Royal Blood

XIII: Fire Poppies and Windy Truths

*3rd person P.O.V.*

"Caitlyn."

The girl in question stood from where she sat, and with heedful eyes, walked around the spilled wine and stopped only when she when was directly next to Mark. "What happened, Caitlyn? Are you okay?" He asked, looking her over for any wounds.

She waved a hand. "I'm fine, really."

"Who else escaped with you?" Adelaide asked. Caitlyn shot her a glare.

"I don't know. I-We. . ."

"Caitlyn and I weren't in the dungeon at the time if the Blood Moon Ball," spoke Mark spoke. He shifted his weight from one foot to another. "I don't know, one of the guards said we were part of the 'entertainment'."

Caitlyn crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you know anything about that, princess?" She demanded, her demeanor callous.

"My mother is dead. Ergo, that automatically makes me Queen. But I suppose that is not important right now." Adelaide replied, her manner just as hardened.

The room was silent enough to hear the rhythmic dripping of the remaining wine leaking from the barrel's faucet as Adelaide thought. She began to pace the the the floor in front of Mark and Caitlyn as the different forms of what demons called "entertainment floated in her mind. Adelaide stopped. "Cruciatus," she said softy, mostly to herself. "Cruciatus. Essentially, it means 'torture', be it mental or physical. Most of the time, it is mental. The only kind of entertainment that requires one man and one woman."

Caitlyn and Mark shared a look. "But why one man and one woman?" Mark asked.

"Demons are naturally curious and intelligent creatures. Since we are not human, we strive to learn more about them-you. The demons wanted to see how the Cruciatus would affect different sexes. Should the Cruciatus have been been mental based, your subconscious' would have been broken to the point of no return."

"And who would have done the breaking?" Caitlyn questioned.

Adelaide looked down at her feet and gnawed on her inner cheek. "My fiance, King Darkiplier, he is a master in the art of psychological torment. If there was any demon who could. . . Do what needed to be done, it would be him."

Caitlyn sighed heavily and let out a sarcastic laugh. "So, you and your fiance are both mad, is that it?"

"Caitlyn that's-" Mark started to interject, but Caitlyn wasn't finished.

"No, Mark." She stepped closer to Adelaide, very much so invading her personal space. "I know she's your friend, but she's also a Royal. And you know you can't trust Royals. Especially the demonic kind."

"If not for me, Mark would most likely not have found you. Thus, if I were so unblessed to be you, I would say 'thank you, your Majesty, I am eternally grateful.'" Adelaide hissed her reply through gritted teeth. Caitlyn had just started to say something when Adelaide's ears twitched;she looks to the ceiling and cleared her throat. "When you two arrive back on the main floor, be vigilant. Nadia and her men will be searching for you. Both of you. Do your best to blend in with the servants. And Mark, hide your face."

"Hide my face?" He repeated slowly, as if to ensure what he heard was correct.

Adelaide nodded. "Hide your face. As best you can, else you might be mistaken for someone else. Now, if you'll excuse me, my 'mad fiancé' is looking for me. Farewell, Mark. Caitlyn."

"You're Majesty." Caitlyn drawled sardonically. Before she did something she would surely regret later, Adelaide spun on her heel, vanishing in a plume of lilac mist.
________________________________

When Adelaide finally identified Dark's whereabouts, she found herself outside of the castle walls, in a grand field of vibrant Fire Poppies. The wind was blustering, bending the poppies to the West. Dark stood some ten feet ahead, his arms behind his back, gazing at the field ahead.

"Be aware that I am new to this 'blurring' thing, so you making me come all the way out here is very exhausting." Adelaide wrapped her arms around herself, squinting against the harsh breeze. "But, what are we doing all the way out here anyway?"

Dark turned around, his face grave. "We needed to get away from the prying eyes or ears from anyone else." He sighed. "It's time we be honest with each other."

"Honest-Honest with with each other? How do you mean?"

"I," Dark paused, looking around the field before returning his gaze to the girl who stood in front of him. "have not been honest with you."

"I don't. . . I do not understand. What are you talking about?" At this point Adelaide was very confused. And freezing cold.

"You're not who you think you are."

"I'm not who I think I am. . ." Adelaide repeated slowly. She thought back to the note she found in Seán's workshop days ago. "That girl, whomever Seán was writing about in his book. She had her memory wiped. Yucca Root, I would assume. You know, I never quite thought about it because as an adult, your memories from childhood can be muddled and some even forgotten. But the only memory from childhood that I have is of my dark baptism. When I was eleven. Was that. . . Was that me?"

Dark nodded. "Yes."

"But why? Why would Seán's father do that?" Adelaide felt confused tears sting her eyes. She walked forward until she was directly in front of Dark. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Well?"

"Because the King Gregory demanded that It'd be done. Because Seán's father. . . Is your father.