The Beauty In Love And Murder

Chapter Forty - Adrienne

The meeting goes relatively smoothly— Theodore sits next to his father as the council decides noisily what the best course of action is. As I expected of a council purely of men, they make little progress towards a plan and Theodore is even more frustrated as we leave.

We walk, my arm tucked into the crook of his gently. "Back to mine? Or yours?" I ask him teasingly.

"Mine." He says tiredly. "I have to get ready for a hunting party. Which you are supposed to attend, by the way." I roll my eyes. "I'm not very enthusiastic about hunting." I lie. "I'll stay home and eat chocolate."

Theodore tugs me closer to him and leans down to whisper in my ear. "You don't have a choice, M'lady."

I almost kick him but remember that he's currently bleeding into a bandage as we speak, so I settle for a glare. Theodore smiles at me and glances quickly at a group of women who are hovering a little ways away, whispering to one another as they watch us. Theodore dips his head down to mine and my breath catches in my throat. "This is a lovely opportunity to start some palace gossip," Theodore breathes, his lips almost brushing mine. My eyes flutter shut and my heart pounds in my chest like it's trying to escape my body. "I'm sure it is." I breathe, not daring to speak any louder lest the moment breaks.

A sliver of a smile appears on Theodore's face as my back hits the wall behind me. He had me walking backwards the entire time and I didn't even notice.

I want to say something sarcastic or mocking like I normally would, but I can't get anything past the breath caught in my throat.

Theodore's hand brushes my jaw softly as he moves my hair out of my face. I breathe shakily, half cursing him for being capable of rendering me speechless.

"I'm sure we've given them enough to gossip about." I murmur as I meet his eyes, not daring to drop my eyes lower. His eyes are glinting, the blue of his irises darkening as he leans into me. I'm so focused on keeping eye contact and how distinct the feeling of his palm on my hip is that it takes me a moment to notice when his gaze drops to my mouth.

My lips curve upwards and he runs a finger over my bottom lip, sending a chill flooding through my body. He looks up at me and winks mischievously then pulls away abruptly. I inhale heavily, feeling the gazes of the courtiers around us.

I manage to link my arm with Theodore's and walk up the stairs, but I can tell he's enjoying how unsure I am after our moment. I glare at him when he looks at me and he laughs.

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy it."

I step on his foot deliberately and walk ahead of him with dignity. "With all due respect, Your Grace— shut up."

His peal of laughter follows me around the corner as I gesture impatiently for the guards to open the door to his room. I roll my eyes at his clear enjoyment of my discomfort— but a secret smile plays upon my lips. 

He runs up behind me as I'm entering the chamber, catching me by the waist and spinning me around. I kick him solidly this time, scowling. He rubs the bruised spot ruefully. "You're just mean." He says with mock reproach.

An hour later, I'm settled in a chair and Theodore is resting on his bed across the room. I'm reading a book idly as Theodore alternates between dozing off and watching me with an unreadable expression on his face.

Once Theodore is asleep for good, I get up silently and leave the room. I'm walking back to my room as I replay the brush of his finger against my mouth when a gowned figure stops in front of me abruptly.

"Lady Adrienne."

I look up and see Zena standing before me and I can't help my mouth from tightening slightly. "Princess." I curtsey, making a distinct effort to make it seem as disrespectful as possible. Zena's eyes narrow and I smile.

"To what do I owe the honour?" I ask pleasantly.

"I feel we got off on the wrong foot, Lady Adrienne. I'd also just like to say that I truly am so sorry on Theodore's behalf." I school my face into neutrality, afraid that if I don't keep concentrating on keeping a pleasant expression that I will laugh.

"Sorry for what?" I ask. Zena may be clever, but she isn't nearly as skilled as I am at expressions. "Theodore and I were just in his rooms together... he asked me there himself. I thought I should be the first to tell you." She smiles with false sympathy.

I can't help it. I laugh in her face. 

"You... You truly think— that you could fool me?" I smirk at her, a dangerous glint flickering in my eyes. I know she sees it.

"I was just in his rooms, Zena. You can't trick me, not with a poorly planned interception and lie such as that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change." I walk off, still laughing to myself.

When I reach my rooms, the mirth is still playing on my face. Cianna, Gwen, and Kaltis are all embroidering in my chambers and they look up at me incredulously as I sink against the door and laugh. I explain to them my encounter with Zena and we all end up talking scornfully about the princess, laughing at one another's insults until our sides hurt. 

"She always looks like she's tasted something moderately distasteful." Gwen giggles. I fall backwards onto the pillows of my bed as I laugh, and Kaltis allows herself a small smile.

"We should stop," I gasp. "If anyone hears us we'll probably be arrested."

Cianna and Gwen double over more at this and our peals of laughter echo across my room. Cianna waves a hand and gets up, holding her breath. "No more." She says sternly, her vice breaking as her suppressed laughter leaks through.

We get up shakily, grinning at one another. Then Cianna claps a hand over her mouth in horror, looking at the clock. "The hunting party starts in an hour!" Gwen pulls me to my feet and drops me in a chair hurriedly. Kaltis glides over to the dress racks and inspects all the nude coloured gowns while Cianna twists my hair up, pinning and tying wildly.

I wince as I'm patted and pulled and fussed with for the next three quarter hours. I tense in excitement as I realize I'm going to get to shoot today. I haven't touched a bow in ages— Tarryn doesn't let us use them because they're 'too easy to track' when used for assassinations so we never had any around. He said this because a man from the House of Rubies got caught by shooting an arrow from a rooftop at his target and ended up getting arrested and executed. Since then, Tarryn hasn't let anyone kill with arrows.

I wish I could, though. I love the satisfaction of hitting a target right where you want it. The whistle of the arrow, the vibration of the string humming beneath my fingertips.

My lips curve upwards in a smile as I regard myself coolly in the mirror. I'm excited...It's been a while since I've killed something.