Deadly Silent | Book 2

T W E L V E

T W E L V E
The Apple of My Eye

THAT NIGHT, I was brought back to the castle with a much lighter heart than I had before. The people were mostly asleep by the time nightfall came, and it took us two hours of silent walking and peaceful steps before we reached the castle once more. Once we arrived in the building, Dimitri had walked me back to my room before pressing a kiss to the top of my head, disappearing the very second my eyes opened, as if he weren't even there to begin with.

With my heart in different places as of my mind, I was stripped bare of my insanity, keeping me awake until all I could do was roll about in my bed helplessly tangled in the once freshly pressed bedsheets and duvet. Minnie's light snores were evident, filtering into the room to prove her sleeping form by the time I grew relentless and had sat up in distress.

Slipping off the bed as silently as I could, I began to tread the steps towards where I assumed the kitchen would be.

Moonlight streamed into the hallways of the castle in a soft shimmery iridescence. It illuminated the dark path ahead of me, casting light onto the blood red carpets that ran the halls of the castle corridors. The entire structure was filled with an eerie silence that was practically booming through my system. It seemed as though the world was cast into a deadly silence, and this lack of sound had only just began to grow deafening.

The dark wine colored walls of the hallways were, other than the moonlight, lit by antique looking candles that were built within the supporting stances. There was a sufficient glow provided to ensure my stable and smooth walking, and thanks to that, I soon found myself venturing into the abandoned kitchen (after much trials and tribulations) after the cooks and helpers had gone to bed since it was currently the dead of the night.

There was a small fire crackling just by the fire place, its flickering ember glow brightening the walls softly as I examined the interior design of the room. Just like many of the other main rooms, the kitchen resembled those that belonged in the houses of royalties back during the olden days. The walls were of dark gray stones stacked neatly upon one another that it created a smooth surface, and the flooring was that of wood that looked as though they had been glossed to perfection. By the fireplace was a large and rather modern looking stove, accompanied by black marble-top wood counters. In the middle of the kitchen sat a large mahogany table, and by the door was a sleek-looking fridge that was, unlike my own back home, not decorated with ridiculous amounts of magnets that had been souvenirs from around the world.

I had barely even grasped the handle of the fridge before a voice tore through the blanket of silence, making me jump a significant amount into the air with slight shock.

"And here I was thinking that a princess like you would've been asleep eons ago."

When I turned back, I was met with none other than a very smug-looking Wilhelm. His hair of burning red and eyes of a golden glow matched perfectly with the flickering flames. Best of all, it seemed as though he had appeared from thin air.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered under my breath, a hand placed tentatively over my chest as I steadied my breathing. "Does teleportation run in your family as a well-known skill? You and Dimitri barely even make a sound when walking, I swear."

"Maybe, maybe not." Shrugging with a mock nonchalance, Wilhelm casually walked towards the wooden table before bending over to pick up a green apple from the fruit basket. I watched with a single raised eyebrow as he took a large bite out of the fruit, and the poor man looked equally confused as I did.

"Don't tell me that you are looking at me like that because you expected me to pick up the damn red apple instead of green."

A laughter tore through my throat as I hunched over slightly, clutching my stomach as I shook my head in denial. "No, that's not the reason why, but now that you mentioned it..." I trailed off.

"Sue a guy just because he likes sour fruits more than sweet ones." Mumbling under his breath, Wilhelm let out an aggravated huff before taking another bite out of the apple.

"It is only a sin when you admit it to be. Every social norm of what sinning is had been created by Man. You were simply giving yourself the death sentence before I, as the judge, had even declared you guilty."

"Speaking of death," Wilhelm quickly finished the rest of the apple before tossing the core into the trash by the door. "You don't have to fear him, you know?"

"I don't fear Dimitri."

Scoffing, Wilhelm pulled out a chair before slamming down into the seat as if he was an exhausted child condemned to standing all day as a punishment by his teachers in school. "I can practically smell your fear from a mile away, Pilediah. There's no need to lie."

"I am not lying, Wilhelm. I used to be scared of him. I mean, it's not every day a man comes after your life as if it were a game. For an entire year I had been nothing but afraid. And now that I've somewhat seen a different side to the story, I'm not quite sure if I'm afraid anymore."

For what seemed like an entire lifetime, Wilhelm spoke of nothing. There was just a simple knowing smile placed upon his usually angered features. Nevertheless, he simply shrugged before finally speaking up, just as I was about to twitch from the tension.

"You don't know it yet, Addison, but you are playing a game on my brother too. One in which you, as the player, do not know the rules of. I sincerely hope that you see what exactly those rules are before he gets hurt. Or worse, the both of you and maybe even those that you two hold close."

And with all calmness in the world that did not match Wilhelm one bit, he stood up with a smile that never quite left his face, before stepping straight out of the door, allowing the wood to slam loudly as the after effects of the conversation resonated into the air.

Too many times was I left alone, pondering the meanings to cryptic riddles given by those around me, and tonight was one of those times.

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So I've just completed writing this book, and will immediately move on to the next. There are three books in this installment, and 30 chapters in this (not counting the epilogue). To celebrate my accomplishment of completing this book, here's an early update. 🥂

Until next time. ♡