Lucien had gotten up early and prepared himself for a confrontation. He'd expected Nesta Archeron to gut him on sight. Instead, she'd stopped in her tracks when she saw him. And for whatever reason did not launch a nearby vase at his face. She walked past the kitchen counter where he'd stood and filled a kettle with water.

"Surely you have some kind of question." he watched as Nesta set the kettle on the stovetop.

"Not really. I heard you and Elain last night." She leaned against the open frame door that led from the kitchen into the dining room. That should have earned him the opposite of this reaction. Unless she was trying to freak him out by maintaining this calm demeanor? "So?" he only managed a single word for the question. It seemed that his proper noble education meant very little in the presence of Nesta Archeron. "So, I…" Nesta crossed her arms, tapping her fingers on her bicep as she considered her words. "I don't know what happened to you exactly. But I think I have an idea." She watched his shoulders tense. "After I broke things off with my former suitor…" She practically spat the word out. "I didn't have a bathroom to lock myself into for two hours yet. But if I did, I imagine I would have."

Lucien opened his mouth to reply but Nesta held up a hand, fixing him with that stare of silver-blue ice.

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. I would prefer you didn't honestly. Just… don't get caught doing anything unexplainable alright?" He wasn't sure how she'd read so much of the situation but he nodded.

"I think I can manage that." Nesta pushed off the door frame but her hand lingered on the wood and she looked over her shoulder at him. "If you do anything to hurt my sister I'll skin you." She let the threat hang in the air for a bit and walked to the sitting room to wait for her water to boil in peace.

Elain squinted at the light streaming in through her window. She pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes with a quiet yawn. She then paused. She did not remember falling asleep in her own bed. She looked around her room. Perhaps exhaustion had just wiped from her the memory of showing Lucien to his room after they'd talked about her gardening plans.

She bathed and dressed quickly, braiding a bit of ribbon through her hair as she made her way down the stairs. She did her best not to let her jaw hit the floor when she entered the dining room and saw Lucien and Nesta both at the table, reading and drinking tea. Nesta set her book down and took a long sip of her tea before looking to the door.

"Good morning, Elain. Care to introduce our guest?" Elain felt her face heat and she cautiously approached the table.

"You… you two were just… reading?" Nesta shut her book and started tapping her fingers impatiently on the cover. Still waiting for an answer to her question before she would answer any of Elain's own. "Right… Nesta this is Lucien… I was going to tell you about everything today I just… I didn't know how to approach it" Nesta frowned but did not push the subject further. Instead, she stood and tucked her book under her arm. "The next time you bring in a stray, check that it can't turn into something worse." Lucien leaned his head on his hand.

"And here I thought we were getting along so well, Nesta." Nesta shot him a glare before brushing past her sister and back up the stairs.

Elain looked at Lucien. It seemed like he had made it to his room, as he was dressed in some of the new clothes Elain had rounded up for him, and he had his hair tied loosely down his back.

"Honestly I expected that to be far worse than it was." He took a sip from his tea and Elain nodded.

"Definitely. I'm glad it wasn't worse though. And glad I don't have to hide you, of course." He shrugged it off and pushed the book he'd been reading away from himself. "Did you sleep alright?" she fiddled with the end of her braid, "Yeah… um, I have to bring you into town again today." When she looked up she found him absently tracing circles on the table while he waited for an explanation. She took a seat across from him and folded her hands on the table. "Like I mentioned yesterday, not many shops make things in… your size… I had to spin a bit of a story to excuse the line of inquiry for your clothes, and a few of the stores where I'm a more frequent patron will be suspicious if they never actually see my mysterious and abnormally tall friend from the continent." Lucien covered his mouth with a hand. "Are you sure you're not looking for excuses to show me off?" He hadn't managed to hide the small bit of pride in his voice and she stood again quickly. "Of course not. Just be ready soon."

Lucien blanched as he took a bite of the pastry the baker had shoved into his hands while Elain was speaking with the clerk. He'd been able to decline the sample with Elain next to him but the second she stepped away the middle-aged woman had gone back to insisting he try her most popular treat. He did his best to swallow and smile politely. He'd woven a glamor for himself again, one that required less of a concentrated effort to keep in place but he doubted looking human would soften the blow if he made his distaste for the food known.

"Oh- You'll have to excuse us Isobel. I'm afraid he's terribly picky". Elain carefully slipped the pastry from Lucien's hand. She hooked her arm through his and pat his forearm with a light hand once she'd disposed of what remained of the bland dessert. "I can hardly get him to finish dinner recently." She exchanged a long-suffering look with the baker as if his limited palette was a source of constant debate.

They'd been visiting stores for about an hour now and Lucien was already a bit drained from the encounters. Elain tugged him outside waving a cheery goodbye to the Baker and clerk before walking him a ways down the street. She paused in front of a window.

"I'll wait outside. You go ahead." Lucien noticed that she opened her mouth to object and turned her head toward the door. "Go, I'll behave." She made a face but walked into the dress shop with little argument.

Lucien leaned against the brick wall next to the window and examined his nails. He didn't bother to look up when Graysen cleared his throat to get his attention. He'd seen when the young lord had noticed them arrive. And he'd been mildly amused when Graysen had made the effort to mind his own business but ended up following them for a while anyway.

"Can I help you?" He asked and Graysen checked through the window that Elain was busy.

"I need to speak with you. Privately." Lucien finally deigned to look up, not letting his face show anything but boredom and maybe slight irritation at having been bothered. Graysen didn't let that stop him as he demanded Lucien's presence at a tavern on the edge of town that evening. "I'll consider it," Lucien replied curtly before going back to looking elsewhere. Ending the conversation himself rather than letting the arrogant young man think he could waltz up, make demands of him, and strut off without a care.

Graysen turned and was around the corner before Elain was back through the door.

"Hey, any trouble?" She asked and Lucien shook his head,

"I told you I would behave, didn't I?" He pushed off the wall and fell into step next to her. Still feeling Graysen's presence nearby he casually wrapped an arm around Elain's shoulders. Because Graysen was watching and for another reason, he dared not examine too closely. Not yet anyway. Elain jumped a bit in surprise and Lucien paused, "Sorry, should I-" "No!" She grabbed his wrist and a faint blush stained her cheeks. "I… I was cold anyway." Lucien nodded, "I see, well we can't have that." He pulled her a bit closer and let her point him in the direction of the next store she wanted to pay a visit.