𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ✔

Chapter Nineteen

"You four can retire to your chambers, I wish to stay here a bit longer if you do not mind." He announced after everyone had enough to eat and the conversations had slowly come to an end.

"Yes, as you wish Your Highness." Justine stood up first.

"Goodnight, Your Highness." Lottie followed her.

"I am glad you chose to join us tonight," Alveary caught herself before she called him Adam, "Your Highness."

"Goodnight, Your Highness." I stood up, curtsied, and started to follow the others.

"Isabelle?" He called after me just before I left the room completely, "Can you wait a moment and join me." He pointed at the seat next to him, once again relaxed. "I would like to talk with you once more."

"Of course." I sat down next to him. "Before you start, I want to thank you for trying to stand up for me, but like I said before, I am not bothered by my place amongst the others, nor by the comments that have been and will be made about me."

"So, they do talk down to you." He said running his hand across his face. "You see, I only just suspected it purely because of how determined you were to draw a line and make clear the difference between the two of us. However, you inadvertently confirmed it yourself just now."

"I see, that was not my intention, I-" My face flushed red from embarrassment as I struggled to salvage the situation. I did not want the other two thinking I went behind their backs and filled Adam's head with petty grievances.

"I have found it best to not let what other people say and do keep you from the things you want in life, or the things that could make your life better. So, please, do not force an unwarranted line between the two of us so soon because of the prejudice of others. As I see it, your past does not define you here, nor does your upbringing. All I care about is who you truly are, money, status, and power aside. Do you understand?" The sincere tone of his voice, coupled with the kindness in his expression, made me painfully aware of how dangerous this man could have been.

"I do." I was completely taken back by how passionate he was and how much sadness his blue eyes held. I felt like he was talking more about himself than he was me.

Up close he appeared more, human, than he did from afar. Looking at him in general, it was as if he had been carved from marble. His skin was so smooth and clean, and every move he made was elegant. However, genuinely looking at him you could see the stress in his eyes, how tired he was every time he smiled, and that something was eating him from the inside. Adam appeared so lonely and so trapped within those desolate halls of the castle. I supposed the wealthy suffered too, for we poor folk only had love and moments to cherish instead of money, but they had all the money and very little if any love and moments to cherish.

"Thank you, once again for trying to put me in a better place with the other girls, just know Alveary has not done anything to hurt my feelings. In fact, she is a very dear friend to me." I looked down at my hands.

"I know, she is a fragile girl who couldn't hurt a fly even if she dared." He paused, "Or at least she used to be."

"She has quite the temper now, and I would not advise getting on her bad side." I let out a light chuckle, "But, she is a wonderful person who longs to be free of this cage of a curse to explore the world we have been cut off from."

"Alveary always loved traveling, she would talk endlessly about where she wanted to go and the look on her face was enough to brighten a darker part of my life." He had clearly gone elsewhere in his mind, but as soon as he drifted, he snapped back and let out a sigh. "I will not keep you any longer Mademoiselle Lafleur, you may leave if you wish."