Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XLVI

LUCIFER'S POV

NOVEMBER 20
6:59 p.m

I'M THE only one who goes after Adalia as she springs from the couch and runs off.

I run after her, calling her name but she ignores me. I follow her all the way up to our room, catching the door as she goes to slam it shut.

"I'm sorry." I mumble. "I didn't mean to get you in any trouble."

She sniffles and smiles at me. "Oh Luci. This isn't your fault. This has to do with things I did before I met you. And besides, they've been looking for a reason to replace me as heir and justify it."

"Why? Christos isn't all that great."

"You're right, he's not." She leans against the loveseat. "But he's charismatic. A people's person. And now they've met Alice and she's an utter saint. And everyone in this damn realm thinks I'm cold and heartless and-"

"I don't think those things about you."

She looks up, her eyes puffy from crying.

"Thank you." She whispers. "Sometimes I feel like my parents don't care about me as much as they do Christos. Yeah, I've become more independent but it's because I had to. I mean they started preparing me to become queen before I could even read."

I finally realize why becoming queen means to much to her. She's spent about a hundred years devoting her life to one day becoming queen. This is what her whole life has been leading up to.

And here comes Christos, no clue how to be king. Only wants to be king for the title and glory.

"I just wanna go to sleep." She wipes tears streaming down her face as she goes to get pajamas.

We get into our pajamas and she immediately curls up in her bed, pulling her eye mask over her sunken eyes.

I look at her about to turn the lamp off from my spot on the couch.

"Adalia?" I call as she wraps her fingers around the chain of her lamp.

"Yes love?" Her voice sounds different and dreary. I don't like it like that.

"Can I- can I sleep in the bed with you tonight?"

She sits up, pulling her eye mask to her forehead.

"You want to sleep in the bed with me?" She shuffles under the blankets.

I nod, hugging one of my pillows to my chest.

She moves her pillows from the center of the bed to one side. "Bring your pillows and come lie down."

I scoop up all my pillows and carry them to the bed. Adalia stacks them up neatly on the side she's given me.

I crawl under the blankets, our legs bumping, making us both jump.

She pulls her mask back over her eyes, sinking into the mattress. "Get the lamp, will you?" She points to the lamp, which is on my side.

I pull the chain and lie down our faces really close together, not to her knowledge. If she could see how close we are, what would she say?

"Goodnight Adalia."

"Goodnight Luci. I love you."

I don't reply, though I consider saying it back just for her sake.

Minutes pass before I finally cave. "I love you too."

There's a pause.

"Liar." She smiles playfully. She kisses my forehead, making a warm feeling spread all the way down to my toes.
                             __________

NOVEMBER 21
8:04 a.m

I wake up before Adalia does. I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling.

After about an hour, I hear her stir next to me, starting to wake up.

"Luci." She murmurs. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah."

She scoots closer to me, resting her head on my chest.

I thought maybe you wanting to sleep up here with me was part of a dream." She smiles.

"I thought the entirety of last night was a dream."

She sighs. "I wish it was."

"Adalia?"

"Yes?"

"I think I want to be king. Like really, really want to."

"Yeah?" She smiles. "Good, because we have a lot of work to do."

We stay quiet a moment.

She springs from bed and starts getting ready. I stay curled up, too comfortable.

She kisses my forehead. "I'll be right back I'm headed to the study to get some books. I'll have someone send our breakfast here for us."

"Okay." I look at her face as she smiles down at me. Last night I saw for the first time that her face is covered in freckles, but now they're completely covered up by makeup.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She grins. She's in a really good mood compared to last night.

"How come you cover up your freckles?" I sit up.

She touches her face softly and shrugs. "I feel like I look less mature and serious with freckles."

"They really suit you though. You look just as cute with your freckles as without."

"Aw Luci, you're such a flirt." She chuckles. "Be right back."

She leaves, shutting the door behind her.

I push out of bed and look around the room. On her desk is a neatly organized stationary with her initials on everything. A.G.B.

Adalia said that since Baxtor is the royal family name, I'll adopt it after the wedding.

And part of me is kinda excited about that.

Lucifer Baxtor.

Like, that sounds so badass.

Being king to a vampire realm is so badass.

I wanna be that damn cool.

I sit down at the desk, like I'm super fancy and important. Look at me, I've got a desk.

I face palm at how lame I am.

The door swings open and Adalia comes in with a stack of books and a servant carrying two plates.

"Alright love, you said you want to be king, right?" She sets the books down on the desk.

I nod, the pile looking almost daunting.

"Perfect. We have to make sure you're well versed in everything you'll need to know." She smiles. "Consider this your crash course into monarchy."

"All this," I point to the stack, "is a crash course?"

"Well ruling a realm is no simple task. But don't worry, your teacher is a professional." She takes the plates from the servant and thanks them. "Now eat up, we've got a lot to cover."