PeaceMaker

Boris froze for a moment, captivated by her words, taken by the certainty in them. But only for a moment as soon after, he brushed the feeling away, taking a smile onto his face. 

"Thank you for your diagnosis, dear doctor," Boris bowed his head with a light chuckle as he turned and began his walk. 

"You're welcome dear customer," Adria grinned, following him from beside him. "I'm glad I could be of service."

They exchanged laughter and sat in silence as they walked. Adia glanced at Boris, her lips tightly pressed together.

'Keep it in…' she thought to herself as she looked away from Boris, biting down on her lip slightly, 'gracefulness and elegance. With that comes boundaries. Don't over-step, don't over-step, don't over-ste-'

"What are you thinking abou-"

"But why? I don't understand," The words came bursting out of Adia's mouth immediately.

Boris turned to her with a startled expression on his face before chuckling, "you really don't know how to keep your thoughts in your mind huh?"

"Freedom of speech isn't something you can learn to restrict over the course of one day," Adia sighed, "for those ladies in the palace who haven't learned how to have freedom of speech it's equally as hard for them to speak their mind as it is for me to close mine."

"Pfft-" Boris teased, "yes, yes, Lady Adia."

"Please don't call me that," Adia flinched, her face scrunching up in disgust, "the thought of all the dresses and etiquette lessons that come with that title makes me cringe painfully. And stop trying to dodge the conversation."

"Ah~ sadly I've been caught," Boris teased.

"Seriously though, why?' Adia pressed, "is it because you've spent a year in this place? Did all the fancy scents of candles, high chandeliers and fancy clothing finally brainwash you? Were you forced to believe that you miss him? Was that the work of the prince himself maybe? What a story that'll be.. A prince that forces his subordinates to miss him."

"Adia," Boris called out, his steps stopping as his voice deepened and quieted. 

"Hm?" Adia mumbled, turning to see Boris. She froze when her eyes met his. 

They were cold. A frigid gaze that held the slightest tone of… hostility and carefulness. They were terrifying. 

"Do not forget where you are, Adia," Boris warned, "this is the palace. As we watch them, they watch us. Every single word that comes out of your mouth can and will be used against you. Never soil the prince's name with accusations."

"Ah…." Adia muttered quietly, bowing her head slightly, "sorry about that."

Boris stared at her for a moment, the frightening gaze laying on his face for another second before he smiled and pushed it away. He stepped forward and patted her on the head. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you," he apologized, "just being mindful about your location is very important here."

Adia nodded her head immediately. "Nono, I understand. It's my fault for not being able to recognize my location well enough."

Boris chuckled, continuing his walk and guiding Adia along. "It's good that you understand."

"I just couldn't wrap my head around why you might have, possibly, grown an attachment to this place. I can see it in your eyes, the fondness when you walk these halls," Adia muttered in a quieter voice, "this is my first time in the palace and I'm very unfamiliar with this place as I would expect myself to be but you stroll down these halls like you have been doing it since you were born. You're comfortable."

'I'm not. At least not yet,' Boris responded in his mind immediately. He flinched when he realized the thought that had come to his mind. 'I'm not comfortable here? Yet…?' He asked himself. 

He knew the answer to that question. It was already repeating in his head. 'Until he's back. I'm not comfortable until Dominic is back.' He knew the answer to that question but the question that is provoked by it. Why?

He let out a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. 

'Why? Why? why? Why? Why? and more whys,' he thought to himself. 'The more I want to know, the more lost I get…'

Adia continued to watch him before letting out a sigh of her own. "Did I over-step again?" she asked, her eyes looking over at Boris curiously, "I'm sorry if it makes me come off as arrogant or ignorant in any way, I was just wondering how you could change so much in just a year when you've been in the streets for years now."

Boris chuckled lightly. "Yea, you're right. How did I change this much?"

Adia watched the smile on Boris' face before letting out a sigh. "There's a lot more things that you don't know about yourself anymore, are there?" she asked with a slight smile on her face. "Your mind was a lot clearer back then but the more you learned, the more you got lost."

Boris nodded his head to which Adia chuckled, her hand raising to ruffle Boris' hair. "Well look at who needs more help now~" she teased to which Boris brushed off her hand with a pout. 

They shared a few seconds of laughter as they continued to walk. 

"Hey, wait a second, do you even know where you're going?" Boris asked, turning to look at Adia.

She shrugged and grinned. "Nope. Just going to follow you. I was being led by a guard earlier but left them when I saw you so now I'm lost haha. You better take responsibility, your highness."

Boris smiled, "Well then, looks like I still have to escort you everywhere."

"Nothing ever changes much unless it needs to be," Adia grinned, "I see no reason for you to stop escorting me."

"So lazy," Boris rolled his eyes. 

"Quite the compliment, your highness,"

They both burst into laughter as Boris led Adia to her quarters in the palace. After a few minutes of walking, they got to her room. Boris stood in front of her door and then turned back to her. 

"We're here," Boris smiled. 

"Finally~ I was getting dizzy from walking alone. I hope I don't get lost trying to get to the morning meeting tomorrow," Adia sighed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. 

"Don't worry about it, I'll be sending a guard to lead you. Probably going to be a rotation of people though," Boris chuckled, "I'll be sending them at around hmmm…. Well just listen for the next time you get a knock. I'll be giving them a certain pendant so you know I sent them."

Adia nodded her head sleepily as she opened the door into the room. "Are you not sleepy?" she asked Boris, her eyelashes starting to droop. 

"My sleeping schedule has always been messed up. Now I'm more of a night owl than ever," Boris joked to which Adia nodded unconsciously, her eyelids struggling to stay open. He smiled. "Looks like someone needs to sleep."

"Promise me you'll sleep soon," Adia mumbled through slurred speech, "I don't want you being all depressed and tired during my one-week stay. That'll be so boring."

Boris grinned, "I'll be ready to entertain you first thing in the morning so go to sleep already."

Adia looked half convinced and soon nodded her head. "Once again, promise me that you'll try to sleep soon," she yawned. 

"Yes, yes," Boris nodded, "now go to sleep before you fall asleep standing."

"Yes your highness~" she mumbled as she turned around and began her way back into the room. Boris was about to reply when she turned around and walked towards him. 

Her arms wrapped around Boris' waist and she pulled him into a hug, a smile on her face. Boris stared down at her, surprised at first before smiling and embracing her back. 

"Goodnight Adia," he greeted.

"Goodnight Boris," she replied, turning around and walking into the room. After watching her lay down on the bed, Boris closed the door and let out a sigh. Then he began his own walk to his quarters.

At some point, his mind had blanked. Maybe it was sleep, the fact that he barely got enough sleep daily was finally kicking in. Or maybe it was the stress from all the work that he had to do around the clock. He wasn't sure, but his mind had wiped like a clean slate and he just walked until he reached his destination. 

He looked up at the doors through slightly sleepy eyes and when his gaze cleared he realized where he was. Where he always ended up each night.. Dominic's office.