Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER IV

ADALIA'S POV

OCTOBER 8
8:38 a.m

MY BREAKFAST is late. I requested to have breakfast in bed today because I didn't want to see the smug look on Christos' face.

After that meeting last night, he's had a permanent grin.

I peek out my doorway, still wearing my pajama robe. The mail is being delivered as it usually is while we're at breakfast. Normally we come back to our rooms to find our mail.

A servant rushes to me with a tray of food and my mail. Well no wonder it's late, some other servant must have dumped their work of delivering the mail onto this poor girl.

"Sorry your highness." She bows handing me my tray with a stack of envelopes and my breakfast.

"Bring it in will you? I wouldn't want to spill it and have to send you back for a refill." I open the door wider and start back towards my bed.

She sets my tray down on my lap and bows again before rushing out of the room.

I take a sip from my goblet and flip through the mail. I stop when I see an envelope addressed to Christos. She must have accidentally slipped this in with my mail in her hurry.

This is what happens when people don't do their jobs. I oughta curse out whomever was supposed to be delivering mail.

I start to shrug it off and just set it aside to give to him later, but I stop. It's from Jackson. What could Jackson have to tell him that he couldn't say in person?

I tear the envelope open and snatch the letter out.

The handwriting is messy, as though he quickly scribbled this down. Seeing as the letter seems to be addressed today, he probably wrote it this morning and quickly sent it out.

Whatever this is must be urgent.

Dear Christos,
   I have known you for many years and although you've never been known for being very forgiving, I hope I'll be the exception.
   I did something wrong. Dreadfully wrong.
   I bit Emily. I turned her. I know she was going to be your bride and this changes a lot of things, I'm sorry.
   I don't know what else to say except I'm sorry. We're mates apparently. I would have never thought.
   Well actually, I did and I swear to god I wouldn't have even thought about turning her if I had even an ounce of doubt we were mates.
I really do care for her and hope you'll understand.
                                           -J.R

I choke on the blood I'm drinking and have to set the letter down.

Would this be a bad thing to celebrate? I think so, yes.

I silently celebrate anyways.

Jackson turned Emily. Emily has to be with Jackson now. The wedding will have to be called off and Christos will be without a bride.

I can't help but squeal with glee.

Now we're just as close to being the heir. Evenly matched.

With Christos no longer having a bride there will be little to no pressure on me to get married now. The crown is practically mine. As should be.

A part of me wishes I knew this beforehand because of sure as hell would have been at breakfast with a smirk even bigger than Christos'

I put the letter in a new envelope, copying the information on the front and hurrying to slip it under his door with the rest of his mail.
                         __________

12:46 p.m

At lunch today, Christos is especially pale. He doesn't talk much and sure isn't wearing a smile.

We're sitting as we do for all meals, very separated. Mother and father sit next to each other at the center, I sit at the far end and Christos sits at the other end, closest to the door.

I know mother and father sometimes wish we ate meals closer together but they also know this setup means less bickering.

"Something wrong Christos?" Mother asks towards the end of the meal. We don't always eat lunch together but I'm glad we did today of all days.

He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Poor him.

After a moment I can tell that mother and father are just searching his thoughts for the answer, impatient.

They both get the same look on their faces. I pretend I did the same thing as them.

There's a long string of silence.

"In such close time to the wedding." Mother clicks her tongue.

"Well where are we supposed to go from here?" Father leans back into his chair, exhausted.

"I can find another fiancé in no time." Christos' voice shakes. "In fact, I already have someone in mind."

"Please don't tell me you're going to settle for some random girl." Mother scowls.

"No, no, I'm sure you'll like her." He undoes the top button of his overcoat.

"And what about Jackson and Emily? Do they just move on with their lives after this?" I pipe up, only because I know no one has an answer.

Mother and father turn their gaze to Christos at his end of the table, waiting for him to answer.

"Well, um..." He flattens his hair.

This is why Christos will never be fit to be king. He doesn't know how to make the tough decisions or crack down on people.

But I do.

"I-I don't have anything against them." He finally speaks. "They're mates after all, can only really blame fate, right?" He chuckles almost glumly.

It's not like he actually had feelings like that for Emily. The two would make okay friends but a married couple? What a headache.

But who is this girl he was talking about? If he gets engaged, again, then I'll be right back where I started. Searching high and low for a fiancé with a time limit.

How can he possibly have another fiancé in mind already?