Song of Crowns

Episode 10: Tree

My bed feels lonely even with Adrian beside me. He plays with my hair with such delicacy while our skins touch under the covers.

I realize I'm way worse than what he and his childhood friend are doing with the whole Friends-with-Benefits charade. I'm worse because I'm manipulating his poor heart for my benefit. But I don't care now. He is to be my husband. I have to take control no matter how toxic and cruel it is.

"Sweetheart," Adrian says. I roll my eyes. "What's your favorite dish?"

"First," I say while sitting up. This tensed him up. "Don't call me that. I am not your sweetheart." He looks shocked by that but tried to forget it. "Second, I don't want you to know."

"Then why am I here?" He asked, trying not to raise his voice at me. I avert my eyes. I don't want to answer him honestly.

He sighs in dejection. He knows. "I guess I was just useful to you for your pleasure, huh? Wow." What?

He walked off the room after putting on his clothes. This is his room: the one with the balcony and the one where I saw him with his childhood friend. Yet, he kept leaving me like I own what he owns. It makes me feel guilty for hurting him. But my pride doesn't let me feel bad for him.

He and his father deserve it. I am Queen and I am powerful than them.

I am in control.

---

The next days, Adrian never visited me. I tried visiting him in his room but he's always absent. I asked for him several times but he didn't show up. It's a good thing, though, one less problem to deal with. The marriage that is to be tomorrow will not commence without the groom.

"What did you do to him?" Evos asked while helping me sort out the files I have. He says he took a break from working on the Palace though I don't understand why he had to use up his relaxation time to help me sort data.

"I just told him not to call me pet names." I roll my eyes at that. "He just fled."

"You two have been on each other's faces and yet you still push him away. I know you want to use him but Adie, the man's got a heart too." He says, not looking up from the pile he has.

"What do you suggest I do?" I ask, genuinely. Even though I have no intentions of liking Adrian, I want to be at least on civil terms with him.

"Apologize?" He says with a duh at the end. Sometimes I wonder if Evos still sees me as his Queen.

---

I did what he said. But how could I when he's persistent in avoiding me?

His father would know where he is but I don't want him to think I've fallen head over heels with his son. When I had no one to ask, I just went outside. Since we are short-staffed, I have no guards with me which is a good thing. I have privacy when I'm in HiveBerg.

"It's the Queen!" a young girl exclaims. My head instantly turned in that direction and sees a crowd of children trying to come to me. "Your Majesty!"

"Hello, dearies." I softly greeted. They all came to hug me. I am suddenly enveloped with a bunch of children. "Why are you all here?"

"Mr. Adie is playing ball with us! Come play with us, your Majesty!" the girl pulls me to the center. Adie? My name?

At the center of the made-up field stands a familiar figure. Adrian. He tensed at my presence but had the courage to bow. The ball rolled in my direction when he dropped it.

"I'm sorry, children, I don't play ball," I told them with a shy smile.

"Don't worry, your Majesty. We don't know too! But Mr. Adie does! And he taught us a new game!" a young boy says, pulling on the tulle of my dress. The kid positioned me close to Adrian who grinned from ear to ear.

"Adie? Are you so obsessed with me that you copy even my nickname?" I ask, playfully.

He gives me a questioning look. "Your nickname? That is my nickname since I was born. I don't remember seeing you with the other babies in the delivery room." I scoffed at his remark which earned a giggle.

"Look, I'm sorry about the other day," I told him. "I was just caught off guard. I haven't been intimate with anyone." He rolled the ball to the nearest kid and the boy started kicking it to the nearest girl.

"Nah, don't mind me. I'm good."

"Then why are you ignoring me?" I ask, catching the ball with my ankle. I kicked it towards Adrian. He catches it and did some tricks to make the children go in awe of his ball skills.

"I don't know... Maybe the thought of you away from me might give you space and time to think about our relationship. You seem to be lying to yourself when you're with me."

"Me? Lying?" He nods as he kicked the ball to the girl who pulled me.

"You seem to have a hard time sorting out your real feelings. I may be dumb in here," he touches his forehead. "But I know when someone is lying here." He then proceeds to touch my chest with his finger. I swipe his hand away and catch the ball from another kid who is bald. I kicked the ball so hard the kids had to run to get it.

"You don't know me, Adrian."

"But I know of your lips." He says, getting closer to me. He towers me with his height but I can still see his emerald eyes, enchanting me. "I know of your hold. I know of your touch. I know when something is real, Adeline." He cups my face with his right hand and the other pulls me closer to him. He was about to seal our lips together when suddenly we heard the ball drop.

"The Queen!" the girl that dropped the ball yells.

"Queen and Mr. Adie sitting on a tree!" the bald boy starts. Everyone chimes in. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

I blush at their teasing and Adrian waves them off playfully. The children seem to understand and run away from us.

Adrian pulls my hand and loops it on his arm. We walk silently back to the house when suddenly he spoke, "I know you are unsure of me. Heck, you might be using me like how my father intends to use you. But know that I like you enough to accept anything you do to me."

When we reached the door, he faced me. "I just want you to be honest and allow yourself to open up to me too."

- End –