Chapter Seven
Lucient and Gratiana met in the gardens that afternoon. "Lucient," Gratiana began, "will you teach me to fight with a sword?" He shot her a surprised glance before answering, "Of course. I'll have Damon teach you tomorrow," he promised. Gratiana smiled to herself and laid her head against his arm. Meanwhile, Catherine and Damon watched them out the window. "She's changed so much . not the little spitfire she was. They're so close; she's not afraid of being affectionate now," Catherine observed happily. Damon nodded. "But she's afraid of something . She's paranoid; leaning on Lucient for protection. She's scared when he's not around. Don't you see it?" he asked. "Now that I think of it, yes. but I wouldn't worry." * * * Lucient stopped suddenly and turned to Gratiana. "I've got something important I need to ask you," he began. Gratiana saw what was coming with a tiny pinprick of fear in her stomach. "Yes?" Lucient went down on one knee, looking up confidently into Gratiana's eyes. He opened a black velvet box, displaying a gold ring with a heart- shaped setting of tiny diamonds. "Will you marry me?" Gratiana gasped, despite having seen his proposal coming. She touched the diamonds lightly with her index finder and looked into Lucient's sincere eyes, opening her mouth to answer. Just then, a bitter cold wind blasted through the trees, blowing Gratiana's hair into her eyes and mouth! Lucient stood up quickly to shield her from the gust. "Yes," she choked out once the wind passed. "I love you, of course I'll marry you." In their thoughts the simultaneously warned, "Stay away, cold darkness," and Gratiana added, "I love Lucient. I don't need you, Guillaume." That night, Gratiana was vistited again by Guillaume. He had a look of worry crossing his pale face. "You told him yes," he began gravely. "Why? I warned you about him, only bad things will come your way from him." "Only you bring bad luck to me. I love my Lucient; you only want to destroy that," she accused, her voice filled with poisoned anger. "Don't speak so cruelly to me, my lady. A murderer and a traitor, that's who you're engaged to," he whispered maliciously. "A traitor? A murderer?!" she gasped, her voice cracking under fearful tears. "He killed his brother, the first heir, the most suited to the crown, whether of the King's blood or not. And they never really proved he wasn't. You don't think Romeous went and died of natural causes, did you?" Guillaume laughed. Gratiana screamed and broke into hysterical tears. Her Lucient, a murderer?! His own brother! "Shh, it's all right," Guillaume cooed, gathering her up in his arms. "It's a mistake anyone could make. It's not like you can tell from his looks." She shortly woke up in her bed, as from a nightmare. Afraid, she threw her head back and began to scream! Lucient awoke, fear gripping his heart, and ran to her. She continued to scream, even when he was beside her. Catherine, Damon, Galia, and Endymion soon appeared in the doorway, as well as half the servants. "Lucient, move!" Galia commanded, closing in on Gratiana, who continued to scream. Lucient backed shamefully away from his fiancée. Galia slapped Gratiana ruthlessly on both cheeks, quieting her instantly. She cowered in fear under the towering, pale queen. "Nuisance," she muttered, leaving. Everyone else followed her, but not without throwing contemptuous looks at Lucient. He moved back to Gratiana, placing one hand gingerly on her cheek. She cringed a very little away from him. "You murdered your brother," she whimpered accusingly. Lucient gasped. "You did," she whimpered, her voice cracked but rising to a normal volume. "You didn't tell me. You only told me he died!" "I couldn't tell you!" he countered remorsefully. "You could! I would have understood! I had to hear it on the street; from idle gossip!" she lied. "It was kill or be killed." "Get out." "I had to!" "Get out!" she screamed, pushing him towards the door, a chaotic fire burning in her eyes.
Lucient and Gratiana met in the gardens that afternoon. "Lucient," Gratiana began, "will you teach me to fight with a sword?" He shot her a surprised glance before answering, "Of course. I'll have Damon teach you tomorrow," he promised. Gratiana smiled to herself and laid her head against his arm. Meanwhile, Catherine and Damon watched them out the window. "She's changed so much . not the little spitfire she was. They're so close; she's not afraid of being affectionate now," Catherine observed happily. Damon nodded. "But she's afraid of something . She's paranoid; leaning on Lucient for protection. She's scared when he's not around. Don't you see it?" he asked. "Now that I think of it, yes. but I wouldn't worry." * * * Lucient stopped suddenly and turned to Gratiana. "I've got something important I need to ask you," he began. Gratiana saw what was coming with a tiny pinprick of fear in her stomach. "Yes?" Lucient went down on one knee, looking up confidently into Gratiana's eyes. He opened a black velvet box, displaying a gold ring with a heart- shaped setting of tiny diamonds. "Will you marry me?" Gratiana gasped, despite having seen his proposal coming. She touched the diamonds lightly with her index finder and looked into Lucient's sincere eyes, opening her mouth to answer. Just then, a bitter cold wind blasted through the trees, blowing Gratiana's hair into her eyes and mouth! Lucient stood up quickly to shield her from the gust. "Yes," she choked out once the wind passed. "I love you, of course I'll marry you." In their thoughts the simultaneously warned, "Stay away, cold darkness," and Gratiana added, "I love Lucient. I don't need you, Guillaume." That night, Gratiana was vistited again by Guillaume. He had a look of worry crossing his pale face. "You told him yes," he began gravely. "Why? I warned you about him, only bad things will come your way from him." "Only you bring bad luck to me. I love my Lucient; you only want to destroy that," she accused, her voice filled with poisoned anger. "Don't speak so cruelly to me, my lady. A murderer and a traitor, that's who you're engaged to," he whispered maliciously. "A traitor? A murderer?!" she gasped, her voice cracking under fearful tears. "He killed his brother, the first heir, the most suited to the crown, whether of the King's blood or not. And they never really proved he wasn't. You don't think Romeous went and died of natural causes, did you?" Guillaume laughed. Gratiana screamed and broke into hysterical tears. Her Lucient, a murderer?! His own brother! "Shh, it's all right," Guillaume cooed, gathering her up in his arms. "It's a mistake anyone could make. It's not like you can tell from his looks." She shortly woke up in her bed, as from a nightmare. Afraid, she threw her head back and began to scream! Lucient awoke, fear gripping his heart, and ran to her. She continued to scream, even when he was beside her. Catherine, Damon, Galia, and Endymion soon appeared in the doorway, as well as half the servants. "Lucient, move!" Galia commanded, closing in on Gratiana, who continued to scream. Lucient backed shamefully away from his fiancée. Galia slapped Gratiana ruthlessly on both cheeks, quieting her instantly. She cowered in fear under the towering, pale queen. "Nuisance," she muttered, leaving. Everyone else followed her, but not without throwing contemptuous looks at Lucient. He moved back to Gratiana, placing one hand gingerly on her cheek. She cringed a very little away from him. "You murdered your brother," she whimpered accusingly. Lucient gasped. "You did," she whimpered, her voice cracked but rising to a normal volume. "You didn't tell me. You only told me he died!" "I couldn't tell you!" he countered remorsefully. "You could! I would have understood! I had to hear it on the street; from idle gossip!" she lied. "It was kill or be killed." "Get out." "I had to!" "Get out!" she screamed, pushing him towards the door, a chaotic fire burning in her eyes.