When they arrived at the town a little over an hour later, their hair windblown, and their faces growing pink in the morning chill Lucien couldn't help but smile at Elain. He'd wanted to sulk. And he would have spent the entire ride doing just that until she called him out on it. He couldn't figure out why she gave a shit if he was miserable but he was grateful all the same.
"I can't tell who won…" Elain mused as she rebraided her hair. Lucien checked his reflection in a shop window. Still very mortal-looking. Thank the cauldron for that. After he and Elain had started their race he'd all but forgotten to keep checking on his glamor. Lucien redid the loose knot of his own hair. "We'll have to call it a tie I suppose." He readjusted his borrowed cloak so it covered his tunic again and Elain soothed her tired mare.
A voice called out for Elain from down the road and Lucien did his best not to grimace too harshly at the young lord who had initially found him yesterday. Graysen jogged over to them and Elain smiled warmly at him.
"Good morning, Elain. You look well." Graysen smiled right back at her stroking her mare's mane she nodded.
"You do as well, Graysen. I trust you and your father made it home safely." Graysen confirmed that he and Lord Nolan made it back to their home well in time for dinner before glancing back at Lucien. "Who is your… companion?" he asked and Lucian noted how tensely the lord regarded him.
"Lucien. Elain was just showing me around today. She is gracious to extend me such a courtesy." He did his best not to laugh when Graysen straightened. Trying to make himself taller or more imposing. Elain bit her lip again but stopped when Lucien looked over to her. She looked at the ground casually pulling her braid over her shoulder. "You're friends then?" Graysen asked and Lucien considered. He considered being polite to this human man for all of a second. "You could say that. I'm quite taken with her if I'm honest." Elain let out a small squeaking sound and whipped her head in his direction. "Apologies, lady. Surely this is not the only time someone has told you that you are rather captivating." Elain's already pink face burned, though if it was with embarrassment or anger Lucien couldn't tell. She had to look away and Lucien turned back to Graysen. "I don't believe I caught your name." A bit of anger flared in the young lord's eyes and Lucien bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from grinning. He knew he was being an ass. He was giving Elain's friend a hard time but given that Graysen had been inclined to leave an injured and presumably defenseless animal hanging by its legs in a broken trap he didn't actually feel too bad about it. "Graysen." The lord said his own name in a clipped tone and with enough effort that Lucien figured the young man would not be looking to make conversation with him again. "A-apologies Graysen but we really need to be going." Elain angled herself to get her horse moving again now that both the mare and stallion had had a quick break to rest but Graysen stepped in front of Elain and her mount. Irritation sparked through Lucien and he balled one of his hands into a fist. "I should like to see you again, Elain. Perhaps within a few days?" Graysen did not seem to notice Lucien's annoyance or Elain's apprehension. Elain readjusted, murmuring quietly to her mare before conceding, "Send word to the house and I'll see if I can't make the time." She didn't wait for him to step out of the way, holding her head high and maneuvering her horse around him and down the road. Lucien did not spare him another glance as he followed after Elain.
Elain grimaced slightly as he caught up.
"Did you have to be so cruel to him?" she asked and Lucien flicked a bit of horse hair off his shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure how it had even gotten there.
"I called you charming and companionable. It is not my fault if he took your reaction to be a personal slight against him." He kept his expression neutral but he did feel… slightly regretful as Elain let out a small sigh. "Did it… did it really bother you that much?" he didn't expect to feel so relieved when Elain shook her head. He'd basically just met the girl. It wasn't wise to let her maintain this kind of sway over him... "I just- I don't like to see him upset…" Elain kept an eye on the road as they moved forward. Silence fell over the pair but given that no one was running or screaming he had to assume that his glamor was still in place. "...you can check your reflection if you really need to. I already know your kind are vain so it makes no difference to me." Lucien didn't bother to hide his snort, and the slight smile he got in response soothed the silence into something more comfortable.
Something like dread twisted inside him as he took that turn down the fork in the road that Elain had mentioned. He had to go back. He had duties to attend to and Tamlin, despite his foul temper as of late, was his friend. Sometimes it felt like Tamlin was his only friend. He owed Tam for helping him get out of the Autumn Court. He could try for his friend. Stick it out for now. Fake it until things were stable if he had to. He could feel his nails digging into his palms again but he didn't care. How exactly was he supposed to convince Tamlin to go ahead with the Great Rite? He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. He would figure something out. The rite had to be performed for the sake of the court. It was not something Tamlin could decline to go through with even with Feyre gone. Left. He hadn't given Tamlin what remained of her ring yet. IT felt too much like kicking a male down…
"Lucien?" Elain drew him from his thoughts again. She had stopped at the edge of the dirt path into the woods. The wall was close. At this distance, he could sense the ancient magic.
"I'm alright, Elain." He dismounted and sent a nit of magic out in the direction of the wall. Looking for a crack to slip through. Elain carefully got down from her own horse and approached him. She looked nervous… "Are you sure everything is okay?" He nodded, even if he wasn't entirely sure of it himself. "I'm a grown male Elain. You don't have to worry about me." He tried to keep his voice light but she didn't look convinced. "You're Feyre's friend. Or you were before. You- You'll come back if anything happens right?" Lucien folded the borrowed cloak over his arm, "I don't know if that's a good idea." Elain squared her shoulders and looked up at him. "Please? I know you don't need protection. Especially not from someone like me but I want you to come back if something happens." Lucien let his head tilt to the side as he looked back down at her. "Miss me already Archeron?" Elain's face flushed but she held her ground, "I'm serious Lucien. I… I have a bad feeling." So it's not just me… H e shrugged it off and tapped her forehead lightly, "I'll be okay… but if something terrible happens I'll be sure to come back. I've never had a nurse tend to me so carefully after all." Elain shook her head with a sigh. "You're not taking me seriously."
Elain crossed her arms as Lucien's magic finally found a crack in the wall. He untied his hair and handed her back the cloak he had borrowed.
"Elain, if you promise to be careful about bringing any more strange animals into your house, then I will promise to come find you if something happens to me. Does that sound fair?" Elain seemed to consider the offer, glancing between Lucien and the woods. She nodded slowly and offered her hand to shake. She must have gotten used to the magic on their ride together for she only flinched when he took her small hand in his own and shook. "It truly was a pleasure doing business with you, Miss Archeron." Elain finally cracked a small smile again and dipped her head,
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lucien." He released her hand and sketched a bow before he turned to leave. "The pleasure was mine, lady." She covered her mouth with a hand to mask the slight giggle that escaped her and Lucien took that as his cue that it was alright to leave. He headed back into the woods, for that crack in the wall.