Lucian was never one to feel nerves. He never makes mistakes, he never fails, and whenever he did his parents and brother, everyone around him, would not dare to make him feel like he failed.
His family loved him. Adored him even.
If he had said that the fruit called orange was green, they would make it so that it was officially called green.
So, it was no wonder to anyone that Lucian grew up to be who he was.
But right now, the crown princess' smile made him feel...something negative.
A feeling that he only felt the day his mother passed away, and nowhere else.
Everyone gathered around the crown princess, curious as to what she had to say that left her so excited that she would attend Lucian Solare Faelith's birthday.
By now, Lucian's father and older brother made their way to his side. They knew how much Lucian detests the princess, so even though they try their best to convince Lucian to not bully her so much, they agreed to Lucian's annual request to not invite the princess.
Which the royal family agreed upon, and it's not like they had a choice.
Lucian always wondered how much the royal family must hate him as well for acting as he pleases, but doesn't dwell on it too long as Adrian occupies his mind most of the time.
"This is rather peculiar, father." Lucius whispered as he stared at Elara. "Did the king mention that her highness would attend and make an announcement on Lucian's twenty-first birthday during your conference?"
Lance, Lucian and Lucius' father, furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed to be somewhat upset with the current situation as well on Lucian's behalf. "No, they did not mention such a thing."
See?
How could Lucian not be at eased to act as he please when the people he loves, loves him back much more.
"What do you want us to do, Luci?" His father asks him, and Lucian, well, as much as he hated how he was feeling, he was starting to become curious too.
Especially since Adrian has been silently standing a few feet away from them, and it seemed Cassian was surprised by the crown princess' boldness.
"Let her speak."
Lucian answered, taking a few steps forward, walking near Elara. "How exciting. It's not like the princess to want to draw attention to herself so badly that she would use someone else's celebration for an announcement."
Elara did not seem fazed, which bothered Lucian even more. She took a glass of champagne nearby and raised it high, her smile unwavering.
"My lords and ladies," she began, her voice smooth and commanding, carrying easily across the room. "Thank you all for allowing me this moment, and thank you, Lord Faelith, for hosting such a splendid gathering. Truly, it is a testament to your family's excellence."
The crowd murmured appreciatively, but Lucian only narrowed his eyes, his patience already wearing thin. He hated the way her words dripped with charm, her tone as sweet as honey. It was false, all of it, and he could feel the threads of some grand manipulation tightening around him.
Elara's gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Adrian before returning to Lucian. That flicker of acknowledgment sent a spark of unease racing down his spine.
"I have come here today," she continued, "to share a piece of news so joyous, so life-changing, that I could not keep it to myself any longer. And what better place to share it than at the gathering of the most esteemed nobles of the realm?"
Lucian's father, Lance, shifted beside him, his brows furrowed. "This is highly irregular," he muttered under his breath, though his voice carried enough for Lucian to hear. "It's as if she's announcing an engagement."
Lucian, however, barely registered his father's words. His gaze was locked on Elara, his mind whirring with possibilities. Surely, she wouldn't dare...
The princess raised her glass higher, her smile widening as she looked directly at Lucian. "It is with the greatest joy that I announce my engagement."
"What?"
"Oh my!"
"This is quite a surprise."
A ripple of surprise swept through the crowd, followed quickly by a wave of applause. Nobles turned to one another, their faces alight with curiosity and congratulations.
Lucian froze. His heart skipped a beat, and for a brief moment, the world around him seemed to blur. Engagement? The word echoed in his mind, loud and discordant.
Could this be her gift? To announce her engagement here, now, as some sort of declaration that she was finally giving up her pursuit of Adrian?
'This is...this is good, right?'
He forced himself to speak, his voice steady despite the unease gnawing at him. "How... unexpected, Your Highness. Congratulations. That is indeed exciting news."
Elara's smile deepened, but her eyes—sharp and gleaming with something unspoken—betrayed her satisfaction. It made Lucian's stomach churn.
"And who, pray tell," he asked, his voice carefully neutral, "is the lucky man?"
The room fell silent, the crowd leaning in as if drawn by the weight of the moment.
Elara took a slow, deliberate breath, her movements precise and measured. Then, with an almost theatrical grace, she turned and pointed.
'Please don't be who I think it is.'
Lucian followed her gesture, his body moving as though weighed down by invisible chains.
"Adrian."
And there, standing a few feet behind him, was Adrian. The love of his life.
"My love," Elara said, her voice soft and warm, carrying the kind of affection that felt like a dagger to Lucian's chest.
'Her love? HER love?'
Lucian's breath caught. His heart plummeted, shattering into jagged pieces that pierced through his very being. Adrian. His Adrian. The man he had adored, cherished, and longed for with every fiber of his being.
It couldn't be true.
"No," he whispered, the word escaping his lips unbidden. He turned back to Elara, his composure cracking as desperation seeped into his voice. "You're lying. This is definitely some joke."
The crowd gasped, whispers erupting like wildfire.
"Duke Adrian and the crown princess?"
"Who would have thought?"
"That's unfortunate for young Lucian then."
"Unfortunate? Did he ever have a chance?"
Lucian blocked their words out, he did not want to hear any of their pathetic lies and opinions. "You've forced him," He continued, his voice rising. "You've used your title—your influence—to make him agree to this!"
"Lucian," his father warned, his tone low and firm, but Lucian didn't hear him.
"You're lying!" Lucian shouted, his anger and heartbreak spilling over. He stepped forward, his hands trembling as he gestured wildly at Elara. "Adrian would never—he wouldn't love you!"
Cassian moved then, placing himself protectively in front of Elara. His expression was grim, his voice cold. "That's enough, Faelith. Control yourself."
"Stay out of this, Cassian!" Lucian snapped, his voice raw. "You don't understand!"
No one could absolutely understand. Adrian and him were meant to be together, they belonged together. He spent all his life chasing after him, it was not supposed to go in vain.
"You are delusional, Crown Princess...if you even think for a moment that—"
"Lucian."
Adrian's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. It silenced the room in an instant.
Lucian turned to him, hope flickering weakly in his eyes. "Adrian, please. Tell them. Tell them this isn't true."
Adrian's was expressionless, but his voice was firm. "Lucian, stop. You're embarrassing yourself."
Lucian recoiled as though struck. "I'm... I'm embarrassing myself? Adrian, I—"
"You're acting like a child," Adrian interrupted, his tone growing colder. "This delusion you've built in your mind—it was never real. I tolerated it because we were friends, because I cared about you. But I love her. I've loved her for years."
'Years?'
Lucian staggered back, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks as he fell to his knees.
"No," he choked out, his voice breaking. "Adrian, please. Don't do this. We—we belong together."
Adrian didn't move. He didn't speak. Instead, he turned away, stepping to Elara's side. Cassian followed, his hand on the princess' arm as if shielding her from the spectacle.
Lucian's father knelt beside him, his expression grim. "Lucian, this is enough."
Lucius, his older brother, stepped forward then, his voice heavy with regret. "I'm sorry, Luci. I have to do this."
Lucian barely registered the words before the soft hum of magic filled the air. His body slumped, his final words a broken whisper.
"Adrian... I love you."