80: Tribute to their past

Tribute to their past

Her skirt rustled with each determined step; her breath grew shallow with anticipation. The hallway stretched out before her, but the grand tapestries and ornate sconces blurred as she raced past until she reached the grand entrance of the palace. The large doors stood before her, a gateway to freedom and a reunion with her father.2

"The King and the Crown Prince wish for your safe departure, My Lady," one of the royal guards announced, his voice laden with respect before opening the doors to Adela.

The moonlight spilled in through the entrance accompanied by a chilling northern breeze that kissed her cheeks. Though she had only caught glimpses of Destan, Adela had already grown tired of the capital and its confinements.

Her searching gaze landed upon a royal knight in resplendent golden armor standing beside the door of the King's familiar carriage. 

Father!

Adela's heart soared, propelling her down the long expanse of white marble stairs and into the open courtyard, her breath turning into rapid gasps.

"Father?" she inhaled deeper when she finally reached the door.

There he sat, tall and dignified with a warm smile on his face. Tears welled up in Adela's eyes, blurring her vision as she took the knight's hand to climb up and reach her father's side, throwing herself into his waiting arms when she got there. 

She buried her face in her father's chest, seeking solace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Adelaide," his voice came thick with emotions, "Greet your mother as well."

She turned to face her mother, her voice quivering, "Hello, Mother," she sniffled and let out an awkward laugh.

The woman who shared so many beautiful features with Larissa appeared more exhausted than ever before she smiled at Adela warily, "We feared that traveling through a portal would be too much for your father... Fresh air will do him well,"

The Archduchess spoke with a heavier tone than usual, and if Adela was not mistaken, there was a hint of fear in her eyes as well.

That is not a normal reaction...

The thought seemed to diminish with the whirling motions of the carriage's wheels. A stark contrast to the growing heaviness in the atmosphere that Adela felt while cradled in her father's arms.

The realization sank mercilessly. Nothing was truly over yet. The secrets and past that the Archduke and his wife had desperately shielded were now vulnerably exposed before another pair of eyes, even if those eyes belonged to their own daughter. The carriage seemed to expand in size, magnifying the distance between her and her parents.

Adela straightened up, leaving the embrace of her father after that.

"Egon von Conradie brought you here, is that correct?" her father asked.

She despised the concern etched on his face, especially when her knowledge of her mother's bloodline was the cause of the tension. The Archduke and the Archduchess were clearly conspiring even before she stepped foot inside the carriage, eager to gauge how much she had uncovered about Healers during her time with Egon in Kolhis.

Against all she understood about the principles of nobility, it was now Adela's turn to shield her parents from the truth. They evidently had no intention of revealing her mother's origins to the world, but there was a more compelling reason behind her forthcoming lie: If Egon's wrist mark truly originated from the mythical vampire of Lanark's Forest, then she needed to protect his secret until the very end.

It would be in everyone's best interest if she appeared oblivious.

She wore a mask of ignorance on her face as she looked up at her father seated beside her, "I believe he felt guilty about your deteriorating health after purchasing our lands. He brought me to a highly skilled physician, but it seems Claude had already reached him,"

The Archduke and Archduchess visibly relaxed at the mention of a physician.

Kaiser stroked his gray beard thoughtfully, "...We may have misjudged that gentleman... which brings us to the other von Conradie... Your mother informs me that Andreas and Larissa are courting. Is that true?"

Adela nodded cautiously.

"Then we should formalize their relationship, as it is the King's wish."

Adela frowned as she recalled her uncle pressing the matter upon her father in Kaiser's study. But they had come a long way since then. Larissa and Andreas were deeply involved with each other at the moment.

The Archduke shifted uncomfortably in his place, "Now, Adelaide, about the Crown Prince... Has His Highness approached you with an offer," he cleared his throat awkwardly, "A proposal..." he corrected.

This was something she couldn't possibly conceal from her parents. "He did, but it was rather ambiguous," she admitted.

Kaiser appeared momentarily relieved upon hearing that. "And how did you respond?"

She swallowed nervously, grateful for Egon's intervention at the time. "I said nothing, father," she confessed.

A wave of tranquility swept across Kaiser's entire countenance.

"Yes, well... He must go through me first according to our customs. And there were hints dropped here and there. But I do believe he is leaving the decision in your hands. A gracious young man indeed,"

His eyes fleetingly turned towards his wife who stared intently out of the window.

"I need to hear your thoughts on the matter, Adelaide. I will act accordingly," Kaiser stated looking back at her.

Adela knew her father would never betray her trust or push her into a future she did not desire. Still, experiencing it firsthand evoked strong emotions within her.

"His Highness has always been, and will always be, like a brother to me," she replied sincerely.

The Archduke released a breath he seemed to have been holding. His hand tenderly caressed his daughter's long platinum-blond hair.

"May His Highness find an Emorian Queen as worthy as you would have been... Regard it as though you were never presented with any proposals from His Highness," the Archduke asserted resolutely.

"Yes, father," she exhaled the words, leaning against his arm, her thoughts drifted towards a different proposal she had encountered in the very same room where Claude had made his.

Soon after, Adela closed her eyes and succumbed to a much-needed sleep.

Kaiser's blue eyes shifted to his wife once more. The Archduchess continued to gaze out of the window as if trying to distance herself from everything, but he understood the depth of her emotions. Grace's only wish — much like Kaiser's — was to prevent history from repeating itself.

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