𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Good morning, Adam." I probably could not have said it in more of an embarrassing way.

"How?" His breathing was shaky. "Why?"

He released me, then we both sat up and scooted away from one another leaving a small gap between us. "I am not sure."

"I am so sorry. This-this was very inappropriate of me. I do not know at what point I fell asleep, but I should have just come here this morning rather than intrude on you in the night." He was panicking, trying to fix something that was not broken at all just because of how anxious he was. "You are a lady, and I have insulted you by putting you in a situation that could call for speculation. I am so sorry Isabelle, this is not how a gentleman should act, let alone any prince."

"Adam, all we did was sleep. Please, calm down and just breathe. Nothing happened between the two of us, nor will anyone find out." I placed my hand on his shoulder to reassure him, despite me finding him to be quite adorable in such a panicked state.

He placed his hand on mine and it caused my heart to stop. "You're right, thank you for being there for me. I think I would have driven myself mad if I had not come and confided in you." He paused and looked over at me with sad but sincere eyes, "I'm just terrified of losing the only real human connection I have, and I feel as if it is this fragile little thing that I hold in my hands that could shatter at any moment if I am not careful. I do not want to lose the first friend I have made since the curse turned me into this thing. I don't want to be alone again. To lose your touch that grounds me to this plane of existence would be too earth shattering, and I do not think I could recover. To have something I had yearned for, for so long, taken away so soon after I had finally gotten to have it again, terrifies me more than death itself. For in death, I would not have to suffer anymore."

"I do not think there is anything that you could do that would cause me to abandon you. I trust and believe in you, so trust in me that I won't just disappear and believe me when I say I won't run away if something horrible happens." I looked at his lips, then looked away swiftly.

Him putting it into perspective like that made me wonder if he had been better off not experiencing it at all. I was sure the thought had come across his mind too. But, even if something were to happen and he would lose me in some way, I was sure he would cherish the memories we had made with one another rather than regretting ever having met me at all. Because at the end of the day he finally got to feel something other than sorrow after years of endless torment within these walls.

He finally got to feel somewhat human again.

"Yes, I trust-" Garna walked into the room and shut the door behind her quickly which caused Adam to stand up out of surprise.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, Young Highness, but there is a visitor at the door." She sounded uneasy.

"How?" He looked confused, "Who is it?"

"I think it better if you two follow me down to the foyer where they wait." She looked at me and flashed a worried look. "I can gather the others if you would like."

"No, the two of us should be more than enough. We need not involve the others until we know more." He held out his hand for me to take. "Come, let us not keep whomever it is waiting."

We followed after Garna down the stairs to the main floor quickly, hand in hand. The other girls were still in their room and would not have come out for quite some time since it was barely after sunup. I had this horrible feeling in my stomach, a familiar feeling I had started to forget.

Dread.

As we grew closer, the figure at the bottom of the stairs became clearer and it was masculine. No one other than the girls from the Offerings should have been able to make it to the castle, yet here he stood. I was sure I had not been the only confused one, because Adam had been very tense ever since we left the room.