Unbound Book 1: The Failed Duke

CHAPTER TWO: THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND

Lucan woke up in his medium-sized tent on his back.

He looked around, and saw a naked Charlotte who slept soundly next to him.

Lucan smirked as he got onto his side and wrapped his arm around her. "Morning beautiful."

As she grumbled about wanting another ten minutes, he kissed her on the cheek before he laid back down on their bed roll.

After he woke up a bit more, Lucan got to his feet and put on some clothes.

Charlotte watched as he changed and shook her head when he put on his third belt. "You know that makes passionate moments a tad harder to have."

As straightened out his belt he said, "Perhaps, but considering we do this regularly, I don't think it's having a noticeable impact."

Charlotte chuckled before she laid back on the bed roll. "You sure you don't have time for a quickie?"

Lucan put his jacket on and said, "Trust me, I'd much rather spend the day here and count the number of freckles on your ass than sit in a noble's stuffy war room."

"At least you'll have Griffin to keep you company."

"Perhaps, but I'm afraid he'll be too busy licking the Duke's boots to even share a word. I saw how much he's paying us for this."

"Then when it's all over, can we go out to a nice restaurant? Somewhere that serves the meat that melts in your mouth."

Lucan walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "Sure. I'll let you taste whatever meat you want once the situation is under control."

She glared at him and said, "Get out."

Lucan chuckled as he exited the tent.

*

Lucan walked around the camp and looked for Griffin.

It'd taken them ten days to arrive at Londothary, which was the last city before they would arrive at The Untamed Lands, an unkempt jungle with no overarching government. Many of the other empires on Rockingford had various claims to parts of it, but the jungle prevented anyone from amassing a sizable force in the area.

Many have attempted expeditions, but all have ended in failure to various extents.

Black Blood's forces were stationed in the castle of Lichtenfeld, a castle a few short miles away.

Duchess Draconius viewed Black Blood and his men to be a threat to her lands, and to stop them funded this mission to kill him and his generals in the hope that it will cause his men to scatter.

As Lucan walked around the camp, he found Griffin in the most unlikely of places.

He sat on a camping stool in front of a campfire that was heating up a kettle of coffee.

Lucan could tell what was in the kettle due to its distinctive smell.

Griffin motioned to a stump from across the fire and Lucan sat on it.

As he pulled the kettle off the fire, Griffin asked, "Care for a cup?"

Lucan shook his head and said, "No matter how long I'm here for, you can never seem to remember that I hate that black shit."

That got a chuckle out of Griffin. "Come now, I've seen you drink coffee before."

"Yeah, but not fucking black. No one should be putting that shit into their bodies."

Griffin poured himself a cup and said, "Tastes change."

"Yeah, if I grow to like the taste of tar, I'll be sure to let you know."