"Get back here, you little monster!"
Corderoy Holt watched his young master chasing around his six-year-old adopted daughter, Robin, in amused disdain and sighed helplessly.
Robin squealed and laughed, running around the castle in her undergarments with her father, who was also laughing, chasing after her with a dress in his hand. Her ankle-long fawn hair streamed behind her as she ran, her sky-blue eyes were filled with glee and mischievousness.
"Can't catch me, Daddy!" she said in her adorable voice.
"I'm going to catch you alright! And when I do, I'm going to make you wear dresses and jewelry and make you stick your pinky up when you drink tea!" John threatened, laughing.
"Daddy!" Robin squealed and abruptly stopped running. She whirled around and faced her father with an enraged expression. "I don't want to do that!" She stomped her feet around. "I don't want to do that! I don't want to wear dresses! I want to wear Syd's clothes! They're comf… comfor… ugh!" She stamped her feet again in frustration.
"Comfortable?" John replied patiently with an amused smile.
"Yes!" she yelled.
"Alright," he said, giving in to his Little Princess' demands. "You can wear Syd's clothes. What else do you want?"
"I want to ride horsies! And play with the sticks! I don't want to wear dresses! I don't want to paint! I want to play with Syd, too!"
John smiled. He loved his daughter and the fact that she didn't want to be a "proper lady". He fully supported her free-spirited and wild behavior and he would trample and demolish anyone that said otherwise.
Meanwhile, while John and the future tyrant were negotiating, Lonnie was helping Sydney with getting out of his sweaty clothes. He had just come back from his "training". At six years old, Sydney was getting sword fighting lessons. Although, they did not use real swords. And Sydney often strayed from his lessons.
"It's boring!" he complained in his little six-year-old voice. "I want to play with Robin!"
Lonnie laughed. "I know, Syd."
She thought for a moment about her adopted daughter and how she hates to be like a lady and wants to do all the things Sydney does. She smiled and knew John was going to end up giving in to the little dictator's wants and demands.
"Will Duke let her play with me?" Sydney suddenly asked.
Lonnie sighed.
Shortly after Robin's first word, she said, "Mum" to Lonnie. Lonnie was overjoyed and Sydney followed shortly after. But he didn't call John "Dad" or "Dadda" or "Daddy". Not even "Father".
No, it was always "Duke". And John didn't tell Sydney to call him otherwise.
"Probably," Lonnie said with a little laugh. "You know how lenient he is with Robin."
"Yay!" Sydney exclaimed, shrugging out of his little clothes. He finally got into his play clothes and jumped up to his mother. "Can I go, Mum? Can I, please?"
Lonnie patted his head and laughed. "Yes, go play!"
"Whee!" Sydney yelled and took off running into the hallway, heading towards his adopted sister whom he loved more than anything.
As he was running, he came right up to Robin who was running to him.
"Look, Syd!" Robin twirled around, showing off her breeches and shirt.
"You look like a boy!" Sydney complained. He liked Robin to wear dresses and put her hair because she looked pretty. But he also liked that she wanted to do all the things he did. They were both too young to realize that Robin's behavior would be looked down upon by anyone not in the Ashmonie household.
"Nuh-uh!" Robin said, crossing her arms.
"Come on! Let's go outside!" Sydney quickly redirected the conversation. He knew full well that if it came down to an argument - physical or verbal - he would lose.
Robin readily agreed. The children ran outside and started playing around. They chased each-other, played with "swords" (sticks), and mocked being knights.
From the window, Lonnie watched her two adopted children. She laughed and giggled at their silly antics.
"Hello, Fair Lady," a deep voice rumbled behind her.
John slipped his arms around his beloved's waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, watching the children with her.
"I see you caved," Lonnie said quietly, referring to Robin and her orders for boy's clothes.
"I did," John said, trying to hide the smile on his face. "But look how happy she is."
"Aye," Lonnie sighed. "But unless we keep her locked up for the rest of her life, she won't be accepted by society."
"Society doesn't have to accept her. Just us and we do." And I'll lock her up anyway. John thought to himself. Then no one can take my princess from me. Certainly not any "noblemen" or boys!
"John," Lonnie turned around. "You're not a woman and you don't understand. Women's status depends on how well they marry. Not their personality. As much as I want Robin to stay that way forever, she can't. She may be claimed as a sorceress or some other false claim… I don't want that to happen."
"It won't," he assured. "We're still trying to find her parents. Her locket and the note both show that she came from a wealthy family. We can find them-"
"And then what?" Lonnie cut in. "We give her back?"
"Of course not," John said, tightening his hold around her. "Her status…" He trailed off, his eyes fixing on a point over her shoulder.
Lonnie turned around, trying to see what John was looking at and burst out laughing.
Robin and Sydney were both covered in mud but Robin was standing over Sydney who was laying down on his back. Robin had her stick pointed at his stomach and Sydney seemed to be talking frantically with his hands up in defense.
"Come on, let's go save him," John said.
The couple went outside.
"Robin!" Lonnie called.
"Mummy!" Robin turned around, still pointing the stick at Sydney.
"What are you doing?"
"Syd said girls can't fight!" Robin stomped her foot next to Sydney and he yelled out, covering his face. Robin took on an evil and triumphant smile.
John suppressed laughter.
And failed.
"Robin," John called after his laughing fit. "It's not Syd's fault. He's just never seen girls fight. Until now."
"But, Daddy," Robin said, setting down her stick and walking over, "I want to fight. Why haven't we seen girls fight?"
"Because girls are not supposed to," Lonnie said sadly.
Robin's little eyebrows furrowed and she opened her mouth but John cut her off.
"Some girls." John smiled and inwardly praised himself as his little princess' face eased up and smiled. Disaster averted. "You can fight if you want to."
"I want to!" Robin said immediately and jumped up and down.
"Well," Lonnie said, sighing (and giving in completely), "maybe she could join Syd's lessons?"
"Yes!" Sydney yelled, standing up and running over. "Please?"
The couple looked at each other and then at the children who were pleading and completely covered in mud.
"Alright!" John said. "But then that means that you'll both need to have the same tutor for strategy and…"
The adults continued to talk, naming all the tutors the kids would need to share and so on. The children stopped paying attention and quickly became bored so they ran around again.
Yes, they were both excited to be in the same classes and play together more. Robin was extremely happy because she never liked painting, but if it was with Syd, she'd happily do it. And Sydney didn't like riding horses much, but if he could race with Robin, everything would be much more enjoyable.
Indeed, it seems the two do everything together and surely this bond will only grow.