Chapter 2
That following morning Lucia jumped at the chance to join Jennifer at the market. “I don’t know if that’s wise Miss Lucia. The market is no place for a princess.” Jennifer could be worse than her mother and grandmother all mixed into one when it came to being overprotective.
Lucia wrinkled her nose. “Being a princess doesn’t make me any less capable of doing day to day activities. I have a good pair of working legs and hands. I can help you and more so I want to help you.” Jennifer was nearly her sixties and while she was as strong as a bull, or in their case a lion, that didn’t mean she had to tend to every duty by herself.
With a sigh Jennifer wavered. “Then grab your wrap and let’s be on with our trip. I’d like to return before one of the men notice our stupidity.”
“If you wish something bad it’s bound to happen. Think positive please Lady Jennifer.” Lucia was quick to grab her wool grab and join her friend at the door.
“I am positive I should not let a twenty year old girl change my mind and yet here we are.”
Lucia was amazed as she walked side by side with Jennifer through the market. It was an open stretch of land with carts pushed together selling everything imaginable from food to the luscious materials her gowns were made of. She had never seen anything like it before and she knew this would be the next thing she’d paint.
While Jennifer stopped to sort through the different dress material she wanted to grab Lucia continued to look around. Her heart swelled when she noticed a cart up ahead selling an array of paint colors.
“An artist?” the older man behind the cart asked. He spoke with a French accent that made her smile.
“Yes. I love to paint about the land.” She was picking up each individual bottle of paint to examine the color within better when someone bumped into her side. It was a crowded place so she paid the person no mind.
That was until he spoke to her. “What’s a girl like you doing around here?”
Lucia looked toward the person and felt her heart tightened with fear. The man staring at her had red eyes and red eyes belonged to hyenas. “A girl like me?”
“You’re too clean and too polished to be a regular.” He gripped the front of her wrap and pushed it off to the side. “You dress with money.”
“Let me go.” She pulled her clothing out of his prying hands.
He smirked. “There’s no one here that will help you little girl so why don’t you fork over whatever coin you’re holding?”
Lucia knew money wasn’t worth getting hurt over but her pride refused to cower and let this evil monster win. “No.” she growled as her lion ached to come forward and claw into this bully of a man.
The hyena took grab of her arm but before he could manhandle her anymore someone was grabbing him instead. “Let the lady go.” Lucia’s eyes went wide at the sight of Dawson. He might very well be the last person she expected to see now of all moments. The hyena listened to reason and let her go and stepped away from a fight he’d surely lose. “Are you all right?” Dawson asked now.
“Yes.” Lucia grew embarrassed to notice a small crowd of people were watching what had taken place.
“Are you here alone?” his blue eyes were brighter in the sun.
“No.” she stumbled on the word as Jennifer pushed her way over to them.
“I turn away for a second and you give me a heart attack.” Jennifer laid her hand over her chest for effect. “We stick together, remember young lady?”
Her embarrassment worsened with a burning heat to her cheeks. “Yes ma’am.”
“Let’s go back before that poor lady thinks I’ve run with her merchandise.” Jennifer was wasting no time as she bustled forward into the sea of patrons.
Lucia glanced back to see Dawson watching them with amusement over his breathtaking features. She knew without a doubt she was going to have to add him to her latest project. His high cheekbones, tousled dark hair, and unique eyes needed to be immortalized.
The rest of the trip was uneventful and thankfully Jennifer showed up after the incident with the hyena. Had she seen the man accosting her she would’ve never been able to leave the compound again and all in all the trip was lovely, much more fun than she’s had held up at home.
With their new supplies Jennifer went to sow while Lucia went to start on her new project. She was setting the bottles on paint on to her table when Lady Gwen stepped inside the bedroom. “The queen has requested I bring you down to the dining hall. She suspected you had forgotten your lunch date with Oliver.”
Lucia’s brown eyes went wide. “She’s right. I was out with Jennifer in town,” she glanced down at her wrinkled dress. Her hair was wet with sweat and limp on each side of her face. “I’m a mess.” They had walked back and forth to the market and it was located a little more than ten miles from the compound.
“There is no time.” Gwen said frantically, she didn’t deal with anything not going according to plan. “She said you mustn’t be late.”
“Then this will have to do.” She brushed out her hair and continued out of the room with Gwen. She was nervous about her mother’s disappointment and the Montgomery’s scrutiny over her lack of proper dress.
Her mother’s face was one of shock then disappointment as Lucia had suspected. Oliver on the other hand was grinning as he took her hand. “Running around the yard and climbing the trees again?” it had been her favorite pass time before she picked up a paint brush.
She smiled. “You caught me.” She would’ve rather tell him the truth but not with her parents lurking close by. “I apologize for not being here sooner.”
He squeezed her hand. “There’s no need. Out there in the sun you must be famished.” He pulled out her chair and everyone sat for lunch.
Lucia felt pangs of guilt as she sat and stared at the plate of food in front of her. Oliver was such a gentleman, he treated her with far more care than she felt she deserved. She hadn’t made him any promises, last night they had spoke on a subject she had mentioned before. They were to be married and while she accepted that she didn’t want to try and fool the man. She promised to him to always be honest and he made the same one.
With no interest in the food she turned to her right where Oliver sat. “Would you like to join me outside for a walk?”
His green eyes brightened. “Yes.” He took the task of excusing them from their parents and leading the way out of the dining hall. “It was getting a bit stuffy in there.”
Lucia agreed. “They are watching our every move with bated breath searching for I don’t know.”
“They want our union to be a successful one.”
“It isn’t as if we don’t get along and we’re going to fight and fuss every time we stand in the same room. I think our marriage will be successful.” They continued to walk around the back of the compound toward the forest of trees.
“Even without love?”
“We have love between us.”
“All right then, what about lust? A marriage needs that.”
“Perhaps not. Love, security, trust, all of those aspects matter and we share that. If I didn’t know better I’d say you were trying to talk your way out of this.”
“No. I admitted I want to marry you and more than that our union serves a greater purpose for our prides. The people of France need the support of this kingdom to fight back against our enemies. Our son will be king and serve the world as the most beloved alpha.”
“My father is anxiously awaiting such a day.” She smiled as she thought of all the gushing her father did nearly on a daily basis about the heir she was going to birth. She hoped for such a day but not for political reasons, she simply wanted a child to call her own and to love as she had been loved by her parents. “Oliver?”
“Yes, Malady?”
“Have you found another to like? A local girl who makes your heart race even as you know nothing can come from it?” Lucia couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting to Dawson. She had barely spoke two sentences to the man and he every well could turn out to be some jerk but that didn’t change how he made her feel with a glance. It was pure physical attraction raw down to the bone.
“It’s not wise to speak of such things.”
“It is only you and I here and you know I’d never betray such confidence.”
Still he glanced around the wide span of land. “Last year on a trip to Germany existed such a woman. She was a commoner selling fruit on the rode. I bought an absurd amount of peaches and you know how I don’t like them. I went every day for three days to buy her peaches and strike up conversation.” His green eyes were faraway as he thought back to his short encounter with the woman he still remembered vividly. “And you Lucia? Who caused you to ask this question?”
Her crush was much too close for her to admit everything so she confessed a version of the truth. “I met a man at the market today and he took my breath away. I can’t shake him from my soul. Every time I close my eyes he’s there.”
“I’m jealous.” Oliver said lightheartedly.
Her heart sunk. “There’s no need. It’s nothing more than a childish infatuation destined to never become a reality.”