The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 223: Family (2)

"You need to hold her better so she doesn’t fall. Maybe I should go first to show her how to climb up and then she will follow me. Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been doing this more times than I can count. Bring her down and let me go up. I will show you how it’s done easily," Annalise said, sitting down on the ground to take off her shoes.

"You might have been able to climb trees when you were young because you were small-"

"I am not fat. The branches won’t break when I grab hold of them and if you are so worried, stand below me and try to catch me if I fall. I am going to get up in that tree to show you," Annalise said, refusing to listen to Rafael trying to persuade her to not climb.

She still climbed trees at this age and though she wasn’t able to make it to the top now, she still made it pretty far. Annalise was only going to a certain height so she could show the little one how to do it. Once you started to climb, it was pretty fun.

"You’re just jealous that you are too big to fit in a tree. The first branch you grab onto will break. Don’t be sad, Rafael. We will have fun in your place," Annalise said, standing up to begin her climb. "Now stand back and let me show you how it is done."

Rafael folded his arms and stood back, awaiting the accident that was about to happen. He didn’t know what trees Annalise liked to climb when she was younger, but this tree wasn’t the one for her to climb. It was more suited for the child who was supposed to be having fun, but Annalise had taken over with her competitive nature to show that she could climb a tree.

Rafael looked down at the little girl to see if she had lost interest in all of this and to his surprise, she was looking in awe at Annalise. He needed to get her far away from Annalise before a mini version of Annalise was created.

Rafael turned his attention back to Annalise and when he did, he wanted to yank her back down to the ground so that he wouldn’t be filled with worry. "That dress is not suited for climbing," he said.

"And your mouth isn’t suited for talking," Annalise replied.

"What does that mean? Be careful, Annalise," Rafael said, stepping forward to catch Annalise when her hand slipped from the branch she was trying to hold on to. "Is there anything you did in your youth that was not dangerous?"

"No. How would it be fun if it wasn’t dangerous? Doing dangerous things isn’t good since you might get hurt," Annalise said, remembering there was a child right below her taking in every word she said. "You need to be careful when you play."

"You say that as you try to climb a tree," Rafael muttered. He didn’t know if it was better to have her go running around in the bushes to find some dangerous creature or do this.

"Isn’t there some young lady desperate to have your attention? Some princess is awaiting a knight to save her. Please, don’t let us keep you here when you are needed somewhere else. Like inspecting the gates. Whatever happened to that?" Annalise asked, looking at the gates that desperately needed Rafael’s attention.

"Do not be like her when you grow up," Rafael advised the little one.

The little girl thought differently. She wanted to be bold like the strange woman to be able to climb a tree without a second thought. She came to swing on the rope when it was time to play and once tried to climb the rope, but she didn’t make it far.

Annalise had not only given her berries, but she was climbing up the tree faster than all the boys did.

Rafael could read the look on the little girl’s face and had a feeling that she was loving Annalise. When they left, Thelma might have a lot to deal with now.

As much as Annalise climbing the tree worried him, he was impressed that she was getting the shy child to stick around instead of running off to be on her own again.

Rafael closed his eyes once more when the sound of a branch cracking was heard. "Get out of the tree, Annalise. You’ve made it far enough to prove your point. We can both see that you can climb so get down."

"I can go a little bit more. I’m used to this Rafael. A branch will break here and there. I’m fine as long as I don’t be foolish to not test it before I try to climb up. I’m sure your men do dangerous things but you are not telling them to stop like you are with me. You are acting like a concerned father or like a man who still has feelings for me when that cannot be true," Annalise said, looking down for a second to see Rafael’s face.

She could play games too to get a reaction.

"Admit it that you still like me and there is some game you were going to play. Then I will come down," Annalise said.

When Rafael refused to do as she wanted, she reached for a small branch and broke it to worry him. She bit her lip to not laugh at the way he tensed up when he heard the branch breaking. She did it again just for the fun of it to see him lose his patience.

What was he going to do if she did not come down? Climb the tree with his large frame to get her? Annalise almost wanted to see him do it.

Annalise got comfortable in a spot she was not going to climb any higher. If she were to go any further, the branches would not be able to hold more of her weight and she would fall, proving Rafael to be right.

Rafael guided the little girl away from the tree so she wouldn’t be hurt and then he went at a good distance below Annalise so he wouldn’t see under her dress. "Come down, Annalise. There is nothing I have to confess to you. Stop doing that," Rafael spoke in a low tone after she broke another branch. "I will come up there."

Annalise rested her hand on a branch, waiting for him to try. There was enough room for him to try to bring her down and with his height, he wasn’t far away from where she had climbed up. "Be honest with me that I have been right about you not getting over your feelings for me. You still like me, don’t-"

"Yes," Rafael replied with great dismay that he had to be honest. His plan with Siena would still continue, but he had to get Annalise out of the tree before a branch she was on really broke and she started to fall.

Annalise smiled, feeling victorious after his confession and started to make her way down. "Was that so hard to do? I know that I was right."

Annalise safely reached the ground just as she knew she would and turned around to face Rafael. He didn’t look happy with her. "Whatever you intend to do, please remember that there is a child here."

"I am aware and I am also seeing the benefit of placing your room right next to mine so I can punish you accordingly without anyone seeing," said Rafael.

Annalise was about to respond, but laughter was heard. It wasn’t from her nor was it from Rafael. She looked to her left at the little girl laughing at the two of them.