The Cursed Throne
Adaline
Henry’s news that a formal declaration of war had been pronounced somehow simply didn’t seem real. After all, they couldn’t actually be going to war, could they? Accompanying this news was something else that also didn’t quite seem real… in a different sense. The History of the Philyan’s Royals claimed that there was actually a reason the siblings had curses. The curses in themselves were supposedly a curse that had been played on one of the previous monarchs, hundreds of years ago.
In disbelief, Ada demanded that Theo hand the book over. He did so, and Henry even helpfully pointed out the passage that she should read. Sure enough, there it was in the book. Considering how old the book was though, she still didn’t quite know whether they could trust it or not. People were prone to superstition after all.
Yet still, there was something about it… it just wouldn’t leave her alone, and somehow she knew that they were right. A centuries years-old curse was to blame.
Ada had ended up taking the book and reading through it, starting at the beginning, whenever she had free time. A few times, she’d even been caught reading it rather than the texts Sir James assigned. She hardly dared to hope that the book would prove helpful in any way, but she’d know a little more about their family’s history in the end in any case, so she really had nothing to lose.
Then, one day as she was reading the book while pretending to study some other dusty history book, a small flurry of knocks sounded against the door, jarring her out of the consumed state she always seemed to enter while reading. Sir James rose, answered the door, and after a brief, quiet conversation, the man turned to Ada.
“It seems the King requires your presence in the throne room,” he said, sounding unhappy by the fact that it was cutting into her lessons. He also made it sound as if it were her fault, which was entirely unfair.
“Then I best go,” Ada replied as she closed her book and stood. “I’m sure we can pick up where we left off with governments tomorrow,” she added with a cheeky smile, plucking the subject from her mind from what little she remembered him lecturing her about.
“We were studying monarchies, Princess Adaline.” Sir James’ voice was a little strained and very tired.
“Oh. I don’t actually recall that…” Ada’s smile this time was sheepish, and she awkwardly patted her teacher’s hand after shifting the book so that she was holding it in the other hand. “Cheer up, Sir James. I still learn quite a bit from you. I just get so bored sometimes. You really can’t expect me to sit here and behave and soak up everything, especially when we are in a musty, dirty, poorly lit room.”
Sir James cast Adaline a sharp look, and she hurriedly retracted her hand, opening the door that lead outside and to -limited- freedom. “I suppose I’ll be going then.”
“You’ll come back after you are done with the King, Princess Adaline,” the man warned. “We’re resuming our lesson today, and you aren’t leaving again until you at least comfortably know the basics.”
“Yes, Sir James,” Ada sighed, giving him one more quick smile before she left the room entirely and closed the door behind her with finality. Honestly, if her two guards hadn’t heard the entire exchange, she doubted that she would have gone back, but there wasn’t really much of a choice any longer.
In fact, they were both looking at her. “Let’s go then, shall we?” Ada sighed quietly, moving her book into the crook of her arms as she started down the hall.
Too soon, she was at the throne room, apparently the last to arrive judging by all of the men milling out in the halls. Those who weren’t amiably chatting with each other looked downright awkward, but Ada entered the room without comment, leaving her two babysitters to join the rest in whatever fashion they chose.
“Adaline, you’ve finally decided to join us I see.” King Danton’s voice was low and rumbling, but echoed in a loud way throughout the throne room. He didn’t sound particularly pleased.
“My apologies, Father,” Ada demurred as she joined her older siblings. “It was a long walk, and I was in the middle of a lesson with Sir James.”
“Very well. The important thing is that you are here now,” Danton allowed. “Now then, the reason that I have called you all here together today children, is so that I may announce something. You all know that war has been declared on Thegari. What you may not know is that I will be needed on the battlefront. A king’s place during war is on the battlefield with his people. For this reason, Theodore will be joining me. I think he will best learn how to be this kingdom’s future king through this war. Not only that, but it is his duty.”
Danton paused, eyes flickering to the faces of each of his five children one at a time. “The troops, Theodore, and I leave in three days’ time.” The king rose. “You are free to go.”
A grave silence fell upon the room as the siblings turned to each other and exchanged looks. They had known war was on the horizon, had heard the rumors of it well beforehand and had been the first to know of the formal declaration. This just somehow made it all seem more real.
Without words, they all left, and despite the valiant attempts made, Sir James simply couldn’t drag Adaline back into a lesson that afternoon. Even his threats of keeping her in the room overnight or prohibiting outside lessons couldn’t do the trick, and eventually he simply had to let her go.
It was just as well. Ada had a book to finish and some thinking to do.
In disbelief, Ada demanded that Theo hand the book over. He did so, and Henry even helpfully pointed out the passage that she should read. Sure enough, there it was in the book. Considering how old the book was though, she still didn’t quite know whether they could trust it or not. People were prone to superstition after all.
Yet still, there was something about it… it just wouldn’t leave her alone, and somehow she knew that they were right. A centuries years-old curse was to blame.
Ada had ended up taking the book and reading through it, starting at the beginning, whenever she had free time. A few times, she’d even been caught reading it rather than the texts Sir James assigned. She hardly dared to hope that the book would prove helpful in any way, but she’d know a little more about their family’s history in the end in any case, so she really had nothing to lose.
Then, one day as she was reading the book while pretending to study some other dusty history book, a small flurry of knocks sounded against the door, jarring her out of the consumed state she always seemed to enter while reading. Sir James rose, answered the door, and after a brief, quiet conversation, the man turned to Ada.
“It seems the King requires your presence in the throne room,” he said, sounding unhappy by the fact that it was cutting into her lessons. He also made it sound as if it were her fault, which was entirely unfair.
“Then I best go,” Ada replied as she closed her book and stood. “I’m sure we can pick up where we left off with governments tomorrow,” she added with a cheeky smile, plucking the subject from her mind from what little she remembered him lecturing her about.
“We were studying monarchies, Princess Adaline.” Sir James’ voice was a little strained and very tired.
“Oh. I don’t actually recall that…” Ada’s smile this time was sheepish, and she awkwardly patted her teacher’s hand after shifting the book so that she was holding it in the other hand. “Cheer up, Sir James. I still learn quite a bit from you. I just get so bored sometimes. You really can’t expect me to sit here and behave and soak up everything, especially when we are in a musty, dirty, poorly lit room.”
Sir James cast Adaline a sharp look, and she hurriedly retracted her hand, opening the door that lead outside and to -limited- freedom. “I suppose I’ll be going then.”
“You’ll come back after you are done with the King, Princess Adaline,” the man warned. “We’re resuming our lesson today, and you aren’t leaving again until you at least comfortably know the basics.”
“Yes, Sir James,” Ada sighed, giving him one more quick smile before she left the room entirely and closed the door behind her with finality. Honestly, if her two guards hadn’t heard the entire exchange, she doubted that she would have gone back, but there wasn’t really much of a choice any longer.
In fact, they were both looking at her. “Let’s go then, shall we?” Ada sighed quietly, moving her book into the crook of her arms as she started down the hall.
Too soon, she was at the throne room, apparently the last to arrive judging by all of the men milling out in the halls. Those who weren’t amiably chatting with each other looked downright awkward, but Ada entered the room without comment, leaving her two babysitters to join the rest in whatever fashion they chose.
“Adaline, you’ve finally decided to join us I see.” King Danton’s voice was low and rumbling, but echoed in a loud way throughout the throne room. He didn’t sound particularly pleased.
“My apologies, Father,” Ada demurred as she joined her older siblings. “It was a long walk, and I was in the middle of a lesson with Sir James.”
“Very well. The important thing is that you are here now,” Danton allowed. “Now then, the reason that I have called you all here together today children, is so that I may announce something. You all know that war has been declared on Thegari. What you may not know is that I will be needed on the battlefront. A king’s place during war is on the battlefield with his people. For this reason, Theodore will be joining me. I think he will best learn how to be this kingdom’s future king through this war. Not only that, but it is his duty.”
Danton paused, eyes flickering to the faces of each of his five children one at a time. “The troops, Theodore, and I leave in three days’ time.” The king rose. “You are free to go.”
A grave silence fell upon the room as the siblings turned to each other and exchanged looks. They had known war was on the horizon, had heard the rumors of it well beforehand and had been the first to know of the formal declaration. This just somehow made it all seem more real.
Without words, they all left, and despite the valiant attempts made, Sir James simply couldn’t drag Adaline back into a lesson that afternoon. Even his threats of keeping her in the room overnight or prohibiting outside lessons couldn’t do the trick, and eventually he simply had to let her go.
It was just as well. Ada had a book to finish and some thinking to do.