The King's Artist

Ch 10: Painter's Block

Adelaide had expected inspiration to strike as soon as her hand gripped the brush. She had hoped that the urge to create something new would overwhelm her as soon as the new material was placed in her possession. However, it had been nearly a month since the new painting and drawing supplies had been delivered to her room and yet the numerous canvases and rolls of parchment were still bare. The paint tubes hadn't been opened, and the brushes were still clean while the quills sat untouched and ink bottles full.

Adelaide groaned as she stared longingly at the expensive supplies. It was starting to become depressing just gazing longingly while craving inspiration. She had thought of sketching out flowers or depicting the lavishness of the castle, but as soon as the urge would come to her, it would dissipate the moment she reached for the brush. It seemed she had no desire to draw anything despite her beautiful surroundings.

A knock at the door stores Adelaide from her stupor. With a heavy sigh, she lifted herself off her bed and quickly crossed the room to pull open the heavy, wooden door. She wasn't surprised to see Henry standing in the doorway with a cheery grin on his face.

"How's the painting coming?" He asked, letting himself into the room. Adelaide stepped back to allow him access but glared annoyingly at the back of his head.

"It would be going a lot better if you didn't keep interrupting every hour," Adelaide knew her tone was harsh, but her irritation at being unable to draw anything was becoming palpable. Henry didn't seem to notice, however, and just cheerfully strolled around the room. His smile 

quickly faltered though as he noticed the emptiness of the canvases.

"Have you used any of it since I gave it to you?" Henry asked bewildered. He turned, stunned, towards Adelaide who had gone slightly red.

"I just haven't been feeling like drawing lately," Adelaide whispered. Henry scoffed loudly and waved away the response like it was a fly.

"Yeah, right," he said in an unconvinced voice. "Whenever I stop by you look like you're just dying to paint something the moment I leave. I still can't believe you haven't touched anything yet!"

"I've touched them," Adelaide shot back. It wasn't a complete lie. She had held every brush and quill preciously in her hands, examining every curve of the wood and feel of the grip. She just hadn't done anymore more than that. Again, Henry rolled his eyes at her words.

"Seriously, though," Henry said as he sat himself down in one of the cozy chairs by the fireplace. "Why haven't you used any of it? I keep expecting to drop by and see some incredible masterpiece you created, but each time there's nothing."

Adelaide hung her head and shifted her weight forward and backward.

"I don't know," she said softly. "I want to paint really badly, and there are tons of things I want to sketch and capture, but each time that inspiration hits it just quickly subsides. Maybe I'm just nervous to actually use decent quality things for a change. I don't want to end up wasting them."

Henry frowned and from the look on his face, knew Adelaide wasn't entirely truthful about her opposition to using the new brushes and paints. Henry, Adelaide had learned, was incredibly good at deciphering a person's thoughts just by observing their behavior.

Adelaide shifted away from Henry uncomfortably and crossed her arms over her chest. The last thing she needed was him looking too closely and it dawning on him that her body was becoming less boyish by the day.

"Well how about a change of scenery then?" Henry suddenly asked, getting to his feet. Adelaide glanced at Henry curiously but was glad for the shift in conversation. "I've gotten permission to go horseback riding, and I figured you probably wanted a chance to get out of here as well."