Epsilon

Chapter 10

Adelina woke up in the middle of the night wishing she could just delete the next week of her life. The next week of nobility. The next week of pretenses.

The next week of him.

Of Peregrine.

She definitely didn't want to miss the happiest week of her sister's life to date. She was just stuck in too many memories of her own, of years before.

A knock at the door caused a great groan to rumble out of her, hoping it would scare the maid away.

Instead of the maid just bursting in to wake her up like usual, the soft knocking persisted. She grabbed her robe and stomped over to the door, swinging it wide open to a pair of blue eyes.

She immediately shut the door.

"Adelina," came the low voice from the other side of the door. "Adelina, please."

"Go away." Adelina curled into a ball against the door, her cheek against the cold wood and her nightgown too thin to keep her warm.

But her heartbeat and mind were racing so fast, that was the least of her worries.

"Adelina." His voice was closer, as if he had crouched down on the other side of the door. She heard the back of his head rest against the wood, right by hers on the opposite side. "Please. I just want to talk to you."

She quieted her breathing, but couldn't stop the shaking in her hands.

                          *                        *                            *                        *                         *                          * 

The maid found her asleep like that, face pressed up against the door. She'd entered through the garden way and was amazed to see the princess curled up like a child as if she were seeking comfort.

Curious, the servant checked the other side of the door, finding only a lilac carefully laid on the ground. Sighing, the woman put it in a vase before gently shaking Adelina awake. It had been a long time since she saw a lilac, a long time since she saw the princess so broken. She was scared for what that meant.

                            *                       *                           *                        *                        *                         *

"How beautiful. Have you been picking wildflowers again?" Felicity took a big whiff, sighing in contentment. It even smelled beautiful.

Adelina, who hadn't expected her sister in her room so early in the day, froze. "Um, yeah." She hurried back into her bedroom to grab her shoes.

Felicity saw a flicker of familiarity pass the open door. "Owen!"

The young man sauntered in.

"Owen, what type of flower is this? I haven't seen it before." She handed him the vase.

"Owen, you shouldn't be in my room," Adelina called.

"It's never bothered you before!" Felicity shouted back.

Felicity gestured to the flower.

"That, I believe is a lilac."

"A lilac?"

Adelina rushed back in, one foot strapped to a heel, and glared at Owen. She grabbed the flower and tossed it in a nearby bucket of trash, out of the water and vase it had just inhabited. "My maid did that. Nothing special."

"Your maid regularly orders intergalactic flowers for you?" he asked. "I knew you treated them nice, but this..."

She hastily grabbed her coat and other shoe, ambling out the door. "I have to go to the village."

Felicity tried to ignore the pang in her chest. "You promised you would stay here all day."

She paused, halfway out the door. "I forgot to talk to Tailor Fredericks about that dress. I'll come straight back." She hesitated, before coming over to hug Felicity. "I won't be late this time. I'll do more than try. I mean it."

And then she was gone.

Felicity stood, silently staring at the open doorway.

"Felicity." Owen put a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off and shook her head, trying to free herself from her disappointment. "What did you mean by 'intergalactic flower'?"

"Lilacs aren't from here. They only grow in a few worlds." His hand found hers, sending comfort through Felicity. "Follow me, I'll show you what I mean." He plucked the beautiful flower from the mess and headed to the library.