She Belongs To The Devil

Adeline also fluttered her eyes and slowly opened them. She could feel that her eyes were wet so she wiped her tears. Then she buried her face in her palms and stayed like that.

Her heart and mind was a mess. She did not know how to react to all the information that she got to know. She practically lived as Lillian through her memories and for a while, Adeline could not help but feel like she was the one to do so many horrible things to those innocent people, including her mother.

Lillian had so many deaths in her hand which Adeline came to know of. And she was sure that those were not all; she was sure that Theodore did not show the death of everyone that was instigated by Lillian.

Adeline wanted to take the revenge with Lillian for murdering her mother. But she had killed so many other people. What was she supposed to do to Lillian? How was she supposed to avenge all those innocent lives taken by Lillian?

Adeline thought that she could punish Lillian for her wrongdoings once she held superior position by becoming the Queen of Wyverndale. But what would be Lillian\'s punishment? Dethronement? Banishment? Life imprisonment? No, these would all be too lenient considering those gruesome crimes that she had committed.

However, Adeline knew that for all the crimes that she has committed till now, even killing her would be too lenient. But she also knew that even though Lillian\'s crimes were horrible, she would not be able to take another person\'s life.

And there was always another possibility. What if Adeline will not be able to pass the test and be the next reigning Queen? What then? And worse, what if Prince Edwin or Alan became the King? She was sure that Lillian would be untouchable if that happened.

Then there was another different question. Was Lillian really the culprit here? Was her father not to blame for, for the way he treated Lillian and turned her into a murderer?

Adeline was so lost in her thoughts that she forgot about Theodore\'s presence in her room.

Theodore had also kept quiet because he was unsure about what to do? Should he leave Adeline in her own thoughts? Or should he try to talk to her? Finally, he thought that leaving her to drown in her thoughts would be a bad idea so he held Adeline\'s hands and pulled them away from her face.

Then he lifted her chin to see her face and spoke in his soft voice, "Adeline, talk to me. I didn\'t show those memories to you so that you would be even more disheartened. I showed them to you so that you could build a strong resolve and make a wise decision."

"I am so confused Theo. I don\'t know how to feel and what to say." Adeline seemed like she would break down into tears at any moment now.

Theodore gently pressed his thumb on Adeline\'s knuckles and asked her, "What is so confusing? I just made everything clear by showing everything to you, I mean every major thing. So what is troubling you now?"

Adeline exhaled sharply and scrunched her brows together. "Yes, you did show me everything. But that\'s the problem. I don\'t know what to think."

Theodore had thought that by showing Adeline everything, it would boost her need for revenge. So what went wrong? He knitted his brows in tune and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Adeline half-shrugged and then puckered her lips. "I mean who is the real culprit here? Is it my father for not caring about Lillian and turning her into a cold-hearted witch that she is today, or is it Lillian for turning out that way, or is the fault with my mother for entering the Palace for a man who already had so many wives and concubines?"

Theodore shook his head looking at the soft-hearted fool in front of him. For a split second, he wanted to shout at Adeline to remind her that Lillian is a cold-blooded murderer. But he gained his calm and spoke as softly as he could, "Adeline, everything is as clear as the dew. Lillian is the real culprit, not your father, not your mother."

He looked Adeline in the eyes and tried to remind what Lillian had done. "Yes, your father should not have treated his wife like she was just some tool to achieve his dreams. Lillian\'s happiness was his responsibility after all."

Then he emphasized what he had to say. "But that does not give Lillian the right to go berserk and start killing and chewing everyone on her path. Your father has other wives and concubines as well. They might also have been jealous of your mother for getting the love from the King when they did not. But did the others stoop as low as Lillian? They definitely did not."

Theodore looked at Adeline with serious eyes and said, "I know you have a very soft heart and you will even be ready to forgive the murderer. But just know this… Lillian has repeatedly tried to kill you in the past. And if you show any mercy to her, the moment you turn your back, she will stab you instantly."

He held her hand tightly with a worried look on his face. He knew that Lillian would try several other ways to kill Adeline just to satisfy the years old grudge against the King. "So you have to be careful not to forget what you saw today. You can never forget what she has done to all those innocent people including your own mother."

Theodore was not the one to lie, and give false hope and consolation to others. He was the one to directly express his thoughts. "You will have to fight against Lillian, not just to avenge the dead but also for your own survival. And trust me when I say this, you will not be the one to strike first.. She will openly come at you, to finish what she has not finished yet. She will come at your life…"