Fixation

Chapter 6- "Memories"

Disclaimer:- The picture above doesn't belong to me

(Picture of  Adrian during his childhood)

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The little boy sniffled in his mother's arms as the discord took place between his parents.

. "No! You already took Edward away from me! Not my son too! You can't do this to me!" The beautiful woman yelled to her husband, sobbing as he stared as her coldly.

" You have no right to say anything anymore. After all it was you who left him alone in the castle to elope with your lover"  Emperor Harold spat icily. He dragged the child away from his mother's embrace as the boy sobbed. "Take him away from here. I do not want this woman anywhere near him. This woman will turn him into a deceiving little milksop" He ordered George, his personal servant.

"I did not abandon him! I was going to come back to take him with me!"  Empress Helena wept. Her husband only grew even more enraged at that. " You dared to run away with that scoundrel and even plotted to take away the realm's next ruler from here?!"

"Edward was thousand times the man you are! You took me away from him!"

"You little-"

The voices faded. The little boy only heard the sound of slapping, his mother's cries and things being thrown across the room as he was dragged away by the impassive servant. "No! I want my mommy!" Six year old Adrian wailed even as he tried to cover his ears to block out the noises of the catastrophe that was unfolding behind the closed doors of his parent's room.

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Adrian's eyes snapped open. Sitting up he lightly massaged his forehead. It had been a long time since he had dreamed of that. He always kept them locked in the darkest recesses of his mind. Seldom his mind betrayed him and those unwanted memories slipped through the cracks and linings.

His childhood memories were not something he cherished. They were too forlorn and gloomy. Childhood was supposed to be the best part of life. It was the period people often wished to go back too, the phase which brought smile on everyone's face when they reminisced about it.

His childhood?

A bitter cackle escaped his lips, mirroring his empty and rancorous insides.

All he remembered was his parent's constant fights, his cruel father's tough administration, the reprimanding of his austere nursemaids, harsh training and tutelage of his authoritarian mentors and his mother abandoning him for another man.

Being deprived of love at an young age, his father had wanted him to become unremitting and unabating.

And he had turned out so much more tyrannical and despotic than that.

The cheerful little boy had died eons ago. He had seen and witnessed things that had made his heart frozen.

"In a way, it did help me", he thought, wondering if he would have won the countless victories over the other empires and rogue clans that he had acquired had he not turned out as inexorable. Not that any of that mattered now. He was way past feeling humane emotions, well except for one girl that stirred them up again recently.

Glancing towards the grandfather clock, he noted it was around sunrise. "About time" he thought, making his way to the balcony. Adrian stood there observing. The cool air nipped at his skin but he paid no heed to it, eyes actively scanning for someone. When he saw the presence of no one in the courtyard except for the night guards, he smiled.

She had obeyed him. He was almost certain she was going to defy his orders. He stayed there for an hour, almost enjoying the frosty winds against his skin and making sure that she would not sneak out. When the sun was high in the blue skies, peeking through the willowy clouds and ambitiously illuminating every crevice of land with its golden hue with guards loitering about, he left the balcony.

There was no mistake in his jaunty walk. He was content, his mood was jovial.

And then he paused. It was amazing how much one person's actions could affect his mood.

When did he get so susceptible to emotions?

Warning bells were going off in the back of his mind, but he dismissed all thoughts, too pleased to think about it.

The ladies of the court seemed to pay extra attention to Adrian that day, sensing his rather amiable mood. The shy glances and flirty giggles were conspicuous. The women fawned over him, showering him with praises and blarney, their unparallel admiration discernible.

Their cajolery neither amused nor offended Adrian. He was not known as stone-hearted for nothing. Still he smirked at them, playing along for once. A mere curve of his lips or contact with his alluring eyes sent them into a frenzy of flush and embarrassment. All except a handful of women.

He glanced on the farthest corner of the table, where the three princesses were seated. Princess Juliet, Princess Rosalie and Princess Amelia. They seemed to be taking about something, at least Juliet and Rosalie were.

His heart quickened its pace slightly, something he found extremely unusual and unnerving. He was starting to feel new emotions every time she was around, emotions he should not be feeling.

Amelia seemed to be petulant and disgruntled. Even though she had joined everyone at breakfast, the dark gloomy cloud hovering above her head was almost tangible. Apparently Andrew, Juliet and Rosalie had noticed it too by the way they kept sending worried glances at her.

He supposed he knew why.

Not once had she glanced at him since stepping inside the dinning hall and for some reason that bothered him. He wanted to have her undivided attention.

Just like he had held in the library, the night before.

He glanced towards her arms that were covered by gloves. He was almost certain that he had left marks there. Perhaps he had been a bit too harsh on her.

"Well at least she isn't paying attention to that dolt knight" he contented himself with that thought. He frowned when his eyes shifted to Juliet. It seemed both the princesses of Ecrothia were immune to his charm. She had not made any attempts to reap benefits of his good mood and flatter him to secure her position as his bride.

If he had been self effacing, he would have had insecurities about his appearance, but the drove of females that seemed to be fawning over him proved otherwise.

So was she really that uninterested in him?

" Princess Juliet" Everyone seemed to pause midway whatever they were doing as they heard him address the older princess. Amelia stiffened ever so slightly. "You are glowing more today. The tales of your loveliness are not far fetched. Ecrothia does justice to its fame, such lovely and arresting bevy of beauties everywhere." He finished with a charming smile. The woman around him melted, giggling and flustered.

The princess in question turned red profusely before stammering out a thank you. Perhaps not as immune as he thought. He glanced over to Amelia to gauge her reaction. She was stiff as a rod and he could see her disapproval of his blatant flowery words past her neutral facade. She still refused to meet his gaze.

Andrew,on the other hand, looked positively furious and agitated as he stared into his plate.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. What was that about?

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