The Seven Deadly Kingdoms

Chapter 15

Adelaide awoke suddenly as a cold breeze ran up her spine. It was almost pitch black outside and the fire Mira had started was nearly out. Adelaide looked around her. At one point she and Mira had moved to sit on the ground, both leaning their backs on their stools. When had they fallen asleep? 

Adelaide tried to recall the hours before. She and Mira had been talking about the problems in the world. They talked about future dreams and close friends. The tea must have been pretty relaxing to knock both of them out like that.

Adelaide considered waking Mira up but chose not to. She seemed comfortable enough and Adelaide figured that she needed all the rest she could get. Instead, Adelaide stood and carefully took the empty tea cup from Mira's hands, the tea kettle, and her own cup. She made her way to the dining hall to find some water to rinse the dishes out with, wobbling along the way, trying not to drop the delicate cups.

There was still a lantern lit in the large tent, illuminating a water pump near the back end. Adelaide sat the dishes beside the lightly rusted pump and rinsed them out one by one, making sure not to leave any residue for the next users. The action reminded her of her home, on sunny days when her mother would send her out to wash the dishes. They had washed their dishes in the river, but the water from the pump was still familiar. The memory warmed Adelaide's heart. There had been so many little things around camp that reminded her of home, in ways she hadn't expected.

One of the tea cups clattered as Adelaide set it on the ground a bit too hard. The small sound was deafening in the silence of the tent. Adelaide grimaced, praying she hadn't woken anyone up. She probably hadn't, but the sudden noise made her uncomfortable. Sighing, she hung the cups and pot back onto their hooks and began to return to Mira.

As she was passing the middle section of tables, Adelaide noticed a small candle lit out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to investigate, only to see a large man seated in the darkness at a table. A small gasp escaped her lips, but she put a hand to her mouth to hush it. As she squinted her eyes to better focus, she realized there had also been a small plate of food in front of the man. He had just been eating. Not watching her. Of course.

"Apologies if I frightened you. I didn't know if I should say something." The man's low voice sounded throughout the tent. He was quiet, yet booming. Adelaide laughed softly, shaking her head in embarrassment. "No, no, I'm sorry. I was just surprised someone else was up this late is all." She replied with a smile. The man smiled back, yet he looked sad. Adelaide had never seen such a knowing smile, even though she had never met the man. After a moment, he cleared his throat. "Tea?" He said, motioning towards the kettle beside him. Adelaide wasn't really in the mood for tea, considering the side effects of her last cup. She furrowed her brows, looking in Mira's direction. She was still fast asleep, now shifted into a ball on the ground. Adelaide looked back to the man, whose brows were raised. She didn't want tea, but the man intrigued her, and she supposed she wasn't needed by Mira at the moment.

"Tea sounds lovely, thank you." She replied with a smile. She walked over to his table, sitting across from him. They sat in silence for a moment as he filled a mug with the steaming liquid. He must not have been here long since the water was still hot.

"My name is Alaric. What's yours?" The man, now known as Alaric, asked. The name rang a bell somewhere inside Adelaide, but she brushed it off. "Adelaide. Adelaide Beckett." She replied. The man replied with a low hum and took a sip of his tea, observing the darkness behind Adelaide.

Adelaide observed the man, trying to recall why that name was important. Alaric... She had never known an Alaric and was certain she had never met one either. Why the heck did he seem so familiar? This was just a random man that happened to be from the same kingdom as Adelaide...