I Followed Fires

XXIX. Adèle

She did not intend to stay in French court for so long, but it seems that she was going to.

It was because the king and queen of France insisted that she stay for a little while longer. Adèle suspected that it was all due to her little brothers. Mary and Francis both adored Theo and Cyril as if they were their own. Often they would spoil them with gifts, which were something Adèle disapproved of, but she could not refuse, for they were the king and queen of France. They would take the little boys to trips as well, sometimes even to far off lands such as Paris, which made Theo and Cyril come back to her full of stories of the grandeur of the cities they visited. Adèle listened to these stories, and thought how grateful she was for Mary and Francis, because they were such kind people, and how remarkably well they treated both her little brothers and the people of France and Scotland.

But without her brothers, Adèle spent her time in solitude, which was something she was greatly displeased by. But now, she had Theo and Cyril to herself, as the king and queen were occupied by their duties due to the upcoming famine. And so, she took advantage of this time to have a small picnic out near the lake, where she would allow her little brothers to tell more of their stories. They spoke at great length of the sights they have seen, the people they encountered, and the vast lands of France for which they have just known. Her little brothers' stories were a great distraction from the thoughts that constantly filled her mind; these thoughts were primarily of Bash, Kenna, and their upcoming wedding. She was more than grateful that her little brothers entangled her from all the confusion, and all the distress. In the landscape of verdant fields, as sunlight touched their skins, it brought back a feeling to Adèle that she has long known: a feeling of domestic comfort.

"When are you going to come visit Paris with us, Adèle-?" asked Theo, then gobbled into a ripe apple that he had in his grasp.

"Some time soon, hopefully," she replied, as Cyril lay on her lap, fiddling about with a red paper flower that Mary taught him how to make, and slowly falling asleep. "But I have too much to deal with here, Theo. I'm not sure I can come along with you anytime soon,"

"Why are you always busy?" he complained; yet he looked more sad than angry at her. "Is it because you're planning your wedding with Bash? When are you going to marry him, Adèle?"

A feeling of vexation struck Adèle. She was not going to speak of Bash, especially not with her little brothers, but unfortunately, an explanation of their current situation was necessary so it does not cause any confusion between them. "Bash and I aren't getting married, Theo," she said with bitterness in her voice.

"Why not?"

"There were.. issues," she replied, turning away from the face of her little brother and gazed at the landscape of the French countryside. "Issues that stopped us from getting married."

"But you love him, don't you? At least that's what Mary and Francis told me during our trips."

"Yes, I love him," Adèle smiled. "But only as a friend, Theo. I know you're sad that he will not be my husband, and that we have cancelled our wedding, but it's for the best. Once you grow up, you will understand,"

"But I'm already grown up," Theo insisted, stood up, and showed off his sword fighting skills, with his toy wooden sword. "Even king Francis says I'm the best swordsman in all of France!" Adèle giggled as she saw her little brother piercing the air with his sword, and pictured him as a grown man, a real swordsman, and the best one, as he said, in all of France. She thought it strange that her little brothers were to have wives of their own, and children.. but what about herself? Was she going to grow as an old, husbandless maid with a rich fortune in her hands, as her brothers raise their own children?