Royalty at Sea

Secrets by the Sea

The purple skies made Adella's heart skip a beat. The breeze chilled her bones as a crooked smile marked her face. A whistle sifted through the air, and Adella settled on her bed as she waited. Soon after, the hidden servant door creaked open and Simon's head popped out.

"I'm here, princess," he said with a slight bow.

Adella rolled her eyes. "You and your formalities..." Adella tugged her hat further down, locked her bedroom doors, and rushed into the passageway. Simon followed, not too far behind. This time, he wore his usual servant attire: brown tattered clothes that somehow still highlighted his muscled figure. Adella's heart thundered in her chest, for some reason, she was far more nervous for this outing than any other.

Simon placed his hand on her shoulder, getting close to her ear. "Are you alright?" he whispered. "You're a bit out of it."

The hair on Adella's neck prickled and she jumped forward, Simon's hand falling to his side. "Yes! Of course!" She waved her hands dismissively. "Onwards."

Once they snuck out of the palace grounds, Simon took lead. They had been walking for about half an hour when they could hear the sea. The sun had already set, and the moon and the stars reflected off the dark blue water.

Adella's breath hitched at her throat. She took off her shoes and ran to shore, Simon yelling after her. The cold water welcomed her feet, a wake-up call to her very skin cells. The grainy sand embraced her toes as she dug into it. The smell of fish hit her senses immediately, and she had never felt more at home.

"How have I not seen this before?" Adella asked, spinning as she observed everything around her.

"I only found this spot a few days ago," Simon said, avoiding the waves like the plague. "It was secluded enough where no one could see you, but close enough to the palace so you can come often."

"It is far colder than I imagined," Adella whispered, hugging herself.

Simon chuckled. "Of course! It's dark."

"Right..." Adella said, walking away from the shore and sitting down next to Simon. "It is beautiful nonetheless."

"You're welcome, Alex," Simon joked.

Adella smiled. She let the sound of the waves call to her, loud and fierce. Her very spirit fired up, energizing itself with her surroundings. With a new flame in her belly, she turned to Simon, feeling her heart skip a beat as she glanced to his lips.

"Simon," she said. "How did you know the dance?"

Simon's smile slacked ever so slightly. He broke their gaze and shrugged."Oh, you know, after being a servant for so long, you catch a few things."

"But when I met you, two years ago, you barely knew how to care for a horse. And you were a stable boy."

"Well, I wasn't always a stable boy," he said. "There's different roles a servant can do and, well, I-"

"What other roles have you had?" Adella barked.

Simon scratched the back of his neck. "Several, why does it matter?"

"No servant job will make you present enough in ballrooms to learn that choreography."

"Where is this coming from?" Simon asked.

Adella leaned closer to him, wrapping her hand around her cheek and pulling his face towards her. His eyes met hers with a sense of desperation. His gaze jumped all over her face. He gulped, and Adella's hand dropped from his cheek.

"What are you hiding from me?" Adella asked. "How is it a servant has the King's cufflinks? How do you know a ballroom routine only royals know?"

"I'm not hiding anything," Simon said, clenching his teeth.

Adella shook her head. "Tell me the truth. How do you know my father so well? Well enough to be granted a chance at Knighthood without noble blood?"

Simon's eyebrows furrowed, and he threw a tiny rock into the sea. "I can't," he said, shaking his head with a sigh.

"What?" Adella asked. Drops of rain fell on her skin and on the ocean, a rush of wind howled at them.

"We should get going."

Adella jumped to her feet. "What do you mean 'I can't?'"

Simon groaned and placed his hands on her arms. The rain fell like hail, big, fast, and hard, hitting their skin and just barely leaving a mark. "I wish, wholeheartedly, I wish I could tell you everything, but if you care for me, if you care for my safety... You will drop these questions, please. That's all I ask."

Adella's mouth dropped, her head flooded with endless questions. Part of her wanted to stand her ground and demand answers, but as the rain made her shiver and the wet clothes clung to her skin, she wanted to return to the palace.

Adella led the way back to the castle, not speaking a word.

Half an hour later, they both stood in Adella's bedroom, drenched to the tips of their toes. Adella took off her hat, her short hair clung to her cheeks. She tore off her shirt and threw it to the ground.

Simon shut his eyes fiercely and spun around, turning his back to Adella. Adella laughed, her chuckle rung loud.

"I have to give you my wardrobe so you can dry it at a safe spot," Adella said. Simon held his hand behind him, but still refusing to turn.

"Relax, you will not see anything," she said, wrapping a robe around herself.

"I should go," Simon said. His grip on her wet clothes tightened as he began moving to the servant's passage.

Adella grabbed Simon's arm and yanked him back. "Simon, wait, you-"

The door to her bedroom suddenly swung open. Edith gasped, dropping a key to the ground. Simon yanked his arm away from Adella, and he brought his shoulders forward, as if to make himself smaller.

"Edith, what are you doing?" Adella stood between the two, wrapping her robe tighter around herself.

"Is this why you did not answer the door earlier?" Edith whispered, bringing her hands to her chest.

"Why on Earth do you have a key to my bedroom?" Adella demanded, yanking Edith into the room and slamming the bedroom door behind her.

Edith scoffed. "There's a spare for every room in this palace, and our father has all of them. The better question is 'why on Earth are you undressed with a male servant in your room'?"

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A/N: a really short update because life has been crazy. I am now a dog mom, about to move, and getting a biopsy. Life is hard, but nice. Hope you enjoyed!