As I walked out of the chamber, a little boy bumped into my leg and fell backward.
He stood up quickly. “I am sorry, My Lady,” he said, wide-eyed.
“It’s Alright” I smiled. He had short blonde hair and his big brown eyes stared innocently at her. “Who are you?”
“I am Prince Pierre’s son. My name is Levi, My lady.” I couldn’t help but smile at his cuteness. “I am looking for uncle Lucian.” He called him by his first name.
They must be very close I thought.
“His Highness is not here,” I said with a gentle smile. “Do you want to leave a message for him? I am his wife.”
“Can I wait for him here?” He asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.
“Yes, of course. Come,” I said and led him to the garden. “I am having lunch soon; are you hungry?”
He nodded.
“Sit down,” I urged. The maids served us lunch – including baked potatoes and grilled chicken with vegetables.
“Please don’t tell my father I have been here, My Lady.” He pleaded. “Father doesn’t like me being here.”
“Why not?” I asked curiously.
“He says Uncle Lucian is a bad man.”
Bad man? Why would his brother say something like that about him?
“Then why don’t you listen to your father? Why don’t you stay away?” I asked, treading carefully.
“Because I like being with uncle Lucian. He is nice to me even though he’s not nice anymore.” He said timidly.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, he just tells me I shouldn’t be here, he tells me to go away.” He looked hurt.
“What about the rest of your uncles? Why don’t you accompany them?”
“I just like uncle Lucian.”
“Levi!” someone shouted and shortly after a woman barged in. The maids behind her wore an apologetic look on their face.
I stood up from my seat, and the woman looked me up and down.
“Mother,” Levi said stiffly, standing up.
“Come here!” She ordered, and he walked up to her. She put a hand on his shoulder. “I told you not to come here,” She scolded him. “Go now.”
Levi left running away quickly. Poor child, I thought.
The woman then turned to me. “I am Princess Elsa, the Crown Prince’s first wife,”
She said straightening her shoulders and neck as if challenging me with her superiority.
“It’s nice to meet you, Princess Elsa. I am Princess Hazel,” I replied courteously, trying my best to not offend her. I didn’t want conflict this early on.
“My son won’t disturb you anymore,” she said, with finality. “Feel free to visit if you ever feel alone, my quarter is next to yours.”
“Maybe I will,” I said, and then she turned around elegantly with a high chin and left.
After having my lunch I went to the white swing in the garden and lay down while looking up the sky. I had many questions and thoughts that bothered me. Why would Lucian’s brother say something like that about him? Yesterday, they looked as though they were willing to attack each other. I remembered the menacing look in Lucian’s eyes, so different from the soft look he gave me today when he kissed my hand.
My heart fluttered at the memory.
“What makes you smile so?” A familiar voice came from nearby.
“Your Highness.” I inclined my head. He had surprised me. I moved over to create a space for him on the seat. He took a seat beside me and put one arm over the seatback.
“How was your day?”
“It was fine Your Highness… I mean Lucian.” I corrected myself.
He just smiled.
“Your nephew was here,” I added.
His only reply was a short ‘hmm’.
“He said his father wouldn’t be happy to know he was here.”
“Yes, my brothers don’t like me,” Lucian replied, devoid of emotion.
“Why?”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? that I’m the ‘devil’s son.'”
“But you’re not…?” I trailed off, confused.
He just looked at me for a while before finally replying; “I don’t know.”
Married To The Devils Son.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
All princes and their first wives were invited to have dinner with the King. When we arrived, the King welcomed us and we greeted him in turn, then we greeted one another amongst ourselves. While the princes chatted and laughed, except Lucian, the princesses just glared at each other. There was some kind of hostility between them.
Lucian didn’t go up to his brothers, he just stood beside me. None of them seemed to care about him, either. He had told me earlier that they didn’t like him because he was the devil’s son. I wondered if they really believed that kind of blasphemy.
And why did he say that he didn’t know if he actually was the devil’s son? I was confused.
Before my head imploded with questions, dinner was served and we sat down in our assigned places. Each prince sat beside his wife. The Crown Prince was sitting next to the King, they were talking about something animatedly, waving their hands around wildly. His wife Elsa looked at me now and then. I wondered if she had any problem with me. But I had to admit she was a beauty. Possibly the most beautiful of all the princesses, with her curly blonde hair and sky blue eyes.
Lucian and I ate our dinner in silence; he seemed uncomfortable as though he was forced to be here.
A guard came in and whispered something into the King’s ear and shortly after the king stood up from his seat. “I have a few things to take care of, but enjoy your dinner.”He said guardedly, and with that, he left.
As soon as the King left the Crown Prince rose from his seat holding his wine glass delicately in one hand and a spoon on the other. He tapped the spoon on the glass to grab everyone’s attention.
“First, we shall welcome or little brother’s bride,” he began, “and then..” he continued, clearly not fit to form complete sentences in his intoxicated state.
“And then,” the prince next to him picked up where his brother had left off. “We shall tell embarrassing stories about our little brother to his bride.”