His Majesty's Devious Sins

Unfortunately for Elias, life had other plans. Right as they stepped out of a long, tortuous bath, there was a sharp knock on the door. Adeline's head snapped towards the white doors, and then her attention shifted to Elias. In the blink of an eye, he was dressed and irritated. 

He headed for the dors, whilst Adeline walked to the closet. She picked out the nearest piece of clothing she could find, which consisted of a beige blouse and white pants. 

"Your Majesty," Easton said, his lips slowly curling into a smirk. He was greeted by the King's aggravated expression. 

Easton was fully aware of what he was interrupting, especially for the poor couple who hadn't even gone on their honeymoon yet. The royal family could not experience that type of luxury, especially with the coronation of a new Queen.

"What is it?" Elias snapped, closing the doors behind him. He stepped out in a black button-up paired with a matching set of black trousers.

"There's a problem with negotiations with Kastrem. We need your presence urgently, Your Majesty," Easton explained in a serious face, his arrogant smirk dispersing. 

Easton straightened up when Elias's expression darkened significantly. His jaw ticked, and his fingers curled into a fist. A storm cloud rolled over his icy gaze as he sharply nodded his head.

"Of course they're here to cause havoc now that the usurper's niece is the Queen of Wraith," Elias scoffed. He cast a look towards his bedroom and pressed his lips together.

"It's time for the usurper to beg for my mercy." Elias straightened his shirt and stormed down the hallways, his footsteps like the click of a chess piece upon a checkered board.

- - - - -

Adeline poked her head out of the door, wondering where Elias had gone off to. When she had finished dressing herself, he was done. 

With a shrug of her shoulders, she returned to their shared bedroom, placed on some make-up, did her hair, and left before the maids realized she had dressed herself. It was weird that they helped her with everything, and sometimes, she wanted her freedom.

Adeline stepped out of her room.

"Your Grace."

Adeline froze. She was trying her best to sneak out of the castle undetected, but that was quite impossible now. She was part of the royal family now. Every little thing she did would be surveillance, starting with the first step out of the door.

She turned around, and her predictions came true. Standing before her were two women dressed in professional suits, like a penguin with their white shirts, black ties, and black slacks. 

"I am your publicist, Your Grace," one of the women said, stepping forward to greet her. "My name is Evelyn."

Evelyn was medium height, just a bit taller than Adeline, with a lean body emphasized by her crisp attire. Her brunette hair was neatly combed back into a bun, her hand, and neck free of any accessories.

She gestured to one of her colleagues, her smile large and friendly. "And this is your secretary, Stella."

Stella was shorter than Adeline, but her face was blank and neutral like her superior. She bowed her head, her short blond hair swaying with each movement. Her hair was the color of clean sand, light and fine, yet it emphasized her sharp face.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both…" Adeline trailed off when she noticed there were more people behind Evelyn and Stella. They wore similar clothes, seemingly blending into a group of black and white.

"And this is…" Evelyn trailed off, introducing the people one by one. They were people in charge of her appearance, those in charge of her meals, people that surveillance their surroundings, a hidden bodyguard, someone to direct even more bodyguards, and the list went on.

By the end of it, Adeline remembered only two names. Her heart stung a bit. These were going to be people who worked with her, but she couldn't even remember all of their names. Their faces, however, were imprinted in her mind, and she could easily learn of their background, personality, and names the more she worked with them.

"According to the schedule provided by His Majesty," Stella spoke up. "Your Grace, you will be enjoying breakfast with His Majesty. Afterward, you will be taking a tour of the gardens where His Majesty—"

"We don't need a schedule crafted by my husband. I'll handle my personal affairs," Adeline curtly said. She reached a hand out, and Stella gawked at it. 

Even Evelyn shifted in her pointed shoes, her face a bit hesitant before she nudged Stella to do something. Stella snapped back to reality and quickly passed her tablet to the Queen. The air around them turned suffocating, as an awkward silence fell over the group, like a thick blanket weighing them down.

"His Majesty is too occupied to enjoy breakfast with me. Besides, it's one in the afternoon and way past the time for a morning meal," Adeline said. "I will be dining with Lydia Claymore."

Adeline glanced over the tablet, her brows raising with everything she read. After a walk in the gardens, she was going to enjoy tea, then decide what cuisine she wanted, then look over the ledgers, and the list went on. 

Her entire schedule was dedicated to the castle and nothing else. Her duty was to the castle, her presence was in the castle, everything went back to this fancy palace. What was she? A pretty bird tidying up her cage? She wanted to do more than that. She wanted to spread her wings and tour the city, learn of the issues, and find ways to fix them. Adeline wished to fly as high as she could, and fall as hard as she can imagine.

"But His Majesty said—"

"Stella," Adeline said with a slight smile."You work under me now, not His Majesty. If he has a problem with it, he can talk to me about it."

Adeline handed the tablet back to Stella. "Now, please call for a chauffeur and pass me your phone, there is a very important heiress I'd like to meet."

Stella quickly handed the Queen a phone, whereas Evelyn hurriedly took hers out to call for a driver. The entire time, both women looked at each other, their hesitation dispersing into uncertainty. As much as they liked the Queen's assertive nature, they were caught off guard. 

Everyone said the Queen was a quiet, reserved woman. She idly sat in the drawing-room, sipping tea, or eating cake. She was rarely seen anywhere near the meeting rooms with the King, nor was her presence noticeable. She just… blended into the background.

Now, the wallpaper was no longer a decoration, but the centerpiece. Evelyn and Stella had prepared themselves for the former, not the latter. They were unsure of what to do.

"Perfect, I'll meet you there!" the Queen said, her face brightening, her eyes glimmering like a lake on a sunny morning.

Evelyn and Stella glanced at each other, knowing there was only one person in the country who provoked such an energetic smile from the stone-faced woman. It was Lydia Claymore, the future heiress to Claymore Conglomerate, though… There were rumors that the company was leaning towards the youngest son. 

"Your Grace," Stella said. "There have been internal talks that Miss Claymore is no longer the first consideration to become the Chief Executive of Claymore Conglomerate. Perhaps we should turn our attention to Sir—"

"And where did you hear this internal talk?" The Queen deadpanned.

"From an inside source," Stella hesitatingly said.

"From baseless gossip?" Adeline returned, her lips twisting into a frown.

Stella responded by looking away. "Your Grace, we were trained to have your best interest in mind. Please do not feel offended, for we're only offering advice to benefit you."

"Your heart is in the right place," Adeline softly said, but her voice became more serious. "But your mind wasn't. I appreciate the advice."

Stella perked up a bit.

"But only when I ask for it," Adeline asserted. She couldn't have her people view her as fickle and easily adapting to them. They advised her on a decision based on a rumor that may or may not be true. Such a thing was worthy of a scolding, but she didn't have the time for that.

"The next time you give me advice, I expect concrete facts. Not baseless rumors," Adeline coldly stated. 

"I apologize, Your Grace," Stella quickly said, bowing her head, her tablet flat against her stomach. Through this brief and curt encounter, she slowly discovered what kind of woman the Queen truly was.

Cunning. Confident. Courageous. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn't afraid to get it.