What would someone do to be under a Grand Priest's tutelage? More than what Lucian did, certainly.
He first met him after his parents death, almost mistaking him for his father. The second time was when he tried to move on from Celine (during the time skips). He regretted it both times, and would rather not remember how it went.
The grand priest's smile grew, his grip on Lucian's shoulder tightening. "You have been gone for a while. Business must be booming, hm?"
The man had no strength in him, and Lucian could push him over with a flick of his finger, yet his presence felt like a weight, making it hard to breathe.
Keeping his composure, Lucian answered, "It can't compare to your success, father. The Diamante Kingdom is thriving under your guidance."
The grand priest laughed, a jovial sound, but the mirth didn't reach his eyes, "I thought you wanted to marry young, what happened to that plan? Following southern traditions now?"
The priest's head tilted, the sun hit his amber eyes at an angle that made them look like they were glowing. It was a phenomenon that allowed him to sense emotions, detect lies, and see through people's masks. Holy sight, they called it.
People whose hair turned white received this gift, which made it easier for the priests to detect criminals, or in Lucian's case, the boy with too many desires, too many cravings, to ever be on the right path. They tried to purify and cleanse him of them, to no avail.
"Finding a suitable woman was harder than expected." Lucian's eyes were a dull gold, exposed under the priest's gaze, "I haven't been able to settle down yet."
It was the truth, as far as he was concerned. No lies to be caught, no secrets to be uncovered. He viewed it just as a business meeting to be smoothed over.
"I heard Lady Rochefort has been causing you trouble," the priest continued to probe.
Lucian's heart skipped a fraction of a beat at the mention of her name, and he was glad it could easily be mistaken for a reaction of distress. He would be in trouble if he reacted like this without the prior bully rumors. The grand priest would see right through him.
"Indeed. That woman has no boundaries," Lucian's shoulders slumped ever so slightly, showing he was a bit helpless against this predicament.
"We are considering legal action against her discriminating behavior towards blond men," the grand priest assured him, raising Lucian's shoulders in an uplifting manner, "Your testimony would be much appreciated in court."
"Of course, I will assist the church as much as I can." Lucian was aware it didn't sound convincing enough, so he added, "Her background makes me hesitant to act against her, and I'm afraid of the consequences if I do."
That should sound more real. Lucian wasn't sure if the grand priest wanted to sabotage him, the Rochefort's reputation, or both. The church's influence in the Rocheforts' territory was weak, and they were maybe looking to gain a foothold.
The grand priest patted his shoulder, his smile turning kinder, "That's why we are here to help you. You can always count on us, my child. The church will protect its people. As long as they are loyal to us, we will not let any harm befall them."
Lucian tensed. Loyalty sounded like a normal thing to demand, even he demanded it in some way or another, but coming from the grand priest's mouth, it felt more ominous.
"There's no need to doubt your allies," the priest said, sensing Lucian's hesitation, "The church is not your enemy."
'For now.' Lucian tried to brainwash himself into believing his own words, 'It's better to have them as allies than as enemies. I need to trust them, just a little.'
"Yes," Lucian said, relaxing his shoulders, his smile more genuine, "Thank you, Father."
Satisfied with the response, the grand priest let go of his shoulder, inviting Lucian to walk with him. They discussed more details about the case against Celine, with Lucian throwing in some facts to make it look like he was cooperating.
By the end of their meeting, the grand priest blessed Lucian's head, making him lower it again, and left to return to his duties. People bowed their heads as the grand priest walked by, treating him more than a human, almost like a deity.
He was the reason the Kereons were able to gain so much influence in the kingdom. His words held the same weight as the Duke's.
Lucian returned to the supply tent, helping his people with unloading the goods. His hands were sweating despite the cold weather.
Jax sensed his discomfort and handed him a flask of water, "What's with you? You look like you are about to throw up again."
Lucian wiped his hands on his pants, before grabbing the flask, "I might."
"Want me to call for a priest?"
"I'd rather throw up." Lucian unscrewed the cap and took a big gulp of water, not appreciating Jax's joke. The cold liquid helped him relax his throat.
Whatever connections his parents had with the church, they took it to the grave. His mother's relatives didn't want to take him in, and there was nobody on his father's side, as far as he knew.
He tried to avoid meeting his father's look-alike, but the way the Kereon soldiers were looking at him like they knew something, made it hard to ignore.
Lucian rushed through his work, not wanting to stay a minute longer in the camp than necessary. He left, with Jax following after him.
"Where are we going?" Jax asked.
Lucian overheard the soldiers mention Rochefort's forces pushing further into the enemy territory, to force the peace treaty faster. It was Celine's style, no doubt.
"The front lines," Lucian said, leading his horse out of the campsite and onto a path that would take him there.
The heroine was not supposed to marry the villain. The peace treaty was destined to fail with the north being unable to meet the demands (the crown prince would not let the heroine go). Which would lead to the two kingdoms going to war again.
'There's no way for King Eon to let go of Lady Bianca for a whole year. That man is not that trusting. If he agreed to the peace treaty, there must be another reason behind it.'
Lucian's horse began to gallop faster, and Jax matched his speed.
"What's the rush?" Jax shouted after Lucian.
'My wife might have offered herself in exchange for the peace treaty. That's what.'
Lucian didn't respond, pushing his horse to go faster. The trees blurred by, the wind whipping his hair. His heart was beating loud in his chest, a sense of dread coiling in his stomach.