Lucienne keeps running, ignoring the booming roar behind her. She can't give up on herself like this, she can't let him catch her. She can make out the riverbank behind the trunks, if she can make it there then maybe…
The bluenette grits her teeth, she can taste the saltiness of her sweat running down, absorbed to her tongue. Her eyes are on the verge of tears, too afraid for her life and what would happen if that man caught her. His footsteps are loud, rumbling the dirt ground. His eyes are in pain due to the pepper spice and yet, the veins in them make him look scarier than before.
"Get back here!"
"Never!"
She yells back, refusing to give up. The bluenette needs to find a way to cut him off, but how can she do that when he is right behind her?
When Lucienne reaches the river, she hitches at the sight, too stunt to even utter a word.
Blond hair glows underneath the warm sunlight. His long scarf flows with the wind, the intricate designs add a touch to his plain tunic and kilt. On his arms are accessories with blue gemstones, training from his biceps down to his fingers. Putting the sword back into his sheath, he turns around, amber eyes widen when he sees her.
I-it's him…
"Stay there, you whore!"
Flinches at the loud cry, Lucienne runs towards him. She doesn't care if he was the man who scared her a few nights ago, right now, she needs all the help she can get. The bluenette grabs onto his opened arms, blue eyes swim in tears. Her frightening expression answers the questions he has in mind as the young man holds her close, using his scarf to cover the wavy locks.
"You're not running away from me-!"
The aggressive man stops dead in his tracks when a sword is pointing at him.
"W-what is this? You dare to steal that girl from me?"
"Stealing is an exaggerated word, don't you think?" he smirks, holding her closer "Besides, she doesn't seem to enjoy your company."
"She is mine, I found her first!" he grits his teeth "You don't want to mess with me, boy. Give me the girl."
Lucienne tightened her grip on his tunic, shaking her head violently. She refuses to go with this man. The blond smiles, raising his fingers to wipe away the tears in her eyes, making her blush at the tender touch.
"I will not hand over this young maiden."
"You little…"
But he stops mid-sentence, stunted at the shiny thing he sees hanging on the young man's neck. Her rescuer smirks, dangling the necklace in front of the man, sending him a silent warning. The necklace with the royal family crest pendant.
I-it can't be…
Swallowing the lump in his throat, the man fists his hand tightly. Not only does he not get the girl, but the person in front of him is the Prince of Hittite, Zannanza Hattusili. If he touched even just the blond locks of the young Prince, he wouldn't be so sure if he could even see tomorrow's sunrise.
"M-my apology, Your Highness. I-I didn't know that she is your woman…"
"Now you know." Zannanza sets down his sword "Get lost."
The man scrambles away, leaving Lucienne sighing in relief. Finally, she is safe…
Losing her grip on his tunic, she slides down and collapses onto the dirt ground. Lucienne holds onto her bruised arms, shivering as she remembers what that man almost did to her. Kalani will worried about her again if she can see these handprints. With both hands raised, she covers her mouth, hoping to stop the sobs from escaping. She is overwhelmed with what just happened.
Zannanza kneels down next to her, noticing how her small shoulders are shaking. To witness how terrified she is right now, the young prince feels like someone is crushing his heart. And those tears…
He never wants to see those tears in her beautiful blue eyes…
He reaches out his hand and strokes her face, making Lucienne flinch at the touch. She looks up, meeting his amber orbs. They match the color of the sun, shining brightly yet as deep as the ocean, the more she looks at them, the more she finds herself getting lost in those eyes.
"Don't cry…" he softens his gaze and holds onto her wavy locks, kissing them gently "I'm not good with crying women, you know."
She looks young, almost as young as Juda, his half-brother, and the boy is only 15 years old with one consort and two concubines. He doesn't know why Tawanani Nakia decided to push the young boy into a marriage that early, then again, she is a woman that he never wants to associate with.
Wipe away the tears, he raises her head, observing. Her eyes are glossy and puffy from all the crying, long lashes flutter whenever she blinks. Her face is colored in a lovely shade of red, light skin that is soft to touch. And then, that ocean-colored hair, long and wavy, streaming down her shoulder. He can pick up the soft herbal scent, gentle and pleasant to the nose.
Her breath hitches when he moves closer to her. It is only then that the young prince notices how small she is, even smaller than Yuuri, his brother's lover. The dreaded look on her face along with those tearful eyes makes him swallow, he honestly wants to tease her more.
But then, would it be okay if he laid his hands on her?
"What's your name?"
"Ah…"
Why does he want to know her name? Did she do something wrong? Lucienne bites her bottom lips as she lets her imagination run wild.
"Young maiden, what is your name?"
She jumps when he asks the same question again, almost not able to respond. This is the first time she has been this close to a man before. She can feel his breath on her skin, how close his face is to hers, how her skin feels hot against his fingers. Such a pleasant feeling, Lucienne almost leans in, wanting more. But she snaps out of her silly thoughts, wondering how she could even do such a thing after what just happened.
And Lucienne can't just stand there and say nothing. He is waiting for her answer and yet, she still stays silent. A blush adorns her face when she hears the low chuckle, he knows that she has been staring at him. How embarrassed…
"Your name?"
"L-Lucienne…" she timidly answers "It's Lucienne."
"What a beautiful name…"
She blushes at the compliment, hiding her flustered face behind the blue locks. There is a genuine innocent aura around her, almost like she has never been with a man before. To be this beautiful and yet so pure, it excites him to know that he might be the first man to be this close to her.
"A-and yours…?" the bluenette looks at him, eyes flutter "What is your name?"
Zannanza darkens his gaze, a fire lights in his heart. To ask him with such a soft and sweet voice like that, does she even know what she is doing to him?
But their time together is interrupted when a loud voice calls her name, Lucienne jumps in her seat, turning her attention to where that voice comes from. She knows who that is, the person who is looking for her.
"Lady Kal-?"
A hand holds onto her wrist, stopping her from leaving. The bluenette looks at him, confused at what he is doing. His touch feels warm and pleasant, and the way he holds her wrist is gentle as if she is a fragile gem that needs to be handled with the utmost care.
Her face grows various shades of red, she doesn't know what to say. When he leans closer, Lucienne shuts her eyes tightly, almost too afraid to look at what's going to happen next. A gasp escapes her mouth as she feels his lips touch her forehead, her hand holding something. Blue eyes flutter open, looking at him and then at the object in her hand, it's her hairclip.
Has he been holding onto it this whole time?
"Lucienne!"
Her ears perk up, listening to her mentor's voice calling her name. She needs to go…
Zannanza smiles, reluctantly letting her hand go as she backs away, looking at him nervously. The bluenette fidgets in her spot but finally decides to go back to Kalani. Holding tightly on her hairclip, she glances at him, noticing how the young prince's eyes are still on her, making her face redder. She hasn't even said a thank you to him yet…
"T-thank you for saving me…"
And she flees to the forest, taking her leave.
Zannanza stares at her small back disappearing into the wood, sighing as he covers his now flustered face with his hand. This is bad, he misses her already.
"So THAT is the girl…" he jumps when Kail walks up to him, smirking "I'm surprised that you actually let her go."
Ilbani follows Kikkuri and Tito, wearing a complex look on his face. That girl, her hair and eye color, could it be that…?
"Tito…"
The young retainer looks at his master, nodding his head. Even before Zannanza can say anything, he already knows what the young Prince wants him to do.
"I shall find and assign a guard for her. You don't have to worry, Your Highness."
"Hm, so this is the one who you choose to be your bride, Zannanza?" Kail looks at him "She looks almost as young as Juda, are you sure you want a kid like her?"
"Stop saying like you're not with a child, brother Kail." he knits his brows "Besides, it's not like I'm that old."
"Whatever you say, Zannanza. Whatever you say…"
When Lucienne meets up with Kalani, she immediately jumps into the woman's arms, hugging her tightly. Kalani is angry at first, but when she sees how shaky her shoulders are, that anger fades away and is replaced with worry.
Her whole body tensed as she listened to the young maiden's story, biting her lips annoyingly. How can she be that careless? Because of her, Lucienne is hurt.
"Let me see your arms…"
"Y-yes…"
The bluenette shows her arms, bruised with that man's handprint. Kalani knits her brow, the more she looks at it, the more she is angry at herself. Sighing as she raises her hand, a soft blue glow touches the bruises, healing them gently.
Lucienne doesn't say anything, she can see the irritation in her mentor's eyes, making her heart drop. Kalani is angry at her, she must have been very disappointed to have such a weak student like her.
"I'm sorry." she finally speaks up, her voice soft and gentle "I'm sorry for being so weak, Kalani…"
The starseer flinches at her words. Why is she saying sorry? The one who should apologize is her. She fails to keep her promise to the late Ciel and Celine, she fails to protect their daughter, she fails to keep the holy child of Eir safe. What good can she be if Kalani can't even do the most simple task?
"No…" she sighs "I should be the one who said sorry. I wasn't able to protect you. I put you in dangerous situations…"
"Lady Kalani, please don't say that!" Lucienne grabs her hand tightly, her eyes on the verge of tears "Please, you have done nothing but protect me. Today was just a circumstance that happened. Please don't blame yourself for it."
Although her words hold genuine care, Kalani can't help but feel like it's a direct insult to her. Had she been there, then these bruises weren't going to be on her arms. Had she been there, then that man would have no chance of tainting the holy child of Eir.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Kalani lets out a depressed sign. She really is a failure…
"B-besides, someone was there to help me."
"Someone?"
"Yes, he was very kind and chased that man away."
Lucienne softened her gaze as she mentioned him, a sweet smile forming on her face. The starseer freezes when she sees this, it can't be…
That face, that smile, that expression…
She is smitten with someone…
"W-who is it?"
"Hm?" she jolts at the question, a faint blush adorning her face "O-oh, I don't know. I only catch that man calling him Your Highness…"
Kalani's face turns pale after hearing this. No, it can't be…
A member of the royal family was there to save her young lady. Who could it be? Who could it possibly be?
The Crown Prince, Kail Mursili? Or is it Prince Rois Telipinu of Haleb City? Or the Prince Juda Haspasrupi, the youngest son of the King?
No, it can't be. That's impossible…
All of them live quite far away from Kanesh City. It can't be that coincidental that they come to Kanesh and go to the forest then meet the small lady. It just can't…
Then, could it be…?
"No, no…"
That person…
The fourth prince of Hittite and mayor of Kanesh City, Zannanza Hattusili.
Kalani almost laughs at how fate is working right now. She wishes this day wouldn't come, the day her small lady falls into the eyes of a Prince.
There is a reason why Kalani rarely takes her student to Kanesh City. Lucienne is a beautiful maiden, her foreign beauty captivates the eyes of men in and out of the trading city. She knows this because she has seen how they are looking at the bluenette, their eyes fill with lust. They look at her as if she is a prize to be won.
Disgusting…
She never wants Lucienne to fall in love with someone from the royal family, nor does she want any of them to come and find the bluenette. To be a part of a Harem, the thought makes her sick to the stomach. Lucienne is the child of Eir, the noble Princess of Sohm, the Divine Healer. She deserves much more than to be a part of that cold and cruel world. If anything, the bluenette deserves the man who loves her and only her, whose heart only belongs to her and no one else.
But that dreamy face she is making when she mentions that man…
Love is an unpredictable thing. No matter how much she wants to stop Lucienne from falling in love with him, sooner or later, the young maiden will follow her heart instead of listening to anyone. Kalani sighs, she of all people should know this very well…
I will not stop her, at least, not now…
I want to know what is their relationship…