Lucas awoke on the cold stone floor, his wrists heavy with iron. His head ached, but the ache in his heart was sharper. He could still see her face—Priscilla's eyes void of tenderness, her voice like winter as she condemned him before all.
A guard approached, smirking.
"Am sure your suprised how the Empress could forget you all of a sudden, well it was never like you mattered to her anyway" he sneered, sliding a plate of stale bread through the bars.
Lucas said nothing. His pain could not allow him to answer. He picked up the bread but did not eat. Instead, he leaned back against the wall, staring into the dark. Even in chains, I remain hers. Even if she casts me aside… I cannot tear her from my soul.
The dungeon door creaked. A cloaked figure entered—The Empress. She carried no torch, only a lantern glowing faintly, throwing shadows across her delicate face.
He immediately got up as it was obvious the suprise written all over his face, even if his heart still aches "Your here? Why?"
"Ohh please am not here for sympathy, Lucas get married to Princess Loretta" her voice were as cold as someone dead.
"No, even if you put my head on the line, my answer will still remain no Your Highness"
"You've always been stubborn, but this is not the time to be an idiot" she said as she stared at him more like she was irritated with his answer.
"Tell me, why do you want me to marry her? Or do really take me as w dog to trash me out when your tired of me?" He sneered not wanting to know her answer to the question.
"Yes am getting tired of you so maybe I want to trash you away" her voice were like that of a venomous snake.
"After everything! I gave you my heart! Soul! Life and this is how you treat me! Priscilla!!!"
"Guards!" Two guards Immediately appeared as they bowed waiting for her command "get him out of here, and take off his chains" her words suprised not only Lucas but also the guards as they immediately obeyed to her instructions.
Lucas couldn't read what going on in her minds as her facial expressions was also not helping. He watched as the cuffs fell from his wrist leaving bruises and a red mark around it.
"Get yourself cleaned up and come to my chamber and don't you ever call me by my name again" he watched her walked away still leaving him in suprise.
While the disaster of yesterday still hanged up in the air, everything else around the Palace is back to normal, even though whispers still pass on among the maids and the councils. Princess Loretta who is only receiving shame from everyone for being rejected by Lucas even though she's a princess and has it all. She walked down the marbled floor and into her brother's chamber.
"Brother, what are we going to do now?" The stupid Empress doesn't even want to listen to anything we tell her"
"And why are you so troubled my dear sister?" Prince Leon sat before his writing desk, a golden cup of wine in his hand as he has a smirk on his face.
"Why wouldn't I be troubled? Am the talk on everyone's mouth, what if father and our stepmother hears such news, they will have more reasons to banish us, we are already in trouble in our kingdom and if Lucas had married me with his power and popularity, you will easily become the next King"
"Calm down sister, you will still get married to Lucas and I will still become the next King of Ivor and I have a perfect plan for that"
"That's all you've been saying while the Empress is still there commanding us like we're some puppets, brother we need to act now before it's too late, we might be able to dodge the sword of our father but not that of the Empress.
"Don't worry Empress Priscilla will soon bow to when am done with her"
The Empress chamber were decorated in high quality candles made from beeswax, which burned with a brighter, cleaners flame and a sweeter aroma. Her black shinning hair was loosed and casted down her back, making her look more prettier than any Jewelry could compliment.
Lucas walked into her chambers, he looked more cleaned and organized, though his eyes still bore the exhaustion of the dungeon. His bruised wrists were hidden beneath fresh bandages, but the heaviness in his heart was plain.
Priscilla sat at her writing desk, not looking up as he entered. She finished the last sip of her drink.
"You're late." Her voice was calm, not sharp, but edged with authority.
Lucas bowed slightly. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. The maids couldn't stop staring at my naked body." he said with a faint blush on his face.
Finally, she looked at him. For the briefest instant, her gaze lingered on his wrists before flicking away as though it meant nothing. "Sit."
He obeyed, though unease coiled inside him.
"I did not released you because of what happens earlier in the dungeon or because of how you feel about me, or because I showed you sympathy but because am not yet fully done with you to trash you away"
"And here I was thinking your heart is already giving in to my love, guess I was dreaming too much for it to be true" he whispered only she could hear.
She watched him walked closer to her, placing his hands beside her on the desk as he starred into her eyes. "Have you changed your mind about me getting married to someone I hate My Majesty" he said placing a kiss on her neck, even though he knows he's playing with fire but he would rather burn by her than be left in the cold.
"No my mind hasn't changed, but the married shall be postponed as I have a mission for you, and this I wouldn't spare you if you disobey me again" With a hand as light as silk and cold as steel, she lifted his chin so he had no choice but to meet her gaze.
"Don't worry as long as am still by your side I wouldn't dare disobey. So tell me what is this mission all about?"
""Prince Leon and Princess Loretta, I need you to escort them back to their kingdom tomorrow with some of your men" He watched her poured another cup of wine as she gulped it down.
"And why send me on such a low mission like this, or do you have other plans I need to know about?"
"Guess you know me too well, yes I do. A maid of mine overheard a conversation between the Prince and his sister as they have plans to use you to secure the kingship position, and also they are already in trouble in their kingdom for a reason I need to know why. So I need you and your men to find it out. And also go see your family, since eight years now you haven't gone home to them" Something flickered in her eyes—irritation? amusement?—but it vanished before he could be sure.
"But I don't have a home in Ivor, you know I grew up in the church orphanage so there's nothing for me to go back to" his voice hid the memories from his childhood he wished not to remember.
Eight years ago…
The church orphanage of Ivor smelled of wax and dust, its stone walls echoing with the laughter of children who had long since learned to laugh without joy. Lucas was sixteen, tall enough to be noticed, yet small enough to be prey.
That afternoon, he found himself cornered in the yard. Three noble sons, dressed in fine silks and polished boots, sneered at him.
"You think you're one of us, orphan dog?" one spat, shoving him hard against the wall. "Hitting a noble in the market because he slapped a brat like you—how dare you?"
Lucas swung back, fists flying, his pride refusing to bow. But for every punch he landed, three rained down on him. Blood filled his mouth, his knuckles split, his body crumpled under their kicks.
And then—silence.
The boys froze. The air shifted, thick with sudden fear.
A girl had stepped into the courtyard. She wore crimson, though she could not have been more than twelve. Her posture was flawless, her chin lifted with the kind of command born, not learned. Behind her, attendants whispered her name.
Priscilla. The heir of Calmaria. The future Empress.
Her gaze was sharp as winter glass as it fell on the boys. "Is this how nobles prove their worth? By ganging up on one boy?" Her voice was soft, but the weight of authority in it made even the guards hesitate.
The noble sons stammered, their face turning pale. With one dismissive flick of her hand, she sent them scattering.
Lucas, bruised and bleeding, forced himself to kneel. His head bowed, not from respect, but because he lacked the strength to stand.
Priscilla stopped in front of him, her shadow falling over his broken form. Her dark eyes studied him with the same cold curiosity one might spare for a wounded stray.
"You're the boy from the market," she said evenly. "The one who struck a noble because he was defending a little boy."
Lucas's lips trembled. He could not speak.
From the folds of her sleeve, she drew something small—wrapped in delicate paper. She held it out, and for the first time in his life, Lucas saw a chocolate biscuit. Rich, sweet, gleaming in the sunlight like treasure.
"Eat," she said. "And remember this kindness."
Her words were not tender. There was no warmth in them. Yet when Lucas took the biscuit with shaking hands and bit into it, the taste nearly shattered him. Sweetness he had never known, given by a girl who owed him nothing.
He watched her turned already leaving as he threw strength to speak.
"Please wait" he had no idea why he did that but he couldn't go back as she begin to walk back to him.
"What? Speak before I loose it" her voice was as sharp as a knife too sharp for a child and a girl.
"Uhmm your the future Empress right, your prettier than rumors said" he said trying to hide the redness on his face as the his heart beat louder than he expected.
"What is that your name again?" She asked out of boredom rather than curiosity.
"Lucas...Lucas Darcy" he said with a beamed smile all across his face.
"Lucas I want to go somewhere, where this foolish and ugly guards of mine wouldn't be there, can you help me? I promise to give you two of those biscuits"
"Five! If you want me to help you give me five of those biscuits" he said
""4 take it or leave it" her voice were like that of a negotiator
"Fine 4, but I hope you know how to run your highness" he said mockingly as he dragged her by the hands. The both of them begin to run around the village, they were being pursuide by the guards, even though it looked impossible but for a reason with her little fingers wrapped around his, he felt like the impossible didn't exist. The both of them ran down all the hidden parts he knew as they finally arrived at the orphanage.
"How dare you drag me like a man, have respect for my gender at least" he watched her dust her little blue dress as every kid in the orphanage starred at her like a foreigner. Her skin was different, her hair looked expensive and beautiful, even the hairpin looked worth a house to them, her dress was a no exception, as everyone stared at her in awe and amazement.
"Why does everyone look so ugly and unorganized" she asked as she moved behind Lucas more like she's avoiding the stare of the other kids.
"It's because your beautiful more then what any of us has ever seen or maybe it's because your royalty and your here in our orphanage. A thing that has never happened before" he said.
"I like your eyes it's pretty" a little girl of about 3 years old said stretching her tiny hands towards her but Priscilla only looked at her in disgust as she shifted away.
"You all look dirty, aren't they any adults here to take care of you guys?" She asked as everyone went silence.
"All the adults has left, they said we should fend for ourselves as the church who provided for us closed down due to the death of the priest" A black skin boy in wheel chair as placing the little girl on his lap.
"So how are you all surviving?" Her voice carried more of curiosity than care. "We beg, steal, some of us do shoe shining or we become maids for the nobles" Lucas said as tears welm down his eyes.
"I had no ideas all this are happening in this Kingdom, and what about the King, isn't he supposed to be aware of all this, what am I saying he's a pig who spend all of his time spoiling his gay son (Price Leon) and ugly daughter (Princess Loretta) I know my daddy is definitely gonna deal with him once he gets aware of such news" she said with assurance of her father.
"You know what Lucas follow me, we are going to have a word with my father"
It was obvious the fear written all over his face, as now he regretted ever meeting her in the first place, as the Emperor is known to be merciless even to kids.