His Majesty's Devious Sins

Adeline opened her eyes to pure light. She squinted and placed a hand over her vision in hopes of dimming it. Soon, she was able to see properly and realized she was seated in a meadow of red roses. She tried standing up, but found her legs bounded by thornless rose vines. What did this mean?

"Adeline?" A familiar voice called out in confusion.

The voice alone caused a tear to trickle from Adeline's eyes. It landed upon a small bud, and instantly, it bloomed into a red rose. She shakily lifted her head as the air left her lungs.

"Papa," Adeline whispered, her eyes watering as she realized where they were. Was this Heaven? Did she die during childbirth? The last thing she remembered was Elias holding her children, a soft expression on his face. That scene was enough for her to have a satisfying death.

"Mama," Adeline muttered, upon seeing the familiar blond hair of her mother standing beside her father.

"Oh baby," Addison breathed out, rushing forward and lowering onto her knees at the sight of her daughter. 

Addison immediately clasped her arms around her baby, even if Adeline looked like a full-grown adult. Every parent in the world would view their children as babies, no matter the age.

"What are you doing here, my little Princess?" Kaline said in disbelief, stepping in his daughter's direction. 

"Papa, Mama, am I dead?" Adeline asked, frantically looking around. In the distance, she saw scenic clouds and snow-capped mountains. But above all, she saw a staircase leading into the fluffy clouds, and beyond that were golden gates.

"I missed you, Mama, Papa. I-I have so much to say," Adeline rushed out, fearing her time with them would be limited. This might be the last time she ever saw them before her soul dispersed into nothing.

"I-I forgive you," she quickly said. "For everything that happened after the stormy night. I am so grateful to have you as my parents, and I love both of you guys so much."

Adeline's voice cracked towards the end, but she couldn't contain herself. She needed them to understand how she felt. She needed them to know the extent of her forgiveness, for it was the only thing she wanted.

"Shhh, I know, baby," Addison softly said, stroking the back of her daughter's head. She always loved her daughter's hair, silky like spun gold, but it was a painful reminder that her daughter was not the Golden Rose. Lydia Claymore was.

"I'm sorry, my little Princess," Kaline muttered, lowering himself to the ground as well, a painful smile on his face. He reached a hand out and stroked her cheek, an image of her childhood self flashing before his eyes. 

"We shouldn't have left you all alone in this world," Kaline added on. "If only I had been strong enough to defeat my inner demons, you wouldn't have been tossed to the monsters."

Adeline's heart ached at the sight of her parents in pain. She never wanted to see them like this. "It's because you've tossed me to the monsters that I've gotten stronger and developed a thick skin."

Addison immediately smiled at this, as she clasped her hands over her daughters and squeezed them. "I love you, my baby, you must remember that."

Adeline blinked. She felt like they were going to leave her and she was terrified. Instantly, she lunged forward and hugged both of her parents. She needed more time with them. She didn't want to separate from them anymore.

"Don't go," Adeline begged them. "Please, I—"

"My little Princess, you can't stay here with us for eternity," Kaline gently reminded her, his voice as deep and warm as she last remembered. 

"But I—"

"If you stay here, you will never see the King and your children ever again," Kaline gravely told her with a slight smile. 

Addison slowly nodded in agreement. "You must return to the real world. You're stuck between the realm of the dead and alive. The vines have already grown over your legs. If you stay here any longer, the realm of the dead will claim you."

It was then Adeline realized the vines had climbed over her waist. She was paralyzed from her waist below, unable to move her legs. She shakily shook her head, unable to pick between her parents and reality.

"I've finally reunited with you after so long," Adeline sobbed out, her eyes filled with tears. 

Adeline wanted to stay here a little longer, just so she can properly remember her parents' faces. But when she looked at them, their faces were beginning to morph into blurry nothingness. That alone caused her to cry harder, for she had forgotten how her parents looked.

"Is this a dream? Am I hallucinating?" Adeline pleaded, lowering her head in disappointment.

"It is neither," Addison said, continuing to stroke her daughter's hair. "It's best for you to return to your life."

"But I—"

"We are always with you, my little Princess," Kaline softly told her, bending down to place a white lily and white rose upon her lap. Immediately, the vines began to retract from her waist. This was an item from the real world, and it'd strengthen her ties to reality.

"See?" Addison said, lifting Adeline's chin to look at the flowers. "All you have to do is think of us, and we'd be by your side."

Adeline was surprised by the sight of the flowers from the bouquet. So, that figure she saw by the tombstone was not a figment of her imagination. Her fingers trembled when she touched the flowers.

"Thank you for being my parents," Adeline said, forcing a smile on her face, so that the last memory her parents would have of her is her smiling face.

"Thank you for being our one and only child, my little Princess," Kaline said as he pulled his hands away, knowing it was time to depart from here. They could already see the rose vines beginning to grow back onto her legs in an attempt to keep her in the realm of dead and alive longer. 

"You will make a great mother," Addison reassured her. She rose to her feet with Kaline's help and took a step back to admire their daughter for one last time.

Adeline had grown up splendidly and was the spitting image of both of them. One look at her and everyone immediately knew whose daughter she was.

"Goodbye, Adeline."

Hot tears slipped down Adeline's face, but she revealed a genuine, happy smile. "Goodbye Mama, Papa."

And then, the world faded into nothingness.