Benedict’s father’s eyes were lifeless, he mindlessly drowned himself in work and let the nannies take care of him. It was a difficult time for both of them, knowing that Benedict didn’t act out.
His mother lay down on the bed with no movement. The curtains would occasionally move whenever there was a soft breeze. The room seemed to be frozen in time, it showed the viewer her entire life. Occasionally he would come visit her, but slowly hope diminished. Her cheeks were sunken, and she grew thinner. There was no way she would wake up.
Benedict left the room with a sigh when his nanny brought over a letter. He immediately knew who it was. Since his mother fell into a coma they have reduced contact with others, he specifically requested Adeline’s letters to be delivered and not be refused immediately.
It had been a while since he smiled so genuinely, he wanted her to come visit him too, but the situation right now...
He didn’t know if he should bring it up in front of his father.
"What is it, Master?"
"It’s Adeline, she was hoping to come here. But father..."
"The girl from that day in the palace? Your father loves you, go and ask him, I am sure he would agree."
Her words gave him some confidence to go ask his father if he could have his friend over. It had been days since he even saw him.
He knew that that he was meeting with various nobles today, it should be over by now. Bit by bit his confidence grew, and he was running towards the conference room hoping to meet his father. He was running a bit too fast, he didn’t notice he ran into someone.
"Ah! Insolent f- Oh, are you alright, sweetie?"
In front of him stood a young lady dressed in trousers, this wasn’t common for ladies. She was a daring person indeed. Her hair was tied back tightly, the first thing he noticed was her eyes though. They were sharp, so sharp he couldn’t help but shiver. One moment she looked like she could kill someone, and in the next, they changed immediately. He felt uneasy around her. He wanted to find his father as soon as possible.
He walked around her and completely ignored her. He didn’t mean to be rude, he just didn’t want to continue the conversation. He had a bad feeling about her.
"Your father isn’t in there."
Her arms were crossed and her head tilted. She looked quite amused.
Benedict turned around immediately hoping she would tell him where he was.
"He is busy right now. Being a Duke isn’t easy. If only you were older to help him take on the burden."
Benedict had a feeling of guilt written all over his face, he was useless. He couldn’t help his father, he was only causing him more problems. The Empress tried to contact him numerous times, it was his fault for leaving the playdate early.
"If you want to help your father, I know a way."
Benedict looked up at her full of hope, he would do anything to help his father. With his mother being... Gone... It would only be the two of them. He could afford to lose his father too. Pressure overcame Benedict, and he started breathing heavily. He almost started hyperventilating.
At this moment, the lady smiled. She adjusted her glasses and bent down to meet his eye.
"In order to help your father, you shouldn’t disturb him. He has to shoulder the burden of the people and do what’s right. I know that as his son, you will do what’s right."
Benedict wasn’t thinking straight, how could he? He was a very young boy. What she said got to him. His father was a great Duke, he loved his people and would do what was right for them. He couldn’t trouble his father with his insignificant problems...
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"Another invitation?"
Adeline was frustrated with the sheer number of times Cassian had contacted her. This time it was even more direct. It sounded more like an order. She didn’t show it to her father, it would probably trigger him and make him declare war on the Royal family. Just an exaggeration of course.
She took a deep breath and looked over the contents of the letter again. He wasn’t expecting a reply from her because it wasn’t an invitation. It was a command.
Adeline thought about the consequences of her going to the palace. At most, she would pressured into getting engaged to Cassian. She knew that she would be able to stand her ground, she wasn’t the old Adeline they could manipulate as they wished. Adeline was determined to firmly refuse the Crown Prince.
She heard a knock on the door and it immediately swung open. Dimitri entered the room full of smiles, he heard from the Captain of the knights that the children were safe and sound. He was also told that he could meet them if he wanted to, none of this would happen without Adeline so he decided to thank her in person. He ran up to her and hugged her. Although he was nine years old, he was malnourished and only an inch taller than her.
He didn’t know that if anyone saw them he would be harshly scolded. He was simply acting on instinct. He decided then that he would dedicate his life to her. Whatever she may need, he will be there for her, obeying her every command.