Chapter 10:

The day was just starting and everything had been too much for Peyton. A tear fell from her eye when Haley left the fields. Even from the beginning, she had sensed something was going to form between Nathan and Haley.

Peyton composed herself and looked in her mirror. First, wipe the tears. Second, close your eyes. Third, open them. Last, smile like nothing happened. Those are the steps to looking like everything's fine even when everything's NOT fine.

Just after those steps, she heard a knock on her door. She assumed it was Haley or Nathan, so she really fixed herself up to look happy and well. She opened the door, and the fake and small smile on her face turned into a big heartfelt one. "Lucas?"

Lucas smiled at her too and replied. "The palace guards escorted me, and this place…is HUGE." Then they laughed and he continued, "I'm just kidding. Good Morning Princess." He finally greeted with a bow.

Peyton laughed at this man's charm. "You never fail to put a smile on my face." Lucas blushed at this, but Peyton didn't notice because she asked the guards, "Do you still have to escort us while we look around in the palace?"

"The king permitted you to choose if you want us present or not." One of the guards replied.

Peyton nodded and thought about it. "In that case, you may leave us alone now." And so the guards left and Lucas felt pretty nervous. "Hey. No one's going to kill you if you're seen with me." Peyton joked when she sensed the nervousness.

Lucas laughed and nodded. "Sorry. It's just…I'm still taking in all this."

"All this?"

"This…The princess as my friend…Me in the palace…alone…with the princess…who's my friend." He was so nervous, he was stuttering.

"Well you better get used to it. I'm gonna need your company from now on." She joked. "Life inside this place is beginning to…I don't know…It's just changing and I could really use some laughs."

"That's why I'm here." Lucas boasted as a joke.

"Ok. Great!" Peyton joined him in the joking mode. "Let's go…But where to start." They were already walking down the halls of that floor. "Oh! I know…Do you want to see the weapon room?"

"It's ok with me." Lucas said.

So they went to that room and once they entered, Lucas was mesmerized by the advancement of Armedes' weapons. Plus, they were really clean and sharp. Peyton noticed Lucas' expertise in weapons showing. "Lucas?"

As he was touching these weapons, he turned to Peyton when she called his name. "Yes?"

"I saw some battling gears in your house…Were those yours?"

Lucas was suddenly taken back because he was a warrior, but as his family told him, not for Armedes. "Yes." He shifted his attention to the weapons so Peyton wouldn't see the expression on his face – nervous.

"So you're a warrior for this land?"

Not knowing what to say, he had to lie. "Yes."

"You must be very skilled because only a few men returned from the 3 years of fighting." Peyton said as she stood beside Lucas, also looking at the weapon Lucas was examining. She smiled at him.

Lucas felt bad for lying, so he just nodded his head and when he saw Peyton smiling at him, he smiled back.

"Why don't you choose a weapon and let's see how you handle it." Peyton suggested.

Lucas laughed at Peyton's spontaneity. "I might break it…Or your father might not allow it."

"I'll take care of it…Please…I've never seen a man working with his weapons." She begged with a puppy pout face.

Lucas, of course, couldn't resist. "Ok…But I'm not good." Lucas had lost his memory, but all the skills he learned were somehow present. He felt a bit weird that he agreed, and knew exactly what to do. Anyway, he took the bow and arrow, and the sword. "Choose…Because I like them both, I can't choose."

"Hmm…" Peyton examined the two weapons. "How about both?"

Lucas thought about it. "Why not. So, I'm just going to work these weapons here?"

"Well of course not. We're going to the field at the back of the palace. It's really massive!" Peyton said so they went to the field.

"Sword first…" Lucas said, as he pretended to warm up. "Stand back."

Peyton stood back and was very excited. Lucas began striking and doing all these tricks with the sword. Tricks that are rarely learned by many people. Peyton's jaw dropped and eyes widened in surprise and giddiness. He looked darn hot working that sword.

Lucas could feel this rush of adrenaline inside, as he was doing all these movements with the sword. It's been 5 months since he's actually held a weapon. Once he finished, he heard Peyton clapping.

"Whoooo! Go Lucas!" Peyton cheered, and walked to him. "Wow. That was…Really amazing. Ok…Now, the bow & arrow. Quick." She joked.

Lucas felt flattered, giddy, happy, but he was also tired. "Let me…catch my breath…first." Lucas said with deep breaths in between. "Maybe…we should work on the arrow some other day." He joked.

"Oh come on. I'll hug your sweaty old body if you can shoot that apple over there." She pointed the highest apple on the tree.

Lucas suddenly felt a leap in his heart. A hug was definitely worth the effort. "Really now?" He asked with one eyebrow raising. Of course, he was joking.

"What is that look?" She laughed. "Just for that creepy look, you have to shoot it from…" She walked away – far away from the tree. "Here."

Lucas looked at the distance and thought about it. "Ok, but are you sure I'm gonna get my hug? My FRIENDLY hug?" He had to say it so Peyton wouldn't feel awkward towards him.

Peyton couldn't help but smile because Lucas was such a gentleman, but there was also the slightest feeling of disappointment, that was NOT hard to brush away. "Absolutely." She answered. "Now come here and start…shooting or aiming or…Something." She was king of clueless about things like this.

Lucas took Peyton's spot and Peyton stood beside him. As he started to aim, Peyton stared at Lucas. His eyes were squinted, but enough to still see his blue eyes. His lips were slightly open. Overall, his face was very calm. Peyton smiled as if she saw an angel. The thing is she didn't know she was doing it. Her heart was jumping at this sight. It felt so unreal that she didn't want the feeling to stop. Lucas shot the apple, and hearing it, Peyton snapped out of the daze she was in. "Well…" Lucas said shyly. "There…I shot it."

Peyton smiled at him because he looked so shy and cute. She didn't utter a word. She just stared at him.

"If you don't want to hug me, it's ok. I did say I will work these --" He got cut off when Peyton hugged him softly.

Peyton couldn't figure out how she was feeling. She just hugged him.

Lucas' heart was melting by the second. She hugged her back even if he thought it was inappropriate.

Peyton felt Lucas hug him back. She felt the need to pull back from the hug, but instead, she smiled, like it was a reflex action.

It was Lucas who pulled back when he really realized it was kind of inappropriate. "I'm sorry. That was really…Rude of me."

Peyton gave him a confused look. Then she smiled. "You worry too much. If I had cut the hug, it would've been rude of you, but it's fine with me. Like you said, it was a friendly hug." She sort of felt bad saying those words because it definitely wasn't a friendly hug.

"Yeah…It was." Lucas said, also feeling the way Peyton was. "I think I better go."

"Why?" Peyton didn't want him to go because they were having so much fun.

"I have to help my parents with all the work in the house. It was really fun. Thank you for having me." Lucas said as he bowed down to Peyton. "Goodbye Princess."

Peyton felt a smile on her lips form. "Thank you good sir for being here."

Lucas left and Peyton called the guards who stood nearby. "Please return these weapons. Thank you." Then she walked towards the door into the palace. She saw Carl standing by that door. "Carl!" She hugged him at once.

"You know I just heard from the maids…That you're going to marry Nathan." He said as they walked down the halls of the palace.

Peyton looked down and nodded. "But you're supposed to marry someone you love…and someone who can love you back."

"And so?"

"I just have this feeling that we can't…love each other." Peyton said.

"My child, friendship is the best base for love. You might not see the way he looks at you or the way you look at him, but I can sense that you two can love each other. However…" Carl stopped so did Peyton. He looked her straight in the eye. "If someone else gets in the way, it might be impossible."

Peyton looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"People in this palace talk a lot." He said as they started to walk again. "Like what happened in breakfast."

Peyton felt butterflies in her stomach already.

"Lucas Oliverus eh? The boy you were with…Is that Lucas?"

Peyton slowly nodded her head. "Yes that was him, but we're just friends…"

"You and Nathan are just friends…" Carl teased.

Peyton laughed, but she realized that Carl was right. "I'm thinking you don't like Lucas…I don't blame you. Nathan is pretty special and you don't know Lucas."

"Now what would make you say that? I think Lucas is great, and I know him." Carl said, and Peyton was a bit confused. "I was in the market and I dropped all my fruits and vegetables in a puddle of mud. Lucas…he offered to invite me for supper since all my ingredients were wasted. He's a good boy."

"He is…" Peyton said smiling.

"And I also think he's like Nathan. I wouldn't have known if not for what I'd seen today. He is gifted in battling!" Carl said still amazed by what Lucas had done.

"He is?"

"I've seen men train and fight. Lucas can do things that will take a lifetime to learn for common warriors. And not only that, he is a gentleman as well. You know…I wouldn't mind if you married him." Carl joked.

Peyton hit Carl lightly. "What are you saying?" Peyton laughed.

"Think about it. He would definitely be more humble than Nathan, and he'd know more about what the people want. Nathan is alright, but you know me. I like change." Carl said.

"You have the craziest ideas." Peyton said.

"I do, don't I?" Carl said. "Well, I have to go now."

"Aww…Bye Carl. I'll see you around." Peyton said as he hugged Carl.

Carl was walking away, then he turned to Peyton and said, "You know…I think you like my crazy idea." He said with a smile. He walked away with the thought of Peyton's expression – guilty and shocked.

AN: Wow. This was long. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! THANKS SO MUCH! Please Read and Review. 