Legacy

2. The Noble Thief

Lance Luciano jolted from his sleep as the ice cold water hit his face, frantically squirming to get to his feet from the dirt floor before falling on his face once again. He groaned, suddenly feeling the steady pounding of a headache. The cold water dripped from his messy, jet black hair.

"Rise and shine cupcake." A bossy, high-pitched voice echoed throughout the dark room, the only light filtering through a few cracks in the slanted wooden ceiling. There was an overwhelming smell of hay, dust, and animals, which made sense as he seemed to be inside of a barn. Only two of the stables had horses, both of which were still sleeping. Where was he again?

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to remember the events of the past few days. The image of his father foaming at the mouth, spit flying everywhere, saying that he never wanted to see Lance's again. And Lance knew better than stick around during his rages, so he left. It had been three days since he had been home, camping out at various places when he could. The last thing he could remember was that Ladon soldier slapping a little girl hard across the face, but it didn't take long for him to realize what had happened after.

He pushed himself off the ground, staggering for a second as his vision spun around. He felt queasy, and his entire body was sore. It wasn't until he met those safe, ocean blue eyes that his head finally stopped spinning.

Laverna was meant to be Lance's enemy by all standards. She was born and raised in the heart of the Ladon Empire as a duchess. She was educated and well-mannered, and yet she had saved his sorry ass on multiple occasions.

"Good morning to you too."

Laverna rolled her eyes, a disgusted look on her face. Lance loved when she made that face because of the way her nose crinkled. It made her look more like a bunny rabbit than anything ferocious. She threw a shirt to his chest and tossed her bouncy golden hair behind her shoulder.

"You do realize that if my father finds you here, we're both dead," she snapped. "You need to go."

Lance threw on the gray garment and strapped his sword to his waist. "Did the girl at least get away?"

Laverna's shoulders fell, her face shifting from frustration to exhaustion. "Yes, she got away, but Lance you should really think about yourself for once. One day you'll come across someone who won't hesitate to kill you."
Lance huffed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Your people are safe, but someone has to protect my people." Lance stashed a dagger in each boot, just in case he got in a tight spot. "Besides, my father is more likely to kill me than any man I fight on the street."
Laverna sighed. "You're going back, aren't you?"

"I think my ole man has calmed down a bit since the last incident. It's time for a fresh start." Lance pull the hood of his black cloak over his head and headed for the barn door.
Laverna frowned, following him into the daylight. "You don't have to go back there. My father could get you a job, a life where you aren't in so much danger all of the time."

Lance paused. He imagined himself waking up in a nice bed with a mattress, never having to worry about food or, well, anything. He could start a new life away from the dark corners of Aragona, away from his father. His father. He shook his head, ashamed of himself for even thinking of turning his back on his family, his home. His father may not have been a rich or even a good man at that, but he certainly could never sink as low as the filth that was the Ladon Empire. He loved his father, his brothers, his people. He would rather live in hunger and violence if it meant he could be here for them.

"I can run as far away as I want to, but I can't change who I am. I will always be a Luciano. I'm actually quite proud of it too, and not even you can make me a slave to society," he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. Laverna let out a small giggle, but he could see the disappointment well up in her beautiful, blue eyes. Lance hugged her and squeezed tightly, and the smell of lavender drifted to his nose. "You know I have people counting on me Laverna."