Marrying the Stranger Prince ✔ (The Stranger Prince Series #1)

Chapter 23 : Never? Never.

The A/N at the end of this chapter is FUCKING important, don't skip it out. Don't. I swear you'll regret it. XD

"Oh you can't hear me cry, see my dreams all die, from where you're standing, on your own."
- Ben Cocks, So Cold.

♚

"Permission, your highness?"

A paralyzed nod was all Adela managed to do as the servant carefully placed the heavy, golden tiara on her head. She was never supposed to wear it except for special occasions.

Well, this was special.

Adela couldn't look at the royal blue dress she was wearing. Couldn't look at her hair bound on the side of her head. Couldn't look at her eyes that all looked dead to her.

Soon, all the servants left her alone, probably to give her time. Space. And she sat there in the silence.

She didn't know since when she'd become scared of her thoughts. Since when had she become afraid of thinking. Since when she'd begun to fear the pain it caused her, the misery that she had to face.

Mentally. Physically. Spiritually. She was a broken mess, the pieces scattered everywhere. Smaller than she could ever find and put together.

But only God knew how she'd held his crippled hand for the very last time. How she'd felt his skin under hers, how she could see clearly what he must've done in order to get his hand injured to that extent, how she'd known the reason for all of it.

And maybe for the first time ever, she did realise what Sebastian wanted. She did realise what he meant when he said he was toxic to her. That he'd hurt her. She realised that she was not so better herself, either.

She remembered his words piercing through her body. Heart. Soul. To the deepest of her existence. How his words went into her and buried themselves deep inside. How the pain in them, the truth, made it so hard for her to deny it all.

How she'd known in that instance, what life could do to someone.

That life could just cripple you so badly, so beyond repair, that it was all over. That everything was going to go to waste, and that was where the end of her life was marked.

She heard a knock on her door, but didn't react as she saw Edgar step in. He came in, closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He just stood there, casually, looking at his sister.

"Adela.." He said quietly, but Adela didn't react. She just straightened up her spine, blinked and let out a long breath.

"If you're here to take me, then I'm ready." She stood up, gathering her dress. Not ever looking up at her brother.

"Adela.." He stressed, and she looked up to see him looking at her. Pity filled his eyes, as well as concern, and so much love... so much of it, she didn't deserve it.

"I don't know where Adela went." He said, shaking his head, "I don't see her anymore. Where..." He cleared his throat, "Where is she?"

Adela looked down. Blinked back the tears. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry.

But when she looked up, Edgar was there, staring down at her. His hands cupped her face, and she couldn't even control the tears that spilled down her cheeks. He hastily cleared them and pulled her closer to him until Adela was clutching onto him, onto the brother she loved more than anything else that existed. The brother who knew her just too well.