The Royal Assassin

Orphanage

*Allison's P.O.V*

I fidget as I sit in the carriage, ready to leave the castle and go to the orphanage already. I wanted to see what it was like. I hoped that it was as good as Annabelle and Maxon described it. They had made it sound like it was a nice place, at the very least a safe place and I believed them about that.

"You don't have to be so nervous, it's not like the kids will attack you or anything," Maxon says, making me roll my eyes.

"You do not know that," I say, earning a small chuckle from Annabelle as she pulls me onto her lap, kissing my cheek.

"You'll be fine baby, everything will be fine," Annabelle says as she smooths my hair back so that it's out of my face. I pout at her slightly, upset that she was messing with my hair now.

"You not do that," I scold her, pausing as I realize that I'm starting to slip. I don't want to slip right now! Stupid brain, not working like I want it to. Mo-Annabelle seems to understand that, letting me slip off of her lap and back into my seat.

"I'm surprised you got in the carriage since you're so scared of horses," Maxon says.

"I'm only kinda scared of them now. Still wouldn't ride one, least not alone," I admit, making him chuckle.

"So I should get you riding lessons as a gift," Maxon teases, making me stick my tongue out at him.

"He's mean," I whisper to Annabelle, making her nod with a small smile. She was a lot better now that we were back home, mostly because she was taking her medicine even when she didn't want to. If she didn't either Maxon or I would guilt her into doing it. I was better at it then Maxon, mostly because I used the fact that she made me take medicine even when I didn't want to so she had to take hers even if she didn't want to.

"I will turn your pony into glue," Maxon says, so dryly that my jaw drops. I couldn't believe that he would threaten such a thing! Grant was my baby. I try to kick him, having to sit at the edge of the carriage seat to do so. I miss, making me pout.

"Don't kick baby, if he even tries to threaten that again then he'll be sleeping in the throne room," Annabelle says, giving Maxon a dirty look. 

"Yeah? Is that so?" Maxon asks.

"Yes, that is so," Annabelle retorts, squealing when he lunges across the carriage so that he can keep her pinned against the seat. "Maxon, stop it," she huffs, laughing when he kisses her neck.

"Not until you change your mind," Maxon retorts, kissing her neck again.

"Grossssss," I whine, making him look at me. I squeal when lunges for me, tickling my sides.

"We are not gross little miss, we are two very happy married people who have a love life that doesn't pertain to a certain little girl giving her input on our love life," Daddy informs me, making me huff.

"Mommy, makes him stop," I plead, trying to wriggle away from his hands before he could tickle me.

"I'm sorry baby, your daddy is a wild man who does things out of my control," Mommy says, making me pout as I force my lower lip to quiver.

"Don't do that! That's cheating," Daddy says as Mommy pushes him off, letting him fall onto the floor of the carriage.

"My poor baby," Mommy says as she pulls me onto her lap, kissing my cheek as she smooths my hair back. "I married a mean mean man," she says as she rocks me.

"I despise that she can manipulate you so well," Daddy says dryly as he moves back to his seat, falling again when he goes to sit down and the carriage stops. "I think we're here," he says dryly, looking up at us from the floor.

"I not wanna go in, I little," I whine to Mommy, making her coo. She kisses my cheek, sitting me on the seat next to her as she holds my hand.

"We can stay here until you're big and ready to go in," Mommy promises, her thumb rubbing the back of my hand. I pull my hand away, ignoring her hurt look.

"No touching, not until big," I inform her, making her nod in understanding.

"Okay, so let's just sit in silence then," Mommy says, making me nod. I focus on myself, trying to focus on being a big girl. It's very hard to do but after a little while of taking deep breaths and calming myself down before I manage to unregress...is that even a word? I was going to make it one if it wasn't because what was the opposite of regress? Maybe grow but I was never actually growing so that wasn't the word to use....

"Are you ready to get out Allison?" Maxon asks, trying very hard not to call me by a nickname in case it makes me slip. I think it helped that I was nervous and I found it harder to regress when I wasn't in the best mood so I nod.

"I'm ready," I say, watching as Maxon gets out. He helps Annabelle out and then me, smoothing out my dress which is a little wrinkly. He takes Annabelle's hand, rolling his eyes when the guards try to go first.

"They're children, not prisoners. Stay outside," he instructs them, opening the gate that leads to the orphanage. There's a tall fence that goes around the whole lot, something I sort of understand because I would have definitely been trying to run off if I was younger. Just because running was fun sometimes.

There are children outside, playing with toys and other things. There are a bunch of toys on the ground however some of the children are gathered up on a tiny hill, rolling rocks down it.

"Ah hell yeah, rock race," Maxon says, ditching me and Annabelle to go roll tiny rocks down the small hill. It's comical, mostly because he keeps losing.

"He's very bad at rock race," Annabelle whispers to me, making me giggle as Maxon loses again. He sighs dramatically, laying down on the ground and just rolling down the hill. The kids laugh, making him come back up the hill so they can roll him down it. I smile, happy to see these kids enjoy the childhood I had never got to have.