Tulips

Chapter 22

The room was stiff, warm, still. Théo's drawing room was small, with only one window letting any light in, the others were covered with thick curtains. There was a little dust over the surfaces. The painting of his father had disappeared from the wall. On the floor there was a heavy faded rug, the brocade tree was dull from being tread on. Adelaide tapped her foot in anticipation. Why did he take down the picture? She examined the empty space; it was lighter than the rest of the wall. The room wasn't used for any guests apart from her. Théo worked hard and mostly stuck to horses. His father oversaw the stables for 30 years before him and taught Théo that commitment to your work was the most important thing. Behind her she heard him come through the door. Finally.

"Théo, what happened to the paint-oh" she turned around to discover a short pale man, thin wisps of hair where combed over his balding scalp.

"Your majesty," he bowed his round figure. "I'm sorry for all the dust in here," he started his away round the room, yanking open the curtains. He tutted at the cobwebs formed on the glass pane. Each new stream of light felt more unnatural than the one before. Adelaide stood solid, her eyes tracking the man's movement, he trailed a perfumed scent round the room, infecting Théo familiar scent.

"Much better," he spluttered once the final curtain was ripped open. "How can I help you?" The daylight shining in felt like at spotlight aimed right at her.

"I am here to see Monsieur Nwaloka, has he been notified of my presence?" she asked with cutting perfectionism. Lay it off kissass.

"Nwaloka? Ah. You're looking for my predecessor."

"What?"

His plump face faltered. "Monsieur Nwaloka left, I've taken his post." he said delicately.

"Why wasn't I notified," No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. He hadn't even sent a note.

"I'm sorry your Majesty, it only happened in these last days passed." he crowed gingerly.

"Was he dismissed, or did he quit?"

"Well, Your Majesty, I am not very sure of what transpired, however-"

"Stop trying to suck my dick and answer the fucking question,"

The man's purple face turned a shade of green. "Dismissed. From what I have gathered." He trembled, breaking from her steely eye-contact. "He was dismissed by his majesty." he repeated.

"Oh God," Adelaide pressed her hand to her creased forehead.

"Your Maje-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" she erupted.

He bumbled to leave, but Adelaide beat him to the door.

"Thank you for your time." she turned and said before running out the cottage door.

The sodden ground padded underneath her white shoes. Rage held back the tears as she thundered across the lawns back towards the palace.

She burst through the door; Louis stood buttoning the cuff of his jacket. He looked at her horror ridden face and sighed.

"You sent Théo away," Adelaide said bleakly.

He reached into his shirt and unfolded a piece of paper which he then flung onto the ground in front of her.

"Théo had it in his dinner jacket." Louis watched her as she leaned over to view the lightly crumpled parchment. "He was always an excellent painter." he coolly walked towards the exit.

"No." she said crisply.

"What?" he turned back to face her. His smirk was polluted with confusion.

"No, you can't do this." her voice breathed deliberately, filled to the gallows in bitterness. "I can't live like this, Louis. You can't make me. You were supposed to love me, or at the very least tolerate me. You can't ignore me like this and then take away my only reprieve. I have nothing Louis, you give me nothing."

"Oh, give me a break Adelaide."

"I need something, Louis! I'm going crazy in this stupid palace, I needed something and Théo was the only, the only person I could talk to. And you sent him away."

"Stop acting the victim." He still adhered to a smug expression.

"He lived in that house his whole life and you threw him out of it like a peasant. He was your friend Louis!" Adelaide moved towards him.

"He was my friend and you slept with him, you cheating whore!" his deep voice echoed in the room. As he shouted he leaned in, his face only inches from hers. His jaw stiffened with guilt.

"Cheated on who? You don't deserve to be a called a husband, you haven't spoken to me in a year." she cried.

"Oh, come on, don't act like you were all lovey dovey before that. I lost just as much as you did in this marriage." he scoffed, retreating away.

"Don't you dare say that."

"I should have been able to marry for love. My papa promised it to me actually, but sadly things don't always work out how we plan. Instead I had to marry a whiny harlet! Do you know how much you that took from me?"

"Is that it?" Adelaide counteracted with unsettling quietness. "Louis, I lost everything marrying you. You lost the freedom to love? So did I. I lost my country. I lost my identity. I lost every ounce of control I had over my life. You know, I was told I was going to be the queen, that I would get to rule Normandy. Now I get to live in a palace that is not my own, spend my time in a court full of strangers, and be consort to a cranky child who couldn't even be bothered to attempt to love me." her words were as dry as ice. Louis' face morphed into a stiff frown.

"When I walked in a room you wouldn't even look up. I haven't tried at this marriage, but Adelaide I swear to God if you claim you did." his eyes were saturated.

"You kissed me and then you shoved me to the floor." she breathed heavily pacing backwards before swinging her body back round. "and then you left me on the ground, on the fucking ground" her words were frosted with smooth ice. "You made it clear you wouldn't love me well before we came here."

Louis turned towards the door.

"Louis, stop!" she pleaded. "Stop!"

He faced her from the other side of the threshold

"Don't you dare leave!"

He slammed the door and walked away. Adelaide sank to the floor in the pool of white fabric. She kept her eyes fixed on the gold embellished door.