┍━━━━ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ━━━━┑

chapter seventeen

|what about romance?|

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"i'm very passionate about this!" millie exclaimed to jane and ruby.

"me too, but my mom said that playing near the lake isn't good," ruby said.

"me either," jane added.

"what if something happens?! and what if one of us drowns?! what if all of us drowns?!" ruby cries.

"oh, c'mon girls, i assure you that no one will drown. and nothing chaotic will happened. and as for being the oldest, i will protect you all," millie reassured two of her friends.

millie smiled softly as ruby and jane did the same.

millie, jane, and ruby are running and giggling with their clinging to one another's. they followed diana and anne, who is running as well to the barry's pond. the lake of shining waters, according to anne. well, it's a certainly mesmerizing pond if millie says so herself.

"whomever plays elaine must lie in the flat and float to camelot while the others mourn her death most sorrowfully, i find it helpful to think something that makes you sad in your own life," anne explained.

"of course you must be elaine, anne," diana said.

"oh, it would be ridiculous to have a redheaded elaine. it ought to be ruby or millie, you two have a lovely, golden hair, and elaine had 'all her bright hair streaming down'," anne said as she and diana giggles.

"oh, i couldn't, to lie and pretend i was dead... i'd die of fright!" ruby said as they all look at millie.

"oh, no. i couldn't even close my eyes without falling asleep! maybe, you'd find me asleep by the end of the stream and it will be very hard to wake me up," millie exclaimed, "besides, this was your idea, anne."

"you're obsessed with elaine," jane said.

"oh, it's true. and each time i read the poem, i'm devoured by a secret regret that i was not born in camelot. those days were much more romantic than the present," anne said.

"alright, and the poem said that 'all her bright hair streaming down', right? well, you have a very lovely and bright red hair! you can be elaine and it certainly not ridiculous," millie reassured.

"you're right, millie! i will be elaine, then," anne said.

"yes! that's my sister!" millie said as they all stifled a laugh.

"ruby, you must be king arthur. millie, guinevere. jane, merlin. and diana must be lancelot," anne said, "i need a flower."

millie and jane shared a smile as anne lay on the boat and millie gave her the flowers, that she was holding, now.

"she does really look dead, my mother says that all play-acting is abominably wicked," ruby told to them.

"ruby, you shouldn't mention your mother," anne said with still closed eyes as they all put their attention to her, "it spoils the effect because this was hundred of years before your mother was born."

"we must kiss her quiet brows," millie said as they all kissed anne's brows.

"sister... farewell forever," diana said after kissing anne's brows.

"now she's ready. farewell, elaine the lovable!" millie exclaimed as they attempt to push the boat to stream but an angry voice interrupted them.

"diana!" missus barry's voice interrupted them as they all stood up, even anne.

"mother!" diana exclaimed.

"child, come out of there at once," missus barry said to anne as anne got out from the boat.

"i've been calling. you were to be practicing lessons, and here i find you engaged in perilous, senseless... whatever this is!" she scolded.

"we were practicing lessons, in a way." anne reasoned.

"we're studying the poem 'lancelot and elaine' at school, and we decided to re-enact it---" diana explained as missus barry cuts her daughter off.

"diana, home. now. the rest as well, before you catch your death," missus barry said before looking to millie, "are you eldest one, aren't you?"

millie nods her head, "yes, ma'am."

missus barry sternly looking at millie, "then why don't stop them? you all could have hurt here! you are the eldest you should know this - and -and your sister was the mastermind of this!"

millie just looked in her shoes in embarrassment, "i-i'm sorry, ma'am."

"it isn't anne and millie's fault. and they just got here and we were simply---" diana was cut off, once again.

"now! i will be heard!"

diana just obeyed her mother as the girls followed missus barry. millie and anne are just on their location, not moving.

"anne, mildred, be on your way, please," missus barry said as they all walked away, leaving millie and anne.

the girls gave the sisters a sympathetic look before walking away.

"so much for romance."

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"we've got post! i thought for a moment it might be from gil... that it might be from me," millie heard anne said. anne walked her way to the table where millie and matthew are currently sitting, "but... open it!"

matthew quickly took the letter from anne's hand as he immediately hides the letter in his pocket, making millie's eyebrows raise.

"it must be important," millie muttered.

"is that not your second letter from miss jeannie?" anne asked.

"third," marilla answered for matthew.

"i'm ever so aimless with diana not allowed out to play. missus barry is quite harsh. she even scolded millie for being 'irresponsible'. we weren't in peril. it's not like we were ever in any real danger. not like the boarders were here. we were re-enacting the most romantical poem ever," anne rambled.

"anne! take a breath!" millie laughed.

"dear lord, will you ever learn any sense?" marilla asked the red-head as she was staring something on the window.

"no need to ask the lord, marilla. i believe the prospect of me becoming sensible is actually brighter than ever. you see, i've come to the conclusion that there's really no use trying to be romantic in avonlea. it may have been easy in camelot hundred of years ago, but romance is not appreciated anymore," anne rambled, once again.

"if romance is not appreciated anymore, then why are you sharing romance with gil---" millie's teasing was cut off by anne.

"no! gosh, millie! i'm not! why would you even say that?" anne cried out, making millie laugh.

"it's a day late and a dollar short for your newfound 'sensibleness'. i dare say missus barry was right to call your pond business dangerous. seeing as you two can't seem to keep out of trouble, you both confine yourself to indoor chores," marilla said.

"but, marilla..." anne tried to protest.

"well, now, that was a good few days ago," matthew defended the girls, making millie smile.

"we all need to stop gallivanting around like nothing bad could ever happen in avonlea!" marilla scolded, making them silent. marilla stared at them for a few seconds before walking off.

matthew turned to sisters, "don't give up all your romances. a little of it's a good thing."