Adelaide - Finished!!

Baby we Built this House of Memories

The great saloon was crowded. It was bright. The orchestra was playing, ladies and gentleman were dancing. Long dresses bouncing all around.
A fine room. Gold in every corner. Even in her dress.

She was in front of the mirror, white dress on, gold earrings. Gold leafs in her blouse. Adelaide was ethereal, to say the least. Young and pretty. Who would know she would be like this forever?
Who could possibly know?

Him.

Bartholomew. The King. Without a wife, he needed a sucessor. Not a female one.

--- Ada, my love, you are so beautiful!
--- Thank you, Edmund. That's so kind of you.
--- I bet you will look when prettier with that crown in you head...
He kissed her forehead.
--- Did you ask my father already?
--- What, your hand?
--- Yes.
--- I did, he said he would give me an answer today.
--- You are going to get it. You are a good man.
He smiled warmly at her.
--- I hope so. What if I don't?
--- Well, then we run away.
--- What?

She shrugged her shoulders.

--- We are going to be together. And nothing else matters, do you get me?

He hugged her tightly.

--- I do.

I was time to get in the saloon, the coronation would start, then, the dancing too.

Edmund opened the door for her:

--- My queen.

She smiled and headed in. The ceremony was about to start, all seats getting full of people. The choir singing. The King sat in the end of the corridor, down the aisle. The priest, holding her crown. It was time.
Adelaide walked down the asile graciously, a kind smile in her face.
Once with the priest, the ceremony started. She did her oath, in front of the richest of the richest.
Rich man, owner of lands, horses, gold.
She would rule all of them.

--- Me, Adelaide McCarthy, swear to be honest with my people, kind hearted, and a great leader.

Next, all the voices, together:

--- Long live the Queen.

Her eyes looked for Edmund in the crowd. Her father, Bartholomew, was with him, clapping.
The priest put the crown in her head. She made a reverence at him and at the people.

--- I need to talk to you, Boy.
--- Actually, Mr. McCarthy, I need to talk to you, have you come with an answer, by any chance?

--- I did. Follow me, please.

He smiled at her, saying "I will be right back" with his lips only. She blew a kiss for him, and returned to wave at her people.

Bartholomew guided him to a room. He sat in a ornamented chair.

--- Take a seat, son.

--- Here I'm.

At the table there was two cups of hot tea, and a medicine, right before it.

--- Would you give me Adelaide's hand?

--- Listen to me straight. Of course! Only go back there and have some tea with her.

--- Would you mind me asking why the medicine?

--- Yes, I would. She needs to take it, for anemia. It's iron supplements. Your cup is this one.

He handed it to him.

--- Hers is this one.

He gave Ed the supplements.

--- Help the queen. Help her take her medicine.

--- She never told me she was anemic.

--- It is always good to previne, even, but I assure you she is. Or do you want me to call her doctor? He is at the saloon, you can talk to him.

He remained silent.

--- Come on, son, help your wife. It's not like she doesn't know she have to take her medicine.

He took the medicine and put in the tea. He read, it was written Iron, the color, the smell. It was iron!

--- My wife, you said?

--- Yes, son. I can't be the King anymore....

Edmund was leaving the room.

--- Long live the Queen.

Edmund answered back:

--- Long live the Queen. Thank you, sir.

--- You are welcome...Oh, the youngest...so reckless, thinking they know about love. Love it's a poison boy. Distracts you from the most important things.

--- What are you taking about?

--- We will have more time to discuss it later, now go ahead, son.

He walked down the corridors, and found her in her room already, the dancing was over.

--- Where were you, love?

--- Getting your hand.

--- What?! You did it!!?

--- I did!

She kissed him intensively, between laughs. They stopped, she sat at her desk again. Taking off her make up.

--- Here's some tea for us. Let's cheer it! You don't know how happy I am! I almost seems like I'm blind!

He took a sip of her tea. She grabbed it too.

--- So, cheers for us, my wife, my queen?

--- Cheers.

And so they drank the tea.
It was all so fast. Pretty fast.
She started to cough.

---- Are you alright, Ada??

She just coughed, unable to stop.

--- That must be your anemia, I will get a doctor for you, wait!!

--- I don'--

--- Don't speak, wait, you are gonna be fine!

--- I'm not---

She was falling into her knees, breathing heavily.

--- ADELAIDE!!

--- WAS IT...WAS IT..YOU???

She threw up between coughs, her face getting red.

--- WHAT? I DID NOTHING?!

She couldn't actually talk anymore.

--- SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!! ADELAIDE!

She laid in the floor, blood getting out of her mouth while she spoke softly:

--- But why?

--- What? Adelaide my love I can't hear you!

--- Why have you....

--- Adelaide??

....

---- ADELAIDE?? ADELAIDE!!

Then, the screams next to the body. Gut wrenching. The pain. He just let himself through that wave. That wave came and washed him out. Completely.

--- BARTHOLOMEW YOU TRICKED ME, YOU BASTARD!!!

Like if he had heard him, Bartholomew entered the room and took Adelaide.

--- Oh, it must have been a heart attack, being Queen and all! Oh, my daughter!

Then, he took her corpse out of the room. Edmund was left there. But he was not alone, no, not at all. He was with a whole rock above him. It was written "fault" in it. Some other rocks, like "fool", and "murder" were there too. And even after he became the King, the carried those rocks throughout all his life.
Until his last breath.