At first glance, Boncini might seem like a smaller estate, but there was still plenty to explore. He had only been here a handful of days, but slowly his life slipped into a steady rhythm.
In the morning he woke up to the sound of roosters, and horses being fed. He had learned quickly to dress himself, since there were no servants to assist with such simple tasks. There was his wetnurse, of course, but Vara had told him kindly but firmly he was old enough to dress himself. He had begrudgingly done so at first, but now he prided himself in being independent.
Once he was dressed, he'd snag a piece of bread from the kitchen before heading towards the stables where he would check on his horse. He wasn't really expected to feed the animal himself, but he enjoyed helping out and watching the stable hands groom the horses.
By the time Chloe went to retrieve the eggs from the chickencoop, Lucius would return to the house for a proper breakfast. Usually his aunt Vara was also up and about by then. She always seemed busy with one thing or another. Whether it be kneading dough for the bread or sorting through papers. He had seen the study, it was where he had his lessons, and it was a mess. When Achaikos had first walked in, the man had almost fainted. He had tried to tidy up, but within the day, scrolls and papers had been all over the place again.
After breakfast, Lucius had two hours of lessons. Once he had finished those to his teacher's satisfaction, he was free to go outside or explore the house. Sometimes he'd play with Phoebe. The little girl had mad a habit of trailing after him. Vara hadn't been kidding when she'd said the girl was a handful. She seemed fearless. Twice, Lucius'd had to pull her away to prevent her from getting trampled by a horse.
At the end of each afternoon, he had riding lessons. The stable master Philip would have him groom and saddle his horse by himself and then instruct him how to ride and keep his horse under control. Then, after returning his horse to the stables, it was time for dinner and then bed.
He learned to ask politely if he wanted something, and not get in the way where people were working. He helped feed the chickens, clean the goat pen, and fold laundry.
It was a strange new life for him, but he found he liked it. He still missed his mother, but the constant feeling of loss wasn't so prominent anymore. Now, he could bear it.
On the morning of the fifth day, when he was helping Chloe collect eggs, a rider was announced. Lucius watched curiously as Lykander accompanied the rider towards the house. Not long after, Vara came outside. She spoke with the rider for a moment, and then a smile of relief spread over her face.
It must be good news then.
Next to Lucius, Chloe looked at the exchange too. When the rider followed Vara and Lykander inside, Chloe turned to Lucius. "Let's go inside, prince Lucius. There must be news from the front."
The front.
The war.
Lucius frowned in thought. "Aunt Vara looked happy. It must be good news, right?"
Chloe smiled hesitantly. "Perhaps," she said.
He followed her inside. In the hallway they ran into Vara. She smiled at them. "Chloe," she asked the servant girl, "could you prepare a meal for our guest? You may serve it in the parlor." As Chloe curtsied and made her way to the kitchen, Vara turned to Lucius. "Lucius, you should go clean up and put on a formal attire, alright? There is an official messenger from the fort. You should represent the house Aurelios."
Lucius nodded meekly and looked down at his clothes. Normally here at Boncini he wore simpler tunics. Clothes that could get dirty and were comfortable to wear. But he did have formal wear. The deep scarlet of the house Aurelios, tunics embroidered with the gold insignia of the royal family. Even a small silver laurel that marked him as a prince. It as the first time he'd wear something like that here.
Vara placed a hand on his head and smiled at him. "Go on. Meet us back in the parlor."
He didn't need to be told that how he behaved today would be reported back to his father and grandfather. Quickly he headed to his room and cleaned his hands and face before changing clothes. By the time he made it back down, the messenger was already finishing his meal.
When Lucius entered the salon, the messenger hurried to his feet and bowed deeply. "Prince Lucius."
Lucius nodded at the man and looked at his aunt uncertain. He wasn't sure what was expected of him.
"Actos came from the fort," Vara told him kindly, "our troops there had defeated Balor. There is news form Tirèze too. At first, the camp was infiltrated, but Salvire came and aided king Darius' troops. They came out victorious. The war is over. We have won."
Balor was defeated. They won the war. Lucius could hardly fathom it. Having lived far away from the conflict all his life, the war was always just a whisper, something everyone only talked about. He knew what it meant. He knew people had suffered. He just couldn't visualize it himself.
Actos turned back to Vara and bowed lightly. "Lord Iason should return home any day now, my lady. He has suffered some minor injuries, I understand. But he is well."
"Thank you, Actos," Vara smiled, "will you be returning to Genvi now?"
Actos inclined his head. "I was on my way to report to my lord Prias. But I passed by Boncini first, so I decided to give you the good news and ease your worries."
"It is most appreciated," Vara smiled, "please finish your meal and rest a bit before you continue on your way. And relay my warm regards to lord Riccardo and lady Priskilla."
"Of course," Actos inclined his head.
Lucius felt like he should say something too, though he wasn't sure what. This man had fought at the border, had he not? Showing gratitude would be appropriate.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "The house Aurelios thanks you for your service," he said, "please accept our gratitude."
Vara hid a smile, but Actos kept his expression serious as he bowed to the young prince. "It has been an honor, Your Highness," he said calmly.
Lucius nodded, pleased he had not shamed his family name.
Behind him, Chloe entered the parlor again. "My lady," she said, "will you and prince Lucius have your breakfast here?"
"Yes please, Chloe," Vara smiled, "thank you."
Lucius studied her carefully. She seemed somehow lighter, as if a burden had fallen from her shoulders. It made her seem younger. It must be because the war was finally over, he decided. His mother had constantly worried too, over his father's safety. Vara must be much the same. She had worried too. But no more. They had won. Balor was defeated.
His uncle was coming home.
...
It had taken a while for Cyrus to realize what his father had meant when he'd said he'd taken precautions to keep Lucius safe. It came with the notion that Vara had left for Boncini. And even that hadn't registered for two more days. That was how self-absorbed he had been. And even now he wasn't feeling quite like himself, but he was up and about. He had even listened to his father's lecture on how a crown prince should behave. He had visited his grandmother too. From her, he had heard the entire story. How Lucius had withdrawn from everyone. How Vara had taken him to visit Dalós and later asked the king to send the young prince with her for a while. To Boncini.
Perhaps it was a good thing.
His grandmother had also been the one to tell him to select the items that had belonged to Ariane that he wished to keep. The rest of her belongings would be sent back to Tirèze.
So now he found himself on the threshold of Ariane's room. He suddenly realized he had never set foot inside these quarters.
Hesitantly he entered the room. It looked like any other room in the palace. A bed, a wardrobe, a vanity. In the corner was a seating area, and a doorway let to an adjoining room where a large screen hid a bathtub from view.
There weren't many personal items in the room. Nothing that really distinguished it as Ariane's room. Even Vara had placed little knickknacks in her room despite being a modest person. In comparison, Ariane's room was almost barren.
Cyrus slowly let his fingers slide across the vanity. A few half finished jars with cosmetics stood in a corner of the desk. A shawl hung from one of the chairs. He picked it up and smelled it. A hint of Ariane's perfume still lingered.
There wasn't much else in the room, except for the wardrobe and a half finished piece of embroidery on the table.
Cyrus stared at the cloth with flower pattern. The flowers were a little crooked, with one of the petals far thicker than the other, as if she'd been distracted.
A faint and sad smile appeared on Cyrus' lips as he imagined what she might have worried about at the time.
He dropped the shawl back on the chair and walked back to the vanity. With slight hesitation, he opened the drawer and took out a jewelry box. There were some earrings, a few bracelets, and hairpins, several rings.
Cyrus picked out one of the rings. A silver band with a lapis lazuli stone. He remembered giving it to her, to seal their engagement. This one, he would keep. It had belonged to his mother.
He slipped the ring in his pocket and resolutely closed the lid.
"My prince?" A servant had appeared in the doorway and bowed politely. The palace staff was still a little wary of him. "The king requests your presence in the council room. There is news from the front."
Cyrus took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He wasn't ready to get thrown back into state affairs. But perhaps there was news of Iolaus. He hadn't seen his friend since he joined Iason at the fort.
"My prince?" the servant asked hesitantly.
Cyrus sighed. "I'll be right there."
...
The end of war did not mean the end of the work. There was still a lot that needed to be done. Transportation needed to be arranged for the injured. As much as possible, the bodies of the dead would be returned to their families. Spoils of war needed to be divided between Zeir, Lavos, and Tirèze. Each country would in its turn divide those spoils between the different generals and lords. Now that prince Cyrus wasn't here, it fell on Darius to make the assessment. He had sent word to king Marcos in Auros, listing Zeir's cut. He would have to wait for a reply from Zeir as well as king Elon. From here on, negotiations would begin. Darius just hoped it wouldn't take too long, going back and forth until they reached an agreement. He longed to go home. By now, Elora must have heard the news of their victory. She would be waiting for him.
Darius walked around the camp, smiling and nodded at the men he encountered. They were all preparing to go home.
His smile widened when his eyes landed on Torcan. He was with his brother. Mikos had stayed to help with a few practical affairs. It had given the brothers time to reconcile and get to know each other better.
And there was still the fate of Izem that needed to be decided.
Darius approached the pair calmly and smiled when they bowed at him. "Can you two spare me some time?"
"Of course," Torcan nodded.
"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" Mikos asked submissively.
Darius motioned for them to follow him towards his tent where they could speak privately. "There isn't much left to arrange here," he told them both, "I expect to finish up here in a week or two." He looked at Torcan. "I won't have need of you during that time, so I'd like to ask you to ride for Tirzé and inform the palace. Make everything ready for our return. Tell Elora not to worry." He turned to Mikos next. "Lord Mikos di Salve, will you accompany my right handman? I believe you have someone waiting for you in the city?"
A light blush appeared on Mikos' cheeks, but he shook it off. "Your Majesty," he bowed. When he straightened up, he bit his lip in hesitation. "Your Majesty, what about Salvire? Have you decided yet?"
Darius took a deep breath before he answered the boy. "I will visit Salvire myself after I finish here. There will be a trial, of course. Your father will be escorted by prison transport to Tirzé. Once he is sentenced, I will install you officially as lord of Salvire."
Mikos nodded meekly. He had known this already. He knew his father deserved it for the treason he committed. But still... it was his father.
Torcan looked at his little brother with sympathy. They might share the same father, their experiences with him were both very different. Even though Izem had never been an easy man, he had raised Mikos as his heir. He had cared for him. Mikos had lived with him his entire life, even looked up to him. Izem's betrayal had hit his youngest son hard. Torcan could understand he felt conflicted.
Mikos looked up at Torcan when his brother's hand landed on his shoulder, and drew a breath.
He took courage from his brother's support. Their father had made his choice knowing the consequences if he were ever discovered. He had accepted his fate. Why should Mikos feel remorse on his father's behalf?
He forced out a smile. "Let's ride for Tirzé."
...
"Keep your heels down. Back straight. Shoulders back."
Lucius tried to follow up on all of Philip's instructions, but the pony under him had other ideas. It bounced him up and down and shook its head as if it was laughing at its young rider.
With the next stride, it threw its hindlegs in the air and Lucius sailed through the air, landing on the ground with a thud.
"Woah," Philip halted the pony and rushed up to the small heap on the ground. "Can you sit up, prince Lucius? Are you hurt?"
Only his pride, Lucius thought to himself. He huffed and stood up. Embarrassed, he brushed the dirt from his tunic while a faint red tainted his cheeks. He glanced around to make sure no one else had seen him fall. It wasn't becoming of a prince to fall from his horse. Especially in public. "I'm fine," he huffed.
"Hmmm," Philip mused skeptically. The boys still had a lot to learn in his opinion. And not just in regards to riding. "Very well then. Get back on. And try not to be so tense now. The horse can feel it."
Lucius gritted his teeth and climbed back on the horse.
"Good," Philip ignored the scowl on the boy's face, and continued the lesson. It was lady Vara who had asked him to teach the young prince to ride. To him it didn't matter if the boy was a prince or a pauper. He would give the prince respect while addressing him, but during these lessons the boy was just a student. "Let your horse carry you," Philip continued, "feel its muscles under you. Heels down. You need to trust your horse to carry you and not throw you. It will save your life one day." Horse and rider needed to function as one, especially in battle.
Philip only glanced up briefly when Vara appeared at his side to watch Lucius' progress. He knew she worried about the boy. Ever since bringing the boy to Boncini, no word had come from Auros. Prince Cyrus hadn't inquired after his own son.
"I'd like to take him on a trip tomorrow," Vara said, "is he ready for that?"
Philip sighed. "He gets into his own head," he told her, "too focused on doing everything right. Perhaps he needs to learn outside these walls, without an instructor watching his every move."
"Yes," Vara nodded, "I was thinking the same thing." She would bring him to the village. When she had decided to take him with her to Boncini, she had done so because she wanted him to see something of the world, not confine him to another set of walls. "Let's call it a day," Vara said, "he needs his rest. He's only a child after all."
Philip inclined his head. "My lady."
Vara returned his nod and walked back inside. Lucius was not so guarded anymore as he had been in Auros. Having his bit of freedom seemed to do him some good. Still, Vara could not help but wonder how long it would last. Cyrus hadn't inquired after his son. Did that mean he was still lying in his room in a drunken stupor? She had wanted to offer Lucius some measure of freedom, yes, but had also meant to shake Cyrus back to his senses.
She sighed. She would give it some more time. The war had only just ended. There was a lot to be taken care of. Lucius was safe. Cyrus was under the watchful eye of the king. Surely he would notify her if something was amiss.
Pushing the matter aside for now, Vara headed for her study. First things first. Iason would be coming home soon.
A warm smile spread across her face. He would come home soon.
Everything would be alright then. Everything would be as it was supposed to.