The King's Artist

Ch 24: A Person's True Nature

"I take it, she told you?" Jasper's words startled Henry. He gave his uncle a puzzled look, trying to understand who he was referring to before a wave of realization washed over him. His mouth hung open a bit as he stumbled for the right words, but he seemed to have forgotten how to speak. Jasper stepped towards Henry during the latter's silence, clapping him on the shoulder again and squeezing in comfort. He brought himself down to Henry's eye level and pulled the spare chair closer towards himself so that the two were sitting knee to knee.

"You knew." The comprehension was slow, but Henry's voice was breathy as if he had just been running an incredibly long distance. Henry's shoulder rose and fell slowly as his hands curled into fists in his lap. Wordlessly, Jasper handed Henry the glass of water and watched his nephew down it quickly, a small amount of water spilling from the corners of his mouth. Henry felt his fingers twitch around the glass once he was down drinking it, and the muscles of his face grew tight as his mind raced. Jasper kept calm despite his nephew's apparent growing rage.

"I found out shortly after you were taken away," Jasper admitted reluctantly but hastily. Henry's temper stalled as he waited for his uncle to explain. Sighing, Jasper rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned forward. Being an expert on how to deal with Henry, unfortunately, didn't make it any easier. "She hadn't intended on telling me if that helps."

"It doesn't," Henry said as his eyebrows knitted together. "He," Henry stuttered, "or I guess it should be she, she didn't want to tell me either which makes me think she would have kept misleading me if I hadn't accidentally found out."

Henry's shoulders slumped, and his face fell. Jasper cocked his head to the side as he observed Henry's downcast expression. He took a sip of his water and leaned back away from Henry as his nephew got up to pour himself more water. Henry downed one more glass before resuming his seat, still holding the empty glass between both hands.

"What do you mean you accidentally found out?" asked Jasper after Henry's stream of sighs ended. Henry's face shifted between multiple shades of red at his uncle's words. Jasper's eyes went wide at the action, and his mouth fell open in shock. "Henry, what do you mean you accidentally found out about Adelaide?"

Henry's blush faltered.

"Who's Adelaide?"

Jasper, too, faltered.

"Haven't we been talking about Adelaide this entire time?" Jasper questioned, his expression morphing into utter confusion. Henry mirrored his uncle, and for a moment they just stared at one another in bewilderment.

"Like I said," Henry resumed slowly. "Who exactly is Adelaide?"

"Arthur," Jasper answered with a wave of his hand. Henry raised an eyebrow and looked behind him at the door as if expecting Arthur to be in the doorframe. Jasper groaned at Henry's idiocy and rolled his eyes. "Arthur is Adelaide. Adelaide is Arthur. Arthur's real name is Adelaide. Are you following Henry?"

Henry's blush successfully resumed, and he stuttered to try and respond.

"Normally, people don't name their little girls Arthur, Henry," Jasper retorted, giving Henry a disproving look. Henry groaned loudly and stood up in frustration. He began pacing the room in annoyance while Jasper sat back and watched. "You know, I had thought you would be more upset about her having kept the truth from you all this time."

"I am mad," hollered Henry, throwing his arms up into the air. Henry's pace sped up, and it began to look like he was spinning around the room in circles. Jasper continued observing, partially amused but also oddly disturbed.

"At who exactly?" Instantly, Henry's dancing stopped. He looked at his uncle with a wide-eyed innocence that reminded Jasper of when he had been much younger. Henry's posture deflated as he just stood in the center of the room, lost.