The Guarded Princess

LXXVIII

Having spoken, Kouen, Sinbad, and the others broke out of their thoughts and looked at them with a slight hint of fear as their bodies tensed up. Their attention was still on Hakuyuu and Hakuren but the main person they had to engage with was the girl standing before them. Though part of her face was veiled, they could tell that she was a beauty and from the way she carried herself with an air of elegance and authority, it wasn't hard to be captivated by her. The attire she was dressed in and the makeup she wore defined her features.

Her long lashes were curled slightly upward and the deep red eyeshadow applied to the side of her eyes gave off an alluring appeal each time she lowered her eyes. Her lips were tinted with a faint, deep red to match her dress. But, what captivated them were those brown orbs. They were crystal clear and seemed to look straight through them but they were void of ill intention. Rather, they seemed to hold a sense of longing within them. However, her sweet, melodic tone snapped them out of their thoughts once again. Despite her frail and gentle exterior, her voice carried power and how similar it sounded.

"It seems that the ones being rude are us considering how we came here unannounced," Lucy chuckled behind her fan with a kind disposition but didn't lower her head to them. "Allow me to formally introduce myself," she opened her eyes and stared at them. "I am the Empress of the Celestial Empire."

"Greetings to Your Majesty of the Celestial Empire," Sinbad nodded his head and gave a slight bow, his generals following him in manner, for it was common courtesy to do so for even he knew that there was a difference between them. "I'm Sinbad, King of Sindria and of the Seven Seas."

"I'm aware," she answered with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sinbad."

They perked up. The only person who ever addressed Sinbad by just his name other than his generals was Lucy.

"Ren Kouen, Emperor of the Kou Empire," Kouen introduced himself with a curt bow as he shifted his sleeve. "The Kou Empire welcomes you to our banquet," he said with furrowed eyebrows. "To have the honor of meeting Her Majesty in person, we're quite fortunate."

"If you had given a word that you were to come, we would've prepared to welcome you with the greatest honor," Koumei greeted.

"No need for something so bothersome," Judar cut in. "She's not into grand welcomes."

They turned their attention from Judar back to Lucy and she simply responded with a chuckle and nothing more. Ja'far and a few others had observed Judar for a while and they could see that the two were indeed close considering the soft glow of light that flickered in his usually sullen, red eyes.

"Though it may be rude to ask," Ja'far spoke up. "Does Her Highness not wish to give her name?"

Lucy looked up and stared at Ja'far to which the latter gulped. Seeing those brown orbs penetrate right at him, he felt a course of shivers run through his body. But, it wasn't one that originated due to ill intentions but rather, it was one that he felt when he was under subjugation from someone high. Those brown orbs that stared right at him were similar to those of Sinbad's and the only other person that he remembered who held such a similar look was none other than Lucy Heartfilia.

At the sudden realization of this possible theory, he stared at her as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Pointing a trembling finger at her, his lips quivered just at speaking the very thought.

"A-A-Are you possibly..." he started and Lucy cut him off.

"Whether I wish to give my name or not, that is wholly up to me to decide," she said. "Given our present relations, I see no need to give my name. As for who you thought I was, I suggest that you bury that idea," Lucy narrowed her eyes slightly as she gave a small smirk, purposely playing the evil guy so that she wouldn't rouse their suspicions but nevertheless, a tinge of emotion shone through and Kouen caught that.