7

Going down the stairs reserved for servants, Adelie realized that she was still wearing her big blue dress. She struggled to pass through the small corridors but still managed to reach her room or her old room, she was not sure.

She hoped to find Flore, her confidante, there.

But when she entered the small, dar

She sat down on her little bed. Her dress took up so much space that the room seemed even more cramped.

Suddenly she was seized with a panic that she could not overcome. She hastily removed her petticoat and her corset in order to be able to breathe. So in her underwear, she collapsed on her bed.

She was staring at the cracked ceiling when she remembered something.

She got up to rummage under her bed. A small rusty metal box sealed with a padlock was there.

Adelie wore a small silver necklace day and night. The chain was so thin that many did not notice it. THE pendant was a key, the key to the padlock.

She quickly opened it. There was a letter that his mother had sent him when he arrived here, then a letter from his father that he had sent when he left to work at the palace and finally a small notebook containing his drawings. Of course there was a wooden pencil.

Adelie smiles as she sees these memories. She took the notebook in her hands. Her name was written in golden letters on it “Adélie Bauduin”.

Virtually every page was covered with sketches and drawings. She hastened to take her pencil and blacken a new page. She applied herself to making the portrait of the King.

A few minutes later she was admiring his handiwork. It would have been prettier if she had had some paint, but the pencil was enough for her.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened. Adélie took fright and hid the metal box and its contents under the bed. Fortunately, it was only Flore. She ran to take her friend in her arms when she saw her.

“- Adelie thank god you are fine! It's been two days since you disappeared and I refused to believe the rumors! she exclaimed

- Flora I missed you so much! What rumors are you talking about?

"They say you've become the King's favorite and..."

She stopped talking as she surveyed the room. Adelie's petticoats and silk corset were strewn about it.

“- Adelie... are you the King’s favourite?! she cried

- No, speak less loudly, we risk hearing you. I'm not the King's favorite but he took me in friendship I think..."

Adelie told him about the last hours spent with the King in detail. Flore couldn't believe it.

After laughing heartily together, Adélie decided to go back up to the room the King had assigned to her. Flore helped her get dressed, she was used to it since she was taking care of the Queen Mother.

Adelie went as discreetly as she could through the corridors to her bedroom.

She hoped that the King hadn't noticed her absence, unfortunately that was the case.

He was waiting for her, sitting on an armchair, his legs crossed and his eyes frustrated.

" Your Highness ! exclaimed Adelie surprised.

He got up to walk around the bed and join her.

"I didn't expect to see you here...

- Adelie, he said calmly, I was worried not to find you in the palace, where were you?

"I... Forgive me, Your Highness, I went to see my friend in the servants' halls..."

Adelie looked down at the floor. The King approached her and lifted her chin with his index finger. This contact greatly disturbed the young girl who felt her cheeks turn pink.

But how to refuse anything to the King? She let herself be disconcerted but this contact did not displease her either.

Gustave hesitated to raise his hand to the young woman's cheek, but he changed his mind for fear of frightening her.

"I would like this kind of incident not to happen again, I don't have to do that to look for you in the immensity of the palace, do you understand, I am King"

The coldness in the King's voice scared Adelie. As he was about to leave the room she was dying to ask him the final question.

"What do you expect from me Your Highness?" »

She finally dared. She felt her heart beating in time. HE had stopped walking but his back was to her.

Adélie thought it had been several hours when Gustave finally turned around.

“What do I expect of you? » He seemed to hesitate for a moment « You are of a rare beauty Adelie, so I will not force you and I will wait until you are ready »

He announced this as he left the room. Adélie did not quite understand what Le Souverain meant by that, but she contented herself with this answer.

As she was about to take off her dress to dive into her bath, the door opened. k room, she realized that Flore was hard at work.

She sat down on her little bed. Her dress took up so much space that the room seemed even more cramped.

Suddenly she was seized with a panic that she could not overcome. She hastily removed her petticoat and her corset in order to be able to breathe. So in her underwear, she collapsed on her bed.

She was staring at the cracked ceiling when she remembered something.

She got up to rummage under her bed. A small rusty metal box sealed with a padlock was there.

Adelie wore a small silver necklace day and night. The chain was so thin that many did not notice it. THE pendant was a key, the key to the padlock.

She quickly opened it. There was a letter that his mother had sent him when he arrived here, then a letter from his father that he had sent when he left to work at the palace and finally a small notebook containing his drawings. Of course there was a wooden pencil.

Adelie smiles as she sees these memories. She took the notebook in her hands. Her name was written in golden letters on it “Adélie Bauduin”.

Virtually every page was covered with sketches and drawings. She hastened to take her pencil and blacken a new page. She applied herself to making the portrait of the King.

A few minutes later she was admiring his handiwork. It would have been prettier if she had had some paint, but the pencil was enough for her.

Suddenly the bedroom door opened. Adélie took fright and hid the metal box and its contents under the bed. Fortunately, it was only Flore. She ran to take her friend in her arms when she saw her.

“- Adelie thank god you are fine! It's been two days since you disappeared and I refused to believe the rumors! she exclaimed

- Flora I missed you so much! What rumors are you talking about?

"They say you've become the King's favorite and..."

She stopped talking as she surveyed the room. Adelie's petticoats and silk corset were strewn about it.

“- Adelie... are you the King’s favourite?! she cried

- No, speak less loudly, we risk hearing you. I'm not the King's favorite but he took me in friendship I think..."

Adelie told him about the last hours spent with the King in detail. Flore couldn't believe it.

After laughing heartily together, Adélie decided to go back up to the room the King had assigned to her. Flore helped her get dressed, she was used to it since she was taking care of the Queen Mother.

Adelie went as discreetly as she could through the corridors to her bedroom.

She hoped that the King hadn't noticed her absence, unfortunately that was the case.

He was waiting for her, sitting on an armchair, his legs crossed and his eyes frustrated.

" Your Highness ! exclaimed Adelie surprised.

He got up to walk around the bed and join her.

"I didn't expect to see you here...

- Adelie, he said calmly, I was worried not to find you in the palace, where were you?

"I... Forgive me, Your Highness, I went to see my friend in the servants' halls..."

Adelie looked down at the floor. The King approached her and lifted her chin with his index finger. This contact greatly disturbed the young girl who felt her cheeks turn pink.

But how to refuse anything to the King? She let herself be disconcerted but this contact did not displease her either.

Gustave hesitated to raise his hand to the young woman's cheek, but he changed his mind for fear of frightening her.

"I would like this kind of incident not to happen again, I don't have to do that to look for you in the immensity of the palace, do you understand, I am King"

The coldness in the King's voice scared Adelie. As he was about to leave the room she was dying to ask him the final question.

"What do you expect from me Your Highness?" »

She finally dared. She felt her heart beating in time. HE had stopped walking but his back was to her.

Adélie thought it had been several hours when Gustave finally turned around.

“What do I expect of you? » He seemed to hesitate for a moment « You are of a rare beauty Adelie, so I will not force you and I will wait until you are ready »

He announced this as he left the room. Adélie did not quite understand what Le Souverain meant by that, but she contented herself with this answer.

As she was about to take off her dress to dive into her bath, the door opened.