198: The anklet's revelation

The anklet's revelation

In the middle of the decorated celebration hall, Lady Adelaide de Lanark stood with Arkin von Conradie who didn't leave her side all night except when she danced with the noble men.2

Her feet throbbed from the countless dances she had shared.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Arkin asked, noticing her low spirits.

A glimmer of excitement appeared in her expression. "You know?"

He scoffed. "I more than know; I'm escorting you... Don't give me that look! We'll keep our distance, of course, patrolling where you and Mother are... Bastian is coming with me."

She glanced at Bastian, engaged in a lively conversation with Aldric as if they had been friends for years.

Mixed feelings washed over her.

"He doesn't know," Arkin defended his cousin.

"That is quite fine, don't worry about it," she replied, doing her best to feign unawareness of the young king's presence. At least he had the sense not to approach her or ask her to dance tonight.

"If you're ready, we can go," Arkin suggested.

Suddenly, a high-pitched, continuous knocking on a champagne glass with a spoon silenced the hall. Her blood ran cold when she realized the source—it was Aldric.

Aldric stepped forward, capturing the attention of the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your gaze to the radiant Lady Adelaide in her exquisite pink attire," he began, his words dripping with charm. "Not only is she a vision of beauty, but her mind is equally captivating, open to new ideas and possibilities."

As anticipation filled the air, Aldric reached into his pocket and produced a velvet white box. With a flourish, he opened it, revealing a stunning anklet inside. "On this special day, I present to you, Lady Adelaide, a gift of immense value," he announced, his voice resonating through the hall.

Horrified, Arkin came closer and whispered in her ear, "I buried it with my own two hands."

She nodded, her throat dry, aware of Aldric's earth and metal manipulation abilities, realizing he could retrieve the anklet with a snap of his fingers.

"...This anklet gives your Lady here control over my entire navy ships," Aldric proclaimed.

Gasps, awestruck expressions, and whispers about an engagement between the King and Lady Adela filled the hall.

She searched for her father and found him standing too far away from her, he wore an incredulous look on his face.

"...You might find my gift excessive," Aldric continued, "but it truly isn't. She showed me just as much trust when she suggested taking over the manufacturing of weapons for us, reducing the losses of Varinthia and increasing its gains by seventy percent. You can imagine the numbers."

Kaiser's face paled, Guatav beside him visibly tensing. Kaiser fixed his gaze on his daughter. If she were to object, now was the time.

But how could she manage to do so on the spot? What about the implications of that decision?

"It was brought to my attention that I can't touch her ankle!" Aldric exclaimed, excitedly acknowledging that he had undoubtedly won this round. "So I shall not break the rules and put it on her wrist instead."

Aldric approached Adela with his powers at full display. The atmosphere grew charged with anticipation as he raised both Adela's arm and the gleaming anklet into the air. The metal seemed to come alive, expanding and twisting before it wrapped itself around Adela's wrist, snugly settling into the spot where Egon's bracelet had resided just hours before.

How she wished she had never taken it off.

"All of you, gentlemen, will become very rich very soon," Aldric concluded his speech.

True to his nature, he won over the greedy aristocrats surrounding him with a small play. Applause erupted throughout the celebration hall.

"To the prosperity of Lanark and Emoria!"

"Long live Her Ladyship!"

Adela lowered her arm, a bead of sweat tracing a path down her back as she anxiously scrutinized Aldric's gift. Her eyes darted over the intricacies of the anklet, searching for any sign of a clasp or mechanism that would allow its removal. With growing concern, she realized that there seemed to be no apparent way to take it off.

Aldric, a few feet away, grabbed her hand and kissed her palm just above his gift. She suppressed the urge to slap his face as he smirked at her. Instead of asking her for a dance, he gently pulled her closer and began waltzing to the tune played by the orchestra.

"You have made me a happy man," Aldric murmured next to her ear.

She stiffened in his arms, feeling like a log. "I have avoided a scene."

"It doesn't make me any less happy. Or would I have preferred the alternative plan?... We shall just wait and see."

When her hand instinctively pulled away, he gripped it more forcefully, twirling her around before bringing her back into his embrace. To onlookers, they appeared to be engaged in a passionate dance, undoubtedly sparking more gossip.

"I have a confession to make," he said as she glared up at him.

"I don't want to hear it," she snapped.

"You will anyway," he said, tilting his head apologetically. "To be honest, I have a knack for falconry."

She felt deeply ashamed for continually falling into his traps.

"You must be extremely proud of yourself for fooling me," she said.

"It was a white lie. I wanted to spend time with you."

His eyes darted left and right, signaling that their dance was about to be interrupted. She was grateful to whoever was responsible. With a brief pause and another unwelcome kiss in her palm, Aldric released her.

She curtsied without making eye contact, then turned around, immediately relieved to see herself flanked by Bastian and Arkin.

Bastian, seemingly oblivious, smiled widely at her, his good eye winking. "Are you ready to have some fun outside?"

She managed to offer him a small smile.

"We will be right behind you," Arkin said with a serious tone, concern evident in his eyes.

Adela took a deep breath and cast one last glance at her father, relieved to see his pale face nodding in her direction. His icy blue eyes then shifted to Aldric who was making his way toward the Archduke.

She spun on her heels and hurriedly made her exit, her heart racing along with her feet to leave the hall. She didn't look back at the two men following closely behind, but she did hear Bastian ask Arkin what was wrong with Adela.

There was no response.

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