Swapped Fate

25: Of Questions and Discoveries.

Following the encounter with Tristan, my mood turned completely sour. He was just so infuriating! Nobody—nobody had ever pushed my buttons quite like him. The worst of it was I didn't have anyone to rant to but my bedroom walls. They took the brunt of my ramblings and lamentations for nearly a full hour.

By the time Lea and Madam Felicity arrived late afternoon, I had run out of steam to make a proper rant to my friend.

I welcomed them back home with hugs like everyone else. It was only Adrian and Lea who didn't hug.

Adrian muttered a simple, "Welcome back, Lady Azalea," while she offered a slight curtsy. It was a bit concerning to witness, and I doubted whether I would grow accustomed to their formal awkwardness in these three months.

"And where is Tristan?" Madam Felicity asked, then immediately sighed, adding, "I suppose none of you know if he isn't here."

"It must be one of his bounty-hunting adventures. He will return safe and sound as usual," Mr. Edgar reassured.

"Oh, but it would not kill him to leave a message, would it!" Madam Felicity whined. "At this rate, he could really die off somewhere in a gang war and we wouldn't have a clue! Mae dear, please tell me he at least showed for your date."

I strained to smile. "He did," I supplied with clenched teeth. "It was quite the spark fest."

She misunderstood my insinuation as something positive and brightened up. "That's wonderful!"

Once Lea and I separated from everybody else, she asked me, "Alright, what really happened with your and Tristan's date?"

"Nothing I would like to talk about at this particular moment," I replied, emotionally drained with the direction of the conversation. "There is something else on my mind right now."

"What is?"

"Are you truly comfortable with the way things are between you and Adrian?" I inquired.

She stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"You two act less like a married couple and more like an emperor and his subject."

Azalea looked at me for a while, then turned her head. Her gaze was directed at Adrian, who stood talking with his mother in the sitting room. I couldn't tell whether the emotion her eyes held was longing, but it seemed quite close to it.

"I am the one who chose to marry him," she said to me. "One day, I will recount to you how that came to be. But for now, all I can tell you is that he's not as cold as you think, and I know that he cares for me.

"It wasn't quite like that at first, but he's changed for the better after the goblin incident. I can tell he cares from the little things he now does for me. You know, he wouldn't touch me or form conversation when we'd just married. He wasn't bothered to know any troubles of mine. But now, he will ask me about my day and whether I have any difficulties.

She lowered her voice to a whisper, her face flushing. "He once helped me with the buttons of my dress since they are at the back...that I needn't send for Ari to help me dress up when he is there."

I blinked, somewhat surprised by her bashfulness. Where was that Adrian? Why didn't I ever see him? Was it because he was a different person behind closed doors?

"To answer your question, Mavis, I cannot say I am alright with the way things are now, but I understand that it's a process. I would love to be friends with him, but I'm sure we will reach that point some time," Lea replied at last and smiled sincerely. "But you know, I could ask you the same question."

"Huh?"

"You and Mr. Tristan," she prodded. "Yes, you might not stand each other now, but do you really wish for it to stay that way? Do you want to keep fighting and hating each other day after day? Isn't that a little tiring?"