They had walked and talked a lot on their way to Lucian's home. Arthur had constantly been staring into Lucian's eyes. He was so mesmerized by those golden eyes that he couldn't look away. Then he suddenly asked out of the blue.
"So Lucian, who is your father? Is he a knight too?" Arthur asked curiously. Lucian was different in so many ways he couldn't grasp and couldn't help wanting to know more about him.
This question brought the two boys to a halt.
Nate bit his lips. Why the hell did Arthur have to take this question of all questions?? He turned to look at his best friend, and as expected, Lucian's expression was unreadable.
Lucian pursed his lips. He hated it when people asked this question because he didn't know what answer to give. What was he supposed to say? None of them knew who his father is. Not even his mother?
Seeing the tension he had created because of the question he asked, he decided to lighten the mood.
"Ooh don't worry, you don't have to say it. I was just asking. So where is the house and why are we heading into a forest? Have we lost the way?..." he asked pointing to what looked like a forest ahead.
This altered the mood. As the boys raised their heads and remembered a spell had been cast around the cottage. Nate could see because Liz considered him as family. Anyone else would see it as a forest.
"Erm... Well, you've been seeing strange things about us...there's more. What you're seeing is an illusion. If you're not scared of us to this point, I guess we can go in..." Lucian said with an awkward smile. They had forgotten the cottage no longer looks like a cottage to outsiders. Honestly, Lucian knew Arthur could handle these. And he knew he wasn't a bad person. After all, he could see through people.
Arthur gave a sidelong glance at the forest before him.
"You're saying that this is not a forest. So it's your home??" Arthur asked a little flabbergasted. He had read about these things in books and never thought he would see one in real life. But instead of fear, it interested him. Who were these boys? They were so out of this world and it piqued his curiosity more. He had been searching for Anna all these years and his life has been nothing but boring until he met these two.
"Yhh... It's not a forest..." Nate answered instead.
"So how do we get in? Do we need a magic wand?" Arthur asked with a chuckle.
Lucian and Nate laughed.
"I'll hold your hand and we'll get in. It's nothing scary..." Lucian said and extended his hand.
Arthur held his hand.
"Is your mother like...a witch... She won't turn me into a frog when I get in right? Because if she does, I don't know when am going to find a princess to turn me back to human..." Arthur said jokingly, causing the boys to laugh again.
"Yhh, especially when you are not a prince. Don't worry, we promise to come and train before your pond every day if that happens..." Nate said amidst laughter and Arthur and Lucian shook their heads.
"Well, I guess you should start praying I come out of there a frog because am thinking of new ways to train you two after today..." Arthur said with a smirk.
"I didn't say anything... It was Nate." Lucian responded with an innocent face.
"Little God, I spoke for both of us... Together we live and die..."
"Get lost! Who wants to die with you?"
As they chatted, Lucian pulled Arthur along with him through the array that had been cast. Arthur thought he felt like he had just passed through a wall... The feeling was weird and right before his eyes was a cottage. It wasn't very big but enough to accommodate three to four people.
"Is this it?" Arthur asked, looking at the warm place. The cottage looked simple. You could guess from the look of it, that the people living in it did not exactly earn much for themselves but at least they had themselves to be happy for.
"Yhh, this is my home. And it's also Nate's. It's more of his home than mine..." Lucian answered.
Arthur looked around. "Wait... where is Nate?"
"Already in the cottage. Probably heading to the kitchen..." Lucian answered and shook his head.
Arthur chuckled and they headed for the door but before they could open it, it opened and Anna's face popped out.
"Lucian, Nate said you brought your..." The words got stuck in her mouth when she raised her head to see who the said sword master was.
She stood wide-eyed, and the other party stood stunned.
Arthur stood not being able to find his words. Every single day that he thought and searched for the woman he loved, he always thought that as the days passed by she would change. And maybe he might not recognize her when they finally met. But he was wrong. The woman before his eyes was no doubt the Anna he had been in love with or still in love with. The Anna he had known had always been just a girl. An innocent sweet girl, but the woman before him looked mature. Though she looked a bit lean, the maturity in her eyes had given her an irresistible beauty.
"Arthur?" Anna called out first. Her previously shocked look, looked calm.
Hearing the voice he had missed for years almost made him break down.
"Anna...it's... Is it you? God, how long has it been? I've searched everywhere for you..." Arthur said, his voice breaking and his eyes a little watery.
"Well not everywhere, because here I am..." Anna said and smiled. She had never thought she would meet anyone from her past anytime soon.
"Err... mother, you know him??" Lucian asked narrowing his eyes. His mother knew Arthur already?
"Mother?? Lucian is she your mother??" Arthur asked confused.
When did Anna meet another man? Lucian looks at most ten or eleven...
"Yes, she's my mother..." He answered firmly. As if he was afraid Arthur wouldn't believe him.
Arthur furrowed his brows and turned to Anna.
"Anna, he's your son??" He asked again looking unsure. Was he a child Anna had picked somewhere and was looking after?
Lucian was not ordinary. But, he sort of resembled Anna a little when he looked closely.
Anna gave a wry smile and nodded her head in affirmation. This was going to be very difficult to explain. But she had always trusted Arthur and she knew he could handle it.
"Alright come inside... I know you have a lot of questions... Come meet my little family." Anna said and gave way for Arthur to enter. Lucian's face looked like he had a lot of questions too. But he was glad they knew each other so the situation wouldn't be awkward.
"Lucian, get in I'll tell you how I know him, Nate is having his lunch, come and have yours," Anna said and dragged Lucian into the cottage.