Elementals || Grishaverse

Chapter 24: Not Always

"When I was a child, a Lord and Lady of a nearby town came over to the Grand Palace to stay." Stefan started. "My parents had invited them to make a proposition to them about some deal for the betterment of the future of Ravka. I assumed that it had something to do with the food shortages that we were once facing, and I was told that I was going to be making a new friend and that I should behave." He let out a shaky breath. "She changed my life."

There was a pause. "Who was it?" Adaline asked softly.

Stefan looked at the calm surface of the river as a weight formed in his chest. He was going to be talking about her after almost a decade. "Her name was Isabella Dominik."

"What happened?" She wished that she could hold his hand or comfort him but all she had were her words, but they were more than enough.

Stefan took a deep breath. "I fell for her charm." He said. "She had this aura around her and she could make anyone fall in love with her." He smiled. "I remember when I first saw her. I was going to leave her with Maria while I was going to pull so many pranks on them. It is easier to annoy girls." He looked at her. "No offense."

"None taken." Simon had told her the same thing.

"But after looking at her, I knew that all my plans were going to go for a toss, because she was a trickster herself." He laughed. "She didn't care that she was a part of the wealthiest family in Ravka. She was herself and she wasn't afraid to show that. Just like you." He nudged Adaline's elbow with his.

"We did not leave each other's side the entire time. We had a lot of things in common and she wasn't exactly a follower of rules. She used to dress up in boys clothes and sneak out to learn how to fight." He closed his eyes, a soft smile spreading across his lips. "Whatever deal that my father was going to make to her father....I don't know what happened but when they walked out of the throne room, they hugged each other. We knew that something must have gone well but the truth that they revealed had us both shocked."

"Our parents had fixed both our hands in marriage. We didn't know what to think because she had been here for less than three months, but we weren't exactly presented with a choice."

She didn't know why it pricked when he talked about Bella. "What happened?"

"I gave her an ultimatum." He revealed. "I told her that even if we were to get married, we wouldn't pretend to love each other unless those feelings took over us." The way Stefan looked into Adaline's eyes made her look away. She should not have asked him about this.

"They left the castle after some time. It hurt me to say goodbye to her but she was to return soon. But fate played with all of us." He sighed. "Their carriage was passing through the darkest parts of the forests where it had been run over by something. We could only find the broken parts and...." He closed his eyes shut. "Three bodies." He pursed his lips together. "But Bella wasn't with them."

Adaline's breathing had stopped. "Was she....?"

"I haven't seen her since." He shook his head to come back to reality. "You remind me a lot of her. Every time I look at you, I know that some part of her will always be alive....in my life and my memories."

"Is that why you don't live here? People mentioned that there was a huge fight before you left."

"I'm guessing the rumours are always here."

"It's Ravka. What do you expect? People want to know everything that happens here."

He nodded in agreement. "They were asking me to get married. I told them that I wouldn't, not unless I found out what happened to Bella. I know that it sounds stupid, especially coming from me." They smiled at his attempt at the joke. "But I know that I will find my answers. But until then, I need to think about myself."

Adaline nodded to show her support. "I'm sorry about whatever happened."

"Thank you."

She stood in front of him and put her hand forward. "How about we forget about whatever has happened and try to work for the better? I remind you of someone you love and you...." She held her tongue. "And you stopped me from escaping."

Both of them laughed as the atmosphere around them lightened. "I had to stop you." He revealed. "The woods are dangerous. You can never trust them. You never know who you will meet."

"But I could have escaped and I would have been on my way. I get why you did though. So how about a hand of friendship?"

He looked at her hand and then at her. They shook hands. "To friendship and more."

Stefan had to leave her near the lake because he was to be meeting dignitaries and Adaline was left alone with her thoughts, something that she had always prevented from happening. She couldn't think about how her heart beat faster when she was around the Prince of Ravka. It was a strange feeling but after reading a million poems and hearing about it from people, she knew that she liked him. And that was what she had to run from.

She had brought up the topic of leaving only because of that. She would not let her mind stray afar from her goal. She was going to leave the Little Palace and Os Alta. She was going to find her way out of Ravka.

She had thought about the possibility of living elsewhere and was ready to go to Ketterdam for all she cared, as long as she didn't have to be a part of any facade. She could get a job there and work through her needs.

As she made her way back after the sun set and spread its orange hue over the sky, she felt a shadow emerge next to her. Adaline was startled but he closed her mouth to prevent her from shouting. His granite eyes were serious. "Don't scream."

He let her go but it did not help her heart rate come down. She took a few steps backwards to move away from him. He was the last person that she wanted to see. She held the trunk of a tree nearby to get a hold of her breathing.

"Adaline."

She did not want to hear him say her name like that. She could not let herself sway to the music that his voice was. He would have everyone fall for his beauty, but not her. She was not going to prove the rumours true.

She kept her head held high and continued walking towards the castle without another look at him. She wrapped the shawl around her even tighter and kept her pace quick. The Darkling walked beside her to keep pace with her but she didn't turn to meet his face.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you."

Adaline's legs stopped walking. She turned to catch a quick glance at him before ascending the steps to the Little Palace. She stopped at the last step. Her father's words of how people changed because of being ignored hit her like flames.

"You should apologise to Freya."