Everyone in the dining room stayed quiet as the song filled the whole room. It was a sad piece, which was very familiar to Adric, as he always listened and watched his mother playing it.
"Thank you," Princess Adelaide bowed gracefully, done with playing the piece, her eyes were on Adric. "I hope you enjoyed it, Brother Adric. I did it specially to welcome you."
Adric nodded, "Well, it’s nice to know that someone appreciates my presence."
"I hope I did it as well as your mother used to," Adelaide said, pointing at the maid who was standing close to the door to take away the harp and stool.
Adric tilted his head, "I didn’t know that I looked so lonely that everyone decided to take up the role of a mother. It appears it runs in the blood," the Crown Prince shook his head.
Gwen, who heard this, huffed but didn’t say anything. She just waited for the right time when she would take her revenge on Adric, and it wasn’t now.
The maids finally served the dinner, placing the food on the table, with plates in front of each person before they started dishing out the meal. When it got to Adric’s turn, he raised his hand, telling the maid to pause, and then he looked at Gwen who was also staring at him at the moment. Then she said,
"I forgot that you hate beans and you react to pineapple and peach, but you see we have little ones here and they need it to grow," Gwen said, taking a spoon of the beans in front of her and chewing it slowly.
Fidelis paused in his eating, "Then let them make another preparation for Adric; you’re his mother and you should know better." The king said, not happy about it.
Adric shook his head, "No, she’s not. My mother knows very well how I can’t stand the sight of these, and she would always make sure it doesn’t appear on the table," he remarked, taking hold of the napkin he dabbed his lips.
"I would have that in mind next time I check out the menu. And this was exactly the reason why I asked that you let us know before you come back; dinner had already been decided we couldn’t possibly change it now, because that’s wasting food," Gwen said, shaking her head with a small smile on her lips.
Princess Jasmine smiled as she chewed on her food, to even get Adric annoyed she picked up a sliced pineapple and chewed it noisily. "It’s sad that Brother Adric wouldn’t be joining the family for dinner."
Gwen chuckled, "If it’s okay, I can punish the head cook for negligence."
Adric smiled, "It’s the instigator who should be burnt, not the other way around. Speaking about punishment, I saw the Princess of Avon at the Black River town and I heard it’s courtesy of my dearest mother."
Gwen, who had almost forgotten about Oriana, twitched her lips, "She had it coming when she tried to deceive an entire kingdom. I should set her straight."
"Are you sure your anger towards her is because she deceived the entire kingdom or something personal?" Adric asked, tapping his finger thoughtfully on the table.
Gwen became defensive, "What else do you think? Are you trying to say I have other motives for the marriage?"
"I didn’t say anything of that sort, but if you think so, then it makes one want to look into it," Adric pushed his chair back, bowing to his father, "I’ll allow the royal family to enjoy their meal."
Gwen grabbed a glass of water, looking at Adric over the rim of the glass she said, "It would be better if you leave other people’s personal lives. If you do not provide an heir soon, the throne might bypass you."
"Gwen!" Fidelis warned his wife.
The Queen shrugged, "We should tell him the truth, Kai and Walter are growing fast," on saying this, Jasmine’s eyes lit up. If one out of her two boys becomes king, then that makes her a Queen mother. She loved every thought of it.
"It’s nice hearing your deepest wishes, but no matter what, it won’t come through," Adric said casually. He ruffled the boys’ hair. "Don’t sow your evil seeds in the mind of these young ones."
Gwen relaxed in her chair, "When you don’t get off your high horse, it’s only necessary you’re pushed down. Pride goes before a fall."
Adric nodded in agreement, "I totally agree with you. If you don’t get your seeds in order, you’ll totally reap a bad harvest." The crown prince left the dining room.
Princess Adelaide, who was picking at her food, chuckled at Adric’s words.
"What’s funny?" Gwen asked her.
Adelaide shook her head, "Nothing at all, I just have a feeling that something is about to change around here," her eyes looked at the door, "I should get ready," Jasmine raised her brows not understanding what her sister meant.
"Enough, let’s eat in peace now." Fidelis ordered, and the rest of the meal was done in silence.
Outside the dining room, Adric stepped out of the palace, and he was welcomed with the rush of fresh wind outside. It was better than the stifling air back inside the palace. So he inhaled deeply, taking in enough air.
"Another disastrous dinner?" On hearing his personal guard’s voice, Adric opened his deep brown eyes.
"You can call it that," he sighed, with his hand inside his pocket he started walking with his guard behind him. Rowan stretched his hand forward, he was holding a red apple.
"I knew you wouldn’t eat; it’s fresh and clean."
Adric paused in his step, his eyes now dreamy he said, "Maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong direction; you’ll make a good wife."
Rowan took his hand back, "I guess your stomach is full," before he could throw the apple away, Adric took hold of it quickly and took a large bite, nodding his head in approval.
"Nice," he muttered with a smile before he continued walking. The two men walked in silence until they arrived in front of a cherry blossom tree, and under it was a tombstone, written on it was,
’In the loving memory of Queen Charlotte Galgani. Beloved Mother and Wife.’
The playful look which was always on Adric’s face disappeared, he sat on his heels dusting off the flowers that were out of place. Then he placed the remaining apple on the side.
"Mother, let’s share dinner," Adric muttered, touching the tombstone longingly. He stayed there in silence for minutes, the only sound he could hear was the rustling leaves and a fountain at a distance. After the moment of silence, he moved away from the tombstone.
"What did I miss?" Adric’s voice was now low, and his question directed at his guard.
Rowan cleared his throat, "Princess Jasmine has been training Prince Kai and Prince Walter to be the next king, Lord Caspar took over the royal storage, but he hasn’t changed his ways. Princess Adelaide hasn’t left her music room for a while, but somehow she has firsthand information about everything that happens in the palace." The guard informed dutifully.
Adric nodded, "That one is even more dangerous. Find out how she knew about the piece she played tonight and if someone has been going through my mother’s things, I won’t appreciate that."
Rowan bowed, "I will, your highness."
"What about Gwen and my father?" Adric asked.
Rowan continued, "Her Majesty has been buttering up most of the officials; these days I heard she’s getting more Ministers in her camp. And His Majesty, I heard his heart issues have started again."
Adric exhaled, "You’ve done well." He turned back to look at the palace, noticing the shadow of someone watching them from there. "Gwen must be cooking up something very unpleasant. I should get ready."
"What about the Princess of Orion?" Rowan asked.
Adric raised his brows, "What about her?" He asked.
"Won’t you help her?" The guard asked.
Adric tapped his feet on the ground, his eyes looking up for a moment when he saw a star move fast in the night sky, "Oriana is like the shooting star; when she’s ready, she would move," he replied.
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