Chapter 24
The river somewhere
Sunlight crept across the floor of the room and crawled up the side of the bed to cast its warmth upon the bodies sleeping there, daring to stir their slumber. Adalia smiled at its morning greeting as she fluttered her eyes open. A solid wall of warm flesh and a faint scent of juniper berries and sandalwood met her, and she held her breath. If she didn’t move, then this illusion would stay . . . right?
The inked body gently rolled over to face her and a pink flush rose into Adalia’s cheeks under the steady blue-eyed gaze.
“Morning, little dove,” Matthias’s voice was gravelled by sleep.
Adalia reached up and moved the hair from his face. “Morning, beast,” she whispered.
Slender fingers attached to inked hands drifted over her soft skin and pulled her closer. Adalia’s breath caught as Matthias leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, positioning himself above her to better access her mouth. She sighed in contentment under the weight of his muscular frame.
Reaching up, Adalia raked her hands through Matthias’s tousled bed hair and kissed him deeper, their tongues slowly dancing together to a melody that was theirs and theirs alone. Heat pooled in Adalia’s stomach and slowly travelled down between her legs.
Matthias pulled back and ran a trail of kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck, making his way to her collarbone. Each kiss was a small mark upon her skin, burning itself into her body for all eternity. Her eyes closed at the sensation of his touch, her breath trembling as he moved lower. His lips travelled down to the gentle rise of her breast. Adalia gripped his face in his hands and pulled him back up to hers.
“You said we have to behave,” she whispered.
Matthias groaned and rolled onto his back. “Why did I say such stupid things?”
Adalia giggled and rolled on top of him. They stayed this way for a while, just looking into each other’s eyes.
“You stayed,” she said.
“I told you I would.” Matthias smiled.
“What about your father? Will you being here again make your life even more complicated?”
Shaking his head, Matthias rolled onto his back. “I don’t have answers for that right now. I know what I want to do, but I don’t know how to do it in a way that keeps us both alive.”
“Are you worried that if you stay here, we can never step foot in The Grey again?”
Matthias nodded. “There is a very high chance you will have to resign from the King’s Army. I know how much that means to you, but my father will never stop chasing you, and I don’t know how to keep you safe from him.”
“Let’s not think about it. We can just be here together. Is that okay?”
The prince pretended to think for a moment. “Only if you make me breakfast.”
Adalia playfully swatted Matthias on his bare chest in protest and the sound of his laugh rang through the bedroom.
“Hush!” she scolded him as she grinned. “Do you want Nik barging in here and dragging you from the room?”
“I would like to see him try,” Matthias teased.
“Nik is massive and would definitely take his chances with you. I definitely don’t need a display of that much masculinity at this time of the morning . . . so I’ll pass. Thanks.”
The prince grinned at Adalia and pulled her in, silencing her further with a kiss.
A few minutes later, they parted, both with staggered breath and sparkling eyes.
Adalia rolled off Matthias and moved to the side of the bed. “I’m going to change and then we can talk about that breakfast.”
It was a slow morning of stolen kisses and longing stares as both tried to dress for the morning meal, but Adalia would simply glance at Matthias, and it was enough for him to take her in his arms, push her up against a wall and kiss her passionately.
The meal preparation for breakfast had been much the same.
At one point, Matthias lifted Adalia up and placed her on the edge of the countertop and stood between her legs as he showered her face with kisses.
“These pancakes will not make themselves, you know,” she giggled as she braced her hands on the counter and leaned back.
Matthias took the invitation and nipped at her chin in response.
A male cleared his throat and both Adalia and Matthias turned to face a very surprised-looking Nikolas standing in the living room—arms folded across his bare chest. “Do they not have pancakes in Oscuro?”
Adalia covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
“Not ones that taste this good.” Matthias grinned as he pointed to the golden circles stacked on a plate beside the frying pan.
Nikolas snorted and moved towards the cupboard that held the mugs. “When did you get here?”
“Last night.”
Colour crept into Adalia’s cheeks under her brother’s questioning gaze as she hopped off the counter—quickly busying herself to avoid it.
“Are you planning on staying long?” Nik asked.
“I’ll stay as long as Adalia will have me.”
Adalia offered Matthias a smile and went back to flipping the pancakes. “You boys should hangout and get to know each other a little better. Nik, I’m sure Matthias would love to see your fly-fishing lure collection.”
Nikolas hummed, clinking the metal spoon on the side of his mug as he stirred milk into his coffee.
“What’s fly-fishing?” the prince asked.
“Only the best sport to ever exist,” Nikolas said as he stole a warm pancake off the plate.
“Nik makes all his own lures. He has a vast collection of bits and pieces that he uses. Feathers, little glass jars of glitter paint, animal fur and shiny threads. It’s actually quite impressive,” Adalia chatted as she poured more batter into the frying pan.
“Sounds interesting. I’d be keen to see it all,” Matthias said as he lent against the counter.
“Sure. I’m free today, if you are?” Nikolas suggested.
Adalia glanced up at Matthias, who simply shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve got nowhere else to be,” he replied.
“I don’t have a patrol today. Maybe we could go to our spot and I could pack a picnic?”
Nikolas nodded with a mouthful of pancake. He finished before he answered. “Sounds amazing. I can be ready in half an hour. Shall I pack a few rods?”
“Yes, I haven’t been fishing since dad took us down to the river last year.”
“Will you have a go at fishing, Matthias?” Nikolas asked.
The prince nodded. “I have no idea what to do, so someone will have to show me.”
Adalia grinned at her brother before looking back at Matthias. “Don’t worry, you’ll be in expert hands.”
Nikolas winked at Adalia as he reached for another pancake before leaving the room.
Adalia waited until her brother had shut his bedroom door before turning to Matthias. “You don’t mind him tagging along today, do you?”
The prince smirked as he sauntered towards Adalia. Matthias stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. “As long as you are there, I don’t mind who tags along.”
Adalia turned in his embrace to face him, looping her arms around his neck. She stood on tiptoes and pulled his mouth down to hers. The prince quietly groaned as she teased him with the tip of her tongue, running it over his lip. She sucked his bottom lip between her teeth and bit it ever so softly, tugging at it as she pulled away. Matthias’s eyes darkened at the action and Adalia smiled at him from beneath her dark lashes.
“For someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in their life kissing . . . you sure know how to do it well,” Matthias murmured.
“It helps that I like the way you taste,” Adalia crooned.
The prince stilled; then broke into a grin. “What else do you like about me?”
Adalia pushed him away playfully. “You’re going to have to stick around long enough to find out. You’re not getting it that easy.”
Her invitation called to him, tugging on that invisible thread that entwined their lives and bound them together. He could truly be happy here . . . as long as they stayed on this side of the Veil.
“I could find certain ways to extract the information from you,” Matthias teased as he stretched his hands towards her, wiggling his fingers.
“Don’t you dare . . .” Adalia cautioned as he took a step towards her.
The prince grinned. “Better run, little dove.”
Adalia squealed and dashed for her room, with Matthias close behind.
The trio took a small wooden boat out of Emerald Bay and down to the mouth of the freshwater river, called Somewhere, that flowed into the Drayton Sea. Adalia and Matthias sat at either end with Nikolas in the middle as they made their way upstream towards their father’s favourite fishing spot.
The water glistened like thousands of tiny diamonds strewn across the surface. Adalia lent over the edge of the boat and let her fingers trail through the cold liquid.
Beneath the water’s surface lay a bed of precious stones and shells. They caught the sun’s beaming face upon their own and sent rainbows of light back in gratitude. There were many pleasures in Adalia’s life that she took joy in. Silently and peacefully floating in this river was one of them.
Looking over Nikolas’s shoulder at Matthias, she spied him watching her with gentle intent as the boat rowed along. She raised her brow in response, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“I would love it. If you two didn’t drool over each other while I’m sitting here in the middle, it makes for a very awkward boat ride.” Nikolas remarked.
Adalia rolled her eyes and softly laughed. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and faced the sun, letting its rays kiss her face with warmth.
Right now, in this very moment, life was exactly how it should be—beautiful and serene.
Not even the abrupt splash of cold water upon her body could ruin her mood. With a glare, she stared her brother down. He broke into wild laughter, so much so he had to stop rowing to clutch his stomach.
“Oh, you don’t know what you’ve just done, Nik. There will be payback and it will be when you least expect it.” Adalia grinned as she wiped some droplets from her skin.
“Bring it on, sunshine,” Nikolas teased.
Flicking her gaze towards Matthias, she saw he was struggling not to laugh. Adalia smiled at him and turned to attention to the water once more.
The boat pulled into a small wooden jetty by the side of the river Somewhere and Nikolas tied it off before they all exited. Matthias held out his hand and helped Adalia to her feet, his fingers lingering in her grasp as she stood.
Lush, green trees swayed in the breeze that danced along the floor of the glade. They had walked from the river’s edge to a small stream that trickled into it. The perfect place for fly-fishing.
Adalia placed the picnic basket down underneath the bows of a beech tree and pulled the picnic blanket from its bindings. Tucking the ties into her skirt pocket, she shook the blanket and lay it down. She busied herself with the food and beverage inside the basket while Nikolas showed Matthias how to attach a fly to the end of his fishing line.
And for the next few hours, they simply existed in the serenity.
Nikolas taught Matthias how to fly fish and, to her surprise, it didn’t take him long to catch the drift of it. In between reading the book she’d brought with her or snacking on fresh plums, dried apricots, blueberry and cream cheese muffins, Adalia fished alongside Matthias and her brother. By the second hour, they had collected eight fish between the three of them.
“We’d better be having fresh fish for dinner tonight.” Nikolas beamed as he pulled another from the water.
“As long as you clean and fillet them. I will cook them,” Adalia replied while biting into a juicy plum. The juice of it escaped her mouth and trickled down her chin. Adalia quickly wiped it with the back of her hand as she glanced at the prince who was lounging on the blanket beside her.
Matthias grinned, and she blushed under his steady gaze. Every time he looked at her, butterflies erupted inside her body. She was relieved and annoyed that Nikolas was with them, because all she wanted to do was kiss every inch of the prince’s body–without clothes on.
As her eyes travelled over his frame, she wasn’t sure if it was her eyes playing a trick on her, but she swore his wings weren’t black anymore, rather a deep-blue.
The sun started its descent, and all three agreed they should head towards home, promising to return to the glade for another fishing adventure with haste.
After placing the bucket of fish, picnic basket, and rods into the boat, the trio set off down the river, making it to the bay as the sun’s glow turned orange across the sea.
Nikolas moored their small wooden rowboat, and they collected all their belongings. As the sun set, villagers scattered along the shoreline, gathering shells, swimming, and hunting for mussels and crabs. Adalia had just finished telling her brother and Matthias the few things she needed to purchase from the grocers for dinner when she bumped into a female who was bent over collecting shells from the sand.
“I am so sorry, ma’am,” she exclaimed as she reached for the female to steady her.
The woman smiled sweetly at Adalia as she brushed off her skirts. “There is nothing to be sorry for! I was in the way.”
The woman’s pale-blue eyes searched hers with joy, and Adalia couldn’t help but be drawn to her. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, with a few loose tendrils framing her beautiful face.
“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you?” Adalia asked with urgency.
“Not at all, love. I am perfectly fine,” the woman replied.
Adalia was relieved. “My name is Adalia, this is my brother Nikolas and my . . . friend Matthias,” she motioned to the males standing beside her.
The woman smiled at Nikolas first and turned to face Matthias, her complexion changing from joy to shock in a matter of seconds. “I’m Hadassah,” she whispered quietly, not taking her eyes from the prince’s face.
Adalia saw Matthias shift under the intensity of the woman’s stare—as if he was uncomfortable.
Hadassah? Where had she heard that name before?
“May I?” Hadassah asked as she pointed towards the side of his head.
Matthias looked at her warily, but turned his face further to the left. Hadassah slowly reached up and brushed the hair aside behind his ear, and her breath caught in her throat. Stifling a cry, she covered her mouth with a hand and took a step back, tears springing to her eyes.
“You don’t live here in Lucius, do you?” Hadassah questioned, her voice trembling.
Matthias slowly shook his head. “Not usually.”
Adalia watched the colour drain from Hadassah’s face and it dawned on her that this woman knew who Matthias was.
And then it hit her . . . she knew who this woman was.
It was her turn for colour to drain from her face. She swallowed quietly as her pulse raced.
This was Matthias’s mother.
Hadassah paced around in a circle, shifting from foot to foot. “I . . . I came to see you, but I was too late. You’d already left.”
“What do you mean, you came to see me? Should I know who you are?” Matthias said, looking confused.
“No . . . you wouldn’t know who I am, but I know who you are . . . My son,” Hadassah whispered. “The King told me you were here. He said he’d spoken with Adalia and I’d find you together. I came by, but no one was home. That’s when I heard you’d already left.”
Time stood still.
Adalia felt the atmosphere shift. The air became static with electricity. Nikolas froze, and Matthias moved away from them all, as if he was falling into a dark hole. She reached for him in slow motion, but couldn’t quite grasp him.
“You knew about this?” Matthias hissed between clenched teeth.
There was no point in lying about it. Adalia knew he would see right through it all, but she was so afraid of losing him to the truth. “Matthias . . .”
“Tell me! Did you know about this?” He demanded.
Adalia held back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I knew she was here, yes . . . but I didn’t know who she was, or that she came to find you . . . I swear.”
Matthias ran a hand over his face and let it rest on his mouth as he stared at the three faces before him.
“I’m sorry Matthias—” Adalia reached for him again, but he pulled away.
“This is too much. I can’t be here,” He said, voice too even.
Turning, he walked away.
Adalia looked at Hadassah sadly. “I’m so sorry, Hadassah. Let me talk to him.”
As she turned to look for Matthias, he shot into the sky, heading toward the Veil, and Adalia knew if she didn’t catch up to him, it was likely he would return to Oscuro.
Pushing off the ground, Adalia took to the skies after the dark prince.
She reached him just as he flew over the town by the sea. “Matthias, please stop.”
He ignored her cries and flew on, descending as he neared the Veil.
Adalias’ heart rate quickened as she scrambled for the right words to say. She followed him to the ground and grabbed his arm just before he reached the Gates of District Seven.
“Please wait,” she cried.
The dark prince stopped, but didn’t face her.
“I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t know she knew you were here.” Adalia pulled on his arm so Matthias would face her.
“How long?” Matthias questioned with an icy gaze. “How long have you known about her?” he hissed as he shrugged out of her grasp.
Adalia let her arms fall loosely to her side. “Since you first came to Lucius,” she whispered.
The prince took another step from her, pain seething in his eyes. “So, you let me talk about my mother and didn’t tell me you knew her. How are you any different from the people in my kingdom? . . how dare you keep something like this from me!”
“Matthias . . . I’m sorry. I was afraid.” Adalia took a step towards him.
“Afraid of what!?” he snapped.
“I was afraid that I would lose you. I was afraid you would find it all too much and you wouldn’t come back, or you would find her, and she would break your heart,” Adalia cried.
“So, you made the choice for me? What happened to not making choices for another person? You don’t get to decide my fate for me. You don’t get to control how I react. It’s my choice, Ada.”
“I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to keep this from you and if I could do it over again, I would tell you straight away, but please don’t leave because of it. Running away isn’t the answer.”
“What is the answer, then? Just forgive and move on? I know I’m difficult to love. I know I don’t deserve any of this.” He spread his arms wide. “But I deserve to at least know my mother exists.”
Adalia took another step and reached for his face, cradling it in her hands. “Don’t…never say that. Loving you is like breathing.”
Adalia brought his forehead down to hers and stood close to his chest. “You deserve all of this and more. I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Please stay. Get to know Hadassah. I promise I will give you all the space you need.”
The tension left Matthias’s body and Adalia felt him soften under her touch.
“Don’t keep secrets from me,” he whispered. “I have to trust you, Ada. I have to.” His eyes watered.
“No more secrets, I promise,” Adalia whispered her reply as she pulled him into her body in a warm embrace.
They stood like this for a few moments before Adalia pulled back. “Do you want to go back to the beach? I’m sure Nikolas is still there with Hadassah. Or do you want to make another time to see her?”
The prince shrugged. “I don’t really know what to do. I never thought I would ever know my mother and now that I have the opportunity, I’m lost. How did she even know it was me?”
Adalia turned Matthias slightly and brushed the hair from behind his right ear. “The king told her she’d find us together,” Adalia said, chest warming inexplicably. “Plus, your birthmark is unique. It looks like a sun.”
Matthias reached up and brushed his fingers over it. “You think she recognised it?”
“It seems like the detail a mother would cling to.” Adalia squeezed his hands. “A good one, anyway. And she seemed . . .”
Matthias’s voice was faint, like he was afraid to speak the words aloud. “She seemed . . . like she missed me.”