celestial

"THERE WAS ABOUT HER A : W I L D N E S S THAT FLASHED IN HER EYES. SHE WAS SPOILED AND [ BEAUTIFUL ] AND EASILY BORED. SHE WAS EITHER FIERCELY EXCITED OR COOL & D E T A C H E D."

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

A slight smile lingered on Milo’s lips whilst listening to the Princess’ advice, still standing a few steps away from her without relaxing his posture, since, despite of the casual conversation they were exchanging, he was still on duty. “I beg your pardon, but that’s not what I meant, Adeline.” He absentmindedly called her by her name, resting his gaze on her silhouette. “I don’t want the fame nor the wealth. My connection with my father got me to stand here tonight, but I’m not willing to take anything else apart from the experience out of this. My plans on the long run are the complete opposite, so I don’t think you need to be so skeptical about my intentions. Furthermore, I’m sorry to inform you, but people can take away from you even when you have nothing, so that’s nothing exclusive for you or everyone else in this building. I appreciate the warning, though. Might be the first time you refer to me as an actual human being.” The last sentence yet again passed by his lips unnoticeably, sarcasm threaded by the words that were slurred more for Milo himself to hear. The whistling wind and Clementine stepping into the scene definitely muffled his last saying though, the blonde staggering towards Adeline with one hand holding a champagne-filled glass identical to the Princess’ empty one and the other resting on the brunette’s shoulder.

“Can you believe Charles Gladstone had the audacity of flirting with me almost right after that episode with Nathaniel? And what was that all about anyway? I thought Nate was always so nice to you and all of a sudden he just offends you in front of everyone?”, the blonde blurted out, Milo simply observing their interaction by now.

Adeline let out a scoff, frowning slightly. “That’s a bit presumptuous,” she snapped. “It’s M’am to you, Mr. Khalid.” She was undoubtedly irritated by Milo’s choice of address, but she was also slightly endeared to his boldness. It was refreshing in such a sycophantic world. “Please forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” Adeline muttered, rolling her eyes as she spoke. “I know you think you’re above all of this; that you’re not as materialistic as to want it, but I’ve met a thousand people just like you. They all turn out the same, and I see no reason why you would be any different.” She scoffed, looking Milo up and down once. “But please, be my guest - prove me wrong.” Just as Adeline was about to pull Milo up on his last remark, Clementine stumbled onto the balcony, precariously balanced in sky-high heels.

Reaching out to remove the glass from Clementine's grasp, Addie wrapped her hands around the blonde’s forearm to steady her, clearly struggling to keep them both upright. Fury flashed across her face momentarily at the words Clementine spoke. “What?” She demanded, her voice strangled, feeling an indescribable sense of discomfort  crawl slowly over her. She felt almost betrayed - not by Charlie, she didn’t even like him that much - but by herself for being so naive. Clementine picked up on Adeline’s emotions immediately, shaking her head slightly in dismissal as she swayed. “Nothing, nothing. Just another guy thinking with his dick.” She said, firmly, then looked expectantly at Adeline to explain further about her ex. Adeline pursed her lips slightly. “Nate’s a good guy, he really is. It’s just…” She sighed, frustrated, glancing quickly at Milo, not wanting to give him any kind of satisfaction. “He gets jealous; feels threatened. Especially when he’s had a bit too much to drink. You know him, Clemmie, he can be so insecure.” Adeline’s gaze flickered back to Milo for a second, before returning to Clementine. “I think  it’s time for you to go to bed, darling. And I think it’s time I left.” Clementine began to object, but Adeline ignored her. “Help me get her upstairs and then call the helicopter?” She asked, without ever making eye contact with Milo.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Brown eyes studying the Princess’ expression and tone, Milo kept mum through her vague words, though part of him was curious to learn more about Nathaniel and Adeline than what the papers had published years ago. It was rather strange to acknowledge Adeline as a person with actual feelings instead of just the reckless and spoiled image she had built for herself for the past twenty years. Discreetly rolling his eyes when he noticed his attempt to deviate the topic was useless, Milo turned his head to the opposite side in order to avoid her inquisitive gaze. With the amount of questions thrown at him, the male could only chortle weakly to himself. Did she really want to have something on him that bad? “I don’t remember which part of the contract claimed that I’m obliged to share my personal life with you, Ma’am.”, he finally turned to the brunette again, eyes confidently meeting hers again. “My father used to work for yours. You might know him, he served the King for years and retired just a while ago. I’m sure you’re familiar with how connections can get you far, so hopefully that explains to you why I’m standing here right now.”, Milo explained regardless of his previous response. He just hoped eventually Adeline would forget completely about their first encounter, but doubted his wish would come true.

“Ah, feisty.” Adeline murmured, grasping onto the cool ledge of the balcony as her vision began to blur somewhat. Shaking her head slightly to force herself to focus on Milo, she tightened her grip, her knuckles blanching gradually. “Of course,” a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “How very….inattentive of me. My father trusted your father like a brother. I know he was very sad to see him retire.” Her brain, in its stupefied state, was slow to put the pieces together; but she was starting to see the unmistakable resemble between Milo and his father. He had served the family for years, since before Archer and Adeline were born. Adeline hadn’t known him well, but he was in the background of so many of her memories, keeping a watchful eye over the King, the Queen and their three precious children. Swaying slightly, Adeline pressed her hand against her temples, scrunching up her nose. She was definitely regretting taking those pills. “Hm, yes. The right connections can get you anywhere you want to be in life. But I hope you know that once they get you there, they can’t always take it away again. This -,” she paused, gesturing around with the hand which wasn’t holding her up, “is the life that everyone wants. Even if they won’t admit it to themselves. But it’s also a dangerous world. People will fuck with you, and they will hurt you, and they will do it without a second thought. People don't care.” Adeline’s words were increasingly filled with something between disgust and unease as she spoke, until she suddenly stopped. Looking to the doors, from which music pulsated, and back to Milo, Adeline leant precariously against the balcony - her head falling backwards to look at the night sky. “You’re a big boy, though, don’t need me to warn you.” She muttered, a sigh escaping her lips as she swayed in the balmy air.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Within the commotion, Milo didn’t contest Adeline’s authoritarian tone although the brunette attempted to feign politeness, his actions so far caused enough trouble for him to object any of the Princess’ requests. Nathaniel was cursing both him and Adeline with incomprehensive slurs that for once made Milo proud of his narrow French vocabulary, not to mention the bodyguard that was visibly hesitating between keeping his plastered protegee from making more of a scene or going after them despite of Adeline’s dismissal. Either way, stepping out of the scenario would be the best action at the moment. Milo following the Princess closely, the dark sky above them and the relative silence finally bringing a contrasting peace. But as Adeline broke the quietness by speaking up her thoughts, Milo’s jaw clenched, eyes darting away from her daunting stare a slight chuckle escaping his lips for her blunt manner of talk. Inasmuch as he thought the girl wouldn’t even remember that specific night, Milo had not a clue of what to respond.

So he chose not to.

“I’d like to apologize for my actions back at the salon, Your Royal Highness, I definitely did not react properly in that situation and did not mean to bring you any embarrassment or discomfort. Especially since that was… An acquaintance of yours. Just couldn’t allow him to talk in such manner to anyone, no matter how drunk he was. Still, that wasn’t professional and— it won’t happen again, M’am.”. Only by the end of the speech his eyes met hers, certainly because he was apologizing for something he wasn’t truthfully regretful for, but Milo had to keep his composure if he wanted to keep the job. Though he probably was in trouble anyway for not stopping the Princess from staying in the Palace for her own mother’s event.

“You can say it. Ex. It’s not a big deal, it doesn’t mean anything.” Adeline’s voice was exasperated, but she held tightly onto the diamond hanging from her neck as she spoke, twisting it around even though it dug fiercely into her palm. Dropping the pendant, she gulped down the remaining champagne in her glass in one go, placing it back onto the ledge unsteadily. Sighing softly, she shifted uncomfortably, glancing back to the party then to Milo. “You know what, it’s fine. You don’t need to say sorry. In fact, I’ve been wanting someone to do that to him for a while now.” She said, a small smile creeping onto her face. Whilst their relationship had been good, their breakup had been far from so and Adeline couldn’t seem to let go of the anger she felt towards her ex, no matter how hard she tried.

“But enough about that,” Adeline said firmly, “I want you to answer my questions.” She was used to people trying to mould themselves when they were around her. People tended to present themselves in the way which they believed would most please her. Normally, Adeline didn’t care. Why should she? Royalty would always attract sycophantic people, fake people, people with their own agendas. Despite popular belief, she wasn’t stupid. Adeline knew exactly who her real friends were. “Does the Protection Command know what you do in your free time? Does my mother?” She asked, raising her arched eyebrows slightly. “How did you even get this job in the first place? I know for a fact that they don’t advertise openings publicly.”

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Adeline’s uncharacteristic behavior caused a slight smirk to appear on Milo’s lips, the male simply listening attentively to the conversation though he took step back to feign that the princess could have a bit of privacy during her rush of panic for encountering her old flame. His lop-sided smile wasn’t one of mockery, instead, more of an amusement to find out such vulnerable side of her so early, but of course that didn’t last long when Adeline paraded past her ex, barely reciprocating his greet. And there went Her Royal Highness again, with Milo pushing past people to keep up with the brunette’s directions. It didn’t surprise him when eventually Adeline retrieved the same expensive pills he had dropped on the car’s floor and shoved down her throat. Even with their lack of intimacy —not to mention their aversion to one another—, the bodyguard attempted to speak up, his lips parting to warn her to be careful with the substances she was consuming until, for the umpteenth time since they got into that salon, someone called for the girl. Discreetly, Milo rolled his eyes, rather uncomfortably having to witness Adeline flirting with a posh using the most superficial conversation. For a second, he wondered where on earth was Clementine to at least thwart him from being bored out of his mind whilst third-wheeling for the Princess of the United Kingdom.

While the pair were making out, Milo decided that was excuse enough to snatch a glass of champagne from one of the waiters prancing around, downing the sparkling liquid in a matter of seconds in order to survive his first day at the job. He didn’t know the name of the lad Adeline had her arms wrapped around, but considering his bow tie, Milo was almost completely sure he was harmless. “How classy, Your Royal Highness.”, the sarcasm on someone’s voice made Milo almost wonder if those words came out of his own lips, but he soon turned around to glance at the male who Adeline was panicking over half an hour ago. As Nathaniel approached the girl and tried to grasp onto her arm, visibly tipsy, Milo huffed to himself in anticipation for the scene that was about to occur, immediately stepping in front of the male and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I advise you not to refer to Princess Adeline in this manner. You’re clearly not in a good state to start a conversation with—”

“Wonderful. They hired a brand new escort for the Princess to take into threesomes when it’s convenient for her.”, the male countered making Milo huff heavily and turn to Adeline, rather annoyed by her ex’s demeaning tone. “Sir, if you want to stay out of trouble, you should walk away.” , the bodyguard spoke yet again in vain, since Nathaniel pushed him aside mid-sentence to reach for Adeline, hand clamping around her forearm. Clearly by then the commotion earned the attention of people nearby.

“Ever wondered how proud not only your family but also this country is for having a whore as the Princess of United Kin—", Adeline’s old flame initiated but shortly was interrupted by Milo’s grip that yet again distanced the male from the Princess and subsequently a tight fist that was aimed on his left cheek. Nothing that would leave substancial scarring or need medical assistance, just enough to teach him a lesson. Predictably though, Milo’s instinct brought even more attention from the crowd occupying the salon.

Adeline was oblivious to everything going on around her. It wasn’t that she was especially interested in Charlie, but the pills had made her world slow down a little, with the noise of the party muted. Had she been more aware, she probably would have reprimanded Milo for drinking on the job. It was the sound of Nathaniel’s words, which he spoke with a noticeable French accent, that pulled her out of her haze. Twisting in Charlie’s arms to face her ex, she rolled her hazel eyes. “Ne pas être un con.” Adeline snapped, swatting at him - Charlie trying, with little luck, to stop her swaying. She was about to turn away, but as Nate moved closer to her, she felt her body freeze up a little and she was unable to look away. Adeline was almost surprised when Milo intervened; although he was just doing his job. It was clear he didn’t like her and she had expected him to ignore the situation in order to maintain as much distance between himself and Addie as possible.  

“You’re just jealous that the bodyguard was always better than you.” Adeline shot back, narrowing her eyes as she wriggled free from Charlie’s grip. She resented Nate's words, not only because they came from a place of bitterness, but because they unnecessarily dragged Milo into their disastrous relationship. As Nathaniel grabbed her arm, Adeline hated herself for instinctively moving closer to the boy, before she began to pull her arm away. Confusion was visible on her face, but only momentarily, as his words made her visibly flinch. Whore. The word which he never said rang in her ears. It hurt more because she knew it was true. Nathaniel was just vocalising what everyone else was thinking - could she really be angry at him for that? Then before she had quite gathered her thoughts, Milo had punched Nathaniel, causing the people nearby to fall silent and stare. It also attracted the attention of Nathaniel’s bodyguard, who stepped between Milo and Nate, who was holding his cheek, a look of fury etched onto his face.

“Christ!” Adeline exclaimed, but it was more in admiration than horror. Letting out a breathless laugh, she put a hand on the chest of Nate’s bodyguard, waving her other in a dismissive manner. “Laissons ce être, ouais?” She purred under her breath, before grabbing a glass of champagne from a shocked, open-mouthed waiter. “Nothing to look at. As you were.” She laughed again, but she didn’t allow herself to even glance at Nathaniel. His words had stung more than she cared to admit. Adeline turned, starting to make her way to ornate, glass doors leading onto a balcony. Without stopping, Adeline leaned in slightly to Milo as she passed him. “Let’s go outside.” Her voice went up at the end of the sentence, implying a question, but that was a deception. It wasn’t one.

The night air was unusually balmy for England; even in the summer. Adeline’s tanned skin had a sheen to it and her dress stuck ever so slightly to her skin. As she sipped from the glass, Adeline looked up through her long eyelashes at Milo, a contemplative frown creeping across her features. “Ahhh.” She murmured, almost to herself, placing the champagne flute onto the ledge. Her hands were shaking slightly from the mixture of substances she had consumed, and she almost dropped the glass, reacting just in time to stop it from slipping. A strand of her hair had stuck to her lipgloss, and she brushed it from her lips as she stared at Milo, before finally speaking. “I have met you before. At that boxing match. You didn’t want to fuck. I only just realised now, seeing you punch Nathaniel.” Her tone was casual, matter of fact almost, but there was the confusion was clear on her face; she couldn’t work out why: a) Milo didn’t want to fuck and more importantly, b) why he would want to lie about being at that boxing ring that night.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Clementine’s spiel during the entire ride was quite pleasant while the Princess would remain silent, though Milo heeded to the unusual view out the window, but the blonde didn’t seem to mind his introverted stance. Once they got to their destination, Milo wanted to laugh at the strange ambient — closings his eyes, the extremely loud beat of the music would easily make an analogy to any of the cheap clubs he would go with his mates. But the sight of the extravagant architecture of the building ahead of them and the considerably expensive vehicles parked in front of it, definitely situated the young man. Milo wanted to ask Adeline where exactly they were, but their last exchange of words thwarted him from doing so, especially with the brunette’s exasperated gestures that earned a silent huff in response from the bodyguard who followed the two

And yet again another incident almost happened whilst Milo took in the bright lights contrasting the historical adorns by the entrance of the Chatsworth House. With the Princess suddenly halting her steps, the male almost bumped onto the woman in front of him, though thankfully he managed to stop merely a few milometers from Adeline, such closeness bringing him to involuntarily have a whiff of the French perfume  impregnated onto her skin. Taking a step back, Milo attempted to understand the sudden reaction of Adeline, his eyes darting up to the other person they were talking about. HIS FULL NAME. Quick research weeks prior to meeting The Royal Highness, Milo learnt that the mediocre man flirting with that girl was nothing but a wanker. Which didn’t surprise him considering Adeline’s attitude. If anything, they were made for each other. Deciding to keep his remarks to himself, Milo kept mum, not bothering about the Princess’ drama with her old flame as he glanced around the place, still struggling to identify where the hell they were.

Adeline felt like her heart was tearing itself apart and her bones were heavy. Turning very slowly to face Clementine, she forced herself to speak. “What do I do?” She asked, panic creeping into her words. Adeline hated herself for reacting like this. “Well, you can either leave and sit alone all night or just remind yourself that you don’t need him and have a fucking banging night.” Clementine said, her tone very matter-of-fact. Adeline was somewhat startled by her friends words, although she shouldn’t have been. Clementine was nothing if not blunt. Feeling slightly silly for ‘making a scene’ - as her mother would put it - she smoothed down her dress and resolutely started to make her way towards the door, trying not to slip on the gravel drive.

Nate waved his hand about to clear the lingering smoke. “Hey, Addie.” He said, smiling that raffish smile that had made Adeline fall in love with him all those years ago. Adeline kept her lips pressed in a tight line, only nodding in response to Nate’s words. He had been flirting with that girl; blonde, tanned, and tall. Exactly his type. She could feel anger bubbling inside her, though she had no right to be mad. They had been broken up for a year and a half, after all. It took all her strength not to say something she’d probably regret.

Purposefully pushing past the girl as she stepped into the house, she felt herself relax as she inhaled the smell of over-priced alcohol, perfumes, and slightly sweaty bodies. The foyer was a marble expanse, filled to the brim with people, light from a magnificent chandelier illuminating their dazed & drunken faces. Around her, people called her name. Slipping into a quiet corner, she popped some pills into her mouth. “Here,” she heard a familiar voice say as a champagne glass was pressed into her hand. “To wash that....medication down with.” It was Charles Gladstone. Charlie played polo with Archer. He was another family friend; they had known one another for nearly all their lives and had even briefly ‘dated’ when they were fourteen.

“Thanks.” Adeline murmured, a smile playing on her lips as she poured the alcohol (which definitely wasn’t just champagne) down her throat. They spoke for a few minutes - about Charlie’s polo, Adeline’s recent trip to the Seychelles, and an upcoming charity gala Charlie was hosting. But before Adeline really knew what was happening, their bodies were touching, his hands were pressed against her ass, her arms were loosely wrapped around his waist, and their lips were meeting.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

“That way you will be hurting my feelings, Lady Clementine. Thought you’d be more optimistic about my permanency.”, Milo quipped, his motives alternating between flirting back with the blonde and annoying the Princess who kept quiet through the entire conversation. A slight smirk settled onto his lips as he finally glanced at the rear view mirror from which Clementine looked at him. God, he just hoped they were all near the destination by now or surely the blonde would cause an accident considering her clear attention deficit.

Adeline’s ear-piercing shrill, though predictable, made Milo wince. But somehow, he managed to resist the Princess’ attempt to yet again put him down. He could tell by the tense silence after her blurted speech that her words were harsh, but Milo remained quiet regardless, simply continuing to gather the objects into the purse and closing it with care. Subsequently, the male handed the accessory to the Princess like she had requested minutes ago. “There you go, Your Royal Highness.”, his voice was firm and controlled.

Clementine threw her head back, laughter spilling from her lips. “Oh, sweetheart,” She almost cooed, “You’re absolutely hilarious. I adore you already.” Clementine proclaimed, as she pulled up a long, gravel driveway lined with neatly trimmed trees. Chatsworth House wasn’t as big as Buckingham Palace, or as grand, but it was still impressive. It was the paradigm of an English country mansion, with beautiful sprawling gardens; ornate fountains, and a bridge. Adeline had spent many long summers at Chatsworth as a child and it held a trove of precious memories for her. Despite growing up as a princess, her life hadn’t always been easy, but Chatsworth had always been happy; it had always been safe. It was harder now that Anastasia was dead, though. She was in almost every good memory Adeline had.

“Did you know Addie was named after my great-great-great…Oh, I don’t really know how many, but basically my grandmother way back? Not her first name, but her middle name: Georgiana. She was the fifth Duchess of Devonshire. They made a film about her a while back with Keira Knightley and filmed it here.” Clementine explained, as she parked the Range Rover between a Bentley and a garish yellow Ferrari. The drive was filled with various expensive cars, and all the lights were illuminated in Chatsworth, with the dull sound of music reverberating out of its walls. Yanking the door open, Adeline took the clutch from Milo without looking at him and slipped out of the car, heading straight for the front door which was wide open. A tall figure was slouched against the door frame, taking long, deep drags from a cigarette; the smoke dancing out into the darkness of the night. He was smiling slightly as a girl spoke animatedly to him. Adeline stopped dead when she realised who the figure belonged to, her fists clenching tightly around the clutch and her jaw tightening. “Fuck, man.” Clementine exclaimed, coming up beside the brunette. “I didn’t know he’d be here. I didn’t invite him, someone must’ve brought him as their plus-one.”

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Milo’s hazel eyes still darted to the window to his side, silently listening to the ongoing conversation by the front seat. As much as he wanted to, he didn’t dare to verbalize his thoughts and interrupt their intimacy, though one of them was that he would never be as unprofessional as the others enough to hop on the bed with the person they were supposed to protect. “Actually, I plan on changing that and turn it into a permanent position.”, Milo responded, avoiding Clementine’s actual intentions with the interrogation. He wasn’t one to associate his personal life with professional. Especially not that fast or easily. Working with someone as manipulative as Adeline seemed, Milo wasn’t willing to share information any time soon, predicting that eventually she would use them against him to make him quit or switch branches on the SO14. That did sound pessimistic, but the male preferred to expect the worst in people instead of the opposite. He liked to believe that such method would keep him from getting his hopes up and eventually, disappointed.

With the vehicle coming to a sudden halt, his arms instinctively stretched to hold onto the front-seat, the law of inertia predicting that Adeline’s clutch that sat on his lap would fall straight onto the floor, makeup, cigarettes and small clear packets spreading on the floor and moving around as Clementine kept on driving. “Fuck.”, he cursed under his breath, relieved that Adeline was busy complaining to the blonde behind the wheel to notice the incident. However, as he leaned over to gather the things again, just like she knew exactly what happened, he heard the Princess demand for the clutch. “Just a second, M’am”, he replied subsequently, throwing the objects he could reach into the purse in any which way.

Both Adeline and Clementine raise their eyebrows at Milo’s words. The word impertinent crossed Adeline’s mind, but her kept her mouth shut, eyes still fixed on the road. She would let Clementine speak; she might be able to get something out of Milo, although she really did feel like saying ‘oh do you now.’ Adeline wasn’t used to such assertiveness from her staff, very few had ever spoken back to her like Milo did. She wondered where he got his brashness from. “And how do you plan on doing that?” Clementine asked, “I mean, plenty of bodyguards have tried and I think…one has succeeded? The odds aren’t exactly in your favour, Mr. Khalid.”

Huffing slightly at being told to wait, Adeline turned round further in her seat, frowning as her eyes fell on the mess on the car floor. “Really? Are you that inept? Why on earth did SO14 hire you?” She snapped, rolling her hazel eyes. Adeline had never been patient, even as a child. Her nanny would always tell her that patience was a virtue but Addie had never really bought that. She was the kind of child who would sneak downstairs on the night of Christmas to shake her gifts and try and work out what they were. Archer would never partake, but Anastasia used to follow her downstairs, nervously sucking her thumb; she was always the good one. She had a good soul, too. “Do you know how much all of that is worth?” Adeline demanded, shaking her head in exasperation. “More than you earn in two months, probably. Maybe three.” She immediately regretted saying that, even Addie knew it sounded terrible. But she wasn’t one to back down or apologise.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Finally being able to roll his eyes once he was out of her sight -of course ignoring the fact that he was staggering behind the woman-, Milo chose not to comment back her teasing, simply trying to mentally note each turn they took just in case Adeline was taking him somewhere to lock him up or put him in danger. Honestly, he didn’t doubt anything from the young girl. “I don’t think we should go in there.”, as useless as Milo thought it was to contest, the boy heaved a sigh when Adeline ignored him as expected, simply demanding him to shut the door behind him which he unwillingly did. “Where the fuck are we?”, he murmured to himself, a frown permanent on his face whilst discovering the new area. Just like a maze, the bodyguard was certain that they would eventually get lost, but Adeline’s confidence and knowledge for once comforted him. It was clear that the Princess had crossed this same path multiple times.

Milo watched Adeline ascend the stairs with his mouth agape. Not because the angle was in his favor, but because of how skillfully the girl could swing open the metal gate. “Where are we going?”, the male inquired to her, rushing his steps to walk out of that tunnel as well, not forgetting to close it again with a certain struggle. It wasn’t particularly heavy as it looked, however you had to manage it properly to function due to how aged it was. Giving up on interrogating the Princess, the boy breathed heavily in annoyance when he saw her hop into the passenger’s seat of a black vehicle, instinctively opening the door for the backseat to get in the Range Rover as well. Expecting a male on the wheel, he frowned slightly when a blonde put the gear on drive.

Clementine’s attempt of flirting made the boy want to scoff, her attitude similar to Adeline’s certainly not attracting the male who forced a sarcastic smile to the woman. “Unfortunately, I’m in service of only one person tonight, Lady Clementine.”, he teased back the blonde. “Hope you fastened your seat belt, Your Royal Highness.”, Milo mumbled to Adeline as he looked out the window, the streets appearing blurry due to how fast Clementine drove. “And I hope I’m not getting in trouble for this.”, he murmured to himself, still rather exasperated that despite of his determined actions to contest the Princess, she still managed to outsmart him so easily.

“Boo.” Clementine pouted playfully, glancing over at Adeline. “You never were good at sharing, Addie.” She teased. "I'm not sleeping with Milo." Adeline replied flatly, as a look of genuine surprise crossed the blonde girl's face. "Lord knows that's a first." Clementine shook her head slightly, an affectionate smile on her face. Addie and Clemmie, as they were known as children, had been best friends practically since before they were born. Queen Helena and Duchess Celina, Clementine’s mother, had grown up together and, just like their daughters, were inseparable. Clementine was similar to Adeline but also very different. She was extremely intelligent; she had just graduated with a first in English from Oxford, and was set to start work at a top London PR company after the summer. Whilst life had rather tripped Adeline up, Clementine negotiated it with grace and dignity - or, at least more grace and dignity than Adeline. “So what is someone as lovely as you doing guarding the Princess?” Clementine asked, glancing in her rear view mirror. “I mean, Addie’s personal bodyguard isn’t exactly a permanent position, so what’s next?”

Adeline sank even further into her seat and stuck her legs onto the dashboard, her six-inch heels clicking against the glass of the windshield, her dress slipping up her thighs to reveal her suspenders. Her eyes were fixed on the passing landscape, but her ears perked up a bit when Clementine spoke to Milo. She was interested in his life too. Why was he is? He was so mysterious and brooding. It was annoying. Suddenly, the car lurched violently as Clementine slammed the breaks on. “Fucking hell, Clementine!” Adeline exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “How the fuck did you ever pass your driving test? You might as well be blind.” She muttered, feeling her heart hammering against her chest. Clementine just laughed in the same beautiful way she always did. Or maybe her laugh wasn't beautiful, but Adeline was biased because it was Clemmie. Turning around slightly, Adeline looked back at Milo and held out her hand. “Clutch, please.” She said. They were nearing their destination - Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire - and Adeline wanted to have a cigarette to calm her unpredictable nerves. 

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

It was difficult not to smirk lightly with Adeline’s comments. Both of them. Milo was amused at the thought that perhaps the Princess wasn’t so aware of how he had encountered the Queen before meeting her daughter. The royalty definitely had underestimated Milo’s studying skills, since she warned him of the job’s possible complications and Adeline’s resistance. He wouldn’t say she liked him a lot, but she definitely trusted him. Silently watching the brunette turning her back on him, the male chortled lightly to himself, shaking his head ever so slightly as he gave in a took a glance onto her body. God, he truly wish he didn’t see how the black lace contrasted with her skin, the way she walked -though he was certain she knew he glimpsed at her back- definitely made the sight even better, but before he could ponder further over any possibility of breaking all the rules of his new job, Milo closed the double door, keeping its key in his pocket before the Princess would test his patience again.

Positioning himself back on the same spot as before, Milo raised his eyebrows in surprise when shortly after Adeline opened the double doors. Instantly grasping onto the clutch she thrust against his chest, he scoffed to himself with her subsequent word. “Um… I know I haven’t been in the Buckingham Palace before, but I’m pretty sure we’re heading the wrong way.”, he spoke after a few seconds, trying to keep up with the Princess’ quick yet graceful steps.

“Ah, but that depends on where we’re trying to get to get to, doesn’t it?” Adeline didn’t bother to stop, or even slow down, as she spoke. “Also, I know you’re looking at my ass, Mr. Khalid.” She added, her tone one of amusement. She walked for about a minute, before abruptly pushing opening a panel on the wall. If you didn’t know the exact location, it would’ve been almost impossible to find, given the intricate hold panelling along all the corridor caused it to blend in impeccably. But Adeline had lived in this palace her entire life. She knew it like the back of her hand, or, more accurately, like the VIP area at Raffles.The wall opened up into an dimly lit and narrow tunnel. Adeline’s heels echoed throughout it as she walked purposefully forward. “Close the door behind you.” She called back to Milo. The tunnels were full of twists, turns, and uneven paving, but Adeline didn’t hesitate once. It was a journey she had done many a time.

Finally, Adeline climbed up a short flight of stairs and pushed open a creaky metal gate, which led out onto a road that ran next to Buckingham Palace. Quickening her pace slightly and keeping her head down, Adeline made her way towards an immaculate black Range Rover, slipping discreetly into the passenger side. Not bothering to wait till Milo was properly inside the vehicle, Adeline started speaking. “Clemmie, this is my new body guard, Milo Khalid.” Adeline spoke quickly to the girl in the driving seat. Her skin was sun-kissed, her hair long and blonde, and her legs were equally long to match. “Milo, this is Lady Clementine Cavendish. Her father is the Duke of Devonshire.” Adeline said, matter-of-factly. To many, her introduction of Clementine may have seemed haughty, but since her childhood Addie had been consistently told to introduced people using their full name and title. It was second nature to her.

“Well, you can guard my body anytime, Milo.” Clementine laughed, glancing back at Milo and giving him a wink. Adeline rolled her eyes in response, sinking a little deeper into the leather sear. “Just drive, Clementine.” She muttered, as the blonde girl laughed again and pulled off - outrageously fast - into the night.

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Milo was about to heave a sigh in relief when the door was finally unlocked, that until his breathing halted with the sight of Adeline wearing nothing but her undergarments. He would’ve been surprised of her attitude if he hadn’t studied the brunette so well beforehand. She wanted to catch him off guard. From the first second her eyes laid on him, they attempted nothing but to intimidate and make him uncomfortable. Gladly enough, Milo could conceal his emotions quite well. That’s when boxing had come in handy in his personal life – and there are still people out there who allege the sport solely as brutality. Therefore, the boy refused to glance down her body, not letting the Princess persuade him as easily as that. His hazel eyes were darted up to hers while they still feigned innocence. “Since Ms. Patterson is not present at the moment, Your Royal Highness, I’m in charge of your schedule and the least I can do is make sure you’re aware that we should’ve left at seven.”, Milo replied curtly, rather surprised that he didn’t stammer under such circumstance. “I can see that you haven’t gotten dressed yet even though your clothes were handpicked by the designer herself this afternoon and they’re in there with you. So I’m guessing you haven’t organized your time properly, which is why I’m here to assist you with.”, he added eloquently, taking one step forward only to aim towards her hand on the handle and reach for the key attached to the door.

“I’ll keep this for now. I apologize for interrupting while you get ready, but I assure you I’ll be here once you’re done, M’am.”, Milo nodded in a respectful manner to the girl, taking a step back again and positioning himself by the side of the double door.

“You’re a cheeky one, aren't you?” Adeline said, raising her eyebrows at Milo’s words. She was was genuinely surprised that he had the nerve to speak to her as though she weren’t, well, the Princess of the United Kingdom. She secretly rather liked it. “I think my mother would like you. I think she would like you a lot.” Adeline mused, tilting her head slightly to examine Milo as though he were a piece of fine art in the MoMA. She was still sure she had seen his face somewhere before. Turning, she slipped back into her bedroom, humming softly to herself. Milo certainly wasn’t new to playing games, but neither was Adeline. 

Pursing her lips at the dress hanging on a rail in her bedroom, accessories and shoes on a nearby table, Addie pondered whether or not she should wear it. After all, Milo did kind of have a point when he (rudely) reminded Adeline that it had been hand-picked, not to mention hand designed, especially for her. Rolling her eyes at the thought of her new bodyguard being right, Adeline stepped into the dress. It was a little longer than she was accustomed to, but it was actually rather beautiful now she took a closer look. Once she’d put on the rings, bracelets and necklace, Adeline doused herself in expensive French perfume and carefully slipped on her heels. Flouncing into the hallway as she stuffed cigarettes and various drugs into her clutch, Addie shoved it towards Milo. “You’d better carry that, bodyguard. Wouldn’t want the Princess to get arrested again, now would we?” She smiled sweetly, before heading off down the hall in the opposite direction to the gardens. 

[milogtg]

you can follow me // milo & adeline

Checking his watch for the umpteenth time, Milo sighed to himself, almost sure that Princess Adeline had completely bailed on him. Well, not him particularly, but her mother. It had been past half an hour since the time written on the paper given by Freya earlier and despite of his light knocks on the door, absolutely no response was returned apart from the loud music coming from the other side. “M’am?”, he tried yet again to call for Adeline, his voice slightly louder so somehow she’d be able to hear him. That evening in particular, Freya had taken the night off, just for Milo’s luck. “We’re late and I don’t think the Queen will appreciate that.”, he added as if repeating exactly what Adeline’s assistant told him when introducing him to part of the Princess’ tight schedule. Cursing under his breath yet again, something that seemed to have become a habit ever since he first stepped into the palace, the dark-haired boy rested back on the wall in defeat, his arms crossing tightly in front of his chest as he reassured himself to give Adeline a few  more minutes before taking a drastic decision. “I just hope you know I’m not a fucking quitter”, he muttered lowly, almost in a huff. The mental countdown was now on and the bodyguard was considering either going after the key for Adeline’s bedroom or announcing to the security floor that the Princess was too hangover to attend to her mother’s social event. He knew the latter would soon reach the Queen’s knowledge, so surely the brunette locked in the room ahead of him would hate it if he did so.

[adelinejfc]

Adeline had to admit that she was rather enjoying teasing Milo. He had been calling for her for a good thirty minutes, and each time he did, Addie turned her music up a little louder. Lounging on her silk bed sheets, she flicked through Tatler and smoked expensive cigarettes, leaving traces of red lipstick on each butt. She wanted to test Milo; to see how long he would hold out before running crying to his superiors. Every time a new member of her security team arrived she did the same thing: tested them. Pushed them. Pulled them. Tried to see if she could break them. The longest anyone had ever lasted, bar Mr. Hill, was five and a half months. Being part of Adeline’s security detail was generally considered a temporary position. Most were moved into a different unit of SO14, but some quit all together. Rolling her eyes as Milo’s voice rang out again, Addie rolled off the bed and padded across the floor. As she turned the key, she spoke. “Firstly, I don’t give a fuck about what my mother will or will not appreciate.” 

Pausing as she yanked open one of the double doors, Adeline stepped out into the hallway. “Secondly, don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt a lady while she’s changing?” Adeline asked, widening her eyes in mock-innocence as she leant against the embellished door frame. This wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary if it wasn’t for the fact that Adeline was only wearing a black bra, a matching thong and her signature lace-trimmed suspenders. 

[milogtg]

second impressions // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

With the silence that invaded the room just as quick as Freya left, Milo let out a deep sigh. The few seconds he had without Adeline arguing being enough to make himself wonder how worth his new job was. ‘You know you’re wasting a lot of money on equipment and training. What other job would pay you so damn well considering your weak background and useless résumé?’, Milo had no option but  be thankful for the opportunity. He was a perseverant person, but his patience wasn’t exactly one to mess with.

Adeline’s attitude shifting suddenly, the boy could’ve sworn that girl was not the 21-year-old he had read about on the newspapers. So who the heck was that? How on earth could her mood swing with such amplitude in a short space of time? Milo wanted again to roll his eyes, tell Adeline to take an aspirin and go take a bath in her hot tub that he could only guess was worth a year of his rent.

Slowly but steadily approaching the brunette, Milo sat down on the opposite end of the couch, resting both his elbows on his knees. “I can’t make you do anything, m’am. That’s not my job.”, he spoke yet again in a mumble, not showing himself to be fazed by Adeline’s words.

As Milo approached Adeline pulled her legs in a little closer to her body, firmly wrapping her arms around them in an attempt to steady herself. “I know it’s not your job,” She muttered, her tone exasperated and tired all at once. “Your job is to guard my body. I get it.” She said flatly, resting her chin on her knees. All Adeline wanted was to curl up smaller and smaller until she disappeared. She wished more than anything that she could.

She knew how spoilt and ungrateful she must seem to Milo. But he didn’t understand. Nobody did; not anymore. “Stop looking at me like that and make yourself useful.” She snapped suddenly, glowering at Milo. “And don’t ask me what you should do. Use your brain.”

[milogtg]

second impressions // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Still watching the scene with certain disbelief that the young girl who climbed on the couch owned the title of Princess of the United Kingdom, Milo kept a small smile on his lips, rather satisfied that he managed not to let his inward nervousness become clear under Adeline’s attempt to intimidate him. He did heed to Freya’s rambling, but his hazel eyes were directed to the Royalty, though she insisted not to reciprocate him.

“I’d appreciate if you could arrange them now, I’m sure the Princess has a lot of places to go to before tonight’s event. I was informed you weren’t the only one busy this morning and that I could only get the mobile phone updated with all the information needed by the end of the day which I won’t be able to make it since… I will be at some stupid tea party”, Milo finally turned his head to the assistant, whispering the last words only for her to hear. Smiling to the woman in reassurance as if he had it covered, he felt bad for the red-haired by now, so perhaps giving her a few minutes without Adeline’s shrills would make her feel slightly better and less on the verge of having a stroke.

“Uh, yes, yes, I’ll go sort it out now.” Freya was evidently stretched to her limits, perhaps even past them. Haphazardly she picked up the pile of papers she had left on an end table, making her way to a side door. She flashed Milo a very grateful smile, before glancing nervously at Adeline. “I’ll be back soon, M’am. If you need anything, call me or ask Milo. I’ll send someone to clean up the...” She nodded to the shattered lighter as she trailed off. Curtseying quickly, Freya slipped out of the double doors before Adeline could reply. 

Once the door had shut with a soft ‘click’, Adeline moved her head ever so slightly so she could watch Milo over the top of the embellished sofa. She wanted to say something sharp or witty, but she couldn’t manage it. Whatever substance she had taken the previous night had left her disorientated and irritable. Not to mention the uncontrollable shaking, which she was trying to hide by staying curled up on the sofa. She felt utterly defeated. “Please don’t make me go.” She said, her voice far softer than before. “I really can’t face my mother. All she’ll do is criticise me, I just know it.” 

[milogtg]

second impressions // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Listening to what probably was the longest sermon he ever heard in his 23 years of existence, Milo kept his eyes stuck on Adeline’s, not willing to demonstrate any intimidation by her extremely arrogant demeanor. He knew everything he was being told, he studied them every single day for the past few months. If anything, Milo wanted to roll his eyes and quit the job, since, like The Royal Highness had spoken, he’d already fucked up. Albeit for his luck, one of Milo’s traits was perseverance and Adeline’s taunting words only made him consider his duty as nothing but a challenge. And oh man, he loved challenges.

“I was told that Her Royal Highness Princess Adeline had an event to attend to this evening, I need more information about it and her upcoming schedule as well, if you could, Freya.”, he spoke directly to the personal assistant, emphasizing the words with a hint of sneer though he kept his composure to ensure he was being nothing but polite.

“And I apologize, M’am. I had no intention to disrespect. It’s an honor to meet Your Royal Highness.”, Milo turned to the brunette, repeating the addressing on purpose as he properly greeted her with a nod.

Looking somewhat flustered, Freya nodded and started tapping away furiously at an iPad. “Yes, of course. I meant to get them to you sooner but I’ve had my hands a bit…full this morning.” She said uneasily, avoiding looking at Adeline. “You’ll have them in 15 minutes, tops. Have you already been issued with a mobile phone? When you get done with your shift you should head to the security floor and get that fully set up. It’ll have a proper calendar.” At this point, Freya was rambling -as she tended to do when she felt wrong-footed - but Adeline had barely registered that she was speaking. Instead, she was glowering at Milo. “Fucking sarcastic bastard.” She muttered under her breathe, before climbing over the back of the sofa.

And therein lied the difference between Milo and Adeline. He was made of determination and grit, whereas the only thing Adeline had ever had to fight for was a second pony at the age of nine. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Adeline stayed silent for a few moments. If she were here, her mother would say that she was ‘throwing a hissy fit’ and needed to ‘grow up’ and Adeline would probably tell her to go fuck herself. She had never been good at dealing with opposition of any kind and her hungover state only exacerbated the situation.

“I’m not fucking going. It’s some stupid tea party my mother is throwing so she can buy a new hat, gossip with her vacuous friends, and show-off her newly landscaped garden.” Adeline muttered, refusing to make eye-contact with either Freya or Milo. She was too stubborn. Freya looked from the princess to the bodyguard with a look which said ‘I have absolutely no idea what we can do.’

[milogtg]

second impressions // milo & adeline

[adelinejfc]

Milo wasn’t yet sure what impressed him the most so far: the amount of words Adeline could spill in a span of thirty seconds or how rudely she spoke to her own personal assistant. For a split second the boy wondered how much booze she consumed the night before to result in such hangover, but then the idea that Adeline probably behaved like that on regularly seemed more fitting. He usually would mind his own business so the idea of judging someone was rather uncharacteristic of him, however Milo spent so much time studying about the princess whereabouts and behavior that he couldn’t help but embrace the thought that Adeline was nothing but a spoiled brat.

After minutes standing imperceptible to Adeline and Freya’s attention, the brunette finally had her wide hazel eyes focused on him, her stare so familiar he was capable of envisioning himself on the ring again. Milo didn’t bother to respond to the question, since it wasn’t particularly directed to him, leaving it for Freya to introduce him which she hesitantly did. Keeping his eyes on Adeline, Milo was startled by the personal assistant’s light touch that finally brought his feet to move. His eyebrows raised at the first words Adeline spoke to him, struggling not to scoff at the presumptuous tone as he kept his eyes on her. As though Milo wanted to reply curtly to the inquire considering the informal occasion, he chose to comply to his father’s advice and sustain a firm and impermeable front.

“I don’t think so, your Majesty.”, his voice resonated a bit lower than he intended to. Perhaps it was because he was still uncomfortable. After all, he was definitely not trained to respond to such circumstance.

The room was so silent Adeline could practically hear Freya tensing at the boy’s words. Six little words that meant so much. Adeline knew she could react in one of two ways: one, not take it to heart or two, throw a tantrum. She also knew that Freya was bracing herself for the latter. A smirk tugging at her lips, Adeline clapped slowly as she took a few small steps to close some of the distance between herself and her new bodyguard. “Oh, well done,” She said, her voice slightly husky, “You’ve even outdone me. I mean, god, nobody does that.” A breathy laugh escaped her chapped lips. “You’ve been here for what? Five minutes? And you’ve already fucked up.” The tone of her voice was one of not only glee, but a tiny hint of genuine admiration.

“I may have been expelled from various educational institutions but I can tell you one thing, Mr. Khalid, and it’s this. The word majesty is derived from the Latin majestas, meaning greatness.” She paused for a second, running her gaze up and down Milo. “I suspect you didn’t learn Latin at school, am I right?” Adeline didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “It was first used as a style of royal address by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, because he thought he deserved a better title than Highness. Henry VIII borrowed it, and we’ve used it in the United Kingdom ever since.” Turning sharply, Adeline walked back to the oversized sofa, leaning against its back, her gaze firmly fixed on Milo. “However - and this is the catch - it’s only used to address the reigning monarch, which is, of course, not me. Capiche?”

Freya shifted from one foot to the other uneasily, before clearing her throat. “I think what Princess Adeline means is that the correct form of address for female members of the royal family is Your Royal Highness, and subsequently M’am. You need only address The King as Your Majesty.”

[milogtg]

second impressions // milo & adeline

The required attire for the job was on for merely a few hours and the adjusted tie already began to bother Milo. He wasn’t particularly a fan of suits and uncomfortable shoes, but he knew the dress code was only one of the thousand other policies linked to his addressed duty in the Protection Command. Months prior to that morning, he spent the days training, reading, studying and signing contracts. The short time left was used for extra training at the gym. Not for the new job, but for the sake of Milo’s aspiring career as a professional boxer. Needless to say, the hectic couple of months had been nothing but stressful to the male who barely had any time for himself or his friends or family.

Not only that, but during his required researches, Milo –that clearly wasn’t one to keep up with the royal family’s status- had the confirmation of his friends’ speculations about the young woman who had interrupted his boxing match to unexcusedly ask for his number. That was Adeline Eleanora Georgiana Olympia. Age twenty-one. Daughter of George Edward Lysander and Helena Grace Alexandra, king and queen of the United Kingdom. Two siblings, one who had recently passed in an unfortunate incident, which Milo did know about beforehand. Her history on any source of official news had deemed the attractive brunette as a troublemaker, just like the first impression that day at the ring had implied.

Thankfully, apart from all the things he was taught at the SO14 training site, Milo had his father to give him extra advices on the task he was assigned to. In fact, if it wasn’t for his father, the boy wouldn’t even have gotten the job, so the stakes were high. He had to not only earn his father’s pride, but also the entire country’s.

Checking the clock on the dashboard, Milo wasn’t surprised that he had still fifteen minutes of spare when he stepped on the brake to stop the Mercedes Benz –that belonged to the authorities– in front of the tall gates of the Buckingham Palace. Punctuality was one of his traits and coincidentally one of his responsibilities now that he was part of the Protection Command. After he was asked for identification and the car was thoroughly checked, Milo put the car on drive again and headed to the entrance as he was instructed to earlier that day. The whole scenario did not exactly impress the boy, especially because he had gotten to learn about every entrance, room and history of the building in a mere week. Furthermore, his father had described the luxurious residence from front to back ever since Milo was a small kid.

Breathing out heavily, the male turned off the engine of the car, his hazel eyes diverting to the ornamented walls and impeccable details of the architecture ahead of him. “Guess this is fucking it”, the boy droned to himself whilst stepping out of the vehicle. His hands roamed down to his hips, still not used to the heavy pistol that was hung on the leather belt he wore. Another reason why he hated the bodyguard attire. Pursing his lips tightly, Milo strolled to the entrance, showing his identification just like he did minutes earlier and introducing himself as formally as he could. His father was very clear about the new posture Milo had to embody. He normally did take seriously any of his previous jobs, as mediocre as they were, but this time any mistake would probably disappoint his family considering their high expectations of Milo taking the responsibility that once was his father’s. And then again, he was part of the fucking Protection Command.

Being guided through the expansive corridors, Milo kept himself from glancing around, in his mind only the words he was supposed to say when he’d finally meet (again) the princess of United Kingdom. He wasn’t exactly anxious for the reencounter, but he was slightly worried about not adjusting to this new environment even though he had months to prepare himself. Honestly though, who would get used to living in a palace like that?

His thoughts were interrupted when the clerk finally halted his feet, carefully knocking and opening the door for the boy. Frowning slightly at the first thing he saw in the room, Milo glanced at the clerk with clear confusion etched onto his features, the older man simply shrugging and nodding in a polite manner to invite him into the living room.

“Um… I don’t think I was supposed to meet Freya here, I… Are you sure?”, he stammered rather confusedly, the man chortling and finally speaking up to confirm that he was at the right place.

Cursing under his breath, Milo chose not to contest further, taking hesitant steps into the living room (or so it seemed to be, judging by the wide couch in its center). The door being closed behind him, he stood stationary as his eyes laid on the brunette slumped on the couch, hands covering her face though he had an idea of who the woman could be.

I swear to God, if I was hired to babysit an adult, I’ll much rather waste my time protecting the family’s pet…

“You must be Milo, right? Just in time, huh?”, a woman with cherry-red hair walked into the room from another door, startling Milo who still stood uncomfortably close to the door. “I apologize about this. Princess Adeline had completely forgotten about her appointments for today and things got a little bit out of hands last night.”, her soothing voice was rather disturbing considering the mess the girl laid on the couch was. Definitely not how he expected to meet a princess for the first time. Or… Well, second. Nonchalantly, Freya gently aided Adeline to sit down, offering her the glass of water that was in her grip ever since she came in.

Milo really did try to respond to the situation, but he wasn’t exactly able to.

[adelinejfc]

Adeline was trying her very best to lie completely still; partly because movement sent her head spinning and partly because she wanted her overly chipper personal assistant, Freya, to think that she was asleep. Unfortunately for Adeline, this didn’t have the desired affect. Groaning, she pressed her hands against her ears in an attempt to block out the voices resonating across the expansive living room. She recognised Freya’s, and Samuel, the clerk, but there was a third voice that she couldn’t place. What does it even matter? Adeline questioned, people came in and out of her home all the time, but for some inexplicable reason the girl wanted to find out who the voice belonged to.

As her personal assistant gently helped her from a horizontal position to a vertical position, Adeline rubbed her eyes, her vision blurring. She was sure she looked terrible - or like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, as her mother would say. Her hair was in a messy bun (if it could even be called that) and she was wearing black leggings and her brothers university rowing team hoodie, with ‘Oxford’ embroidered on the back in obnoxiously large lettering. The remnants of last nights makeup only exacerbated her dark under-eye circles.

“Christ, Freya.” Adeline snapped, pushing the glass of water away, “Please just stop speaking. I’ve already had about a million glasses of water. Besides, you’re doing my head in and I re-.” A vibration rang out, signalling a text message. Sighing in exasperation, Adeline slowly reached for her phone which was lying on a glass top table adorned with gold accents. “Oh for fuck’s sake!” She exclaimed, suddenly standing up, before realising she had made a mistake, expletives slipping out under her breath. Grabbing onto the arm of the sofa, she took a few seconds to steady herself before brandishing her phone at Freya, who tried in vain to see what was on the screen. “Have you seen this?!” Adeline demanded, “This is a joke. A complete and utter joke. Wills is a twat. I mean, Felicity Whittaker-Jones, really? He was shagging Millicent Meltzer like, three days ago. This is so fucked up. And, I mean, Budapest? Who takes a girl to Budapest for their first mini-break together? Wills does, that’s who.” Throughout this rant, Adeline was making incomprehensible hand gestures and pacing the up and down the length of the sofa, completely oblivious to Milo’s presence.

“You know what? I really can’t be fucked to deal with this nonsense. I have an absolutely splitting headache from last night. I took some dodgy pills and they fucked me up. I had these crazy voodoo visions, it was such a bad trip.” After Adeline and Archer had left the boxing match, they had parted ways, with Addie going to Mayfair to attend a friends house party. Like so many of her weekends, the night had ended with Adeline being carried to her car and she remembered very little of what had happened. Reaching into her pocket, Adeline produced a gilded box of cigarettes (she had her perfect blend commissioned especially and imported it from India,) pulling one out. It was clear from the state of her body that more drugs were the last thing she needed - in fact her hands were shaking so violently that she was unable to grip the spark wheel properly. Growling in frustration, Adeline threw the lighter across the room and watched impassively as it broke into thousands of tiny fragments and splayed across the oak flooring.

Just as she was about to throw herself back onto the plush sofa, Adeline’s gaze fell on Milo and she registered his presence properly for the first time. She had completely forgotten about the unidentified voice until now. “Wait, who is this? And why are you letting complete strangers into my living room, Freya?” With this, Freya rushed over to Milo, gently but firmly pulling him further into the room. “Erm, uh, yes, of course, sorry, M’am.” She was clearly flustered. “This is Milo Khalid. He’s your new bodyguard. Remember I told you about him last week? And I left a memo on  your de-.” Freya trailed off, noticing that Adeline was clearly not engaging with her at all, but instead staring at Milo with a perplexed expression on her face. Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, Adeline watched him closely. “Do I know you?” She questioned, but her tone was one of impatience more than complete interest.

[danielle-campbellnews]

[adelinejfc]

@princessadeline posted at 1:32am: my littlest princess. love you and miss you with all of my heart.

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