There was confusion on his mind as he strolled through the castle corridors.
He had tried to get her off his mind. He had tried to forget the incident but no matter what he did, her flawless skin kept coming back to his mind.
Lucius made a right turn and spotted the stone stairway that he was about to ascend. Some maids passed by him and giggled suddenly. He chose to ignore them.
His mind suddenly took him back to the forest. The only reason why he had been there in the first place was that he had been tracking down one of the beasts that had been terrorizing Asgaria. He had heard of the beast's stories in the pubs and inns that he visited.
There had been people turning up missing or dead. The threat had become too much that even before Prince Leonard brought up the matter to him, he had already taken it upon himself to go hunting for it.
He subconsciously brought his left hand to the scar on the left side of his face. When he realized what he was doing, he dropped his hand to his side right away. It made a sound on the dark fitted pants that he wore.
His dark cape was still around him even if he wasn't still in the woods. His white silk shirt was fitted to his chest due to the dark leather waistcoat that he wore. He had weapons hidden in them. His sword was strapped to his waist by a special leather belt.
Lucius wasn't a man to speak much but his eyes loved to observe whatever place he found himself in. His eyes moved around the stone walls. The entire castle was made of stone and covered up with a layer of marble. This gave it a rich feel.
Lucius was almost at the end of the stairway. He threw a glance at the nearest window and spotted the trees outside. He could see the forest beyond.
While he had been out hunting he had seen proof of its existence. There were strange paw prints on the forest floors. They resembled that of wolves but they were just too huge to be wolves. He was beginning to think the beast could be a source of some mythical sorcerer's mistake.
He had almost found its location when the strange woman appeared out of the blue and he was left with no choice but to catch her in his arms.
Lucius remembered the shocked look in her eyes when they met with his. He had felt a strange pull to her. Something inside of him hungered and yearned for her. It was as if he had found the missing piece of himself.
Staring into her eyes felt like staring into a burning flame which he wanted to be consumed by. He had wanted to remain like that forever until her horse broke the silence. Growing up, horses had never liked him. He felt closer and connected better with wolves.
He reached the end of the stairs and walked down the corridor. He was heading toward Prince Leonard's chambers. He had called for him and he was fulfilling his duty.
Lucius reached the door and knocked once.
"Come in," A light masculine voice answered.
Lucius pushed the door open and entered the room. It was a grand space. There was a larger bed at the other end and the sheets as well as the draperies were made with the best cotton to keep the prince warm. There was a fireplace opposite the bed and there was a dresser on the other side of the bed.
Leonard was facing the window with his back to Lucius as he adjusted his attire. He turned to face Lucius with a very bright smile.
"Do I look dashing enough to sweep the ladies off their feet?" Leonard asked.
Lucius took his time to examine the Prince. Leonard had chosen dark breeches with a sky blue shirt tucked into them. A blue surcoat that had golden buttons was worn above the shirt. A bow tie was fixed perfectly on his neck.
He wore dark boots made with the best leather from around the world. His golden hair was parted in the middle and allowed to fall over his forehead. His clothes highlighted his icy blue eyes. His lips were firm and thin. His nose was pointed and his face had sharp edges.
"As dashing as always," Lucius finally responded. He didn't bother to return the smile. He rarely smiled. He preferred to remain quiet and just examine his surroundings.
"I'm sure you're itching to ask why I summoned you?" Leonard proceeded.
Lucius only shrugged. He was not curious. There was probably an event he had to be present at.
Leonard on the other hand trusted Lucius with his life. To the extent that he was capable of calling for him just to stand in his room and watch him sleep because he felt suspicious about someone. Leonard had done it to Lucius countless times.
Leonard only laughed in response. "I'll tell you anyway. Remember how my coronation is fast approaching, my father has made it a must that I get a bride and if possible produce an heir so that the throne will be secured in the family. Lady Lydia Roman mentioned something about having a beautiful niece," Leonard explained.
Lucius recognized the name of Lady Lydia. She was an influential woman in Asgaria. Every person knew her and some feared her too. She was a woman not to be crossed. She was a good friend of the King's and had been helpful in many ways. This would explain why Leonard was considering meeting her niece in the first place.
Lucius folded his arms and corked an eyebrow as he listened to the prince speak. It was the least he could do.
"I agreed to meet her once. If she's good enough, then I'll have her as my future Queen. I just need a good bride figure. You of all people know that I don't care about a wife. The beautiful whores at Tara's inn are enough to satisfy me," Leonard went on.
"Ah, what do you want me to do?" Lucius finally asked as he noticed that Leonard was taking forever to give him his task.
Leonard stopped and looked up at Lucius who was towering over him. "I need you to be with me. You know I don't trust most of these guards. Besides, I don't want to show up at her home with guards all over the place. I wouldn't want to scare my potential bride to be," He finished.
Lucius sighed before bowing in submission. It wasn't like he had any choice. He was Leonard's guard after all. Not just was he his guard but Leonard was also his Prince. He had to obey his Prince. It was his duty.
"Shall we?" Leonard gestured towards the way out for Lucius.
"Has the carriage been prepared?" Lucius asked.
"Of course, I had someone do that while I sent for you."
Lucius nodded and pulled the door open. He stepped aside and allowed his Prince to step through first before he followed and closed the door behind him.
"How was the hunt today? Did you find anything?" Leonard asked changing the subject.
Lucius' mind went back to the forest. The air around it. There was this feeling that came with being in the forest that Lucius could not understand. He had felt it while he hunted for the beast. He felt alive and at peace. He felt excitement.
"I found proof of a certain beast's existence," He answered in a low voice as they reached the carriage outside of the building.
Lucius helped Leonard mount the carriage. Lucius noticed that it wasn't the typical carriage that was usually covered at the top. This one was the open type. It had no roof.
Only the sitting area was connected to two horses. It had two wheels which made movement easier. Lucius got in beside the prince. The coach was at his place and started to move the brown horses.
"What proof did you find?" Leonard asked.
"I found prints. Paw Prints. There were also furs stuck to trees and bushes."
Leonard nodded. "This is a quite sensitive matter. I trust that you will handle it soon," Leonard entrusted the responsibility to Lucius.
Lucius nodded in response and moved his eyes around. To the average human, he looked like a person who was admiring the scenery but in actual facts, he was examining the woods for any thing that could threaten Leonard's life.
"Did you find anything else?" The prince asked.
Lucius turned his head to the prince as he wasn't expecting that question again. Memories of the beautiful woman with fiery brown eyes rushed into his head. He felt a wave of nausea and he immediately thanked the fact that he was seated. No one would notice how much he was affected by a mere thought.
Yet Leonard was still waiting for an answer. Lucius couldn't bring himself to speak about the woman. For all he knew, she might have been a figment of his imagination. Probably something his mind made up.
"Nothing. I didn't find anything else," He answered in a whisper.