Seeing the doubtful look on her face, the duke regretted his question because he didn't mean to worry her. Pursing his lips, he looked at Adler to find him staring at Adeline with furrowed eyebrows.
"Don't think too much. You know if you offended Michael he would have dealt with you earlier, and in a more brutal way." He comforted, and Adeline nodded agreeably.
The rest of the journey home was silent and they were all occupied in their own thoughts.
Once the carriage came to a halt, Adeline's father was the first one to alight, followed by Adler and he held out his hand for Adeline. She took in a breath of fresh air while straightening her dress.
At the door of their mansion, the butler waited for them, dressed in his usual white and black attire. His hands were crossed behind his back and his face was stoic but stern.
He bowed his head to the duke and the latter acknowledged him with a slight nod, hurrying his steps inside the house.
"Howard, can you help me find information about the royal family of the Darkfrost Kingdom?" Adeline requested the older man, her tone polite and respectful. Howard was a man in his early fifties, and he had worked for them since she was a little girl. Despite him being a servant in the duchy, his relationship with the Duke's family had always been close and they trusted him beyond words.
At Adeline's request, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion but Adeline couldn't bring herself to break the news to him. It was too annoying for her.
"She's to be married to the Prince in a week," Adler chimed in and surprise flashed across the butler's face. No one expected this news but he immediately understood the situation and didn't ask any more questions.
"I'll see what I can find," he responded and Adeline nodded gratefully.
Walking into the house, she held her brother's arm and clung to him. "How come I don't seem to know this prince?" She asked, her brain trying to remember anything she had heard or read, but she came up with nothing.
"I would be more surprised if you actually knew anything," replied Adler. Adeline looked up at him, her eyes filled with questions and he turned his head away.
"Why do you say that?"
"I also know nothing about that family. Most especially the Prince."
Adeline continued to ponder on the mysterious identity of her to be husband as she made her way to her room. Her head hang low as she opened the wooden door and she exhaled deeply.
Her eyes subconsciously scanned her room, registering in her mind the sad truth, that she would leave this room and this house in a week. She would be calling another place home and she would have another family.
In the middle of the room, to her right, there was a queen sized bed, with white and beige covers. On her left there was a table and chair, a silver coated antique mirror sitting atop the wooden table.
She walked towards the bed and sat at the edge, before letting her back fall on the soft mattress. Marriage. Wedding. These were the only things in her mind and a sudden fear gripped her heart at the thought of living as a married woman.
In all honesty, she had no problem with marriage. Arranged marriages were specifically common among nobles and she had long been prepared for the high possibility of marrying a person she did not love. She had seen many marriages fail miserably, while others flourished with love.
Since she turned nineteen, people had been questioning her about marriage but she always avoided the topic because she always felt she was not ready.
The thought of being in a loveless marriage did not scare her. She didn't care. As long as her husband ignored her like she would, everything would be fine. But now, she was not only marrying a Prince, but a crown prince who would be King someday, and she would have to be Queen. That did not sit well with her because she didn't like the responsibility that came with being Queen of such a large Kingdom.
What annoyed her the most was that this was planned without asking or consulting her, the main participant of the whole thing. Michael taking things into his own hands and making such a major decision for her was what made her anger brew.
While she was lost in thought, she missed the sound of footsteps approaching and only heard a knock on the door that was already open.
"My lady," her personal maid, Rosaline stood at the door with a worried expression. Adeline sat up on the bed and stared up at her.
"The Duke informed everyone of your…"
"Marriage. You can say it Rosa," Adeline interjected when she saw the hesitation in Rosa's eyes. Her tone was cautious, as if afraid of upsetting her and Adeline smiled.
Rosa walked in, carefully closing the door behind her and stood beside the bed. Her eyes were compassionate as she stared down at Adeline, and a glint of... pity?
"I'm not angry," Adeline assured, her voice twinged with amusement.
Rosa was not convinced and asked, "Really?"
"Yes, really." Adeline responded resolutely. Rosaline sat beside her on the bed, her eyes never leaving Adeline's face.
"Well, atleast you're not marrying a hoodlum," consoled Rosaline and Adeline laughed. That was a way to console, she thought to herself, but her mood became lighter. Rosa smiled at her achievement, then the smile was replaced with sadness as realisation hit her. They were going to be separated.
"I'm going to miss you," she said in a small voice and Adeline stared at her in bewilderment.
"No, you're coming with me."
Surprised, Rosa was quiet for a moment before saying, "I don't think —"
"Do you not want to accompany me?" Her lips tightened at the question and she didn't say anything else. Knowing her thoughts, Adeline felt relieved and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, I'll talk to father about it." She reassured and Rosa squeezed her hand back.
The two women's relationship exceeded that of a servant and her master. They were very close friends and had a mutual understanding with one another. Rosa was three years older than Adeline but had been working for the Duke's family since she was fifteen.
She was an orphan, often begging on the streets when one day, Genevieve, Adeline's mother took her in and gave her shelter.
Genevieve had found her being beaten for stealing bread and she saved her from the commoners who had no mercy as they punished a child severely. She was very cautious of Genevieve because from the fine clothes she was wearing, anyone who had eyes could tell that she was of high status. She thought that the woman would take her and sell her, but Genevieve almost broke to tears as she examined her frail body.
Genevieve took the young Rosa to her house and instructed the servants to give her a proper bath and feed her.
To repay the woman's kindness, Rosa decided to work for the family because they showed her kindness she had never known.
Adeline's mother died two years later during childbirth, and while they all grieved, Rosa and Adeline developed a friendship. They were each others source of comfort as they had both lost an important person in their lives and they became sworn sisters.
Snapping back to the present, Rosa looked at Adeline with a grateful expression and tears almost forming at the corner of her eyes. Adeline rolled her eyes at her expression and chuckled.
"Where's Vina?" She asked, brushing off Rosa's expression.
"In the backyard." Rosa responded and stood up to leave the room. Adeline followed behind her and went to find her little sister, Malvina.
On her way, she came across Adler who wore a grim expression on his face. Feeling nervous, Adeline stopped in front of him, her brown eyes searching his hazel ones. "Brother," she called cautiously and Alder's jaw ticked.
"About the prince," he started and Adeline braced herself, "I found something."