[Music Recommendation: Castle of Glass ~ GnuS Cello]
Adelaide walked casually inside the woods, all her weapons held by Caspar, who trotted behind her with a smile on his face.
"Let’s rest here, my feet hurt," Adelaide said, sitting down with her legs stretched forward.
Caspar quickly got on his knees. Folding the sleeves of his shirt, he started massaging Adelaide’s feet. "Does it feel good now?" he asked.
Adelaide didn’t reply. She raised her face, looking behind her sister’s husband. "Caspar, you know you disappoint me, right?" she finally asked, raising her leg a little higher for the young man to carry them.
"I’m sorry about that day. I didn’t know that the servant would come inside the room, and also I’m not sure the princess saw my face," Caspar replied, now sitting on the sandy ground so he could properly carry the princess’s leg without it touching the ground.
Adelaide sighed. "That is just a lame excuse for your failure. I see you’ve been spending time with my sister; that is why you think working for me doesn’t count. Remember, it was me who put you in this position. If I didn’t get Jasmine drunk that night, you wouldn’t have had the chance to get her pregnant. My father didn’t even accept you," she scowled, using her leg to push Caspar back.
"A poor bottom feeder like you," Adelaide snickered. "Do you think dining with the royals now makes you one?" she asked with a pointed look on her face.
Caspar bowed. "No, Princess Adelaide. I would never cross the line."
"You need to remember, I made you. And without me, you are nothing, absolutely nothing," Adelaide continued. When Caspar tried to talk, she leaned forward, placing her finger on his lips. "Shh...I didn’t say I was done talking. You speak when I want you to."
Caspar nodded without saying a word. His legs were getting weak, but he still held Adelaide’s feet up.
"I have a final chance for you to prove yourself. Princess Oriana, I know you’ve been waiting to get her to your bed. I see how you look at her, like a fool," Adelaide scoffed. "I will get everything ready; all you need to do is sleep with her and get caught."
Caspar gulped. He had been doing all manner of atrocities for this princess, but going against Adric was like a death sentence, and he didn’t know what to do.
"You don’t want to? I guess you’re ready to leave the place then," Adelaide said, trying to stand up when Caspar held her hand. She pushed him off immediately.
"Get your filthy hands off my skin, you vermin!" she cursed with a deep frown on her face.
Caspar retracted his hands and bowed. "I’m so sorry. I mean, I really want to help you, but if I get caught, I will be killed," his voice became low.
"Coward..." Adelaide muttered. "I will make it look like you were drunk, and the princess forced you using her new title as the soon-to-be-Queen, so you couldn’t disobey. Jasmine will support you, as her pride will be so hurt. That’s all you need to get out of this alive."
The sound of a broken twig cut short their conspiracy. Adelaide brought down her leg and turned to see two servants behind them. Their pale faces were enough proof she needed to know that they had heard everything.
Adelaide stood up with a smile on her face. "How long have you been here?"
The servants turned to look at each other, their bodies visibly shaking from fear. It was not just about what they heard but also about the beautiful smile this princess now had on her face, as if she had not just said something sinister.
"We-" the first servant started talking, "We heard nothing."
Adelaide nodded. "Of course, it would be a shame if you did." She sucked her teeth, taking an arrow from the quiver next to Caspar. "Whose servants are you?"
"I serve Her Majesty," the first servant replied, and the second one responded,
"I serve Princess Jasmine."
Adelaide trailed her finger on the sharpened head of the arrow. "What a beautiful coincidence, my mother and sister. Now let’s play a game. Anyone who tells me what they heard first gets to leave first."
The maid for Jasmine started speaking. "I heard the part that you wanted to get the Crown Princess drunk and accuse her of infidelity. And I swear that’s all I heard...I think she deserves it," the maid spoke with a trembling voice.
"Yes...I like you, especially the part that she deserves it. I like that you agree with me," Adelaide nodded with a smile. "But one thing, just one thing, irks me."
"W-what?" the maid asked, ready to make amends for whatever it was. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
Adelaide grinned. "It’s just a tiny little thing, trust me. Aside from that, you are good, but it’s not that deep. You remind me of my foolish sister, who talks without thinking," she said, stabbing the maid straight in the neck. Blood splattered all over her face.
"Argh!" Queen Gwen’s maid let out a loud scream that echoed in the forest, taking a step back, ready to flee from there.
Adelaide didn’t stop stabbing the maid until she was sure there was no life left in her. She stood up and kicked the lifeless body, wiping off the blood on her gown. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"That was my favorite dress," she muttered, looking at the other maid. "Come," she called her as if there was nothing wrong with killing someone. The maid shook her head.
"No?" Adelaide asked, turning to Caspar. She ordered, "Get her."
Caspar stood there, shocked by the death he had just witnessed; he wasn’t able to move his feet.
"Idiot! Get her before she escapes," Adelaide shouted, calling him back to reality. But the maid was already running and shouting for help out of fear.
Adelaide looked around, seeing a stone. She picked it up and threw it, aiming for the maid’s head.
"Nice throw," the princess praised herself. When the maid had lost balance, she found another, bigger stone and started walking towards her.
The maid tried to crawl away. "I’m sorry, please don’t kill me. I promise not to say anything."
Adelaide held the stone as if she was deep in thought. Then she sat on her heels close to the maid. "You remind me of my mother, a little smart but too slow. Wait...do you think maids are picked according to their owner’s character? That means I should be careful of mine then..." She started laughing, encouraging the maid to laugh with her.
"But I hate when you run around like a headless chicken, ready to ruin my plans," Adelaide said, raising the stone and hitting it hard on the maid’s head to hear a squashed sound. She exhaled.
"Come clean this up. Last year was one person, this year two. We should change our meeting venue." She stood up, waving for Caspar to come over. "I don’t want blood on my hands," she sighed, wiping it off.
Caspar walked slowly towards the body. He remembered doing the same thing during the king’s last birthday when one of the servants found them making out in the woods. Adelaide had also killed the servant just like this, and he was the one who rolled the body away. As he was moving the body, he saw something which made him stop.
"Princess, there is another body here."
Adelaide furrowed her brows. Looking down, she saw another servant lying lifeless. She crossed her arms over her chest. "We found our proof then, a great cover story: ’wild animal attack.’" She rubbed more blood on her face and dress, ripping it on both sides. Caspar joined her in doing the same.
"Let’s go back. Hunting is pretty much over," she said, turning to leave the forest.
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