xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Come on Lucius! Hurry up!"
"I'm coming..."
The day had started out beautifully...the sun was shining, the birds were singing...and Lucius was running out of breath.
Since the end of Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector and Lady Lyndis' adventure, the two friends, Raven the mercenary and Lucius the monk, had moved into a big city with the intention of building an orphanage in it.
They were back from the marked, their purchases in multiple bags. Raven of course carried more than Lucius, but even so the latter, having a weaker constitution, tired out rather quickly. Therefore, they made a pause so that the monk could catch his breath.
"You are really unbelievable," Raven said as he watched the monk sitting on a low wall. "We've only been walking for ten minutes."
"I know..." Lucius replied as he breathed in and out. "I'm sorry..."
They had to wait for a good few minutes for the monk to fully recover.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, only a short distance away unfolded a decidedly less heart-warming scene. Two men riding on horses were sharply talking to each other as they crossed the town.
"Lord Belisain!"
"What is it now?"
"When will you finally make your decision about collecting the taxes? If you don't do anything, soon the palace's chests will be empty!"
"Advisor Witt, I shall remind you, for the umpteenth time, that the time is not appropriate. Look at the people! Everyone's doing what they can to survive. If anything we should get rid of some taxes, otherwise we won't survive it ourselves.
"What did you say?"
"Oh, that's enough! Every discussion with you bores me to no end! I'm riding back my way. I'll go back to the castle later.
The man named Belisain left as he said, leaving his raging advisor Witt alone, and made his way towards the marketplace.
On his way he saw many people come and go: peasants, workers, craftsmen, merchants...decidedly, the taxes were too high in this town. He was thinking about the palace's financial problems as he saw something that made him stop in his tracks.
It was a young woman. A young woman with blonde hair that went down to her waist...with beautiful blue eyes...with long fingers and delicate hands...
Her smile was so radiant...
What could her name be? He wondered as she looked up at him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lucius, having heard someone coming his way, looked up to see who or what could be so big as to shade him from the sun. It was a man. He was on horseback, standing there so tall, shadows hiding his face...he didn't move.
This vision scared Lucius as much as it impressed him. He was reflecting on it when the man began to speak.
"What is your--"
"Lucius!" Raven called back. "What are you doing? I'm..." He stopped as he took notice of the man that was facing the monk, both of them turning to face him.
"Ah! Lord Raymond!" Lucius exclaimed, visibly relieved that his friend had come back.
"Who are you?" The mercenary asked the rider briskly.
But upon seeing Raven, the man left silently.
"Who was it?" Raven asked his friend. "What did he want?"
"I have no idea..." Lucius replied as he shook his head, following his friend as they left, still thinking of that enigmatic man.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lord Belisain couldn't stop thinking about that mysterious person on his way back to the palace.
So it would seem it had been a man, not a woman...Lucius? Was that really his name? "Lucius"..."the light"...yes, no name could better fit him.
And although he now knew that this vision, sublime in itself, was truly only a young man, he couldn't help thinking about him.
But then...who was it? That other man, the one that was with him...Raymond...Lord Raymond...a Lord? Him? He surely didn't look like one.
But this Raymond's existence hadn't really baffled our Lord. No, the only thing that really had was the smile that Lucius had had on his face by simply seeing his friend.
Was he really his friend?
"Lord Belisain! At last I've found you!"
Belisain turned his head towards the one that had called him, and felt slightly annoyed when he saw it was no other than his advisor Witt. "Witt..."
"Come now, let us go back to the palace! You have work to do, do not forget!"
"Yes..."
Witt abruptly stopped talking and eyed the Lord's vacant expression. "What has gotten into you?" He asked. "You look thoughtful...do you feel alright?"
"Oh...yes, yes!" Belisain quickly replied. "Forgive me...let's go back."
No one needed to know...for now, staying alert would suffice...he'd watch the town carefully, and that until he found Lucius...and made him his.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hiya That's a translation of my french fic "très cher Lucius"; so, if you can speak french... Ah, I invented two characters in this story: Lord Belisain and his advisor, Witt. Weird names, I know.
well, thanks for reading! Review, please!