Boucheron has been a devout believer since childhood.
The people of Firene were culturally more inclined to be believers of the Divine Dragons, as they were certainly blessed by them, being the Land of Plenty. There is a lot to be thankful for, and very little to complain, and the children of the realm rarely forgot it. People regularly attended the temple and promoted festivals in the honour of their gods.
As is the case for most children of all walks of life in Firene, it was his mother's bedtime stories that taught him her stories, and it is his father that taught him prayers and rituals that needed to be attended every season. It had always made him feel closer to her whenever he does those things, and going into the crown's service did not change this behaviour one bit.
If anything, serving the royal family, and, especially, the First Prince, only exacerbated his piety. On occasion, he was brought into Somniel along for the royal's regular visits and prayers, and he had the rare opportunity to pray himself to the Divine Dragon. His liege, eventually, began to feel jealous and preferred the company of either Etie or Louis for his peregrinations.
Not only courtly life has brought a new, deeper understanding of his religion, though. There, amongst the guards, knights and soldiers, he learned a new prayer. A prayer to give him strength and kill his enemies, offering them to her in return. When he and Etie became part of the retinue, and, naturally, began running missions for his liege, he began killing in her name, too.
Some may call it blasphemous, but Boucheron knew with devout certainty that she accepted it. After all, if it was blasphemy, then why he was "naturally muscular", as he tends to so elegantly put it? Why was he rewarded so handsomely for his service? Why was he blessed by her warmth and use him to kill her enemies? Why was he made stronger and stronger if he had occurred her anger?
No, he is wealthy, handsome, healthy and strong thanks to her grace, and her grace is proof that his actions are righteous. There cannot be any differing interpretations.
So, when he found the Divine Dragon in the outskirts of Lythos Castle, with the stars as her eyes and her gaze as warm as when she uses him, he had clung to her without shame. Right when he was doing his rounds as a yearly military service to the holy land, his goddess drops from the sky. She might say it to be a coincidence, but he cannot help but to think that this is her way to choose him as her attendant, a call he is only too glad to answer.
He was the first one who welcomed her home, to his immense delight that he could one-up his former liege, who was said to be her most devout worshipper, and had shown her the world that she reigned over. He had followed wherever she went, acting as her bodyguard and servant, not that she needed to be protected. Monsters and animals seem to steer clear of her or approach in a non-hostile manner, and apostates and Corrupted never last long without tasting the iron of her sword.
When the knight had suggested for the Divine Dragon to go to Firene and she agreed, he was overjoyed that he could introduce her to the queen and his family. Seeing her interact with his siblings was heart-warming, as is seeing Ève personally welcome her to Firene with absolute reverence in her normally cold eyes.
Truly, it was bliss that he could be by her side. Even when word finally got out that the Divine Dragon had descended and festivals all over the five nations had occurred to celebrate it, it did not break his jubilant mood, especially when she had asked if he could accompany her. She wanted a familiar face, and the three Stewards could use a hand whenever they were busy with the more administrative and bureaucratic dealings of their duties.
Boucheron promptly abandoned his former vows and dedicated himself fully to his new task, whatever it might be demanded of him. Not without resistance, of course, but they were quickly waved away, as the Divine Dragon naturally has the prerogative of breaking oaths made in her name.
He knows, though, that the objections of his former master and brothers-in-arms were based not in a moral or legal standing, but rather of a frustrated desire of being in his shoes. He feels rather smug that it is him that she so clearly trusts and he could not help but smirk when he saw sight of the other followers, and there were so many of them congregating around Somniel these days. He is both secure and overjoyed in the knowledge that, try as they might, and they try a lot, they would never be as close to her as he is, much to their jealousy.
However, it all fades away when he catches her gaze and her soft hand would touch his skin. Because he knows that, while he fancies himself as her protector, her companion, and, in the deepest part of his mind, perhaps even her lover, he is nothing more than a pet.
Yes, he wagers, that is a suitable word. He is nothing but a pet. A pet that follows his Master wherever they go, a pet that sits obediently at his Master's feet and awaits their orders, a pet that his Master amuses themselves in, and a pet that bares its teeth when prompted, protective and possessive of their Master all at once.
He may be Boucheron the nobleman's son, the mountain of muscle, the knight, the vassal of His Grace, the First Prince, who fled his duties in the first opportunity presented to him.
To Alear, though, he has always been Boucheron, just Boucheron, and Boucheron has always been her worshipper first than anything else.