The King's Artist

Ch 39: Relationships and Trust

Adelaide road in the carriage without argument and sat uncomfortably, making little eye contact with the others. Kayden rode at the back of the group with a continuous look of confusion plastered on his face while Henry sulked quietly at the front. Marcus coughed several times to try and lighten up the atmosphere to little success.

The only saving grace to the trip was that it was quick.

They returned to Chateau de Suscinio by midday to a large crowd of curious onlookers. Many of the Lancastrian people had gathered on the streets to watch the rigid carriage roll by. Adelaide did her best to hide, not even daring to glance out the window at the village. Nerves rolled in her stomach nauseously, and she could feel the now-familiar feeling of regret beginning to creep back up onto her. 

Leaning against the seat and sighing, Adelaide closed her eyes and let the carriage sway her roughly from side to side. When the sound of loose pebbles became wood, she knew they were crossing the bridge. She took several calming breaths and gripped her chest tightly before mustering up the courage to look out into the courtyard. She felt her heart drop at the sight of the trainees, all watching the group tentatively. They all appeared to have just finished their morning training despite the lateness in the day. They were covered in sweat and dirt, and several were lying on the ground, exhausted. Adelaide briefly spotted Nathaniel, Anthony's cousin, standing over the group of boys with an intense scowl on his face. His arms were crossed as he appeared to make eye contact with Kayden.

"Henry, it's good to have you back." Adelaide could hear Jasper's voice from a distance but couldn't see him from her seat in the carriage. She readjusted to try and better locate where he was at, but no amount of shifting brought him into view. When the carriage door swung open suddenly, Adelaide launched herself to the opposite side, her breathing rapid and startled by the sudden intrusion. Anthony appeared just as shocked by her reaction as she was, his hand frozen on the carriage door. She smiled nervously at him, flattened her skirt, and coughed to clear her throat.

Thankfully, Henry stepped into view and nudged Anthony out of the way. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at her odd position at the other side of the carriage but offered Adelaide his hand wordlessly. After determining that her veil was on correctly and that her dress was no longer scrunched up, she reached her hand out to his and grasped it tightly, the sweat from her palms making her hold unsure. Her legs were shaky, too, as she attempted to find the step to get down. Her stumbling was endless; the dress was obscuring her view, and her nerves made her cross-eyed. Henry watched her struggle for only a second before sighing and placing both hands on her hips firmly. He lifted her, effortlessly and gently placing her onto her feet, making sure she was steady before he stepped away. A little flustered, Adelaide brushed down the dress for the third time and shifted awkwardly as she turned to those around her.

From the looks on the trainees' faces, one would have thought they'd never seen a girl before. Adelaide's presence had startled a number of them. Those who had been laying down jumped to their feet, and several others tried to dust themselves off and comb back their hair.

The response was both unique and bizarre, leaving Adelaide with an odd sense of importance. She'd never had so many attentive eyes glued to her before. Whenever she had been in large crowds or present at the meetings, people would usually focus on Henry or Jasper, allowing her to blend into the background. She never had anything to add to the conversation anyway, so most people never bothered to engage with her or ask her questions.

"You must be Adelaide," Jasper's voice found her quickly through the silence of the courtyard. She turned to watch him work his way around the carriage to approach her, his feet sloshing in the snow and leaving muddy footprints behind. The sight of him released something tight in her chest, and Adelaide's body immediately relaxed.