Royal Blood

XXIII: On the Outs

It had been a few days since Adelaide and Dark had last spoke, and after hearing from the servants that he had left suddenly and was "on the outs"-as they said-with King Gregory, she began to worry for some reason. The least he could've done was say goodbye.

"I need something," Adelaide said as she entered Seán's workshop. She didn't really acknowledge the fact the Caitlyn was their, too, talking to Seán animatedly about something. In fact, she barely mumbled a 'hello' before rummaging through drawers and shelves.

"Um, hi?" Seán asked.

"What are you looking for?" Caitlyn questioned.

"I don't know what they are called in English..." Adelaide picked up a car of thick purple liquid and shook it close to her ear. She sighed and set it down and moved to the other side of the workshop, ascending the ladder to a much higher shelf. "I call them bilurat alaitisalat. It's Arabic for..."

"Communication crystals?" Seán raises an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Adelaide exclaimed. "Do you have any?"

Seán digs into his satchel, retrieving a deep purple crystal. "A few actually-" Adelaide's eyes light up and she jumps off the latter.

"Do you need one-" Without hesitating she seized the crystal from his hands. "Guess that's a yes."

Caitlyn spoke up. "What's a communication crystal?"

"You know how there's the Other World?" Seán asked.

Caitlyn nods. "Yeah, they have technology way beyond us, their buildings are strange, too. Very square and made completely of glass."

"Right, well, they have these devices. They're black and glass-like and they can be used to contact people. Communication crystals are like that. If whomever you're trying to contact has a communication crystal with them yours will glow." He turned to Adelaide. "Who're you trying to contact?"

"Dark," she answered quickly. "He left suddenly, and without saying anything either."

Caitlyn smirked. "Do you miss him, maybe?"

That caught Adelaide off guard. Her face grew red. "What? No. That's preposterous... Perhaps a little. But that's only because-" She cut herself off. "I don't need to explain myself to you!"

Caitlyn couldn't help but laugh at her agitatedness. She continued to laugh as she got up and headed towards the door. "I have to go. Nadia will kill me if I'm late to training. Bye!" Her laughter could still be heard as she descended the stairs.

"I don't like her," Adelaide commented, glaring at the door.

"Sure you do. You like everyone. You just need to find common ground."

"Well I don't like her as much as you do, anyway."

"W-what do you mean by... that?" Seán stammered.

Adelaide smiled. "You know what I mean. Anyway..." She sat the crystal on Seán's desk with her hands still on it and thought about Dark. Soon, the crystal began to glow.

"I thought you'd be calling soon." Dark's voice rang out clear as day, the crystal glowed with the beat of his voice.

"Where are you, Dark?" Adelaide demanded.

"I'm in Servilia. Running my kingdom."

"You left without saying goodbye."

"I know what I did."

"The servants have been gossiping about how you the king had a falling out."

"Servants gossip. It's what they revolve around. But, they aren't wrong."

"Care to discuss?" The crystal went dark. It was dark for a while and Adelaide gave up. Right before she took her hands off the crystal it lit up again.

"You'll have to come here, to Servilia, it isn't safe in your castle anymore."

Adelaide and Seán shared a concern look. "What do you mean?" Seán cut in. He had been quiet for the whole conversation.

There was an audible sigh on the other end. "It is not easy to explain. I will send a carriage for you, and we will explain further later."

Adelaide thought for a moment. "Permission to bring along a few friends?"

"... You're talking about the humans, aren't you?"

"Yes... but Nadia isn't human."

"She's not a demon, either."

"Please?" she asked with a smile even though he couldn't see. He can sense it, she thought.

Another sigh. "If you really care about their well beings that much... I suppose they could ride with you. But tell no one else, Adelaide."

"Is that a threat or a command?"

"Think of it as friendly suggestion from your loving fiancé."

"So be it. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

"Keep that promise." Adelaide rolls her eyes and removes her hands from the crystal, signaling to the crystal that the conversation was over.

"'keep that promise.'" She quoted. "I'm excellent at keeping secrets." Seán shrugged with his eyebrows. "What?" Adelaide questioned.

"You're really not that at keeping secrets. Remember that one time we broke that ice sculpture that was made for your mother's birthday, and I told you not to say anything, but you did anyway?"

"Yes..."

"And that one time when we released the hellhounds into the ballroom during the King and Queen's wedding anniversary, and they were questioning everyone, and you cracked before they even asked you anything?"

"Okay, but I was sixteen then."

"And also that incident with the alicorn-"

"I get it. I'm bad at keeping secrets." Seán laughed and together they descended the stairs in search of Nadia, Mark and Caitlyn.