Mother Trouble

Adelia briskly walked through the castle's hallways, her frustration evident in the way her feet practically stomped.

"Control your emotions, he says," she muttered, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. "Like it's so simple!"

Like it was so simple, when the mere thought of her mother's kind and caring face was almost enough to reduce her into a sobbing mess.

She so desperately needed a shoulder to cry on ever since two days ago... a motherly shoulder to cry on, where she could release her pent-up emotions for minutes or hours even.

But her father's command had doused those hopes. She hadn't been intent on worrying her mother but there were times things like this couldn't be helped.

Adelia knew that once she saw mother's beautiful but sickly expression, that small worried frown on her face when she noticed her daughter was sad and the way she would so gently ask what was wrong...

Adelia knew she would instantly crumble.

She would start to cry! "God dammit!" She exclaimed, then immediately shrinked back in horror as her words hung in the air.

She covered her mouth and looked around, making sure she was completely alone and that neither Saya nor any of the maids were anywhere near.

If anyone had heard her, the situation she would be in would be worse than uncomfortable.

Adelia could only imagine what Saya would have said if she had heard her and the thought brought her a small sense of comfort.

But it was only fleeting.

'How do I mask my emotions when I see mother?' It sounded almost impossible. She was aware of how perceptive her mother was, even surpassing her father to some extent.

Adelia wasn't skilled in concealing her feelings, but she understood the importance of learning to do so.

She would learn... After all, she was already mastering it to some degree; none of her parents knew how she truly felt about Raegan…

A dejected sigh escaped her lips; maybe avoiding seeing her mother for the meantime was the best course of action.

She would need to take a soothing bath to mentally prepare herself before she went to the Duchess' chambers.

Adelia took a deep breath. Yes, that was exactly what she was going to do.

Her plans, however, were instantly shattered as she entered her chamber, only to be greeted by an auburn haired woman sitting patiently on her bed.

Adelia's mouth instantly went dry at the sight. "Mother…?" she called, her voice almost a whisper.

The Duchess' thoughts had wandered elsewhere entirely. She didn't even notice the opening of the double doors by her daughter until Adelia's voice called her back.

Eva shifted her attention towards the sound, her eyes widening in surprise. "Delia!" She exclaimed, rising quickly from the bed... too quickly.

"Mother!" Adelia's voice carried an alarmed tone as she hurried to her mother's side, her hands reaching out to steady her. "You shouldn't stand up so quickly! You might lose your balance!"

A warm, affectionate smile parted Eva's lips. "You don't have to worry about me so much, Delia. I can handle this much." She then cupped Adelia's face tenderly. "I've missed you."

Adelia's hands delicately covered her mother's own. "It's only been two days, Mother."

Eva's lips tugged in amusement. "Two days without the sound of your voice and your care can be surprisingly dull."

A small blush crept onto Adelia's cheeks, and she leaned in to embrace her mother. "I missed you too."

The Duchess returned the hug, her fingers tenderly running through Adelia's hair. "Tell me, how was your time away? How is the old Count faring?"

Adelia swallowed hard at the question. She wasn't ready to discuss this, not while she was still recovering from the events of the previous day.

She gently drew back from her mother's embrace, her eyes lowered. "He…" she began, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "He passed away before we reached there, Mother." She managed.

Eva's hands flew to her mouth in shock, her eyes widening before she asked a question, her voice barely audible, like she was afraid to hear the answer. "Did you… see him?"

Adelia hesitated for a moment before nodding once, the gesture almost barely noticeable. But her mother caught on, pulling her in for another hug.

Eva's arms were comforting, she had obviously sensed Adelia's unease in answering.

"Why would your father allow it?!" Eva's voice quivered with concern. "He should know—"

"I asked him to, Mother," Adelia's voice was muffled as she spoke into her mother's shoulder. "I insisted he take me with him."

"Oh, my love," Eva cooed, gently stroking her hair again. "I hope the experience wasn't too overwhelming for you? Seeing a deceased body for the first time can be..."

The Duchess didn't finish her sentence, but Adelia knew well enough... It could be quite jarring and that was exactly what it was for her.

Although, hers was in an entirely different way.

Adelia remained silent for a while before she answered, "Maybe a little…"

That was a lie. The sight had left her terribly shaken—so much so that she had nearly fainted on the spot.

Her mother....

Adelia fought to push that image back, together with the looming tears. She wouldn't cry... she couldn't cry.

She swallowed an exasperated sigh; this was exactly what she wanted to avoid! She felt both love and frustration towards this effect the woman had on her.

Adelia hugged her mother tightly with as little strength as she could in order not to cause a problem. The rhythmic strokes on her hair wavered slightly, showing Eva's worry.

"Is there something troubling you?"

Adelia managed a slight shake of her head. "No, it's nothing. I just want to remain like this for a little longer."

Relatively true, but deep down, she knew if she was to pull back now and meet her mother's eyes, she would burst. She definitely would.

Eva continued stroking her daughter's hair gently in silence.

As much as she knew how much her daughter was shaken at the sight of death, she knew her husband would have been the most affected.

'Aldous…' She thought inwardly. She knew him well enough to realize that he would prefer to be alone for now, left to battle with his own thoughts.

Their time for conversation would no doubt come later, once he had gathered himself enough.

But for now... for now, she had to take care of her precious daughter.

She gently pulled Adelia back and held her at arm's length, looking into her bright emerald eyes with a warm smile.

"You must be tired," she remarked softly. "I've requested Lyra to prepare a soothing hot bath for you. Once you're finished, I'll help you get dressed."

"What…" Adelia's response came with a hint of confusion, her voice a bit dazed, then realization dawned on her, making her exclaim, "No!"

The Duchess raised her brows. "No?"

"No, I... I didn't mean that in a bad way. I just… I didn't expect you'd offer to dress me. I'm not a child anymore." She defended.

Her mother frowned. "To me, you're still very much my child." She said firmly. "And remember, I could always insist on bathing you myself."

The thought sent a wave of embarrassment over Adelia and her cheeks turned a little pink.

Why did her mother want to dress her up all of a sudden?!

She couldn't understand her impulse... or maybe she could… a little, but still!

"Mother, there's really no need for you to trouble yourself," Adelia tried to persuade her. "Lyra already does an excellent job."

Eva's stance remained firm. "I don't doubt that. But I believe I can do an even finer job, considering I am your mother."

This really wasn't happening.

Adelia stood dumbfounded. "But… but—"

"No objections, my dear. Now off to the bathroom, quickly!"

As if on cue, Lyra emerged from the bathroom, with an amused expression on her face.

She curtsied gracefully. "Your bath is prepared, milady."

Adelia instantly felt like she would prefer to crawl into a hole and disappear.

********

A/N: Hello, dear readers! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book, I really, really appreciate it! The book will be going premium soon, but after a mass release of three chapters tomorrow!

I hope you will continue to support the novel going forward, it would mean so much! But as always, Don't forget to vote!