To Love, Once Again

Chapter 87

"Thank you for the escort, Icaros."

Sera grins at Icaros, who hands her back the large basket containing the lunch she'd cooked for Lucien. The rest of the food she'd made was on a cart being pushed back to the cottage by Fawn. Her heart palpitated in her chest as the large engraved doors to Lucien's office winked back at her. It was the first time she'd ever properly cooked for Lucien. 'I hope he likes it' Sera bit her lip, thinking of his reaction when he saw the food. She'd done her best to arrange it all beautifully on painted plates, even adding some small leaves of a plant that smelled of basil atop the tomato soup.

"It's my pleasure, my Queen." Bending into a gallant bow, Icaros winks at Sera. He doesn't kiss her hand like a noble would to accompany the bow. He wasn't ready to die yet.

King Lucien crosses his arms, looking at the two of them from over his gold-rimmed glasses. The thin rims reflected the light, making him look-, well, hot.

"Icaros, what are you doing here?"

'Hot wasn't even beginning to cover it.' Sera thinks as she appreciates the view. The glasses in combination with white, rolled up sleeves, his tan muscled forearms emphasized by the crossed arms. And his hair! The freshly-cropped hair was no longer in the tight formal hold from the morning, relaxing in a curl over the center of his forehead made Sera stare at the man like he was made of chocolate. Which was saying a lot, considering that chocolate didn't exist in this world. Or any other type of sweets, for that matter, with the absence of sugar in Thornmere.

"Apologies, Your Highness. Her Majesty insisted she stop by here to give you your lunch."

Sera peeks behind Lucien, to the House Heads that sat at the tea table in Lucien's work-chamber, every inch of available space covered in sheets of paper. There were even some well-off commoners in the mix, sitting together with the nobles and discussing passionately. Along the wall, young pageboys stood, holding silver trays that contained more scrolls of papers. From the bits of conversation she could catch in the room, it had something to do with the imprisoned criminal nobles and their judgements. Something about land and rights?

Holding up the basket she'd brought, she hands it to Lucien.

"Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, just tea."

Sera shakes her head. Lucien tended to forget the flow of time when he was focused on something. Even during the Great War, she'd had to remind him to take the time between training and strategizing eat.

"I knew you would forget to eat your lunch."

"I was going to eat." Lucien relaxes his shoulders, looking gently down at the unyielding petite woman, dark brown ringlets coiling around her face.

Cocking her head, Sera asks: "What time? What time were you planning to eat?"

Lucien mumbles his words, lowering his voice as he looks away from her gaze and down at his crossed arms. "......When I remembered."

Sera sighs.

"Here, I brought this for you."

"You cook?"

"Mhm, I learned a few recipes from my mother.." Her heart clenches at the memory. Ma, being surprised when Sera asked her for cooking tips. The pride of making her first meal on her own for her family. Laughing with Ma when she'd added too much baking soda to the cookies, making them hard and bitter.

Lucien's frown grows deeper at the sadness unfurling in her gaze. He didn't want her to worry, didn't want her to be sad.

"You miss her." It was a statement, not a question.