Lyon was led into a grandiose-looking room at the end of a long day. The ceiling was almost sky-high, the massive four-poster bed curtained by flowy sheets.
Everything in this kingdom was grandiose. This might be the first time he stepped into the palace of Sabertooth Royalty, but he received the first impression of a thriving country, despite the war. That or Jiemma was keeping all the richness to himself.
He collapsed onto the chaise, his eyes drooping shut from exhaustion. Meeting King Jiemma was a struggle of his composure and nerves. He never expected the King to be a monster of a man; he's even taller and larger than Jura, with sharp, pitiless eyes. It's a hard truth to digest; that this man standing before him had agreed to a peace conference willingly. Perhaps Ooba was on to something when she insisted that King Jiemma had an ulterior motive.
Throughout the whole dinner, he had to resist picking up his fork and stabbing Jiemma in the eye. He didn't even get to meet his so-called future wife.
He let his mind wandered to the woman he had spotted amidst the crowd. She was clearly highborn but separated from the rest of the nobles. She had knights surrounding her, but only kept two particularly close. There was another woman standing beside her—frankly, the one that caught his eye first, because of the pale blue hair that looked white from a distance. The latter also bore a stately bearing, but humbled, more mellow.
He only had a split-second look at the taller dark-haired woman and could sense the sheer power and bearing from that haughty stance. He wondered if that's the Crown Princess, and if that's so, why King Jiemma had kept his daughter away.
He supposed he would get his answers tomorrow.
The curtains fluttered, a slight breeze entering through the opened window. He opened his eyes drowsily, not realizing how relaxed his body was. He must be more tired than he thought. A figure appeared, perched on the window sill.
"Welcome back." He murmured.
Chelia's eyes glittered under her pink bangs. She hopped in, patting at her skirt absently.
"What did you find?" He questioned.
"The security around the palace is very tight. I nearly got caught on my way back." Chelia reported, folding her arms across her chest. An ugly sneer twisted her expression. "Your hypothesis was right. There are many slums across the city; the people are starving and homeless, and their King sits upon the wealth of this nation. The exterior is just a front to the darkness beneath."
"For a man who started this war in the first place, is it any surprise that he possessed an inflated sense of superiority?" He snorted, unsurprised. Sabertooth was starving while their King hoarded all the wealth to himself.
"Go to bed, Chelia. You're sharing the same room with Sherry." He said. "I trust you're able to find your way there without alerting the guards."
"Your clothes, Your Highness..." She protested.
He cut her off with a wave, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her towards the window.
"I can undress myself." He said, rolling his eyes. "Get some rest. It has been a long day for all of us."
With a grumbled sigh, she agreed and vanished from his room. He shut the window behind her, exhaling loudly. He stared at the empty room, the almost eerie silence and foreignness.
Life didn't go as planned, and he's floating on a piece of wood in the middle of an ocean, desperately searching for land. There's tigers at all sides, and the only ones he could trust were his attendants. As much as he trusted and loved Jura, he wasn't sure how his brother might react if he confided in him.
Jura was so optimistic for peace, despite being in the thick of war himself for several years. He was a brilliant man, but he's too honest and honourable. They were not bad traits; its time Lamia Scale has a King like Jura to lead her. Slinking in the background, leaping into the shadows and dirtying his hands was his role.
He'll find out what Jiemma is plotting before the wedding and protect his elder brother.
"What are you doing?" Yukino hissed like a cat. Sting was doing a really pitiful attempt at hiding behind a wall to peek at her as she waited outside Prince Lyon Vastia's quarters.
"Sorry, Yukino," Rogue appeared behind the blonde. "He wanted to see the second prince."
He grabbed the back of Sting's uniform, trying to drag him off. Sting dug his heels in, refusing to move.
"You can see him later, you moron!" Rogue whisper-shouted. However, Sting has physical strength on his side and barely budged.
The door opened before Yukino could speak up. She exchanged a look of panic with Rogue.
Prince Lyon paused at seeing her directly outside his door. He didn't look terribly surprised, so he must have known she was outside.
"Your—Your Highness!" She quickly bowed in respect, shooting a sharp glare at Sting.
Luckily, he still has some manners left and followed her example, body straightening and bowing stiffly. Rogue's bow was much more natural, his dark hair falling into his face as he leaned forward with a fist to his chest.
"I am Yukino Aguria, the Crown Princess's lady-in-waiting. I was ordered to escort you to breakfast to meet Her Highness and His Majesty." She said, regaining her composure. She took a few quick seconds to study the prince unashamedly.
He was of average height, and not as intimidating as his elder brother with his slighter physique, but he held himself with a sort of quiet confidence that told her that he's not a man to be messed with just because of his unassuming appearance. He did not bore much resemblance to Prince Jura at all. He must have taken after the deceased Queen Reia Vastia instead.
Every lock of his hair was pale silver, his skin smooth and fair and so soft-looking Yukino had to control her urges to touch his cheek. Up close, his eyes were dark, like two pools of spilled ink, framed with pale lashes.
"May I have the honour of being introduced to your companions?" He smiled, his gaze flitting towards the two knights behind her.
Oh, she's going to throttle them.
"Of course, Prince Lyon." She fixed on a false smile as she turned to said companions. "Sirs Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney are Princess Minerva's sworn knights." Her smile faded slightly as she subtly looked around. "I... Pardon my nosiness, Your Highness, but I noticed the lack of knights in your retinue yesterday. If you do not mind, I can suggest to the princess to assign some trusted knights in your protection. There..." She didn't want to frighten the prince on his second day in Sabertooth so quickly, but she felt guilty of hiding such important matters from him, especially since this marriage was arranged with neither party's consent. "There were some small uprisings from the commoners before you arrived, and your safety is of utmost importance to Her Highness."
"That's very kind of you, Lady Yukino, but unnecessary." Lyon replied. Friendly, but firm. "I have all the protection I needed."
She frowned but did not try to dissuade him further. He was not Minerva, who was willing to listen to her advices, but she still felt a little uneasy that Prince Lyon does not have any knights with him.
"Understood, Your Highness, but if you ever change your mind..." She trailed off.
He looked amused and decided to compromise. "I understand your worry, Lady Yukino. I'll speak further with you on this subject if I do not feel safe, is that alright?"
Relief flashed across her expression.
He didn't want to tell her that he does not feel safe in Sabertooth. Maybe he never would, not as long as he does not hold all the cards.
On their way to the dining hall, they were joined by Yuka and Chelia, who fall easily into step with him. The two attendants received curious looks from Yukino, but she did not say anything regarding their casual contact with the second prince.
He was met with a set of ornate double doors at the end of a corridor filled with paintings. A pair of tiger statues were mounted on both sides, their lean bodies arched upwards with their claws out, their eyes gems of topaz shined to perfection.
He barely held back his scowl of disgust.
The guard announced his presence, and with his heart steeled, he walked right in.