Adrian was never used to the sound of his own footsteps echoing down the dim corridors, despite the years he had spent working in the palace. The emptiness and lack of noise save for the sound coming from himself always made his skin crawl, made his shoulders tense. And the paintings on the wall certainly didn't help. 

   For as long as the palace has been standing, portraits of the Vampire rulers lined the walls. Their dead stares haunted him, reminding him of the first days he spent in the palace. At the furthest end was a portrait of Percy himself, his eyes like beady pools of shadows, wings like a bat's, and limbs bony and slender. Beside it was another, larger portrait of him, smiling beside Penella Scarlet. Her pale fingers were intertwined with his long, sharp ones, and beside that painting was one of the couple with their daughter. Going down the hall was countless paintings of the succeeding Kings and Queens with their children.

   "Percy was the last one left," he remembered his mother explaining to him when he was young. "After the other Vampires had died from the disease the colonists brought with them. Percy united the people under a crown back then, as the Divine had told him to."

   He contemplated whether Percy had really meant it when he said the Divine gave him that duty. 

   Or whether he really said that at all, for that matter. There was no way to know.

   "Mon dieu," said a frustrated voice behind him after a small crash, making him jump. Heart hammering, he whipped behind him and found Belle, a coworker, trying to pick up a large stack of papers from the ground down the hall. He breathed a sigh of relief and walked over. 

   "Let me help you with that," Adrian called, and started sweeping up papers with her. She stammered, face hot with humiliation. 

   "Ah, no need!" She assured. "But thank you." Adrian smiled, handing her a small stack. "No worries, Miss Auclair."

   He glanced down at the papers- it was the news. He caught the words Queen Eliza and Prince Alaric, and frowned. 

   "What's this?" He asked. "I can't read very well." Belle took a moment to read part of the first page, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she narrowed her eyes. 

   "The Queen is making a new policy for Prince Alaric's rule," she said, and Adrian bit back a frown. "She's choosing a group of guards to work in the palace. Those guards can enforce the law without his command. The guards are going to start working soon." Adrian hummed, and Belle gathered the last paper and neatened the stack. 

   He recalled the arguments he heard about from Alaric regarding his ability to lead the kingdom. 

   "Do you need help with that?" Adrian offered, shaking away the thoughts. She tightly waved a hand, pressing the papers to her chest as she flashed a tiny grin. A gilded ring glittered on her finger. "Ah, it's okay, I'm sure you have plenty to do already."

   "I actually don't," Adrian replied with a shrug. "The prince is off on a meeting, so I really don't have much to do at the moment." She hesitated. 

   "Oh. If you wouldn't mind..." She trailed off, breaking up a portion of the stack. He took it from her hands, and let her lead the way to what was probably an office on the ground floor. 

   "By the way, since I never catch you when I'm alone," she began, her voice dropping. "Recently, I've been thinking, and I'm sorry to ask: You lived in the Slums, right? On the outer parts?" Adrian's stomach dropped as the words you and Slums hung in the air. He swallowed. "Yes, I've spent most of my childhood there. Why?"

   "Did you happen to know a boy named Odilon there?" She replied, gaze dropping to the ground. 

   "Odilon? Yes, I knew him. Did you?" His heart fluttered at the mentioning- it's been years since he's heard the name. 

   "If you remember, he had three siblings. I was actually the youngest sister," she said, smiling wistfully. "Claude and Odilon had moved back to France not long ago to study. Me and Téa stayed in the Kingdom."

   "Hope they're doing alright," he replied. "Small world, isn't it?" She chuckled. "Indeed, yes. I only just realized that a little while ago, when I was talking with her."

   Someone cleared their throat behind them.

   They both jumped, and a few papers nearly slipped from Belle's grasp. They whipped around in unison. 

   "Amy, what are you doing here?" Belle said, a hand over her chest, and Adrian fell silent. Meanwhile, Amelia stood before them, leaning against a pillar with her arms crossed. "You two flirting?" Belle stammered, and Adrian stood tall before her. 

   "No, we were only talking about our-" 

   "He was just helping me bring these papers," Belle said, suddenly. She threw him an uneasy glance. Amelia looked them both up and down and shook her head. 

   "Why the hell are you talking to him?" She demanded. "He's Clarke's son. Don't you know how that is for me? Are you siding with them?" Belle stammered, picking at the side of the stack. "No, it's not supposed to be-"

   "Whatever. It doesn't matter anymore." She threw her hands in front of Adrian, gesturing for the papers, and Adrian slowly handed them over. She turned away, flicking her blonde hair, and muttered to Belle, "Let's go."

   Adrian lingered for a moment after they left, shoved his hands in his pockets, and left the other way, his gaze fixed on the ground. 

❦

   "Dad?" Adrian asked on their way home, since they were alone. "Did something happen between you and Amelia?"

   "Amelia? Amelia Fitton?" He replied, crossing his arms. Adrian nodded. Oscar sighed, rubbing his eyes. 

   "I told you to stay away from her if you could."

   "I couldn't, this time."

   "What did she tell you?"

   "She didn't tell me anything. She fussed at Auclair for talking to me when I'm your son." Clarke sighed again. 

   "It's a story for later, okay? Just trust me on this." Adrian's eyes lingered on the man for several long seconds before he shrugged and his voice dropped as they reached the door of their house. 

   "You told me she was the Dietzes' daughter."

   "I did. But I'm not telling you anything more."

   "Okay. But that just means I'm left to assume it's about them." Clarke dug out the keys and unlocked the door. 

   "Whatever."

❊