The King's Artist

Ch 58: Titulus Regius

"Arthur makes a good point," Jasper nodded in exhaustion. "And even though we have the support of Duke Francis, I don't entirely trust his chancellor. So for the moment, I believe it's best to proceed with caution."

The room nodded in agreement, some more hesitantly than others, though. But Adelaide knew doing nothing for the moment was the wiser choice. It didn't help matters, either, that once the people had learned about the failed Buckingham revolt morale was at an all-time low.

As the room gradually separated, Adelaide gave Henry and concerned look. He was sighing almost as heavily as Jasper. The last few months had been a lot for him and she could see the weariness and fear creeping upon him.

"Let's go get some air," Adelaide whispered to him. Henry glanced up at her and she felt her chest constrict as she took in the paler of his skin and the purple bruises under his eyes. When had he last slept? Was he eating properly?

Thankfully, Henry didn't argue and nodded tiredly. With Kayden trailing behind him, the trio made their way out of the stuffy meeting room and into the streets. Vannes was a beautiful city. Tall white buildings with blue-black roofs, expertly crafted streets, and even a number of well-manicured lawns. The air was still chilly, but they tugged their cloaks around them tightly and took in the barren trees and cloudy sky as they walked.

"And again we're playing the waiting game," Henry sighed. Kayden and Adelaide exchanged looks as they slowed their pace to match his.

At some point, snow began to drift down around them adding to the layer that already coated the earth. It danced in Adelaide's pale hair and on her eyelashes and turned her cheeks pink at their coolness. She looked up at the sky and extended a hand to catch a few of the drops. She itched to paint the different blues and whites and greys.

When she looked back at Henry and Kayden, she startled at both of their stares. Henry's brown eyes were soft while Kayden's grey ones were glazed over in wonderment. They were looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen. Adelaide blushed furiously in response and turned sharply away, which was a mistake.

With a yelp, she slipped.

She was consumed by a cloud of white and felt the snow's wetness soak into her pants and shirt. She shrieked at the sharp bite of chill that raced up her spine. She tried to get to her feet quickly but slipped again, the space around her gradually becoming a mess of slick, wet grass.

Her face burned even redder when she heard Henry and Kayden's laughter. It was unabashed, loud, and ricocheted off the walls around them. When Adelaide finally managed to get to her feet, they were both doubled-over, clutching one another on the shoulders for support as their laughter threatened to strangle them.

With a determined grind of her teeth, Adelaide grabbed a heap of snow and balled it together before chucking it at both of them. With their heads bent so close together, the snowball covered them both but had primarily hit Henry. They stopped abruptly in surprise, taking in the frost starting to tingle their cheeks. With quick precision, Adelaide landed another blow on each of them, smiling wickedly as they both lost their footing and tumbled over from the impact.

Their laughter swiftly resumed as they all, for a moment, disregarded their current predicament and began chucking snow at one another relentlessly. After several rounds, numerous battle cries, a couple of double-crosses, and a shaky truce, they lay next to one another panting.

Adelaide partially wondered what they looked like to anyone passing by. Three grown adults, one of which was to be the future King of England, splayed out in the snow, wet, red, and laughing. Her hands were freezing as were Henry's, but she smiled when he reached over and intertwined their fingers, making sure he was discreet in case anyone did happen to see them.

When the sky grew dark and the snow grew thicker, they hauled themselves to their feet and began to make their way back inside. Their closes were dripping and their faces were burnt red, but they only laughed whenever anyone stopped with large eyes to ask them what had happened.

Kayden and Adelaide stopped outside Henry's temporary quarters. The hallway was deserted and no candles had been lit. They stood in the darkness for a moment before Kayden clasped Henry on the back of the neck and brought their foreheads together. They stared at one another intensely, exchanging a number of emotions through their eyes. Adelaide partially felt she was intruding and looked away quietly.

"You're not alone in this. Remember that," Kayden said firmly. Henry's eyes looked glassy for a moment before Kayden released him and stocked down the hall to his own room. His door clicked behind him and echoed down the hallway before the quiet resumed.

Adelaide's room was the next one over, and with the addition of Jasper, the four of them were the only ones who occupied this wing of the manor.

Still staring down the path Kayden had taken, Adelaide stilled as she felt Henry grab her hand again. She shivered from the contact. Or maybe it was the cold. At this point, she couldn't tell. Regardless, he succeeded in directing her attention to him, and brown eyes met blue and held.

"Stay with me?" He whispered, his gaze pleading and his voice broken. Her eyes roamed over him, taking in the stress weighing down his shoulders and the worry creasing his brow.

Adelaide only had to nod once before Henry was pulling her into his room and locking the door behind them.