«Adelyne's POV» 

Being one of Coastviet's 'duchess' is a very tiring task, I knew what I was getting myself into when I accepted this position. But it doesn't mean that there isn't anything good that comes with this responsibility, for example, people's gratitude, and positive feelings they share with me and Nastassia, listening to people talk so enthusiastically about us, how well we're doing our job, and specially, the way we have influenced in their lives. In a good way, obviously. People say we're the best thing that has ever happened to Coastviet, especially St. Nyperth. And, as much as I want to deny it, all those comments make me feel a little too proud, although I can't help it, deep down I hope and pray those comments and positive remarks never stop coming.

It's kind of funny how, before I even got here, this country was nothing, literally. Each species had their own groups, and heaven forbid you showed the most minimum of attention towards a group that wasn't yours, your head would probably end up in a spike or something else. Interspecies relationships weren't allowed either, but again, who would want to date a creature from a different specie if every creature practically hated each other. 

Looking back to when I first started to look after Coastviet makes me shiver and scares me, where I come from things aren't that difficult with the townspeople. 

Sure, I have done a lot to make Coastviet remotely better than it was, and the other creatures always acknowledge this, but, all in all, I can't help but feel like I'm not good enough, sure, people like me, and compliments are always appreciated, although the amount of stress that we go through is anything but healthy, there are some nights in which I lay awake in bed, thinking of other people's problems and how I could help them, Nastassia says we can only do so much as to not interfering in their lives "Think of it like this, you and I, are like councilors, we give others advice, good or bad, it's up to them to decide if they take it or not"  the funny thing is that, Castiel would often say something very similar, arguing that there are some people who don't deserve the most minimum advice. As for Leandre, Lilian and Jenny, they agree on this being overwhelming, and are pretty supportive about it, but that's about it all. 

Talking to my roommates is also frustrating, they don't see the main background to all of this, I know it's not their fault, nor their responsibility, but still...a bit of interest would be nice. Having said that, today was one of those days in which I didn't want to do anything, barely get out of bed, but Vincent insisted that I went with him to Coastviet, to have a new "perspective" of life, a breath of "fresh air"... Livnath also agreed on this being a good idea, since I had been at home for almost a month and there was no sign of me around town. With that in mind, I got ready reluctantly, without even putting any effort in hiding my exhaustion, if people wanted to see their Duchess, they would have to deal with the tired version of her, whether they like it or not. 

On the way there, Vincent did as much as he could to cheer me up and finally convince me of putting a bit more enthusiasm into this situation, but I was too tired to even crack a smile, my body felt heavy and numb, all I wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep and eat, nothing else, but the thought of leaving all of my due work behind haunted me and wouldn't let me have a moment of peace. 

Having Vincent as my roommate has been the greatest decision ever, he's a good listener, and is always there for me, just like I am for him. As family, we're meant to support each other, but as roommates, and friends, we actually have to be able to understand whenever the other one needs space and when to intervene. 

"Have you ever wondered why movies always portray Middle School and High school in general as a super scary experience?" Vincent asked, grabbing my arm softly to take me out of my thoughts 

"Huh? Oh, well...yeah...you're right" I stuttered, not really knowing what he was saying

"Is everything alright? You've been very distant lately, Zara says you rarely get out of bed, or the room for that matter". He sounds genuinely concerned, but I've already complained a lot, and I'm not sure if he really wants to hear me ramble about all the stuff I feel or not. 

"Yeah...it's fine, I'm just a little tired, you know? But! I'm fine, it's nothing serious." I reassure him, even though I want to tell him everything, I don't want to worry him. 

"Are you sure? Because I know you, and it is very unlike you to stay inside all day. You know you can talk to me, right? I'm your cousin, after all". Vincent tries to make me open up to him, but I just don't want to bore him talking about that

"I know, and I appreciate it, really, but right now I just don't feel like touching that topic. Why don't we talk about something else? Like, uh...your newest movie! For example." I change the topic quickly, and, although Vincent doesn't look convinced enough with my answer, he decides not to push any further and just play along. We talk all the way to Coastviet about our jobs and the things we have done so far, even if we live in the same house, we don't always get to talk to each other about how our day was. So hearing about his passions and future projects made me happy, seeing as he enjoys what he does, even if it gets a bit too much to handle, and how he manages to do just fine after all, make me really proud. 

Once we're already in Coastviet, I'm surrounded by people asking me how I was, if I was better, and that if I needed anything I could just tell them, and they'd be more than happy to help. It became overwhelming after some point, so much so, that Vincent had to ask them to give me space and to let me breathe. This people left eventually, but my mood had improved noticeably, and Vincent took notice of this, but he didn't say anything, just smiled reassuringly as we kept walking. I didn't really know where we were headed to, but right now that seemed to be the least of my worries. As we go deeper in town, more to the Main Square of Saint Nyperth, I noticed Viktor and Valens talking in the distance, but as we approach, their figures become more and more clear, and Viktor turns to look at me and next thing I know is that he launched at me and is hugging me tight by the waist. His head barely reaches my shoulders, so the feeling of his hair against my beck makes me tickle. He backs away a bit, but doesn't let go of his grip and asks if I'm doing better now. His face full of worry and concern, having him so close to my face makes me uncomfortable, so I stay silent in shock, taking in the color of his eyes as they reflect the soft glow of the sun in them. Valens appears next to him and tells him very gently to let go of me, that I'm startled, and that he should let me analyze the situation. He obeys, turning is sight from him to me and blushing softly from embarrassment as he takes a couple of steps back. 

"I am so sorry, I was worried about you. Nastassia said you were feeling quite under the weather..." he excused himself, speaking fast along with the strongest British accent I've ever heard, a bit too much for my liking and understanding. Luckily, Valens noticed my confusion and continued speaking. 

"We're just happy to see you around again, you were absent for quite a while, nobody knew anything about you, so it's just natural we are delighted by your presence." Valens spoke softly, approaching me and grabbing me by the shoulders slightly, I could barely feel his touch. He hugged me tenderly and let go after a couple of seconds. "Just want you to know that, if there is something we can help you with to make you feel more comfortable being here, don't hesitate to let it reach out to us" 

As I'm standing there processing all his new information, Vincent laughs exaggeratedly and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Earning a confused look from both members of the VIP club. 

"Sorry guys, it's just that, Addy is not familiar with these new emotions, c'mon, just give her some time, I just managed to get her to go out of the room, this is all too much for her" Vincent explains, putting his arm behind my neck and pulling me towards him

"Of course, we understand, we are deeply sorry if we ever made you feel uncomfortable" Valens and Viktor bowed slightly lowering their heads and giving me a small smile, barely noticeable. 

"How are you feeling?" Asked Viktor, his accent softer now, but still complicated to understand at first, so my answer took longer than normal to be heard, so a simple 'I'm doing better now' and 'thanks for asking'  was enough to keep them from asking any more questions. Although I could clearly see they weren't convinced with that answer, since my face and overall attitude didn't quite match what I was telling them. It is in moments like this when I wonder if they truly worry or if it's pure politeness from my people...somehow, those two words, MY PEOPLE, always give me some kind of proud feeling, it no longer feels like I'm claiming them as a possession, but as something that belongs with me and that needs me there. Sometimes, the intrusive thoughts get the best of me and lead me to forget the main reason as to why I'm doing all of this in the first place, but when I come out of that dark void of sadness, insecurities, doubt and uncertainty, it's like a bright yet gentle light pushes me forward into the good things that come with being one of Coastviet's rulers. 

"Adelyne" Viktor calls my name, and in a second, my sight, that was once focused on the landscape behind them, staring aimlessly without any mayor reason, moves fast to find the source of the sound, connecting almost immediately with his particular-colored eyes and an expression that screams 'I know you're lying'. I'm taken aback by the sudden change of focus, and the fact that someone was able to read through me that easily as well. My ears lower down, as if I'm being threatened or am in a dangerous situation. I hold my head with my hands, I feel dizzy and even lose my balance for a minute, luckily, Vincent, who was just behind me, held me firmly and kept me from falling. The other two men also worried about me, stepped closer and asked me if I was okay. 

"She's fine, but guys, please let her breathe, this must be too much for her to handle..." Vincent explained, motioning for me to take a seat in the ground, which I did, still feeling nauseous and finding it hard to breathe. I thought I was going to faint, they gave me space, and Valens summoned a glass of water to it to me, not in my hand though, he made it float towards me. 'When you take the "give me some space" WAY too literal' 

"We can leave if you need us to, that's alright. Innit, Valens?" Viktor and Valens exchange looks and nod to me, a reassuring smile in their faces. 

"Take care Ms. Adelyne, it was very nice to see you around again" And with that, they left me and Vincent kneeling/sitting on the ground. I turn to him, still holding the glass--no, cup of water, that Valens gave me. Now I'm wondering if I look miserable, pitiful, and sad, maybe I even cried and didn't notice. But my face doesn't feel wet from tears, or wet at all...He understands me, even when looking desperate and anxious, it's so nice to have people like him around, totally restores my faith in society. 

"No, you don't look bad, you just look pale...or well, even more pale than you usually do. No, you didn't cry, you're not going to faint, things are happening a bit too fast, but that's fine, take it easy and breathe, drink some of the water Valens gave you, it'll help you". 

Some minutes pass and we're still laying on the ground, just casually talking about the weather, how big Coastviet really is and wondering if there are more towns aside from ours. Once I'm more relaxed and my mind is clear again, I propose to Vincent visiting Mika and Sabrina, that they'd be happy to see I'm doing fine and that'll be good for me too. And so, we start walking in direction of Twhistwar, we cross paths with some other town people who wave at us and wish us a good day, it's Saturday, so there's few people outside their homes, which is why Saint Nyperth feels so much like a ghost town. I see Queenie, the governant's daughter, in the distance, but she doesn't recognize me, which is a good thing, because she can be unbearable sometimes, so I keep walking, continuing the chat with Vincent, I didn't really pay any attention to the cup, now empty, that I was holding, so we both jump at the sound of something breaking, like shattered glass, as I look down, I notice small shreds of ice in my hands, apparently the cup froze as I held it. Something like that had never happened to me before, my power is usually under control, it's one of the fewest things that can actually be controlled in a certain way without getting hurt trying. 

As I stare at my hands, Vincent's laugh catches my ears and they turn to the source of the sound, I don't even look at him before the words scape my mouth without even thinking "What are you laughing about?" he just keeps laughing and grabs a piece of ice from me, putting it up to his eye level and examining it in the sunlight. He chuckles and looks at me

"Well, this reminds me of that movie you like so much, how was it called? The ice Queen? Ice age? I know it has something to do with ice". He mocks about me without being offensive, just unbearable. 

"What movie are you talking about?" I ask with an eyebrow raised

"You know, the one where the protagonist has to run away because she freezes everything she touches"

"So Frozen?" 

"Is that what it's called? Geez, what an unoriginal name for a movie" 

"Vincent, it's not as if your movies were better named, besides, what their name would it have? 'The ice queen?' too obvious and lazy." Vincent, being a film director, egocentric as only himself could be, watches movies with a different eye, he pays more attention to the tiny details, subtle things that few would notice. He often complains about movies not having a coherent title, to me this isn't a big deal, but for him, as if his life depended on it. 'So dramatic'

"Anyway, let's just keep walking, the fresh air might clear your mind about it." I shake my head in disappointment before resuming our walk, we reach a small bench where we find Castiel and Nastassia, Castiel rules in Thwistwar, along with Leandre, although they're not referred to as 'dukes' but marquises. I personally find odd, not to brag or anything, but as someone who's part of the royalty and has knowledge about hierarchy, Duke and Duchess are the highest noble ranks, Marques comes second and king or queen, well, they just don't fit in this ranking. 

Why I find it odd is because it was them who turned Thwistwar into what it is nowadays, not me. But I guess it has to do with the fact that I actually have royal blood...Nastassia locks eyes with me and quickly runs to hug me but stops abruptly before she even touches my arms. I guess my tired face and body language made it clear I could barely keep myself up and that I didn't want any physical contact. 

"Addy, hi! How are you feeling? Did Vincent drag you here against your will?" she asked giving my cousin a severe look, he shrugged his shoulders and looked away offended. Castiel approached us carefully with a smile and his hands in the pockets of the sweater he was wearing, it wasn't even that cold, but given that the town was almost empty, it felt chilly.

"It certainly is great to see you around town again. Hopefully the sudden change in the weather doesn't affect your mood." 

"No, not really, but I do feel a bit underwhelmed about coming here, leaving home...all of this is just...I don't know how to put it" I confessed, lowering my head and ears. 

"Oh, Adelyne, you don't need to explain yourself to us, not because we don't care or anything like that, but because it is very personal." Nastassia gently grabbed my hands and raised them up to her eye level, I lifted my head up but kept my ears low. "Listen, I might not be the best at giving advice--" 

"Because that's Viktor's job" interrupted Castiel making me chuckle softly. Nastassia gave him a stern look and growled at him, showing her teeth and pushing her ears back. 

"Why don't you just shut up? I'm trying to have a heart-to-heart moment here. Thank you very much" 

"If you have a 'heart to heart' moment, all you're gonna get is to make her feel even more anxious" he explained rolling his eyes at her

"You don't know that. You've never felt pressured by the townspeople and their problems. They don't even like you to begin with, so I doubt you know what it is like to deal with that" Castiel and Nastassia have a very interesting friendship, they argue, offend and insult each other but they never take it personal. Not just them though, their group of friends in general. Nastassia mocked Castiel and his job, he did the same, telling her things like 'Creatures don't trust you because, instead of giving them advice, you give them a lecture in the worst way possible' to what she gasped exaggeratedly and argued back. 

Seeing this kind of interaction gave me some sort of happy feeling, both rulers have a unique way of doing things and handling them, I think it's vital that they stay true to their own beliefs and policies. That's what will help them achieve success afterall. 

As I looked at them jokingly arguing, I thought about why their relationship might have not worked, I'm aware that they used to date and were very...affectionate, with each other. Those around them said they made a really great couple, and, from what I've heard, it was a healthy relationship. So why did it end? Nastassia says it just didn't work out, and Castiel says it only happened in the first place because of social pressure. Normally, exes don't get along, but their situation is different. 

Vincent had to interrupt their "fight" since it was starting to get out of hand. Nastassia turned her attention back to me and smiled wildly. I looked down at my hands at the feeling of something warm and realized that she hadn't let go of them after all this time. 

"Sorry about that, you know how it is. Anyway, Addy, Adelyne, please do tell me, would you like to take a seat?" She asked kindly, and without waiting for an answer, both her and Castiel carefully led me towards the bench they had been sitting on moments before. They sat down as well, so I was sitting between the two of them. 

"Do you want to talk to us about how you're feeling?" Castiel asked softly, almost as if he didn't want to make such a question.

"Yesn't...? I'm not entirely sure of how to describe how I'm feeling. Maybe I'm just tired and all I want is to rest, but on the other hand..." I paused, focusing on what I wanted to say and not the tears I felt coming up to my eyes and the knot on my throat. 'You can do this, they won't judge'. "I just...want everything to come to an end, or at least stop thinking about all the things I've stopped doing for feeling like this. And I feel guilty because...I love my job and the things I do, but lately nothing of that seems to make me happy anymore." The next thing I know is that I feel some arms wrapped around me and a warm feeling.

"It's okay, we're here for you" I hear Nastassia say. My cheeks feel wet, 'I'm not crying...am I?' I take a hand to my face and confirm my suspicions when I look back at my soaked fingers. 'God, I hate crying in front of other people. I don't want them to feel sorry for me'

--------

A few minutes pass and I'm still sitting at that bench, sobbing silently between Castiel and Nastassia. Vincent had to leave due to and emergency with my aunt and cousin. "Nothing too extreme" he said, but his face said otherwise.