Adric was sitting on a bench, looking at the harp that was now covered with dust, including the stool beside it. Just looking at it, he’d imagine his mother sitting there with a smile on her face as she played. It was the only time she smiled and cried simultaneously, as if there was an emptiness she felt that was only healed by the sound of music.
"Your Highness, the Princess is here," the maid who led Oriana announced.
Adric didn’t turn but continued to look at the harp, aware of Oriana’s presence. He tapped his feet gently on the floor to a particular beat he knew very well.
Oriana walked inside the room slowly, counting her steps. She could see Adric’s attention was not yet on her, so she took her time to look around the room. It did have a bed, but it was covered in white, along with other musical instruments. The most peculiar one was the harp Adric was looking at. Oriana twitched her lips, surprised to know that Adric enjoyed music. She held her hands on her chest, wondering what he would ask her to do in return for saving Freya and Louis.
Adric finally turned. He caught Oriana’s eyes darting left and right, checking the room out until their eyes locked.
"About the bargain, when I said anything, I didn’t mean I’ll really do everything. I’m not trying to change my words or anything, but I’m just saying choose what you want carefully... Yes... Okay... I’m ready to hear it," Oriana rapped her words very fast. When she was done, she inhaled deeply, ready to hear what Adric had to say.
Adric raised his brows. "What are you talking about?" He cleaned the dust off his fingertips before dipping his hands inside his pocket.
"And your friends? How are they?"
Oriana opened her mouth to talk, then closed it. "They’re fine now. Louis is resting while Freya is waiting in my room."
Adric nodded. "That’s good, then," he replied.
"Is that all?" Oriana asked, trying to know what was going on in Adric’s head but failed because his expression was blank. "What about the price for helping me?"
"The price..." Adric drawled. "Mmm... a story, anything special told to you in the past by someone special."
Oriana furrowed her brows. That was it? She just got this favor to tell a story.
"You don’t like it?" Adric asked, seeing the hesitation on her face.
"No, no, I do. I do," Oriana waved her hands before he would change his mind. It wasn’t every day she got this Adric. "A story by someone special..." She muttered. The only special person she had was her grandmother, and most of her stories were just boring bedtime stories.
"Can I tell you later, when I remember something? Right now, I have a lot of stories my grandmother told me, so I need to find one that’s special," Oriana suggested.
Adric nodded. She had already proved that her grandmother was someone special to her, and that was a great step. But what worried him about Oriana was how forgetful she was. She couldn’t even remember her childhood. How was she going to remember stories she heard? He decided to still give her the benefit of the doubt.
"You can take your time, but before you remember, we need to keep you busy. I heard it helps the memory," Adric said with a small smile.
Oriana didn’t like the sound of that. "I’m only hearing that for the first time," she muttered.
"This room needs to be cleaned. You can stop cleaning when you remember," Adric said to her, heading towards the door.
Oriana looked around the room, which was filled with dust and cobwebs. She ran after Adric. "I think I remember now."
"Mhm," Adric shook his head. "I’m sure you don’t."
"I do now, really," Oriana replied, but then paused in her steps when Adric turned around to look at her.
"Is the cleaning not something you like? We can do something else," Adric said, now walking closer and closer to her. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Oriana blinked. "Something? Something else?"
Adric nodded with an innocent look. "Mhm, something we both can do together."
"There’s something we can do together?" Oriana asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she noticed the mischievous smile on Adric’s lips.
Adric raised his brows. "Of course. We won’t just do it together, but we will also enjoy it."
Oriana sucked her teeth. "You!" She judged Adric with her eyes. "I’ll clean here until it’s sparkling clean, and I’ll remember a story. We don’t need to do anything together or enjoy it. I can even start cleaning now."
Oriana turned to look for a rag to start cleaning. She must have lost it for a moment to think that Adric was normal. She raised her gown properly, ready to clean the room over and over again.
Adric chuckled. "I thought so too. You just needed a little push," he remarked, looking at Oriana removing the white sheets on the bed. "And those too. I don’t want them changed. Wash them until they’re as good as new."
Oriana turned to give him a stern look. Before cursing him under her breath, she continued cleaning.
Jasmine ran inside the room, breathing heavily with tears streaming down her face. "Brother Adric, where were you!"
Oriana stopped cleaning when she saw the Princess, who now had a distressed look on her face. She dropped the rag she was holding.
"Jasmine, what is the matter?" Adric asked.
Jasmine breathed heavily in and out, trying to make out words, but she failed every time she opened her mouth. Tears caused her to stop talking.
"Jasmine?" Adric was becoming impatient. Before he could talk again, his personal guard walked inside the room.
"Rowan, what is going on?"
Oriana noticed how calm the guard was at the moment. He was trying to relay the message in a way that wouldn’t hurt anyone. But she knew that face, if not for anything, but for when her grandmother died. The night which would never leave her memory. With everyone in despair like this, it only means there has been a death in the palace, and to prove a point, Gwen’s scream was heard from afar.
"His Majesty is..."
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