Royal Blood

XXIV: Somewhat Sisters

“Dark, please rest. You've been at this for hours and so far, every idea you've offered is flawed in some way or another.” Adelaide begged. It had been a few hours after Dark had revealed King Gregory's plans, and since then everyone had dispersed to their guest rooms, but Dark refused to leave his study. “Or at the least stop pacing. You make me vertiginous.” Dark stopped pacing at last.

“My apologies.” He straightened his suit, clearly unnerved.

“We could always reach out to the Crown Council,” Adelaide tried again, standing up from where she sat. “Surely attempting to re-empower the Devil's Heart is a crime against, well, everything. The council wouldn't stand for it.”

Dark moved to sit behind his desk, resting his elbows on its surface, steepling his fingers together. “And how, pray tell, do you suggest we get the rest of the council in the same room together?”

“We have a party.”

Dark raised an eyebrow. “A party?”

“A party. It could be for my coronation. I'm going to have to be officially crowned queen eventually.” Adelaide pulled up chair, sitting across from Dark.

“Say that's a reasonable cause. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the council cannot stand one another. The relationship between Elijah and Jasmine is… especially hatred filled. Triss is social pariah, she'd much rather spend her days with her griffins than with actual people. Soneera and Ashanti might come, maybe, but Hala hasn't stepped foot here in the Overworld for many years.”

Adelaide looked Dark in the eye. “We have two members of the Crown Council within the walls already, is it not worth a try?” Dark stared back at her for a long while, long enough that Adelaide felt herself wilt under his gaze.

“Fine,” he spoke finally. Adelaide jumped up with triumph. “I give you reign of my castle. Decorate it how you see fit.” Adelaide didn't bother to suppress her smile as she sauntered to the door.

“But, Adelaide,” Dark began when she opened the door. “No pink.”

Adelaide laughed. “I positively loathe pink, they're won't be a spot of it anywhere.” And then muttered under her breath before closing the door behind her, “There will be a lot of purple, however.”

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

It was barely the crack of dawn when Adelaide drug Nadia and Caitlyn out of their Chambers and into Servilia's royal fitting room.

Nadia yawned, rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?” She drawled.

“Five thirty, I think?” Adelaide said.

Caitlyn plopped down on a lounge, resting her head on the headrest, her eyes half open. “Did you sleep, like, at all?”

“Of course I did,” answered Adelaide. “A whole three hours.” she entered the closet, humming to herself.

Nadia sat down next to Caitlyn. “Why are we here so early? There's still hours and hours before your coronation.”

“I know, but I wanted to make sure these fit.” One by one Adelaide rolled three mannequins wearing dresses into the center of the room. Caitlyn and Nadia sat up straighter.

“Nuh-uh,” Nadia said, shaking her head slightly. “Last time I wore a dress it took me nearly an hour to get the cage off.”

“No one told me I'd have to wear a dress to this thing,” Caitlyn complained.

Adelaide furrowed your eyebrows. “I assumed that was a given.”

“You'd assume wrong.”

“Well, you needn't worry, these dresses require no cages. But, you both will have to wear corsets.”