Chapter Two
Lucient and Gratiana reappeared in the room with Damon, only moments later. Damon's eyes grew wide when he saw Gratiana. "Lucient! What just happened? Who is she?" he asked, striding over to stand in front of them. Gratiana cringed a small bit and half-fearfully laid her left hand on Lucient's arm and clutched his hand with her right. "Damon, this is Lady Gratiana. Gratiana, this is my half-brother, Prince Damon," Lucient explained. Gratiana lessened her grip on Lucient, letting go of his hand to extend hers to Damon. "Well met, Lady Gratiana," Damon said, bowing to kiss her hand. "Nice to meet you, Prince Damon," she answered, taking her hand away. Damon looked up at his younger brother. "The people await your address," he reminded him. "Lucient groaned. The people of his kingdom waited and hoped for a marriage announcement every time he was introduced to a new princess, duchess, or lady. However, they had always been disappointed, and would be disappointed again today. Unless of course he proposed to Gratiana. But he couldn't yet; he hardly knew her. It could be considered that they were courting each other. That would make the kingdom, even his mother, happy. Damon could hear the gears grinding in Lucient's head and he frowned. 'Don't be planning to use this girl, please, Lucient,' he thought. "Gratiana, would you accompany us?" Lucient asked, extending his hand to her. She took it, nodding. Damon frowned more openly as they climbed the stairs and stepped onto the balcony. Millions of people waited expectantly below them. A woman with medium- length blonde hair stood by the wall. Damon went to stand by her and beckoned for Gratiana to follow. Lucient let go of her hand and walked to the balcony's end, leaning on the rail. A hush ran over the crowd. "Lady Nadine and I are not going to be married," he announced. A collective 'aww' was heard from the crowd. Lucient beckoned to Gratiana. When she stood next to him, he said, "In other news, allow me to introduce the palace's newest guest, Lady Gratiana." The crowd applauded politely, but as they saw the guest's hair, it slowed and was replaced by whispers: 'Who is she?' 'Did you see her hair?' 'Do you think Lucient took her hand and led her back down the stairs, followed by Damon and the blonde woman. When they reached the bottom, Lucient turned to face Damon's companion. "Catherine, could you show Gratiana to a guest room? Room 412, please?" he asked. Catherine nodded. Lucient leaned down to kiss Gratiana, but she properly turned her cheek to him and left with Catherine. Damon turned on Lucient. "Are you trying to use that poor child? So you can become king? Are you that greedy?!" "That's Galaxia, Damon! Don't you see? I've fulfilled a prophecy! Don't you remember it?" he asked. "Galaxia?" Damon gasped, looking in the direction Catherine and Gratiana disappeared to. "The prophecy . 'A prince will retrieve the sunset- haired legendary soldier, and they will marry to rule a kingdom and break the curse of the returned Elysians!" "Of course. Don't you see? It's meant to be!" "Galaxia ... You're lucky, Luc." * * * Gratiana stretched and flopped onto the guest bed. "Comfortable?" Catherine asked. "Very. I love Lucient's palace!" Gratiana answered, smiling. "There are some things I must warn you of." Catherine began. "Lucient and Damon think that you're the legendary soldier, Galaxia. We have a legend about her; that she will return and save us from an awful curse." "A curse?" "Yes. Also, my mother-in-law, Queen Galia, has put a limitation on Lucient if he wishes to be King. He must marry before his coming birthday, or she disowns him and Damon will rule. Galia's cold-hearted to her youngest son, Endymion's only child," she warned. "Is Lucient setting me up?" Gratiana asked fearfully. "I doubt it," Catherine answered, smiling warmly. "I know him, and I think he really loves you. Forgive him if he moves too fast." "Of course. I. I think I love him as well," she sighed, smiling back at Catherine.
Lucient and Gratiana reappeared in the room with Damon, only moments later. Damon's eyes grew wide when he saw Gratiana. "Lucient! What just happened? Who is she?" he asked, striding over to stand in front of them. Gratiana cringed a small bit and half-fearfully laid her left hand on Lucient's arm and clutched his hand with her right. "Damon, this is Lady Gratiana. Gratiana, this is my half-brother, Prince Damon," Lucient explained. Gratiana lessened her grip on Lucient, letting go of his hand to extend hers to Damon. "Well met, Lady Gratiana," Damon said, bowing to kiss her hand. "Nice to meet you, Prince Damon," she answered, taking her hand away. Damon looked up at his younger brother. "The people await your address," he reminded him. "Lucient groaned. The people of his kingdom waited and hoped for a marriage announcement every time he was introduced to a new princess, duchess, or lady. However, they had always been disappointed, and would be disappointed again today. Unless of course he proposed to Gratiana. But he couldn't yet; he hardly knew her. It could be considered that they were courting each other. That would make the kingdom, even his mother, happy. Damon could hear the gears grinding in Lucient's head and he frowned. 'Don't be planning to use this girl, please, Lucient,' he thought. "Gratiana, would you accompany us?" Lucient asked, extending his hand to her. She took it, nodding. Damon frowned more openly as they climbed the stairs and stepped onto the balcony. Millions of people waited expectantly below them. A woman with medium- length blonde hair stood by the wall. Damon went to stand by her and beckoned for Gratiana to follow. Lucient let go of her hand and walked to the balcony's end, leaning on the rail. A hush ran over the crowd. "Lady Nadine and I are not going to be married," he announced. A collective 'aww' was heard from the crowd. Lucient beckoned to Gratiana. When she stood next to him, he said, "In other news, allow me to introduce the palace's newest guest, Lady Gratiana." The crowd applauded politely, but as they saw the guest's hair, it slowed and was replaced by whispers: 'Who is she?' 'Did you see her hair?' 'Do you think Lucient took her hand and led her back down the stairs, followed by Damon and the blonde woman. When they reached the bottom, Lucient turned to face Damon's companion. "Catherine, could you show Gratiana to a guest room? Room 412, please?" he asked. Catherine nodded. Lucient leaned down to kiss Gratiana, but she properly turned her cheek to him and left with Catherine. Damon turned on Lucient. "Are you trying to use that poor child? So you can become king? Are you that greedy?!" "That's Galaxia, Damon! Don't you see? I've fulfilled a prophecy! Don't you remember it?" he asked. "Galaxia?" Damon gasped, looking in the direction Catherine and Gratiana disappeared to. "The prophecy . 'A prince will retrieve the sunset- haired legendary soldier, and they will marry to rule a kingdom and break the curse of the returned Elysians!" "Of course. Don't you see? It's meant to be!" "Galaxia ... You're lucky, Luc." * * * Gratiana stretched and flopped onto the guest bed. "Comfortable?" Catherine asked. "Very. I love Lucient's palace!" Gratiana answered, smiling. "There are some things I must warn you of." Catherine began. "Lucient and Damon think that you're the legendary soldier, Galaxia. We have a legend about her; that she will return and save us from an awful curse." "A curse?" "Yes. Also, my mother-in-law, Queen Galia, has put a limitation on Lucient if he wishes to be King. He must marry before his coming birthday, or she disowns him and Damon will rule. Galia's cold-hearted to her youngest son, Endymion's only child," she warned. "Is Lucient setting me up?" Gratiana asked fearfully. "I doubt it," Catherine answered, smiling warmly. "I know him, and I think he really loves you. Forgive him if he moves too fast." "Of course. I. I think I love him as well," she sighed, smiling back at Catherine.