Peace Maker - Chapter 225

“Isn’t it??” Falls echoed as he nodded his head. “It’s actually a really big thing too.”

“What happen-”

“I’m sure his highness wouldn’t want him to be talking about situations like this with him around,” Boris interrupted, to which Falls turned to him abruptly, freezing for a moment when they made eye contact.

His lips pressed against each other for a moment, as if he was contemplating being quiet. They glanced into his eyes for another moment, taking in the expression in the golden rays. They were screaming silence, begetting a glare of frustration in his eyes. ‘Was he piqued?’ Falls thought to himself.

He remained silent for a few more moments as he turned to Adia, taking note of her own expression. A disappearing smile, a sign of provocation? He walked with them as he took in the tension in the air, a smile of his own struggling to get onto his face.

‘Ah…’ he thought to himself as he lifted his head up high, ‘something about this conversation, vexes him and Adia is testing him.’ His hand raised up to his face and touched his nose slightly as his smile blossomed and withered when his hand lowered. “Shall I join in too?’

“I doubt that though…” Adia muttered, breaking the silence between the three when she spoke. “His highness would probably already be well informed of all of this if it got to a point that people speculated largely about it.”

Falls nodded his head and turned to Adia, ‘Ah… a chance to enter the conversation aga-‘ his thoughts trail off when he locks eyes with Adia. Her deep, dark eyes were calm but bright, a light shock running through him when they made eye contact. ‘Oh…’ he thought to himself as he watched her, ‘she knows…’

Adia cocked her head to the side, a bright smile crawling onto her face, “Isn’t that right, Sir. Falls?”

Falls flinched slightly but nodded, painting a smile across his face. “It’s true. The prince and Commander Litian seem well aware of the rumors, yet they don’t seem to react.” A shiver ran down his spine when Adia’s grin brightened.

“Is that so??” she chuckled, looking at her flower once again, “that’s even more interesting considering the fact that he’s a royal. Usually rumors like that wouldn’t be something he would like to keep circulating… unless…” he eyes trailed to Falls, her words seemingly cut off into an incomplete sentence. One that the look in her eyes was telling him to complete.

Falls nodded his head. ‘How did she find out that I understood the situation in one glance?’ “unless it’s tru-”

“Let’s not form baseless conspiracies,” Boris intercepted again, this time his voice more firm and harsh, complimenting the flare in his golden eyes. “Of course it may seem like an interesting topic but I’m sure it’s not one that we have the right to talk about, especially since it involves the crown prince of the Avieria kingdom.” His voice made sure to emphasize the last part.

Adia leaned forward and looked at Boris, a light smug smile of incitement that danced with the excitement in her eyes. “Really? It is true that he is the crown prince and all so I understand that topics like those are out of line for me to speak of,” she nodded her head, agreeing with Boris’ objections. She straightened up her figure and glanced at him one more time, their eyes making contact. “Right?”

“Right.”

The answer was short and prompt, quick to silence the conversation and settle down any other words the two might think to mention.

Adia could feel it in the air… or rather, the lack of feeling. It was gone. The air of tension, the air of frustration and festering unidentified emotions Boris had exuded, and the pending feeling of impulsiveness. It was gone, disparaged into nothing, or rather, radio silence. She gulped slightly as she felt a chill against her cheek. She had messed up.

He had snapped.

She knew this very well, the levels in his anger. One, sulking which was of no concern to anyone and he would get over in a matter of minutes even if the person doesn’t apologize. Two, upset which stays on for longer and can be dragged on to the next day. He would be petty, having the perfect mix of kindness and coldness, just enough to make the other feel like they were ok but to still have an invisible wall.

Then there was mad, which was when he lashes out. It was very rare so he was one to be especially angry when it happened, his aura was threatening, bone-chilling really but it was nothing compared to radio silence. At least when he was mad, he had emotions.

His last stage was one that no one should ever get to experience while knowing Boris. It was when he snapped, breaking all emotions he carried with the anger he held and all reason to how to handle the situation crumbles along with it. He blankens, like a clear blackboard.

Nothing was there.

That was where she was.

Adia let out a long, shaky sigh as she trembled thinking about what would come next. She picked the wrong time to have started all of this and even the fact that she teased him to that extent… lines were crossed. And they were going to be revisited in the next hours that she was supposed to spend alone with Boris in Dominic’s office.

‘At least I might still have time for him to heat back up again…’ Adia thought to herself as she looked up, her heart falling at the sight. ‘Ah… fuck. I don’t.’ They were a few steps away from Dominic’s office where they were supposed to work for the next 5 plus hours, where Boris and Adia were going to be in alone, where she was going to die. It was a fact, she was screwed.

“Sir. Fal-” she began her words being cut off by Boris.

“Thank you for accompanying us all the way here,” Boris smiled, turning to Falls and giving a light head nod towards him, “though it was a shame that you missed the earlier 5 hours of the outdoor training, I hope I can see you next time for the full 6 hours. I look forward to the chance of sparring you.”

Falls flinched at Boris’ last comment before nodding his head slowly. “Of course, your highness. It was my pleasure walking with you all the way here and I look forward to any chance of it happening later in the future.” He gave a deep bow to Boris and turned to exchange bows with Adia as Boris walked towards the door of the room.

“It was nice being in your company today, Lady Adia,” Falls smiled.

Adia nodded quickly, “The pleasure was all mine. In fact, if you would like, we could use an extra hand in th-”

“Adia,” Boris’ voice called out from behind them, his words echoing down the hallway, each repeated phrase having the same conviction as the last, each phrase carrying the same heavy tone with them.

Adia’s knees almost buckled as she turned to Boris and nodded then looked back at Falls. She lowered her head as she watched Boris from the corner of her eye, opening the door of the room and walking inside. Her heart skipped a beat, regret banging against her heart chambers. ‘Fuckkkk,’ she thought as she mentally cried to herself. ‘I’m SO screwed.’

“I’ll be taking my leave now,” Adia bowed again, then quickly turned around and speed-walking towards the door. “Goodbye, Sir. Falls.”

Falls barely had the time to get out his own goodbye before the door shut and he was left in silence and the lingering scent of two different smells in the air. He turned around and began walking away from the room, a long sigh of his own leaving his lips as he made a silent prayer for Adia.

*

Adia closed the door of the room slowly and quietly as if she was trying to sneak around to avoid the dull gazes of the stoic face seated at Dominic’s desk. She made no sounds to announce her presence and simply walked to the pile of papers on the low table in the middle of the room and plucked a heavy stack off the table.

The heavier, the more work, the more work, the less time they had to talk, the less time they had to communicate, the more her mental state grew stronger and avoided the mental breakdown staring at it on the other side of her line of sanity.

But the moment she set down her pile of books on the table beside the bookshelves, she knew she had lost.

“Come here,” Boris’ cold voice commanded, to which Adia’s body almost immediately gravitated towards him, dragging her chair behind her as she walked towards the desk. His head looked up from his books and golden eyes looked up at her. “What are you waiting for? Sit down.”

Adia smiled politely and sat down on the chair, placing the stack of papers in her hand on a section of the table unoccupied by Boris’ work. “Ok…”

They sat in silence for a few moments as Boris picked up a quill pen, dipped it in ink, and then in smooth swoops, signed his name. Adia watched intently, her eyes afraid to look away.

“Don’t make me wait,” Boris muttered, his golden eyes gleaming, “Explain yourself.”