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Caelan nodded. "Thank you so much, baby" he said softly, pecking her forehead. "Will you stay in here with me? Not in a guest room or anything?" He asked softly, standing |
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Adele nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course." She stood and stretched, then asked, "Should we go into town to get food or have the cooks here make it?" She didn't really know how the night kingdom palace worked, but the food she'd eaten from the market had been delicious. Her stomach growled quietly, and she realized she hadn't eaten since... Well, she couldn't remember when she'd eaten last. |
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"The market." He said, smiling softly. He placed 5 extra daggers on his arm sheaths and took her hand, leading her out. They walekd the calmer streets, the streetlights alongside them glowing under the bright constellations |
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Adele nodded and, having left her sheath and daggers at home, let Caelan take responsibility of the weapons today. She followed him through the streets until she saw a booth she liked the looks of. It's sign read: "Sweet Apple Pastries". Adele pointed it out to Caelan and asked, "For dessert? I don't know about an actual meal, you know the city better than I do." |
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"Of course, darling. We'll get those on the way back so they're warm, though. Is that alright?" He asked softly, pecking her temple and squeezing her hand gently. He beelined it straight for a nice restruant he loved. "I used to sneak off to here as a kid" He whispered in Adele's ear, even though it wasn't much of a secret. "The owner practically raised me on her food. The castle's cook is okay, but you can taste the love this woman pours into her food." He explained softly, walking in. A tall, bubbly woman who looked around 45 years old gasped softly when she saw Caelan and Adele. "Caelan!" She excalimed, hurrying up to him. "How have you been? You haven't come around for a while..." She said, voice trailing off as she looked at Adele. "Is this the girl you're mother has been talking about? Hello, dear, I'm Betty" She said softly. The woman had dark, bouncy, curly hair and stunning blue eyes. She was a kid of a Day Kingdom father who abandoned her and her Night Kingdom mother when she was born. The black apron she was wearing had smudges of cooking oil--no doubt a few spots fresh-- and some flour every now and then along her front. She was shorter and you could see her age in the way she walked and stood, but only love and adoration shone from her eyes that only a mother could ever show. A few scars were along her arms from her old underground fighting days, but she was a sweet and humble woman nonetheless. "C'mon, let's get you some grub" She said, patting Caelan's shoulder and leading him to the counter up front. It was usually a bar but was closed in 'Mourning' as some resturants chose to do for the kingdom's loss. Of course, Betty simply was doing renovations and trying new recipes for a few regulars who came in anyways. Betty never complained about work and kept her circle of 'family' small. She used to say she wished Caelan had been hers but stopped saying that after being beat for it. Betty walked around the the other side of the counter eagerly, excited Caelan was there--and no less with his new girl. "The usual?" She asked, half turned to hurry into the kitchen as Caelan nodded excitedly. Betty chuckled and hurried off. "You got it, mister!" She called over her shoulder |
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(Long post! lol :D) . Adele nodded, fine with whatever he said. She followed him into a sunny-looking restaurant with hardly anyone inside. That made her feel better about eating here, as she stayed away from bars as much as possible, for obvious reasons. When a cheery woman greeted Caelan warmly, more warmly than Adele would have expected, entered, she felt even more at ease. "Hello. I'm Adelaide, but please call me Adele." She didn't even consider hiding her identity from this woman, Betty, she was just far too kind and joyful to lie to. When Caelan sat at the counter, Adele followed suit, resting her arms on the countertop and gazing around. She whispered to Caelan, still somewhat scared of being heard, "She seems very kind. I'm glad one restaurant around here is safe, at least." She felt bad for being paranoid and assuming that the night kingdom city was shady and dangerous, but it couldn't be helped. After all, it was called the night kingdom. |
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Didn't mean to xd sorry! It got away from me as I created the new, spur-of-the-moment character lol) "She's one of the only reasons I didn't off myself on purpose as a kid. She'd find me hurt and broken and hand me a bowl of soup before telling me to sit still while she stitched me up. She practically raised me without being my real mom. I'd want her at our wedding before I want my own mother. I accidentally called her 'Mama' one time without thinking and she nearly cried." He said, chuckling softly at the end. Betty came out a few minutes later with three bowls of stew and fresh looking garlic bread still warm from the oven. "Here you go, dears" She said in a soft tone, everything about her gaze toward Caelan shouted 'This is my son' without her needing to say the words. "Thank you" Caelan said softly, getting up to pour them all some water. Betty sat on the other side of the counter atop a stool that looked like it'd been used for that exact purpose for endless years and would be sturdy for a hundred more. Caelan passed a glass of water to Adele before setting one in front of Betty and grabbing his own glass and sitting once more. Betty had always made the best food he'd ever tasted and hoped Adele would feel the same. "Caelan probably recognizes this, but it's beef, potato, veggie stew." Betty explained softly for Adele. Caelan nodded excitedly, beaming from ear-to-ear. He dug in, the warm bread and hearty stew mixing perfectly in his mouth and hitting him right in the soul. It felt like home. Like nothing would ever bother him or Adele again. He turned to Adele after a bit with the grin back on his face. "You like it, darling?" He asked softly, tucking a strand of fallen hair behind her ear. |
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(No, no, it's great! I love all the detail <3) . Adele listened to Caelan's story, heart warming simply at the thought that Caelan had someone that he loved as a mother. He deserved it. When Betty came out with the soup, the smell nearly made Adele faint. It smelled so incredibly delicious that she might as well fall over dead. But thankfully she didn't, and instead greedily grabbed the spoon and began eating. The tastes of potato, beef, and vegetables were complimented perfectly by the broth and seasonings, and the bread made the meal almost heavenly. When Caelan asked how it was, Adele had no words. She just smiled widely and nodded vigorously, continuing to eat. When she was filled to the brim with the hearty soup and bread, she finally took a drink from her glass. She leaned back, entirely satisfied with the meal, all past troubles gone for the moment. |
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oh, good lol) "So how did you two meet?" Betty inquired, smiling at the couple. Caelan chuckled and looked at Adele adoringly. "She rode into my kingdom on her horse and I almost immedietly recognized her. She denied the identity, just trying to keep herself safe, but I saw through it. I offered for her to be my personal servant and she agreed. I very quickly fell for her after showing her my special spot on the cliff." He explained, turning to Betty once more. She nodded, knowing of the spot but never going there. "she admitted her identity a couple days later and I told her everything about me and my kingdom." Caelan continued, voice carrying through the small space they were in. |
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Adele wasn't in the mood for talking, so she let Caelan tell the story, while she recalled those days with fondness. Things seemed much simpler then... Though she knew they had been just as hard. Adele nodded as Caelan finished and added a little from her side of the story. "I left my castle and parents because they were going to send me to boarding school, and I reacted very wrongly by running away. But... I guess it turned out for the better!" She finished, gazing at Caelan. |
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Moderate Temperatures and Overcast
