13

ADALINE

As I approached the grand door of my father's study, the heavy wood seemed to groan in protest against my touch. "Ahh, your highness," a grunt echoed from the other side, causing the two guards stationed there to exchange awkward glances. Their discomfort mirrored my own, amplified by the knowledge of what awaited me beyond those doors.

The air was thick with the smell of secrecy and luxury, hinting at the hidden affair happening inside. I couldn't decide which was more unsettling: the realization that my father had summoned me only to be preoccupied with his illicit affair with a palace maid, or the burden placed upon the guards, who stood as reluctant witnesses to the intimate spectacle. In their eyes, I saw a mixture of sympathy and discomfort, torn between their duty and the moral dilemma of whether to intrude upon my father's euphoria.

"Ahh Please, faster," the maid's voice pleaded, her tone oddly familiar, but I couldn't be bothered to identify who was servicing my fath