Chapter Four
Galia and Endymion returned the nest afternoon. Lucient came to Gratiana's room to help her get ready for dinner, and if he had the courage, tell her of Galia's temper. Gratiana sat at the vanity, attaching a white net around her pinned- up hair. Lucient walked up behind her and swiftly pulled the sole pin out of her hair, watching it tumble down. "Lucient!!" she screamed, jumping up and lashing out at him. He backed up and amusedly protected his face with his hands. "Keep your hair down. I like it," he suggested, smoothing down one side of it. Gratiana sighed angrily. "That took me two hours to get up!" she told him. He pressed his index and middle fingers against her lips, shushing her. "Why don't you show me your dress?" he asked. Gratiana led him to her sewing machine, where an amber-coloured dress hung. She held it up against her skin, showing Lucient. "Let me try it on." Gratiana shut herself in the bathroom to change. Normally, at home, she wouldn't have bothered, but she was learning a whole new set of ethics, here in the Crystal Forest. The dress had thread-thin spaghetti straps, and a v-neckline than ran all the way down until the dress cinched under her bosom. Lines were embroidered on it in a pearlescant shade of pink. The skirt of the dress split into five petal-like pieces. Lucient's eyes widened when he saw the dress Gratiana made. He knew his mother wouldn't like it, but he sure did, especially the way the silk clung to her curves. Her hair especially framed and brought attention to her petite but developed body. As far as he was concerned, she was a knockout. "Well?" she asked, spinning around. "What do you think?" "You're beautiful!" he exclaimed. "You aren't just saying that? Do I really look good?" she went on, modeling in front of the mirror. "Maybe I should have a shawl; maybe it's too revealing." "It's just fine," he reassured, placing a golden circlet like his own over her hair. "My Princess Gratiana." She leaned against his strong chest and drew his arms around her, enjoying their romantic bliss. "I love you," she told him again, whispering each word as though it was old porcelain and might break at the least little thing. "I love you, too," he answered, giving each word at least twice as much care. A cold gust suddenly blew through the room, though the doors were closed and the windows locked tight. Lucient shivered fearfully and help Gratiana closer. The gust continued, and it sounded like it was saying, 'beware, watch out.' * * * Outside the dining room, Lucient finally got up his courage. He pulled Gratiana aside. "My mother," he warned, "isn't exactly partial towards me. She doesn't want me to be King. Don't let anything she says get to you." "How can your mother be so cruel?" Gratiana asked, hurting for Lucient. "When I was 8 years old, she shut me up in a prison because she wanted her first son, Romeous, as heir. Damon found me and saved my life. Now that Romeous is dead, she wants Damon as heir. Anyone but me. Romeous and Damon's father is Ares, whom she had an affair with while married to my father," he told her. "He found out shortly before I was born." "Oh, Lucient," Gratiana sighed. She touched his face gingerly, seeing the tears threatening to run from his eyes. 'How can he stay here,' she wondered, 'when his mother is so compassionless?' "Don't let her win. Don't let her see you cry." "Never," he reassured her, sucking up his tears. "She's in here, waiting to be knocked off her high horse," he joked. They entered the dining hall, calm and collected. A servant announced them, "Prince Lucient and Lady Gratiana!" Damon and Catherine were seated next to each other. At the head of the table was a cheery, fat old man with greying blue-black hair and laughing cerulean eyes. Seated to his right was a gaunt, thin woman with long, harsh jet hair and piercing stone-grey eyes. She stood to greet Gratiana. "Welcome back Mother, Father," Lucient said, half-bowing to each of his parents. "I'd like you to meet my guest, Lady Gratiana. Gratiana, this is my mother, Queen Galia, and my father, King Endymion." Gratiana began to say "Nice to meet you," but she was cut off by Galia's high, thin voice. "Don't tell me this is your new suitor. I thought her name was Nadine," she said scornfully. "She's obviously a tramp with dyed hair trying to look like Galaxia; like the answer to our prayers. This is shameful, Lucient, that you should waste your time with such a fraud." Lucient grew angry. "She is Galaxia!" he shouted. Gratiana moved to touch his arm, to give him strength, although she was as scared as he was angry. "Sit down, Galia!" Endymion roared. "Are you blind? Can you not see a legend standing before you? YOU are shameful!" Any colour in Galia's face was drained out as she meekly sat back into her chair. Endymion got up and walked to Gratiana, bowing before her. "It is an honour and a privilege to have you here," he told her. "Please excuse my wife." He smiled at Lucient. "Sit, sit, and let's eat. I've had a long journey, and I have much to say."
Galia and Endymion returned the nest afternoon. Lucient came to Gratiana's room to help her get ready for dinner, and if he had the courage, tell her of Galia's temper. Gratiana sat at the vanity, attaching a white net around her pinned- up hair. Lucient walked up behind her and swiftly pulled the sole pin out of her hair, watching it tumble down. "Lucient!!" she screamed, jumping up and lashing out at him. He backed up and amusedly protected his face with his hands. "Keep your hair down. I like it," he suggested, smoothing down one side of it. Gratiana sighed angrily. "That took me two hours to get up!" she told him. He pressed his index and middle fingers against her lips, shushing her. "Why don't you show me your dress?" he asked. Gratiana led him to her sewing machine, where an amber-coloured dress hung. She held it up against her skin, showing Lucient. "Let me try it on." Gratiana shut herself in the bathroom to change. Normally, at home, she wouldn't have bothered, but she was learning a whole new set of ethics, here in the Crystal Forest. The dress had thread-thin spaghetti straps, and a v-neckline than ran all the way down until the dress cinched under her bosom. Lines were embroidered on it in a pearlescant shade of pink. The skirt of the dress split into five petal-like pieces. Lucient's eyes widened when he saw the dress Gratiana made. He knew his mother wouldn't like it, but he sure did, especially the way the silk clung to her curves. Her hair especially framed and brought attention to her petite but developed body. As far as he was concerned, she was a knockout. "Well?" she asked, spinning around. "What do you think?" "You're beautiful!" he exclaimed. "You aren't just saying that? Do I really look good?" she went on, modeling in front of the mirror. "Maybe I should have a shawl; maybe it's too revealing." "It's just fine," he reassured, placing a golden circlet like his own over her hair. "My Princess Gratiana." She leaned against his strong chest and drew his arms around her, enjoying their romantic bliss. "I love you," she told him again, whispering each word as though it was old porcelain and might break at the least little thing. "I love you, too," he answered, giving each word at least twice as much care. A cold gust suddenly blew through the room, though the doors were closed and the windows locked tight. Lucient shivered fearfully and help Gratiana closer. The gust continued, and it sounded like it was saying, 'beware, watch out.' * * * Outside the dining room, Lucient finally got up his courage. He pulled Gratiana aside. "My mother," he warned, "isn't exactly partial towards me. She doesn't want me to be King. Don't let anything she says get to you." "How can your mother be so cruel?" Gratiana asked, hurting for Lucient. "When I was 8 years old, she shut me up in a prison because she wanted her first son, Romeous, as heir. Damon found me and saved my life. Now that Romeous is dead, she wants Damon as heir. Anyone but me. Romeous and Damon's father is Ares, whom she had an affair with while married to my father," he told her. "He found out shortly before I was born." "Oh, Lucient," Gratiana sighed. She touched his face gingerly, seeing the tears threatening to run from his eyes. 'How can he stay here,' she wondered, 'when his mother is so compassionless?' "Don't let her win. Don't let her see you cry." "Never," he reassured her, sucking up his tears. "She's in here, waiting to be knocked off her high horse," he joked. They entered the dining hall, calm and collected. A servant announced them, "Prince Lucient and Lady Gratiana!" Damon and Catherine were seated next to each other. At the head of the table was a cheery, fat old man with greying blue-black hair and laughing cerulean eyes. Seated to his right was a gaunt, thin woman with long, harsh jet hair and piercing stone-grey eyes. She stood to greet Gratiana. "Welcome back Mother, Father," Lucient said, half-bowing to each of his parents. "I'd like you to meet my guest, Lady Gratiana. Gratiana, this is my mother, Queen Galia, and my father, King Endymion." Gratiana began to say "Nice to meet you," but she was cut off by Galia's high, thin voice. "Don't tell me this is your new suitor. I thought her name was Nadine," she said scornfully. "She's obviously a tramp with dyed hair trying to look like Galaxia; like the answer to our prayers. This is shameful, Lucient, that you should waste your time with such a fraud." Lucient grew angry. "She is Galaxia!" he shouted. Gratiana moved to touch his arm, to give him strength, although she was as scared as he was angry. "Sit down, Galia!" Endymion roared. "Are you blind? Can you not see a legend standing before you? YOU are shameful!" Any colour in Galia's face was drained out as she meekly sat back into her chair. Endymion got up and walked to Gratiana, bowing before her. "It is an honour and a privilege to have you here," he told her. "Please excuse my wife." He smiled at Lucient. "Sit, sit, and let's eat. I've had a long journey, and I have much to say."