Chapter Three
Gratiana had stayed in the Crystal Forest's Palace for two months, quietly suffering from homesickness. She wanted to return to the East Hall in case her mother came to see her. However, Serenity was watching her, and in the back of Gratiana's mind, she heard her mother telling her to stay, to help those poor cursed people fulfill a prophecy, to help a man she was beginning to love become King. Damon and Catherine met in the gardens one day. "I'm worried," Catherine confessed. "Gratiana isn't falling for Lucient as fast as we'd hoped. She needs to be head-over-heels for him before Galia and Endymion return!" "You're right," Damon sighed. "She's an awful lot like you, Cat," he laughed. "So stubborn. You'd almost think you were related." Catherine laid her head on Damon's shoulder in an uncommon showing of weakness. "My mother . my real mother had hair like hers . Maybe we're distant relatives . If she's really Galaxia ... we could be ... But we couldn't be so close in relation," she reasoned, "That we act the same." Just then, Lucient and Gratiana were seen strolling down the garden path. They had their arms around each other's waists; Gratiana with her head leaning on Lucient's arm, Lucient whispering into her hair. Damon and Catherine gave each other unbelieving glances. When Gratiana noticed the other couple, she quickly pulled away from a puzzled Lucient. Damon smirked. "Hey, you two," he called. Lucient glanced over at Gratiana, who was smiling warmly. "Good morning," he answered slowly. "Good morning," Gratiana cheered, smiling faux-cheerfully. She didn't want to let on how close she and Lucient were really becoming. But Damon and Catherine had seen, and the latter was staring scornfully at her. "Galia and Endymion are coming home tomorrow," Catherine reminded everyone. "Gratiana, have you seen the photo albums of the family?" she asked falsely. "Why no," Gratiana answered, the same amount of sarcasm in her voice as in Catherine's. "Why don't we go see them?"
Catherine pinched Damon's arm lightly, giving him a beseeching look. "They're in the library. Come with me." Gratiana gave up her farce and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Lucient's cheek. She followed Catherine out of the garden. When they disappeared from sight, Damon told Lucient, "'If I were a girl, I'd be all over you with your dating techniques 'Romeous told me that once. As much as I hate to admit he was good for anything, that piece of advice was well-needed." "I don't know what's wrong. She's so romantic when no one else is around; you saw. But she just turns cold when she sees people. Other people," Lucient sighed. "I don't know what to do!" * * * "Why are you hiding you relationship from us?" Catherine demanded. "I don't want people to think Lucient and I are more serious than we really are," Gratiana pleaded. "But you're making them think you aren't serious at all! You're worrying people- -they want Lucient as King! And Lucient wants to be King. He has to find a bride in the next 3 months, and don't you see? He loves you! You can't play with his heart like this if you won't marry him," she finalized. "Either you warm up around other people or leave. He needs a wife, not a mistress." Gratiana gasped defiantly. "I love him!" she shouted. Catherine stopped. Seconds after she uttered the words, she clamped her hands over her mouth. "Do you?" Catherine asked. "I .I do," she admitted, beginning to laugh. "I love him!" That night, before Gratiana retired to bed, she heard a knock on her door. It was Lucient, looking sad and somewhat dejected. She invited him in. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Gratiana, what was the matter with you today?" he asked, hurt in his voice. "I .I'm sorry. I didn't want to thinking we were more serious than we were; but this is serious," she said, taking his hand, "and I think I love you." Lucient's sadness melted away and in its place a huge smile was left. He swept her off the floor, turning her in a big circle and then letting her down into his embrace. "I love you, too," he said. She fully returned his embrace. "I don't want to rush into things," she told him. "I want to take it slow." "We will," he reassured. "When Mother and Father get back, you can meet them. They'll love you." 'Father, at least,' he thought.
Gratiana had stayed in the Crystal Forest's Palace for two months, quietly suffering from homesickness. She wanted to return to the East Hall in case her mother came to see her. However, Serenity was watching her, and in the back of Gratiana's mind, she heard her mother telling her to stay, to help those poor cursed people fulfill a prophecy, to help a man she was beginning to love become King. Damon and Catherine met in the gardens one day. "I'm worried," Catherine confessed. "Gratiana isn't falling for Lucient as fast as we'd hoped. She needs to be head-over-heels for him before Galia and Endymion return!" "You're right," Damon sighed. "She's an awful lot like you, Cat," he laughed. "So stubborn. You'd almost think you were related." Catherine laid her head on Damon's shoulder in an uncommon showing of weakness. "My mother . my real mother had hair like hers . Maybe we're distant relatives . If she's really Galaxia ... we could be ... But we couldn't be so close in relation," she reasoned, "That we act the same." Just then, Lucient and Gratiana were seen strolling down the garden path. They had their arms around each other's waists; Gratiana with her head leaning on Lucient's arm, Lucient whispering into her hair. Damon and Catherine gave each other unbelieving glances. When Gratiana noticed the other couple, she quickly pulled away from a puzzled Lucient. Damon smirked. "Hey, you two," he called. Lucient glanced over at Gratiana, who was smiling warmly. "Good morning," he answered slowly. "Good morning," Gratiana cheered, smiling faux-cheerfully. She didn't want to let on how close she and Lucient were really becoming. But Damon and Catherine had seen, and the latter was staring scornfully at her. "Galia and Endymion are coming home tomorrow," Catherine reminded everyone. "Gratiana, have you seen the photo albums of the family?" she asked falsely. "Why no," Gratiana answered, the same amount of sarcasm in her voice as in Catherine's. "Why don't we go see them?"
Catherine pinched Damon's arm lightly, giving him a beseeching look. "They're in the library. Come with me." Gratiana gave up her farce and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Lucient's cheek. She followed Catherine out of the garden. When they disappeared from sight, Damon told Lucient, "'If I were a girl, I'd be all over you with your dating techniques 'Romeous told me that once. As much as I hate to admit he was good for anything, that piece of advice was well-needed." "I don't know what's wrong. She's so romantic when no one else is around; you saw. But she just turns cold when she sees people. Other people," Lucient sighed. "I don't know what to do!" * * * "Why are you hiding you relationship from us?" Catherine demanded. "I don't want people to think Lucient and I are more serious than we really are," Gratiana pleaded. "But you're making them think you aren't serious at all! You're worrying people- -they want Lucient as King! And Lucient wants to be King. He has to find a bride in the next 3 months, and don't you see? He loves you! You can't play with his heart like this if you won't marry him," she finalized. "Either you warm up around other people or leave. He needs a wife, not a mistress." Gratiana gasped defiantly. "I love him!" she shouted. Catherine stopped. Seconds after she uttered the words, she clamped her hands over her mouth. "Do you?" Catherine asked. "I .I do," she admitted, beginning to laugh. "I love him!" That night, before Gratiana retired to bed, she heard a knock on her door. It was Lucient, looking sad and somewhat dejected. She invited him in. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Gratiana, what was the matter with you today?" he asked, hurt in his voice. "I .I'm sorry. I didn't want to thinking we were more serious than we were; but this is serious," she said, taking his hand, "and I think I love you." Lucient's sadness melted away and in its place a huge smile was left. He swept her off the floor, turning her in a big circle and then letting her down into his embrace. "I love you, too," he said. She fully returned his embrace. "I don't want to rush into things," she told him. "I want to take it slow." "We will," he reassured. "When Mother and Father get back, you can meet them. They'll love you." 'Father, at least,' he thought.