Chapter 511

Tapping his foot against the table leg, Lucien waited. He'd been sitting here for over twenty minutes waiting for Helion to arrive, and yet the High Lord was nowhere to be seen. Lucien had been asked to meet his father in the room the older male favoured for his meetings with the round table and the golden roof, and Lucien hadn't expected it to take this long. Tilting his head back, Lucien pushed his weight back in the chair, tipping it onto the back legs and balancing his weight there, swinging back and forth. Casting his gaze toward the windows, he watched the shadows play across the floor as he waited still longer.

Sighing loudly and a little dramatically, Lucien fidgeted. He really had never been good at sitting idly. If had have any inclination as to what it was that Helion wanted to see him about, he could have begun working on it while he waited, but he hadn't any clue and so he sat, growing more and more bored by the moment. He hadn't really ever known Helion to be late, and so he began to wonder what could have possibly happened for the other male to be late now.

"Sorry…"

"Ah…" Lucien sat up straight, the chair falling back onto all of its legs with a loud bang, and he tried not to look startled by the noise and the High Lord sweeping elegantly into the room.

"I was caught up…"

"Nothing too serious, I hope…" Lucien tucked his hair behind his ears, feeling like he had been caught misbehaving for some reason, and was about to be reprimanded.

"Of course." Helion just about melted into a chair of his own, grinning broadly at Lucien. "Your mother had the desire for spiced apples, and there were none in the kitchen…"

"I see…" Lucien watched his father carefully. Helion was still smiling broadly, and it was evident that he was more than pleased to have been inconvenienced by such a problem. "And you had to resolve the situation for her…"

"Of course I did." The High Lord was practically glowing. "Females have cravings, you are aware…?"

"I have heard." He stretched a little. "And she has always been partial to the spiced apples."

"I will make sure that there is always ample supply in the kitchen from now on." The certainty with which Helion made that declaration left Lucien with no doubt as to the truth of it. Ashk would certainly not be without spiced apples for as long as she desired them. Unable to help smiling at the obvious joy on Helion's face, Lucien shook his head and gave a soft laugh.

"I don't think any male has been more pleased to be able to meet the needs of a pregnant female than you look to be."

"That is possibly true." Helion agreed still looking thoroughly chuffed.

"I'm glad." Lucien told him, and it was true. He was so glad the two of them were finally able to get such joy from one another and from sharing this experience with one another after so long being denied it. "I'm glad that she has someone who would go out of their way to get her spiced apples…" he added, because Beron certainly wouldn't have lifted a finger to procure her anything she had craved bearing him his sons.

"She told me," Helion grinned at Lucien who raised an eyebrow, "that she craved spiced apples pregnant with you."

"She did?" Lucien hadn't known that.

"None of the others, but she did with you."

Unable to help the warmth that spread through him, Lucien glanced away, smiling brightly. "That's strange." He murmured. When he looked back to Helion it was to see his father smiling right back at him.

"Strange," Helion agreed, "But a little bit lovely just the same."