"This little girl is the one who you've been sneaking around with?!" His mother exclaimed, outraged. Caelan simply nodded, winding his hands around Adele's waist and kissing her neck lightly just to spite his mother. "And she's not a little girl. She's a full-grown woman I love." He muttered, making icy and direct eye-contact with his mother. "Darling, go wait in my room. I'll be up in a second." He said, an underlying pleading in his voice as he stepped between his mother and Adele. He gently pressed her hands to her front and took them both in his. "Please" He said softly, pecking her forehead as pain slashed across his back. A flicker of the most agonizing expression flitted across hisface for a brief moment. He knew his mother had simply sliced his back open multiple times in succession, but he needed to hide the most precious thing in his life from the most evil person in it. "Go, please, darling" He said in a pained tone, not facing his mother as she continued to make more and more pain spread across his back and blood drip to the floor.

Caelan knew it would be immpossible to change her mind, so he sighed. The back of his shirt was now shredded as he shook his head in defeat. He felt like collapsing and sleeping and killing all at once. He placed his hand at the small of Adele's back, the movement sending more pain along his side as a blood drop followed the shocking pain's path. His mother gave Adele a very obvious and sniveling once-over with her eyes, accusation and hate written all over her face and in her eyes. "Need her to fight your battles as well, Caelan?" Sha snapped, not minding to address him as the king he was or the son she had. "Your father should have succeeded in killing you young. Maybe I'd have a much more agreeable heir." She snapped, sheathing her dagger on her hidden sheath along her thigh. "We'll speak tomorrow." She snapped. Her eyes turned to Adele's. "Alone" She added in a bone-withering tone. Caelan nodded once as his mother stormed off toward the kitchens, calling the cook's name for food to be prepared for her. Caelan sighed again, exhausted and in unbearable pain. "Let's go" He said through gritted teeth, leading Adele to his room. He walked to a cabinet which held many medicines he'd made himself over the years of abuse, grabbing out a sort of ointment and a needle and thread for stitches. "Do you mind?" He asked softly, passing her the items. "I can't reach a few spots"

Caelan stood and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Thank you, baby" He said softly, cuping her cheeks and just watching her with adoration in his eyes. "Will you stay here tonight? With me?" He asked softly. "I can get you some more clothes if you need as well"

"She likely will. There's nothing either of us can do. It isn't good to lock up your own mother--no matter how mean--since her stories are always believed before mine..." He explained. He sighed and sat on his bed, patting the spot beside him for Adele to follow

"Babe, it's fine. Please don't stress over it" He said softly, sighing. "There is nothing I can do and even if I did something crazy enough to stop her from being so cruel, she'd go after you or the Day Kingdom next. I can't risk that, baby."