The Mice in the Kitchen

Chapter 22

During the long horse ride, Adalberht managed to place himself next to Herta, who seemed to be trying to avoid him.

'You're very quiet.'

'Am I?'

'Yes. Are you angry with me?'

'Angry? Of course not. Not at all. Why would I be?'

'I don't know. But you seem to be.'

She kept on riding in silence.

'Aren't you going to tell me what's bothering you?'

'Adalberht,' she finally said, looking at him in the eye, 'you can't just... What do you want from me?'

'Want from you?' He thought for a moment. 'It's hard to say if you put it that way.'

'Well, just don't expect anything, then.' Now, her bad mood was more than evident. And it was also evident that, whatever she was upset about had to do with him.

'As you wish. But it won't be a very merry cohabitation if you don't intend to talk to me or to let me talk to you.'

There was enough distance from the other two riders for them not to be heard.

'Is that the plan? For the four of us to live together?'

He was surprised, but, most of all, hurt.

'I'm guessing it's not.'

Their horses went on trotting while Adalberht could almost touch the thin ice wall that was growing between them.

Herta didn't say another word. However, he could not bear an instant of feeling that he was not invited to be in her company.

'If you want me to, I'll leave,' he stated, with all the bitterness a voice could transmit in just seven words.

She still remained silent, but he, for so many reasons, could not just turn around and go away.

'Do you want me to?' he insisted.

Herta knew she was not acting right. And she was also gradually realizing that her foolishness was based on the feelings which, whether she liked it or not, were growing inside her for him.

'Do you?' was the only thing she could answer, although it was not really an answer. But it was enough for Adalberht to understand everything there was to understand.

'Certainly not,' he told her, completely ruling out the idea of leaving. 'Are you worried? Is that why you look so upset?'

'Yes, Adalberht. I'm very worried. We may... we do care for each other, but we are strangers! Four strangers with very different origins. You are the heir to the throne.'

'No!'

'Please, let me finish. You are! You're a prince who renounces his past and his destiny, but you've been raised with values and expectations that are so different from those Detlef or I may have. Flora is practically a member of nobility, with a sorceress mother and a childhood I still have no idea about. Detlef is a servant who didn't want any problems but now finds himself in so much trouble by chance... and also for love.'

'For love?'

'Oh, I'll explain that to you later. And I... I just wanted to lose sight of the three vipers I was living with.'

Adalberht burst out laughing and the other two turned around to look.

'Yes. I think you've painted quite an accurate picture of our situation. Except about Detlef. You'll have to tell me more about that. But you have not taken into account that people can actually change and adapt to new circumstances. Especially if the new circumstances are truly worth it.'