Nicholas holds Adelaide against him, as they lay down in comfortable silence.
"How was your day?" she asks, looking up at him, trailing her fingers on his chest. He sighs, looking at her, "Troublesome, but it's alright, I got by just fine because I knew at the end of the day, I would see you."
She smiles, nodding at him. Nicholas's hand rests on her belly as he looks down at it. "How's our baby?"
Adelaide places her hand on top of his, "Our baby is fine." The prince smiles when he feels the baby kick. He moves down, placing a kiss on it, "I love you. I'll protect you and your mother no matter what." His lover cannot help but feel complete. Their baby is doing well, her man is by her side, doing the best he can to be there for them, she's so satisfied and scared that everything is just too perfect.
"Addy," he calls her out of her thoughts. Nicholas had come back up but noticed she was absent-minded.
"Is something wrong?"
She shakes her head smiling at him.
"Princess we are past this. Come on, tell me what's bothering you."
Adelaide sighs, "Everything is just perfect..."
Nicholas arches an eyebrow at her, "Okay...is that supposed to be a bad thing?"
"No, it's just...everything seems too perfect. I'm just scared that it is preparing me for something bad-"
"Hey, look at me." She does just that, her face filled with worry. "Answer my request."
"Nicholas, now is not the time-"
"You've been keeping me hanging since I left for Charlene's kingdom in the winter. I came back and reminded you again, but you ignored it."
It still seems impossible for her to believe that Nicholas had asked her such a question last year and even now he's engaged!
The prince turns her head so that she is facing him, his expression as serious as the first time he asked.
"James please!" Charlotte practically whines, holding his arm as they walk through the gardens, earning the attention of everyone, maids, guards, servants, and all. James smiles to himself ignoring her pleas, as they walk on. When was the last time Charlotte behaved like this with him? The princess lets go of him, in annoyance. Does he expect her to keep begging? He turns around but his smile is not matching her frown.
"I don't care anymore, enjoy yourself," she says, turning around to head back inside but her lover grabs her arm. "Come on Char, I know you're just trying to get a reaction out of me."
Charlotte turns to him, her face completely neutral, "I am dead serious James, you probably have a woman waiting for you there. Go to her," she loosens her wrist from his grip, walking away, but James catches up, blocking her path.
"Aww, my princess is jealous."
"Stop playing, I'm being serious, now get out of my way." She rolls her eyes, walking past him, but he grabs her again, pulling her against him, holding her tight.
"You switch up so quick Char...it turns me on," he whispers the last part in her ear, her face turning beet red. "Let go of me you perverted soul!" she struggles, but James looks down at her, clearly amused. "We both know you're not trying."
The princess sighs, irritated, "Are you taking me or not?"
"Taking who where?" A voice asks from behind them.
"Brother." Charlotte frees herself from James' embrace, facing Nicholas. "He's taking me with him, back to Castille. I want to stay there for a while, away from all this drama," she says, locking arms with James.
Nicholas nods, understanding where she is coming from. "What about you cousin?"
"Stop calling each other that in my presence, it's disgusting!"
Nicholas chuckles, "Ah yes, do any of you know of a priest in the rural area?"
Charlotte and James look at each other in confusion before turning back to him. "Why? We have the priest of the castle. Also when were you the religious type? I could've sworn you've missed every benediction since we were thirteen."
"I go there at times when I am stuck James. If you don't know anyone, I will be on my way."
"Wait! I know someone who may know someone," Charlotte says before her brother can take another step.
"Really? Who?"
"Come, I'll lead you because it will look suspicious," Charlotte pecks James on his cheek before unlinking her arm with his. "I'll see you later," she addresses him.
James nods, waving at them.
***
"For you to be back in a week means you have sufficient information," Grace says to her maid that is kneeling on the floor. The lady of Castille will be lying if she said she was not eagerly waiting for information about the slave that got in her way. Nicholas has become too distant for comfort.
"Yes, My lady," she replies.
"Well? Out with it," Grace commands sipping her tea.
"They're gone."
"What?"
"Everyone in the house is gone. It's been abandoned."
Grace furrows her eyebrows, placing her tea cup on the table, trying to understand.
"Did the master pack up and leave?"
"I don't believe so. I asked the neighbouring houses and they said they never saw him leaving. The animals are still there, his clothes are still there. In fact, there was a pot of spoiled food in the house."
"So something must have happened."
"Yes, My lady." Grace taps her fingers on the table, thinking long and hard. The only reason she's able to come up with is Nicholas. He had changed completely when she sent Adelaide away, but recently, his nonchalant attitude has changed to being just irritated, the same way he was when Adelaide was a maid.
"So they do not know where the master of the household went?"
"One of the neighbours said they heard shouting more than a week ago one night. That was last they ever heard."
"More than a week ago? On the day of my engagement?"
"Yes! That was when they last saw him."
Grace chuckles to herself, she's figured it out.
"My Lady?" Madeline calls in confusion.
"The master is dead."
Her maid looks at her in surprise. "Dead?"
"That means Adelaide is in this castle. Nicholas should not say I didn't warn him." She says to herself, a smile plastered on her face as she sips her tea. She had deliberately gotten a rise out of his mother when she told him her son was seeing a maid. All it took was to watch him closely after his mother yelled in his chambers...as she planned, he called the maid he was seeing to his chambers, Adelaide, most likely to reassure her that all will be well. How could she have been so blind to not see how the prince willingly accepted an extra maid after Charlotte's celebration? He doesn't even maximize the use of the others! No matter, she is much smarter, and much wiser now. The prince should watch himself.
"How is everything going so far?" Maria asks Nicholas who is packing a bag.
"It's great Maria. I am so glad you knocked some sense into me, when you did. I have never been happier," he replies with a smile.
"Is she doing okay? I know pregnancy can be hard," she says, handing him the items he's sure to need this night. The prince sighs looking at Maria before sitting on his bed. "You know, I really have no idea."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I ask her if she's okay, if she needs anything, and she always says she's fine. I know she does not want to bother me with this, but I want her to bother me! I want to be there for her every step of the way. I feel like -"
"She's pushing you away?" Nicholas nods at her, hopefulness in his eyes, seeing she completed the sentence for him.
"Your highness, like I have said before, she has been a slave all her life. You did come back one morning all happy and excited that she now calls you by your name. You have to be patient with her, these things take time. Remember she was the one taking care of herself AND the baby before you found out. Just keep asking her, letting her know that you will always come running once she calls for you."
The prince can't help but smile brightly at his friend. "I don't know what I would do without you Maria."
"You'd probably be locked up somewhere, donating your seed to produce an heir."
Chadwick laughs out loud in pure happiness. This woman has a way with words. He's forever grateful for her existence, and presence in his life.
Who remembers back in Chapter two when Nicholas told Adelaide, "You are yet to give me an answer to my request"?
That is the same request he's reminding her about in this Chapter...What do you think it is?
SEE YOU NEXT TIME!❤️