To Love, Once Again

Sera turned in the direction of the open door that Bea stood by, waiting. Hugging her neck, Leo sweetly hangs on to the crook of her shoulder.

But there was no sound of Lucien's footsteps following behind her.

"Lucien?" Turning around Sera gives Lucien a questioning look. Was Lucien that anxious about the first breakfast with his son?

But, no, Lucien was smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkled up with the silent mirth in his gaze.

"Hm?" He hums back in response, seemingly lost in thought. Though confused, Sera chose to ignore what happened. Sometimes it was better not to ask. And with food in their stomachs, things should get better. People were always grumpier when they were hungry. There were no exceptions to that rule. Even a monk would be grumpy if they were fasting all the time, Sera was sure.

Sera goes back to link her arm through Lucien's free arm, the one without the huge bouquet. "Lucien, let's eat!"

And what did Sera miss?

With little Leo's soft arms wrapped around her neck and head settled on her shoulder, she was unable to notice the face that Leo made at Lucien.

Bleeeeh~!

Leo had blown towards Lucien a big, fat, silent raspberry.

What a cheeky little boy. Lucien may have been like that, once. He could hardly remember. From the earliest memories he could remember his childhood being cold and dull. Being so desperate to entertain his mother and impress his father, had done a number on his childhood. His mother's abandonment had been the deciding factor into making him a silent, anxious young boy hiding behind a facade of bluster.

But the small boy in the arms of Lucien's beloved was brimming with life. His round face was scrunched up with eyes tightly shut, cheeks puffed as he pursed his lips and stuck out his tongue at Lucien.

And of course, the moment Sera had turned around, Leo had hidden his expression by pushing his face into the small of her neck.

A cheeky boy indeed.

But giving up was never a part of Lucien's vocabulary. Small displays like these were cute compared to the hate that had festered in his heart towards his parents and the control they'd exerted over his life. His mother had never carried him like Sera was doing with Leo. As a prince, no one was allowed to carry him once he grew old enough to be able to walk on his own. His family could, of course, since they were royalty, but it was not in their nature to do so. Which left him, when accompanying his mother, to strain his short legs and try to keep up with his mother and her entourage on their jaunts to the gardens.

Pushing down the envy that grew in him at the precocious sight, Lucien lets Sera guide him into the cottage and into the green room. The whole time, Leo would make strange faces at Lucien over Sera's shoulder, tightening his hold around Sera's neck and giving her a big smacking kiss on the cheek. All while Lucien watched him with a straight-faced side-eye. This child knew what he was doing, trying to display his closeness with his mother to Lucien.

He was like a small ginger cat with its hackles raised. Leo didn't trust any man. The guards that watched over his cottage never played with him, watching him with serious faces from their position besides the door. But Leo tolerated (okay, he thought they were really cool but his pride was not going to let him admit that. He wanted to be the coolest to his Mama!) them because they'd always been around . But why should he like this new 'father' of his?

Lucien gives a slow wink back to his son, slowly raising Sera's hand to his lips and smoothing a kiss on her silky skin. Two could play at that game.

It was a beautiful, sunny room, just the way he'd designed it. Sunlight streamed in through the glass walls of the room, the soft green velvet chairs and warm oak table providing a comforting atmosphere. Bea had already arranged the oval wood table to have 3 places with a hard-boiled egg, freshly baked bread, juicy glistening salad and assortment of cheeses and fruits set and ready.

"Thank you Bea, everything looks wonderful!" Beaming, Sera turns to Bea, who smiles gently.

"Thank you, My Queen."

"Shall we eat then? I'm sure you're all hungry. Leo, do you have anything you'd like to eat first?" Sera chatters away, setting down Leo in his chair and then moving to the chair next to him.

"One moment." Lucien murmurs, making Sera pause. Striding over to her side of the table, he pulls out the chair and waits for her to take a seat.

"Thank you, Lucien." Sera's eyes twinkle, the smile growing wider when Lucien gives her a soft kiss on her cheek. With her back to Lucien, she doesn't see the triumphant grin Lucien sends his son's way. But of course, Lucien doesn't miss Leo's little frown and puffed out his cheeks in childish annoyance.

Sparks seem to fly as father and son stare at each other as their competition for Sera's affections continue. Leo was taking full advantage of his cuteness by snuggling up to Sera. Lucien would respond by stroking his thumb over Sera's palm or whispering in her ear and making her blush.

Sera doesn't notice the rivalry happening between the two most important people in her life. What she did know was that both of them had their focus on her, when she really wanted the two to interact more with each other.

Lucien is silent, adding in his agreement here and there as Sera and Leo chatter away with each other about how good the food looks, their likes and dislikes, what kind of games and toys Leo was playing recently.

Sera would oftentimes direct the conversation to Lucien so that he could share his own tidbits about himself. And Lucien, being the serious man he was, carefully answered every single one.

"Leo pwant blue fwower yesterday!" Puffing out his chest with pride, Leo looks over at his father from the corner of his eye, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Oh baby, that's wonderful! Maybe you can show us after breakfast! What did you like to do when you were a child, Lucien?"

Lucien takes a moment to consider his response. "Perhaps learning was my hobby? My father expected me to excel in every subject. I was not allowed to engage in what he called 'fruitless pastimes'. "

After that statement, Lucien goes back to casually demolishing his meal.

Archery. Manners and Etiquette. Horsemanship. Sword-fighting and War Strategy. Jousting. Kingship and Law. The history of Thornmere. Studies of magic. Learning and memorizing the nobles' register. The list was endless. There was more than enough subjects that he was required to study, not counting the special 'training' that was a secret part of the royal regimen.

It was this 'special training' where he suffered, where the menu contained building his poison tolerance. Every night, a vial would be brought to a special room. There, an old hag who looked like she could expire at any moment awaited him. It was her job to confirm whether he drank the poison and make sure he didn't accidentally die. Each night before his bath, Lucien remembered rolling about on the stone floor of the secret room in pain, sweating through his clothes while the thick iron taste of blood filled his mouth. He'd grown gaunt then, an effect of the different poisons. His body violently rejected the poison each time, causing the contents of his dinner to spill out into the bucket prepared for him. The combination of losing his dinner every night and staying up late studying the books assigned to him by his tutors had turned him into a unlovable youth. Before going through his growth spurt and running off to the Great War, Lucien had dark circles under his eyes, gangly limbs with uncommonly large feet, all topped off with a shock of red hair on his head.

His non-childlike appearance was not the sort that was easy to love. No wonder his mother lost interest in him.

Leo turns to Lucien for the first time in their conversation. "Fwathers are scary?"

"No, there are good fathers and bad fathers. " Sera interjects, using a napkin to wipe the red tomato sauce around Leo's pursed lips.

"Awre you a bwad fwather?" Leo suddenly turns to Lucien, who freezes in the midst of bringing a slice of roast beef to his mouth.

Clearing his throat, Lucien sets down his fork. "A bad father?"

Leo uses his wood spoon to point at Sera. "Wook at Mama! Ouch!"