Adela Augusta Blood Famine

Chapter Fifteen

Adela

Aquilo walked past Adela without sparing her a glance. Instead, he locked eyes with various attendants that were left in the room and waved them away. By the time her father reached his throne and sat down, they were alone.

Adela stood awkwardly waiting for her father to address her. When he said nothing she finally chanced speaking up. "Father-"

"-Do not speak out of turn again." He interrupted. Of course, he was waiting for that. To make a point. "I allowed you the luxury this one time, and this time only. Because I sympathize with your plight. Because I care about you, my daughter. More than anything else Adela. But-"

Adela couldn't help but feel that one little word erased everything else before it.

"I am also lord of this land. And Solange willing more. I am not granted the luxury of having such feelings. I must cast my emotions aside for the greater good."

Aquilo's icy tone sent chills through Adela's spine. It would seem that he came to terms with this long ago, and had already cast any true affection for his daughter out.

"Of course." Adela said unable to look him in the eye. She found she was fighting to hold back tears from swelling in them. Something that despite having any memory of she knew was absolutely not tolerated.

"Now, do you wish to talk about your memory?"

Adela knew it was childish, but she no longer wanted to discuss the matter. Not with her father anyway. He claimed to care, right before dismissing his feelings for her. She was content to go sulk and pity herself somewhere else, for having a father that had deemed her less important.

"No. It is fine. I know who I am, and understand my duty. There is nothing else I need to know."

"What duty is that?"

Adela wanted to shout "the duty of defying you!" at her father but knew better than to earn Aquilo's wrath.

"It is my duty to maintain peace with the people is it not?"

"It is."

"As well as find a cure for this plague that befalls... Crichton." Though her memories were nowhere near fully recovered she knew she disliked that nation though for no particular reason.

Aquilo taped his fingers together. "This is not your duty."

"It's not? But I remember being there. Lessus, he took notes. It was for that reason that the wolves..." Adela paused now recalling in move vivid detail, the deaths of her retainers.

"Your job was simply to send a message and report. Nothing more nothing less. That is all you will do on the matter."

Even with his cold demeanor working as a chilling facade, Adela knew there was more to this. Something he wasn't saying. She had to wonder if she was privy to this knowledge before.

"Are we going to aid in finding a cure?"

Aquilo was silent for a while before he finally answered. "There is no cure for what is to come. That will be all."

"Father?"

"You are dismissed."

Adela made to hide her expression, perhaps a second too late. Shock crossing her facial features of their own accord. She bowed her head and then turned to walk away. Her feet echoed off the high arching walls in the otherwise silent room. She had made it halfway across what felt like a bottomless chasm before she heard her father call out in that familiar dead tone.