BEFORE THE CROWN
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Adrian slammed the door to his temporary ground-floor room shut, the ornate gold handle cool beneath his furious grip. The audacity! Stripped of his familiar royal chambers, banished to a guest room like some disobedient child. This was all her doing, he was certain. Arabella. The name tasted like ash. He paced the surprisingly spacious room, a luxurious prison, until the lingering daylight finally faded, leaving the corridor outside in twilight.
Needing a moment to clear his head and perhaps to plot his next move, Adrian swung open his door and stepped into the quiet hallway. He stopped dead.
Standing directly opposite his door, illuminated by the soft glow of a sconce, was Arabella Stonecroft Sterling. She held a book, her eyes scanning the page, completely unfazed by his sudden appearance. Her hair, usually neatly pinned, had a few loose tendrils framing her face, making her look almost… approachable.
"Well, well," Adrian purred, leaning against his doorframe, a practiced smirk playing on his lips. This was his territory. He'd charmed tougher nuts than a military school girl. "Looks like we're neighbours, cousin."
Arabella slowly lowered her book, her gaze meeting his – calm, observant, and utterly devoid of the reaction he expected. "Prince Adrian. Indeed."
"No need for formalities, Belle," he drawled, pushing off the frame and taking a step towards her. "Just Adrian. And you know, this wing of the palace is quite... secluded. Perfect for, shall we say, private conversations."
She merely raised an eyebrow, a hint of something unreadable in her eyes. "I am aware of the layout, thank you."
Adrian moved closer, closing the distance between them. "I've been hearing quite a bit about you. All these talents, all this… influence. It's truly remarkable for someone who wasn't raised within the inner circle of Xylosian royalty, wouldn't you agree?" His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, his eyes sweeping over her, lingering for a moment. "Perhaps you'd care to discuss these 'lessons' in a more relaxed setting? My room, perhaps? Or yours?"
A faint, almost imperceptible line appeared between Arabella's brows. "Our instruction will take place in the designated study, as per the Queen's decree."
He chuckled, a low, confident sound. "Oh, the Queen decrees many things. But some things are best learned… intimately. I can teach you a few things about Xylos, things the books won't tell you. Things about how power really works." He reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against her arm, intending to send a jolt, a shiver, anything.
She didn't flinch. Her arm remained still. "I am quite familiar with power, Prince Adrian." Her voice, though still soft, had a steely edge. "And with Xylos. Far more than you seem to realize."
Adrian's smirk faltered. This wasn't going as planned. His charm, his allure – they were bouncing right off her. He frowned, his voice losing its playful edge. "Is that so? And how would an outsider like you know so much? Someone who was brought in, rescued, mind you, from… nowhere?"
Arabella's eyes narrowed infinitesimally. "My loyalty to Xylos is absolute."
"Your loyalty?" Adrian scoffed, his anger flaring. "Or your ambition? Don't think I don't see what you're doing. You're trying to worm your way in, aren't you? Trying to steal what's mine. Trying to take Xylos from the rightful line!"
"I am merely serving the Crown, Prince Adrian, as my duty dictates," she stated, her voice now completely level, almost cold.
"Duty?" he sneered, his voice laced with venom. "Or opportunism? You're nothing but a glorified servant, an orphan who got lucky. And now you think you can tell me what to do? You think you can teach me about my country?"
"I believe I can, yes." She said.
"You're pathetic," he snarled, his face contorting in a sneer. "A little pauper trying to play princess. This isn't your game, Belle. You don't belong here."
Arabella finally closed her book with a soft thud. Her eyes, usually so composed, now held a glint of something akin to ice. "Perhaps not, Prince Adrian. But for now, it seems, neither do you. Good night."
She turned, her back ramrod straight, and walked with quiet dignity into the room beside his, closing the door softly behind her, leaving Adrian standing alone in the hallway, his face burning with a mixture of impotent rage and a chilling, unfamiliar sense of defeat.
- Writer
