Adalia munched on a meringue. “Oh yes, that sounds delicious.”
“Then I suppose we will just have to hope. Now, tell me. How have you been?”
“I’ve met someone,” Adalia softly spoke as she sipped her tea.
“You seemed to carry a little more pep in your step when you arrived.” Adalia’s mother smiled sweetly. “Who is he, and where did you meet him?”
“Let’s just say he’s nothing like you’d expect him to be,” Adalia murmured.
Her mother’s eyes sparkled. “Tell me everything.”
“You know my minor incident with Oscuro?”
“A mother doesn’t forget details like that when it comes to their children.”
Adalia shifted in her chair, heat warming her face. “Well, I may have become friendly with the prince of Oscuro. His name is Matthias.”
“Oh yes, I’ve heard about him,” Adalia’s mother chuckled lightly.
“What do you mean?!”
Reaching for a lemon tart, Adalias mother smiled. “Surely you don’t expect a tall, dark and handsome man to walk the streets of Lucius and not be on the tongues of all who see him? Plus, you have a very protective brother who loves you–he may have mentioned something.”
There was really no point in ever hiding anything from her mother. Adalia knew that and loved it all the same. She also made a mental note to give Nik a beating.
“Do I get to know all the details, or do I have to pry it out of you?” her mother asked, humour lacing her voice.
“Well, I mean…what has Nik already told you?”
“Not enough. I want all the details. Tell me the story.”
“It’s a long story, but he was having troubles with his father and I feared for his safety, so I invited him to stay in Lucius for a while. That stay turned into feelings from me–not wanting him to leave.” Adalia replied as she looked off into the distance.
“But he has left?”
Nodding, Adalia smiled weakly.
Her mother looked at her fondly. “He’ll be back.”
Chuckling, Adalia sipped at her tea again. “How do you know?”
“Because you, my dear, are amazing. He would be crazy not to,” her mother smiled. “Why did you feel you couldn’t tell me about this straight away?”
Adalia knew her mother wouldn’t be upset by the news, but she felt a little guilty all the same because this was the first time she was mentioning the prince.
“There was just so much going on. I wasn’t sure how long he would stay and I didn’t know how I felt about him until after he left.”
“And how do you feel about him?” Her mother asked gently.
“Like a piece of me is missing now that he’s gone…”
“Do you feel safe around him?”
“Yes . . . yes I do. More safe than anyone ever before.”
Adalia’s mother sipped her tea and smiled softly. “Has he been respectful of your values and boundaries?”
Nodding, Adalia knew deep down that there hadn’t been one moment since meeting the prince that he hadn’t respected her or made her feel less than he because of her values. “Yes, he has. He’s not perfect by any means, but who is? There is a sadness in him though and I want to draw it out and replace it with joy if he will let me.”
