Royal Blood

XV: Who Can I Trust? Part Two

*Third person P.O.V.*

Night quickly fell over the land and most of the citizens of Vorena retired for the night. Seán himself was also returning to his chambers with Sam, his familiar floating by his side, weary from the day he's had. Upon opening the door-his eyes still adjusting to the dimly lit darkness- he sees two lilac eyes glowing at the foot of his bed.

"I never understood why you chose a green and blue eyeball as your familiar." The disembodied voice was low and taut.

Seán peered into the dark. "Adelaide? What are you doing, why are you here? It's late."

"If I were a witch, my familiar would probably be a cat. I have always loved cats." Adelaide sighed. "But, I am not a witch. . . Right?"

"Yeah, of course not. You're a demon."

Adelaide abruptly stood and March towards Seán until she was only a few feet in front of him. "You're lying," she growled through clenched teeth. All at once, each candle and lantern lit up, revealing her angered face shining with fresh tears.

"Oh, no. . ." Seán sighed. His eyes became soft and sympathetic. "Adelaide I've wanted to tell you for so long but-"

"But you didn't! You let me live a lie for twenty years, and it would have been twenty-one in just months had Dark not told me the truth!"

Seán shook his head in confusion. "Wait, Dark told you?"

Adelaide nodded and smiled sarcastically. "Yeah, Dark did. At least he had decency to at least slightly explain why I have always felt different from my own kind. But not you! My own. . . My own brother."

"Will you let me explain?" He pleaded.

"I am not sure, will your explanation be filled with falsehoods and deceptions, also?" Adelaide's gaze followed Seán as he walked over to a dresser. He opened the very bottom drawer and pulled out an old journal. It's cover was worn, half of the front was torn off.

"This is my-" he lets out a breath of laughter. "-our father's journal. He wrote in it daily, and I'm sure he wrote about you." Seán extends the journal to Adelaide; she sniffs and gingerly takes it from his hand. Her ran her fingers over its rough surface, imagining the late sorcerer writing down his thoughts, ideas or imaginations in this journal that was now resting in her hands.

"You weren't always a princess, you know." She looked at him with a confused gaze, her eyes still glassy with tears. "Sure, to the citizens you were, but you did live with us for a time. Me and my father."

"How long?" She asked quietly.

"Until the day before your eleventh birthday. When you were still ten, father created an elixir-a memory potion-you drank it and, like that, you weren't my 'sister Adelaide', you were 'Princess Adelaide'."

"And why didn't you oppose?" She raised her voice. "You could have."

"The king would've had my head and my father's. At the time I thought I'd be doing you a favor, for your own good."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Adelaide's nails dug into the journal's cover. She sniffs again. "I am very. . . Tired, so I shall retire to my rooms."

She opens the door and leaves, but not before looking over her shoulder. "You know, I would have loved to grow up with a brother."