes.

"Take your time" I whisper, and smile slightly, assuring him that I would not judge or degrade him for whatever he is about to say. I have no reason to, Derek is one of the nicest men I have ever met.

"Victor.. isn't my father, by blood" Derek states, his eyes searching mine for any sign of judgement, which he will not be able to find. He squeezes his eyes shut and lets out a sigh as I give him a reassuring smile for him to carry on, trying not to show the undoubted shock that I feel at his confession.

"He took me in, when my blood parents did not want me" He explains further, and the hurt in his eyes is evident as he looks back at me. My thumb caresses his cheek absentmindedly as he takes a deep breath to compose himself.

"He's a lovely man," I praise as a smile graces my lips, but then it faulters as I realise that Derek suggested he was unwanted by his birth parents; how could anyone not want their own child?

"If you do not mind my asking," I state, looking at him and he gives me a reassuring nod for me to continue with my questioning, "what were your birth parents circumstances? Why could they not look after you?"

Derek almost laughs at this, his eyes now angered and looking around the room, any trace of sadness that was there before has completely vanished.

"You see, they could look after me; very well in fact, but they chose to keep their prestine reputation, over their own son." He states, and I can not help but get angry for him.

"How old were you? When Victor started looking after you?" I ask as I search his eyes for any offence, in case I need to retract my question.

"I was barely a year, but they had already concieved another by then, so I'm sure I wasn't that much missed."

"And did they give up that child also?" I question, as my hands glide down Dereks arms to grasp his hands as the song finishes.

He laughs a bit and shakes his head, "Of course not. They had that child at the perfect time" Derek states, hardly any emotion left in his eyes.

I scrunch my face in confusion, why would they give up Derek, but keep their second child so willingly, how could circumstances change that much in under a year?

Derek and I spent the rest of the evening together, as well as Carter and Victor. I also told Derek about my family, however, did not feel ready to talk about my father, but he understood that willingly and did not press me any more on the subject, which I was grateful for.

I learnt that Carter and Victor are all the family Derek has, he never touched the subject of his birth parents again, which I completely understood. Derek told me that Carter's mother sadly passed away whilst giving birth to him, but said she was a lovely woman, who treated him like a son until the day she went. Her name was Veronica, and Victor told me so much about her, how they were together for 4 years before she fell pregnant with Carter, and she was the best mother to Derek when Veronica was introduced to him.

The two met at their market stall, Victor had seen her walk past his stall multiple times in the week and was stunned by her 'angelic beauty' he gushed. He finally got the courage to talk to her as she passed his stall one day, getting her attention by rolling an apple in front of her, so she would pick it up and look for the owner, which she did, and he confessed to her that same day.

Verionica chose Carters name before she passed, she adored the name, even knitting a blanket with 'Carter' inscribed within the design. So, as any man would, Victor gave Carter his name, in honor of his lost love.

It was beautiful, hearing Victor talk so openly and lovingly about his 'one and only' and although they only knew each other for a short 5 years, he adored her, and still does even though her body has left this earth. Victor declares he shall never find another like her and does not have the need to look, as he knows she'll be waiting for him at the gates of heaven, when his time 'inevitably comes in the furture'.

"Thank you, for a perfect night, you two," I state as I take one of the two boys' hands in mine. "And please thank your father for me as well," I add, looking between the two boys.

"We will, Evangeline" Carter pipes up and pulls on my hand so I could bend down to his level. I get on my knees and he wraps his arms around my neck lovingly and my arms come over his back. I pull away and give him a kiss on the cheek, before thanking him again.

I stand up and look towards Derek his hands intertwined in front of him, but a small smile on his lips.

"Go on, I think your mother wants you" he laughs as he points behind me and I look back to see my mother standing in the doorway, bouncing on her toes as she waves. I giggle as I wave back and turn back around to see Derek helping Carter back into the carriage.

"I will see you when I'm next in the village" I say as he turns back to face me.

"I'll be waiting" he replies, and I laugh and walk towards him, his hand pulling me in for a light hug. I pull away slightly, giving him a kiss on the cheek, before fully moving from his embrace.

"Goodnight, be safe" I shout and wave as I walk away to greet my mother, and we both wave as the carraige disapears into the forest, Carter waving madly at us until he fades from view.

"You must tell me everything" My mother smiles brightly and grasps my hands, before guiding me into our home.