Chapter 46. Carriage Chatter

Silence reigns within the carriage as the pair curiously look at Viktor's excited expression. He dramatically gestures to himself as he spoke.

"For, I and my magnanimous self would wish to know of my apprentice's story." The words lit a fire in Adelaide's eyes, eyes directed to Charles.

She immediately exclaims as she nudged him, "C'mon then let's talk about that till we get to our first stop,"

She started faking fainting while leaning to my shoulder, "I don't know why you'll let a lady like me get bored, bearing with such suffocating silence."

She smiles up at me, "So, let's start talking about you, till we get to Caehal." Charles blushes from her closeness, pulling himself away from her.

His reply though was interrupted by a chuckle, he looks to the teasing smile coming from Viktor. "Well, well. It seems the little lady wishes for entertainment to pass the time in this day-long journey."

He tilts his head at me, "You won't allow such a cute young lady to suffer? would you?" Charles sighs deeply, knowing the topic to be unavoidable.

Charles ruffles his hair in irritation, "If I'm going to tell you about my past life," he pointed his finger at the two occupants. "The two of you better do the same."

Adelaide shyly looks away, a bit embarrassed of her past. Viktor only tilts his head gesturing Charles to go on.

Charles coughs in his hand taking Adelaide's attention. As Charles gains a faraway expression. "I was raised in an orphanage,"

Charles smile filled with melancholy comes into view stirring Adelaide's heartstrings. "I always wanted a family,"

He looks outside to the city, "The beautiful view of a happy family, a sight I could only see through a window." The happy families leaving the orphanage flash through his mind.

He scornfully smiles, "It's even worse when you see your friends leave," He closes his eyes in reminiscence, "Seeing their excited faces, happy to face a new tomorrow."

Charles shakes his head as he looked at both of them. Adelaide looking like she's ready to hug him, while Viktor only eagerly awaiting his story. "So, I found my happiness in history books,"

Charles smiles, remembering his childlike wonder in reading "Watching the men and women of history as they create ripples through time,"

Charles rests his head at the window, "Was always my favourite pastime, but I just enjoyed it then."

Charles shrugs and smiles off his childish view of history as a bedtime story. "I saw it as a bedtime story and excitedly wished for the next part."

Charles laughs, amused of himself. "Maybe that's why I got that degree in History." Adelaide looks at his happy reaction and spoke with curiosity, "Then why haven't I seen you read with such enthusiasm."

Charles' expression turns depressed, as he tries to smile back at her. "Well, I already have a family." Adelaide looks down in guilt from her reminder.

Viktor claps easing the dreary atmosphere, he looks to Adelaide with a smile. "How about the little lady?" He charmingly smiles at her "What's your story?"

Adelaide looks back to Charles as she started speaking, "Well, I've already been a princess." Charles looks at her in realization.

"So, that's why you look so used to being the center of attention." Adelaide nods, "Yup, well not a princess in a traditional sense."

Charles nods and inquisitively spoke, "More of a daughter of a rich dad?" Adelaide nods in affirmation, "He's more of a politician but yeah. pretty much."

"Unfortunately, he was overprotective." She frowns, "Mother died giving birth to me," Adelaide wipes a tear from her eyes, "That's why Father always wants me safe, afraid of losing me as he did mother."

"That turned life boring real fast," She counted with he finger, "I was homeschooled, I wasn't allowed outside without his permission and I had bodyguard detail wherever I go."

She clenches her fist, "I was trapped in a gilded cage." She tears up, "Unfortunately, I died the way father wanted to avoid, through assassination."

Adelaide almost stops herself from crying, "I still remember Father's crying face as he held me." She shakes her head, trying to forget such depressing memories "It was because of that Isolation that I've been so excited about this new life of mine."

She hugs herself in delight, "The big window of opportunity now open for me to explore a vast multiverse," She dreamily smiles, "Just feels intoxicating."

Charles looks at her dreamy expression and sighs, maybe we all have our reason to be participating in this death game, hers sounds better than mine.

Viktor excitedly claps, "Outstanding," He holds his in dramatic amazement, "Both of your reason in participation is certainly sublime,"

He rests his hand upon his heart, "I certainly believe both of you will achieve greatness If you continue with such earnestness."

Charles only looks confused at Viktor's dramatics while Adelaide blushed from his compliments. embarrassed from his speech.

"So I believe it is best for me to leave now, giving you both time till the show really starts going." Viktor disappears in a flourish his black overcoat billowing through the wind.

Charles looks dumbfounded, his face twitching in annoyance, as he shouted. "That bastard just ran away on his turn?"

The shout removed Adelaide from her embarrassed stupor as she realizes Viktor's ruse. "Is he always like this?"

Charles nods, as he exasperatedly spoke. "Yes, he disappears whenever he wants and just leaves some incomprehensible quote he pulled out of his ass."

The words are followed with a shock, Charles spazzes out on his seat as Adelaide looks at him in shock, before she could help him through it stops.

"What was that?" Adelaide concernedly ask, Charles, hold his chest and breaths deeply as he spoke, "Its something he does from time to time,"

He shakes his head, "It doesn't matter, it's probably best if we do something while we're on the way to Caehal."

Adelaide nods, "OK, so whats do you propose we do?"