Her Devious King

Sleepless night

Weston sighed again. At this rate, his hair was going to turn white. Despite his full head of ink black hair and an inability to age, it would be impossible to naturally go grey. He stressed himself out too much. For no apparent reason and it would be entirely his fault.

"Now, we have to go and finalize tomorrow's preparations," Easton announced. He was finally being the responsible one. It was only fun to jest in His Majesty's presence.

"Ugh, I'll leave the frills and fun to your discretion," Weston retorted.

Weston waved his hand and headed for the door. Decorations and miscellaneous tasks like that was not his speciality. It was Easton's hobby, since he possessed the patience of a saint. It was difficult to believe they came out of the same womb.

If it wasn't for their resembling features, people would think they were simply close friends. Regardless of being born less than ten minutes apart, Weston and Easton did not have identical personalities. The former had the charm of a strict instructor and the latter had the charisma of a playful schoolmate.

"Just as His Majesty said," Weston grunted, "different, like day and night."

Weston wished he knew where the King was day and night. Trying to find the sneaky man was like trying to find blooming flowers in winter. It was a task he did not bother attempting anymore.

This particular night, he would learn to regret his actions.

In the dead of the night, when the mice were asleep and the world was still, a quiet disturbance came. The doors to Adeline's hauntingly large room creaked open. A figure tiptoed towards her unmoving figure.

The grey moon was nowhere in sight, a thick fog had covered its bright glimmer. Asher did not need the light to see. Nothing illuminated his path, but he saw everything clearly. A skill that humans could not possess, without great and constant practice.

"Adeline," Asher greeted in a quiet whisper.

Asher stood by the edge of her canopy bed. The sheer curtains were drawn and she resembled a Princess from a fairy tale. Her hands were obediently tucked over her chest. The blankets were drawn up to her collarbone, revealing her delicately pale neck.

Hearing no response from her, Asher bent down. He cupped her ear and whispered, "I have lemon meringue tart."

Nothing. Not even a fidget.

His lips curled into a satisfied smile. History would not be repeating itself. Asher was certain of it. He would be furious if she snuck out again. The incident already happened a few days ago. Since then, he had been coming to her bedroom at night to make sure she was fully asleep.

Adeline was demure, but surprisingly bold. It did not make sense. All of her courage was misplaced, much like her compassion.

"Good night, Adeline. Sleep well," Asher's voice was lower than a hum. He uttered his words like a silent prayer, truly hoping that she slept comfortably.

Nightmares were aplenty and shee only had her traumatic childhood to blame. Sometimes, she'd hold his hand all night, until she finally fell asleep. There were times she was bold enough to ask him to sleep with her, but not sexually, of course.

Without another word, Asher silently retreated back into the darkness. He counted each footstep, making sure not to walk too quickly. The primary reason was that he didn't want to startle her awake with disappearing footsteps. She'd scream bloody murder.

Asher cast her a final glance. In the pitch-blackness of her room, she remained in the same position as before. He released a small sigh of relief.

There were no night terrors tonight.

Unfortunately for him, the terror would only begin after he left.

Once Asher was gone, Adeline's eyes shot open. This bad habit of Asher's had been happening too frequently now. She lied wide awake in her bed, unmoving for a few more seconds.

Adeline knew Asher well. He was probably standing outside the door, waiting for her to make a noise.

It was impressive how abnormally sensitive Asher's five senses were. He could hear a pin drop in a crowd. He could see in the darkness and navigate through it like a creature of the night.

Adeline was not surprised.

'He trained very hard for this position,' she thought to herself.

Adeline recalled a fond memory of her youth. She was reading a book by the large balcony on her parents' estate. In the near distance was a young Asher, diligently practicing by himself. He was all alone and thought no one would be able to see him through the dense trees.

The sun was mellow and the wind was kind. The weather was amazing that day, as Asher practiced the bow and arrow. He shot at small creatures in the forest, but his aim was always off. He'd always nip the animals in a part that wouldn't kill them.

"Alright, no more diddle daddle," Adeline decided. She sat upright in bed and adjusted her clothes. She glanced at the bottom of her door, where light peaked through. She noted Asher had left, and there was no shadow standing by her door.

Adeline peered left and right. Like a small thief, she tiptoed out of bed. Hurriedly, she skipped her way to the large bookshelf on the other end of the room. She randomly retrieved a book from the middle row.

"Ow!" she hissed after stumbling into a chair.

Adeline hopped on one leg and suppressed a groan of pain. Once it subsided, she rushed back to bed like an angel chased by demons.

Adeline excitedly yanked the blankets over her legs and propped up her pillow. Now that it was in a comfortable position, she blindly reached for the nightstand.

"I need to ask Aunt Eleanor for my nightlight back…" Adeline complained to herself.

Finally, her fingers grazed the familiar smooth touch of her white nightstand. Her hand haphazardly seized a handle and tugged the drawer open. She was crafty and quiet, careful not to wake anyone.

The walls were incredibly thin. Even though there was no one in the rooms next door, there was always a guard patrolling the hallways.

"There!" she breathed, pulling out a tool the length of her hand.

Adeline giddily set it onto the soft mattress. She readjusted herself into a comfortable position. Once settled, she held the flashlight in one hand, and the book in the other.

It was going to be another sleepless night.