Chapter 232 - Step On Their Partners' Feet
Adeline woke up in a slightly cold bed beside her. She sat up, confused and dazed, wondering where Elias had gone. She touched the spot and realized he must've left only a few moments ago. Were the babies crying? She slept peacefully for once, with no disturbance in the night.
Adeline s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath at the sight in the corner of the room. Elias was holding Adelia in his arms, softly humming to her as he swayed their bodies. Her heart squeezed when he lifted Adelia and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You're awake," Elias said, raising his eyes to look at her.
Adelia was finally soothed back to sleep. Elias glanced at Elios who was wide awake and staring up at his father. Was Elios waiting for his turn to be coddled? Elias placed his daughter down and wryly looked at his son.
"Did you nurse them all night?" Adeline asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Of course," Elias responded. "I don't need sleep, but a little human like you does."
Elias jutted his chin towards the nightstand. "Take it, darling."
Adeline blinked and looked at what he was referring to. A white pill sat on top of a handkerchief with a glass of apple juice beside it.
"Is this the morning after pill?" Adeline inquired, picking up the medicine and downing it with the apple juice. Her cheeks puckered at the sudden taste in the morning.
"Just in case," Elias said. "We can't take our chances."
"Ugh…" Elios w.h.i.n.ed, moving his arms and scrunching his fingers in protest.
Elias's lips curled into a taunting smirk. He leaned over the crib, looking down at Elios's burgundy eyes. He hoped they both resembled Adeline, but at this point, only Adelia looked like her mother. What a shame.
"Don't neglect Elios," Adeline said, shifting her position to be more comfortable. "If you're not going to hold him, give him to me."
Adeline stretched her arms out, eager to hold her child. Her b.r.e.a.s.ts felt full and heavy. She needed to pump soon, and he must've realized that.
In her sleep, Elias had put a button-up nightgown on her, so that she didn't catch a cold. But in the mornings, her perk n.i.p.p.l.es were straining against the silk material.
"No more b.r.e.a.s.tfeeding," Elias said. He tilted his head towards a device on one of the tables. "It makes formulas. I just have to put an empty bottle under the nozzle and it makes the perfect temperature milk."
Adeline's shoulders slumped a bit. "A-at least let me hold them whilst they drink from the bottle."
"No, darling. We can't have any association with you and feeding time," Elias said.
Elias crossed the room to her and cupped her face. She was pouting a bit, but there was a fire in her eyes. She was never one to listen to rules, was she?
Suddenly, she grabbed onto his arms, catching him by surprise. "I want to practice walking to the bathroom," she said.
Adeline had suddenly been reminded of what he told her. If she didn't want any nannies, then she'd need to be able to walk to defend herself or care for her children. She was adamant and persistent to learn.
"Alright," Elias said, stepping back and offering her both hands.
Adeline placed her hands on top of his and tried to stand on the ground on her own. He watched her strain and wince just to move her legs. It took minutes of her biting her tongue. He smelled the iron in the air and scowled.
"Don't bite your tongue until it bleeds. I'll help," Elias warned her.
"I'm trying not to," Adeline grunted.
Finally, Adeline pushed through the electricity shooting up her leg. Moving her leg had the same feeling as when it fell asleep. Her body didn't feel like her own.
"Well done!" Elias complimented with a smile when she had stood up on her own accord. Her lips twitched as he walked back.
"Now, a step," Elias instructed her. She was tightly grabbing onto his hands, her entire body shaking as she slid one foot by a slight inch.
Elias was patient and calm, even when her brows were tauted and she gritted her teeth in pain.
"There you go," Elias reassured when she moved her other foot.
Adeline's entire body trembled when she tried to move. She was putting all of her efforts into her legs. She couldn't bend it just yet, but she could try sliding it forward.
"That's my girl." Elias grinned when she took another step.
On one hand, Elias was happy to see her succeed. On the other hand, he wanted her to continue relying on him. That way, she'd have nowhere to go but into his arms, where his love for her was an unhealthy obsession.
It took over twenty minutes just to get from the bed to the bathroom, but he didn't complain. Elias continued complimenting her every step of the way, his smile large and proud. Eventually, they were in front of the sink and she was drenched in sweat.
"The doctors mentioned installing railings to practice on when I'm alone," Adeline said to him. She still needed his support to hold her body upright whilst she brushed her teeth. He didn't seem to mind holding her waist, his fingers softly squeezing her skin.
"But you have me to practice on," Elias slowly said. "I've set aside all the time in the world for you."
"It'd be greedy of me to take the King's attention away for too long," Adeline responded, spitting out the toothpaste and rinsing her mouth. She then washed her face and knew she needed a bath as well.
"But I want you to be greedy and steal my attention," Elias said, his face softening. "You never want anything from me, darling. Not once have you asked for a gift, whether it's a dress, book, a house, a car, and everything materialistic."
Adeline peered at him through her lashes. She heard her children babbling in the other room, and her heart pinched. They were growing alarmingly quickly. What'd usually take three months of development for a kid, they were doing so in just a few days. They were also getting bigger by the day.
"You can't spoil me rotten like this, I'll need dentures if you do," Adeline laughed, drying her face off with a towel.
Adeline looked at the mirror, her heart skipping. He was staring at her the entire time, with the same brooding eyes. She leaned her head against his back and peered up at him, revealing a smile.
"Is there a room where we can install two railings on the ground for me to hold onto and practice?" Adeline inquired.
Elias continued to gaze at her, his lips in a straight line. Suddenly, his arms sn.a.k.e.d around her and he hugged her tightly against his body. Resting his chin on her head, he let out a sigh.
"There's an empty practice room on the floor below us. In the aristocratic era, little Princesses and Princes would practice the proper dance and walking etiquette. But it'll have to be cleaned, since it's been unused for years," Elias finally said.
Adeline perked up. "I remember that place! I used to step on your shoes and force you to twirl with me."
Elias's lips curled into a smile. "You were an irritating child whenever you visited the castle. I never liked you."
Adeline let out a scoff. She was certain that wasn't the truth. She still recalled the memory of his hardened expression, but soft gaze. He had a scowl, but she had never seen such tender eyes on someone.
"You were very kind to me whenever I visited on a whim. I didn't know who you were at the time, except you'd wear a frown as if you were bothered by me," Adeline said.
"Because you did bother me, with your whining and nicknames," Elias muttered. "When I discovered your father's lie, he pleaded to keep the engagement between us. In your father's eyes, I was the only person in this entire world that'd keep his little Princess safe."
Adeline's c.h.e.s.t pricked. She couldn't imagine how her father would feel. He must've been terrified for lying to the Crown, but also desperate to keep her safe.
People from both sides of her family disliked her. Adeline was the only heiress to her parent's large fortune. That, and she was a Princess, the next in line for Kastrem's throne. It was understandable that many people would want her dead.
If she was the King's fiancee, no one would hurt her. But no one knew she was his fiancee.
"Did you watch over me from afar?" Adeline asked, wondering where he was when she was living with the Mardens.
"I did," Elias admitted. "From a distance, I'd check up on your condition, if you were given warm food, if you had your little bodyguard around, and there's no bruising."
If only he looked a bit deeper, he would've known the truth. Warm food was placed in front of her, but she was guilted into not eating it. Asher was always around, but the Mardens tried to separate them. The late Viscount Marden would only cane her in a place that wasn't visible.
"I want to get better," Adeline suddenly said. "So I can teach Adelia and Elios how to dance."
"Hopefully they inherit my grace then, and not step on their partners' feet to purposely twirl them around," Elias teased, earning a rough elbow jab from her. He loudly laughed and shook his head, deciding to help her out of the bathroom.
Later, he'd need to visit Dorothy's tower. His grandmother had been quiet for far too long.
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