The Prince's Mate

Afternoon with the Prince

“What are you doing?” Lucas stared at her hand for several seconds, but she was so nervous she kept it extended at him. “Are you well?” He asked her again, and the other concubines in their background began laughing amongst themselves while Adel beside her sighed and rubbed her forehead while Lifa still had her head down, praying to whatever entity to stop Cecelia’s madness, but then suddenly everyone went silent as Lucas stood at attention after his confusion and swirled his hand thrice while folding his other hand behind himself and leaning forward to take her outstretched hand. “Alright then,” He smiled as he took a step closer and held out his arm. “May I?” He looked at her, and at a loss complete of words Cecelia linked her arm with his as he began leading her away.

“What just happened?” Lifa looked at Adel, and the maid shook her head in astonishment before shaking it again to clear her mind and remember her duties.

“It seems that her stupidity may have actually reaped favourable rewards,” Adel chuckled and then looked at the young one beside her. “Dylan, you will stay with the pretty elf for a while, so you can be near Cecelia okay, I will be back to collect you for a bath in the evening,” She smiled and caressed his head before giving him a small bow and stepping away. “Play safe Dylan, and be good,”

“Okay.” Dylan waved at her and then looked back at Cecelia who was walking with Lucas casually toward the lower garden where he planned to speak to her more privately, he then looked at Lifa beside him and chuckled before hugging her again. “Can I touch your ears?” He asked, and Lifa had a look of worry on her face, she wasn’t the fondest of kids and rarely had any to take care of, this for her would be a challenging day.

“Sorry,” Cecelia had her face straight and her gaze aimed ahead as she walked beside Lucas as daintily as she was instructed to by Lifa, trying her best not to fall over. “I’m nervous.”

“Why?” Lucas asked as he too looked ahead.

“I don’t know anything about you, or your family, this kingdom, or the neighbouring ones, I’m a stranger here and I don’t know how to act, You saved my life because I was a curiosity, and now I’m supposed to be... sorry, I don’t think can do any of this, I’ll fail and get killed for sure,” She sighed, and he looked at her and stopped for a moment.

“I did not save you from the court just so you would be killed later on, I have never seen a woman who looked as you do, I have never seen anyone as a matter of fact who had black hair, and your eyes are even rarer, there is no text or record I have ever seen where someone has blue eyes, it is as if the sky reflects through you,” Lucas complimented her, but it just made her worry more.

“So making me a concubine is simply you holding on to something you believe is exotic?” She asked, and he swallowed as he thought about it. “Is my life from now on going to be that of a caged bird where you will call upon me whenever you please and I have no chance of refusing, wouldn’t I have less value then, and be killed for my mistakes then?” She asked him and he sighed and adjusted his posture then began walking again.

“Cecelia, you cry glowing golden tears that float in the air, you came from another world through magic I have never seen before, in a machine so complicated our greatest wizard and philosopher Flock has given up on figuring it out in just a day, and despite our tongue being the same we have found no record of yours that we understand anything from, and your appearance is unlike any human we have ever seen, everything about you is a mystery; you are alien, I did not save you so I could have my way with you, rather I saved you because I am interested in what you are, because it is clear that you are not entirely human, imagine if you turned out to be a goddess fallen from the heavens, or a devil ascended to cause calamity, you are an endless intrigue, I simply wish to know more than I currently do,” He responded truthfully and waited for her to say something else, but she was lost in her own mind and couldn’t say a word in response. “We want to know about where you came from, or if there is a possibility that others like you will come, and whatever knowledge you have is clearly different from our own, being my concubine is simply a title bestowed upon you so no man or woman in this country would dare lay a finger on even a strand on your head, otherwise you would either be killed, or turned inside out by the crazy scientists and technicians who are here in Morhaven, and Jakhar at large.

“That’s it?” She asked as relief washed over her like a cold shower.

“Precisely so,” You indeed do not need to fear anyone or anything here, perhaps in the future you will be granted your freedom, but as of now you are forbidden from leaving the castle grounds, this is not only because you have the status of a foreigner, but also because you would be killed on sight as a witch or demon should you ever be seen by the ignorant,” Lucas gestured toward the world at large as he said it, and she immediately felt as if a weight had been raised off her shoulders.

“Then I suppose I should be thanking you for saving my life,” She gave him a small smile, but looked away as soon as he looked at her, it wasn’t the fact that he was royalty, but for some reason, looking at him made her feel a surge of warmth, it was only a few words, but he had spoken from his heart and she somehow knew he was being honest, so without realising it her walls had been dropped, especially when she looked behind and saw Dylan idly chatting with Lifa several metres away out of earshot. “I do not know any kind of pleasantries yet so I will practice and keep up appearances, and possibly make myself useful in my stay here, anything at all which you need, I will try to satisfy your curiosities,” She said as she looked ahead again.

“That would be best, had it been anyone else you would have suffered consequences for holding your hand out the way you did, it was quite disrespectful, but as I am aware of your foreign origins I was quickly able to read the environment and take charge of a rather embarrassing situation,” Lucas chuckled and looked to her again. “So, red Cross Cambridge is what you said correct?” He asked and she looked at him surprised. “I remembered because it is somewhere I have never heard of, do you know the history of your place of origin?”

“I know nothing about Red Cross aside from a specific community where I lived as well as a few good places where I could get food, I don’t know the history or how it came to be, most civilians don’t, and I’m one of the masses there, what I remember is that I was on my way to an interview when Dylan appeared in my car-“

“Car, interview, an interview for what, and what is a car?”

“The beast-less wagon I came in is called a car,” She paused to explain. “And I was going to an interview for a job, a paying job that would help me earn a living for a while.”

“Are there many jobs available for women in your world other than servantry?”

“Where I’m from men and women are mostly granted equal benefits and pay, social status depends more on what you earn rather than who you are related to, and jobs are available en mass for anyone who is willing and qualified to work, gender plays little role where work is concerned,” Cecelia replied to him knowing in her mind this would shock him a little. “Be it as a soldier, enforcer, a guard or executioner, or any that is usually given to just men, it has been that way for decades there, before that, women were much more suppressed, but these days they are fully integrated into the workforce, though, despite the freedom of choice they have still pushed for more equality, basically wanting complete dominance over everything, that bit is worrisome,”

“Fascinating,” Lucas responded amazed. “Continue then,”

“Cars are capable of speeds exceeding that of any horse, and as a result accidents are quite common, more than often claiming the lives of those involved, that would have been the case with me, Dylan hid in my belongings and sprung out when I was crossing a bridge, I lost control of the vehicle and spiralled over the edge of the bridge hitting the water and submerging, I do not know how long we were there but what happened next is clear, because the next time I opened my eyes I was chained to a dungeon wall.” She gave him a slight hint of an accusing glare. “I couldn’t tell you anything else without a direct question though, my mind is already packed and tired from this whole scenario.

“I see,” Lucas responded with a smile as he tried picturing it in his head.

“If you would let me, I also studied visual arts and would be able to sketch some things for a better description,” She added, and Lucas did a double take of her, looking at her from head to toe several times as if she'd spoken Martian. "What?" She asked him, and he kept looking at her for several more seconds before he held out his hand the same as she had upon meeting him earlier. "What?" She asked again as she placed her hand in his own confused.

"If I may." He slowly took the thin glove from her elbow and slowly pulled it off making sure to mind each finger as if he'd break her if he tried too hard to do anything. "I wanted to see your hand, after all, you just said I wish to witness the state of your palm, in my own opinion a maiden should never bother herself with the troubles of a man's work, and I have never heard of one doing so, and yet you say your entire world is shared among men and women working side by side on every front, so I must see," He concluded as he finally pulled the glove completely off her hand and then pulled his own glove off, at this ecact time several people who were watching them from afar gasped and held their mouth, Lifa as well who was much closer did the same, even if Lucas was new to concubines, she had never seen him treat anyone with such care before, outside of his sister he barely spoke to another soul unless addressing a crowd or event, and get not only did he converse with Cecelia like an old acquaintant, but he also removed his glove to touch her skin, the elf wanted to slap herself when she realised that Cecelia had no clue how lucky she was at that moment.

"What manner of work have you done before?" Lucas asked Cecelia as he ran his surprisingly soft skin against her palm while his other gloved hand held hers in place.

"So far I have worked as a waitress in several restaurants, I have served as an accountant, I have worked inside of a food storage house as a floor worker, I have been a secretary as well for a short while, a janitor for several months a year ago, and then I was on my way most recently to try my hand at-" She suddenly stopped talking when she had a feeling of danger surrounding her like a rope.

"Dylan!"