Chapter 10:Sleepless Night
In the dead of the night, when the mice were asleep and the world was still, a quiet disturbance came. The doors to Adeline's hauntingly large room creaked open. A figure tiptoed towards her unmoving figure.
The grey moon was nowhere in sight, a thick fog had covered its bright glimmer. Asher did not need the light to see. Nothing illuminated his path, but he saw everything clearly. A skill that humans could not possess, without great and constant practice.
"Adeline," Asher greeted in a quiet whisper.
Asher stood by the edge of her canopy bed. The sheer curtains were drawn and she resembled a Princess from a fairy tale. Her hands were obediently tucked over her chest. The blankets were drawn up to her collarbone, revealing her delicately pale neck.
Hearing no response from her, Asher bent down. He cupped her ear and whispered, "I have lemon meringue tart."
Nothing. Not even a fidget.
His lips curled into a satisfied smile. History would not be repeating itself. Asher was certain of it. He would be furious if she snuck out again. The incident already happened a few days ago. Since then, he had been coming to her bedroom at night to make sure she was fully asleep.
Adeline was demure, but surprisingly bold. It did not make sense. All of her courage was misplaced, much like her compassion.
"Good night, Adeline. Sleep well," Asher's voice was lower than a hum. He uttered his words like a silent prayer, truly hoping that she slept comfortably.
Nightmares were aplenty and shee only had her traumatic childhood to blame. Sometimes, she'd hold his hand all night, until she finally fell asleep. There were times she was bold enough to ask him to sleep with her, but not sexually, of course.
Without another word, Asher silently retreated back into the darkness. He counted each footstep, making sure not to walk too quickly. The primary reason was that he didn't want to startle her awake with disappearing footsteps. She'd scream bloody murder.
Asher cast her a final glance. In the pitch-blackness of her room, she remained in the same position as before. He released a small sigh of relief.
There were no night terrors tonight.
Unfortunately for him, the terror would only begin after he left.
Once Asher was gone, Adeline's eyes shot open. This bad habit of Asher's had been happening too frequently now. She lied wide awake in her bed, unmoving for a few more seconds.
Adeline knew Asher well. He was probably standing outside the door, waiting for her to make a noise.
It was impressive how abnormally sensitive Asher's five senses were. He could hear a pin drop in a crowd. He could see in the darkness and navigate through it like a creature of the night.
Adeline was not surprised.
'He trained very hard for this position,' she thought to herself.
Adeline recalled a fond memory of her youth. She was reading a book by the large balcony on her parents' estate. In the near distance was a young Asher, diligently practicing by himself. He was all alone and thought no one would be able to see him through the dense trees.
The sun was mellow and the wind was kind. The weather was amazing that day, as Asher practiced the bow and arrow. He shot at small creatures in the forest, but his aim was always off. He'd always nip the animals in a part that wouldn't kill them.
"Alright, no more diddle daddle," Adeline decided. She sat upright in bed and adjusted her clothes. She glanced at the bottom of her door, where light peaked through. She noted Asher had left, and there was no shadow standing by her door.
Adeline peered left and right. Like a small thief, she tiptoed out of bed. Hurriedly, she skipped her way to the large bookshelf on the other end of the room. She randomly retrieved a book from the middle row.
"Ow!" she hissed after stumbling into a chair.
Adeline hopped on one leg and suppressed a groan of pain. Once it subsided, she rushed back to bed like an angel chased by demons.
Adeline excitedly yanked the blankets over her legs and propped up her pillow. Now that it was in a comfortable position, she blindly reached for the nightstand.
"I need to ask Aunt Eleanor for my nightlight back…" Adeline complained to herself.
Finally, her fingers grazed the familiar smooth touch of her white nightstand. Her hand haphazardly seized a handle and tugged the drawer open. She was crafty and quiet, careful not to wake? anyone.
The walls were incredibly thin. Even though there was no one in the rooms next door, there was always a guard patrolling the hallways.
"There!" she breathed, pulling out a tool the length of her hand.
Adeline giddily set it onto the soft mattress. She readjusted herself into a comfortable position. Once settled, she held the flashlight in one hand, and the book in the other.
It was going to be another sleepless night.
- - - - -
The King watched her from outside the window. She was a fool. Perhaps, even more so than Easton. Who the hell let her sleep this unsecurely? The tall window left little to no imagination. He could land on the balcony leading to her room and kidnap her right then and there.
His eyes narrowed. It was a tempting thought.
"I should kill that man," The King noted to himself.
It would be a shame if a mere human stole his prey from him. A quiet crack could be heard. He had gripped the poor tree too hard. Now, there would be a split running down the middle. Surely, this pathetic tree would have sturdier branches?
His sour mood would worsen if the branch underneath his feet broke. It'd alert everyone. Like his little Adeline, completely oblivious to the stalker outside of her window.
"How is she this dense?" he muttered.
He glanced up at the sky, wishing for patience. He could see everything in her room, as if the light was turned on. But it was not.
He noticed the boring night sky and dense trees. Was that why the window gave a view of the bed? So that she could sit on her bed and observe the wonders nature had to offer?
The foolish action would completely align with her morals. She was the naive type. He knew that best. Especially when she peered into his bloody red eyes and had the nerve to continue looking.freewe(b)novel.com
"Is that a sex toy?" He squinted.
There was a cylinder-thing in her hand. And from how fast she ran to her bed with a book, he could only assume she was reading erotica. Why read it when she can experience it?
"Time to make my entrance," he mused.
A single step was taken, before he froze. Light came out of her toy. To his utter disappointment, it was not a tool for pleasure. It was a flashlight. What was she doing?
He paused to observe her for a while longer. It had been a little bit longer than a decade since he had done this.
Back then, she was a stupid girl toddling after a demon. What a serene world she grew up in. To not fear creatures that could snap her pretty little neck, suck her dry against a wall, and discard her without hesitation… She had been ignorant since birth.
"But times have changed, haven't they?" he speculated.
Fifteen years to be exact. He had counted each minute, day, and week by himself. Patience was a virtue he miraculously possessed. He counted each day until their next interaction. The next time she was in his domain, he would not let her escape.
Adeline Mae Rose belonged to him. She always had and always will. Now, his prey had come of age, and splendidly so. It was time for the Princess to return to her glass castle.
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