Unavailable Tuna

Just to clarify (b/c of yesterday's typo): Adeline Rose and Elias Luxton are NOT related at all!

- - - - -

For once in his life, Elias was speechless. He lifted his gaze from his Grandmother to the window. The wind howled, picking up a tornado of leaves, wrecking the beautiful forest beyond it.

Elias silently drank the wine. He was the least shocked by the news.

All along, Elias had known Adeline was not the Golden Rose. And he wasn't bothered by it.

Elias didn't need immortality when he was a Pure-Bred. He didn't need to be the strongest man in the world, he already was one of the most powerful in the entire Empire. How else did he take the throne?

"And that fazes me, because…?" he used.

Dorothy's smile became a grimace. "The entire Empire expects you to marry the Golden Rose. I am a prophet of the Heavens, you damn brat. If the council asks, I will be obligated to tell them the truth."

Elias's fingers tightly gripped the teacup. In the blink of an eye, it shattered midair, the drink spewing onto the table. It dripped off the sides, like freshly spilled blood.

Dorothy let out a loud sigh. She didn't even flinch at his brute strength. She was used to it by now. Thus, she continued sitting there, unbothered by the stain. The spill was nowhere near her dress anyway.

"I know you find her amusing, like a new toy given to a child, but you will eventually grow bored of her," Dorothy murmured. "For your sake, you should let her be."

Elias tapped his fingers upon the empty spot on the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. He was lost in thought, his other hand pressed upon his upper lips. He had waited far too long to let her suddenly getaway.

Staring into the forest reminded him of her eyes. It was the windows to her soul. She was an open book with her heart on her sleeves.

"You know," Dorothy slowly said. "There's a popular saying amongst humans— there are plenty of fishes in the sea."

"Yes, but I have my eyes on that emotionally unavailable tuna with trust issues and a mountain of baggage," he deadpanned.

Dorothy laughed into her teacup. Why were the men in her life so stubborn?

Her son was like this too. He was adamant about marrying his wife, even though she was the adoptive daughter of a lowly ranked Baron.

Perhaps Elias learned from the best, including his taunting smiles, and heartless antics.

"I suppose that is the beauty of this place," Dorothy quietly said. "A beautiful dream, a painful illusion, what's wrong with fake happiness when this world is filled with lies?"

Elias did not respond. He had never once envisioned a beautiful dream with any woman until Adeline crashed back into his life.

There was no such thing as a painful illusion when all of his life, he knew Adeline was not the Golden Rose that his people wanted him to marry.

Elias can only pretend to be happy for so long before he grew tired of wearing a mask. When that happens, will Adeline help him laugh?

Thinking back to her under the dance of moonlight, the first time he laid eyes on her in the ball, a ghost of a smile graced his lips. She was stunning.

Under the moon, he thought she was a nymph that escaped the forest. When she slowly turned around towards him, inquisitive face and all, he was reminded of how patiently he waited for her.

"Are you sure you want to sit here and pretend to be mute, Brat?" Dorothy asked. She settled the teacup down and motioned for him to leave.

"I believe a rat snuck into the palace when you weren't watching," she added on.

Elias's eyes flickered with recognition. His lips sneered into a snarl, revealing his sharp, piercing fangs.

It was time to go rat exterminating.

- - - - -

Adeline was surprised by the kind of maids. She had experienced people like them a decade ago, in the enormous estate back in Kastrem. Back then, they treated her like royalty, weighing on each and every one of her words.

Even now, she could remember the two handmaidens that always stood by her side, guiding her the proper etiquette and showing her a kindness unlike any other.

However, with time, their faces became blurred, and she did not recall their names.

"T-that will be all, thank you," Adeline gratefully said to Jane, the tallest of the pair, and Jenny, who was just a bit shorter.

Jane was a stoic face woman, despite being in her early twenties. She did her duty with stealth and expertise. Jenny was the stark opposite. Despite not being related to Jane, their behavior complimented each other.

Jenny wore a slight smile that made her youthful, even though she was in her late twenties. She did her duties almost flawlessly but made the slightest, almost noticeable of mistakes.

"You are too kind, Princess!" Jenny happily chirped out.

"We are pleased to serve you, Princess," Jane politely said with a dip of her head, as Jenny instantly followed suit.

Adeline wondered how they discovered her titles but figured they made a prediction. She fiddled with her necklace, twisting it in between her fingers. It had been a habit of hers whenever she struggled.

"If there is nothing else, y-you are excused," she added on.

Adeline had been thoroughly bathed. Her hair was washed with high-quality shampoo and conditioner, then blow-dried with Morrocan oil, and then combed through. A silk nightgown downed her body, the material soft and slick upon her skin. She was grateful that it reached up to her collarbone, meaning it would not slip down so easily.

Adeline didn't need a repeat of what happened yesterday night. Though, she predicted he would have thoroughly enjoyed it. When Jane and Jenny left the room, Adeline rose from the plush, vanity chair. She trotted to the doors and locked it without hesitation.

Next, she made a small sprint for the windows, locking it as well. Finally, she pulled the curtains closed, going one by one in the entire room. She had learned from yesterday's troubles.

"T-this should keep him out," Adeline whispered, not knowing nothing in this world could keep Elias apart from her.

Adeline begrudgingly walked towards the bed. She wanted to turn the lights off but was too wary of the new environment.

What if someone snuck in and tried to kill her, even in a locked room? She hadn't learned the layout of everything yet. It would be difficult to comfortably sleep in an unknown environment.

Thus, Adeline climbed into bed. A small sigh of relief escaped her just as her body sank into the comfortable mattress. She pulled the blankets up to her chest, trying to close her eyes.

Uncertainty grew. Her anxiety skyrocketed.

A second later, she snapped her eyes open.

"W-why are you such a scaredy-cat?" she grumbled to herself.

Adeline tightly clutched the covers. She was peering up at the canopy bed, where the thick pearl pink curtains were pulled open. She supposed this was meant to block out the light. It was a beautiful bed, she had to admit. There were dangling chains of pearls accompanying the curtains.

"This place is so… pink and white."

Adeline rolled towards her side, wondering if he knew these were her favorite colors, or if it was a coincidence. Shifting to the side made her wary of anyone that would randomly attack her from behind. With great reluctance, she shifted onto her back again.

Adeline sighed. She wished there were books for her to read, so that she could be lulled to sleep with it. Boredly, she fiddled with her necklace, whilst silently observing the rose encased in glass.

"I think mother said this was some sort of crystal…" she mumbled, whilst continuing to play with the accessory back and forth.

Soon, her eyes grew heavy, the necklace slowly becoming tangled in her finger. Slowly, gently, she snoozed to sleep, but did not know of the darkness that lurked in the castle, and crawled up her walls.