Tainted | Maven Calore

Chapter 010.

Adelaide was starting to understand what people meant when they said time passes fleetingly. The world ceased to be one blanketed by snow almost overnight. Ice melted off of branches and no longer stretched its frozen fingers across the glass panes of the palace. Vast terrains of white dissipated, the flurries of delicate snowflakes that supplied it ceasing their descent from the skies. All too soon, the dredges of winter were upended by the coming of the summer months.

With the departure of winter came the departure of the royal family for their summer home, and that meant a bigger place to manage and more guests for them to entertain. As such, the servants, who ensure that those endeavors run smoothly behind the scenes, have more to do and so little time to do it. There did not seem to be enough time in the day to wash the plates and put away the cups and polish the silverware. There did not seem to be enough time in the day to hold the water jug and be so close and yet be so far and wait. There did not seem to be enough time in the day to entangle their fingers and lean closer and whisper more underneath their breaths. There simply wasn't enough time.

Adelaide broke away, panting against the wall of the Maven's bedroom. Her hands rested on his arms, trying to encourage him to keep his distance as she caught her breath. "P-Prince Maven, I"—she sucked in a gasp as his lips skimmed across the column of her throat, pressing a kiss to the juncture of her neck and her shoulder—"I-I have to go s-soon."

"Do you have to?" He asked, voice muffled against her collarbone as he looked up at her with his impossibly blue eyes. Face to face with his impeccable hold on his composure, Adelaide almost felt resentful towards his ability to look so innocent and angelic as he bruised her skin with a kiss. He pushed the fabric of her clothes farther down her left arm, exposing more of her shoulder to his hungry gaze. He leaned closer, his breath fanning over her skin, and she shuddered.

"Prince Maven," she tried again, attempting to sound admonishing. At the sound of her—shall she say—pitiful attempt, he looked up at her once more, a curious and mischievous glint in his eyes. She almost lost what little resolve she had. He could ask her to move all the mountains in Norta with a single glance in her direction and she would say yes in the space of a single heartbeat. "I really do have to go. The Queenstrial is today and—"

At the mention of the main event of today's festivities, he dropped his forehead to her shoulder and let out a groan. She pat his head consolingly. "I know, I'm sorry."

He mumbled something intelligible, voice rumbling through her shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her so impossibly close that not even air had the capacity to exist in the space between them. The action made her feel warm and tingly, and a crooked smile teased the corner of her lips as she looked down fondly at the mass of dark hair that sprouted from the head resting on her collarbone.

"Will you be back?"

"Always," she replied sweetly, linking their fingers together. With her free hand, she took his face, thumb tracing circles on his jaw as she leaned forward to brush a chaste kiss on his lips as a goodbye. Before she could pull away, however, his fingers tangled themselves in her hair, tugging her closer and anchoring her to the moment their lips met. Inwardly, she sighs.

Perhaps getting out of this situation would be harder than she thought.

—————

When Adelaide did manage to finally pull herself away from the clutches of her beloved prince and into the kitchens, she was put to work immediately. Her time serving the various Silvers gathered awaiting the Queenstrial passed by mercifully quick and with no mishaps to speak of or be punished for. On her way back to the servant's entrance, she followed behind a girl with an almost unruly mess of brown hair, a stray lock of hair pinned back with hairpin that gleamed in the patches of light they passed under. The girl walked with her eyes glued to her surroundings instead of the floor beneath her shoes, and Adelaide dared to make the assumption that she was new. No one looked up anymore—not when the possibility of accidentally angering the Silvers they were serving weighed heavy on their heads.