To Love, Once Again

Chapter 17.5

Note from Tofu:

Here's Icaros' POV, after Lucien makes Sera the King's Maid. Tomorrow, I'll post the challenge, Chapter 34!

Sidenote: hot scene coming up soon after the challenge (kyaaaaa~) *tofu covers eyes*

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"So Miss Sera has returned!" Icaros quips as soon as the doors close behind Hilda and Miss Sera. His face twitches, trying to hide the joy that threatens to spill out. He was so glad that Miss Sera was back. Finally, the wheels of time that were frozen for so long, with a creak and a groan, were starting to move again.

He was glad Miss Sera looked well. But it felt strange to say her name again, when it was as forbidden for so long.

Thunk!

Tilting his head to the side, a knife whizzes past his head and sinks into the wood behind him.

"Don't speak her name so casually." Lucien says nonchalantly.

Icaros was used to this. His King wanted to monopolize everything when it came to the Queen. Her name was off-limits. Even the memories that people had shared with her. No one was allowed to speak of her in the castle. It was why the last Head Maid had left, blubbering tears as Lucien had pinned her maid's hat to the wall, cutting off a few inches of hair in the process, just at the mention of Miss Sera's name when he was passing by.

Lucien sat there with a thoughtful, sad look on his face. Sighing, Icaros sits down on the chair before him, pouring himself a drink.

This was a look he hadn't seen in a long time. His King looked like he used to 5 years ago, when Miss Sera was still here. He'd noticed it after hearing the news of her return. The ice that forever froze Lucien's face in a terrible scowl, was slowly melting, revealing faint expressions of anger, insecurity, and surprise. They were faint, but Icaros could detect them. He was Lucien's longest friend, after all.

Emotions had all but disappeared after Icaros dragged him back to the castle, after Miss Sera left. Presently, the deep, dark lake of Lucien's blue eyes showed ripples of change, from the dead waters they'd been the whole 5 years.

He would know. Before taking his current position as Captain of the Guard, he'd been Lucien's guardian knight. Only the strongest youth out of the Knight families of Thornmere had the privilege of becoming the guardian of the future King. Icaros had won, beating down all other opponents and coming out the victor, becoming Lucien's guard, but also confidant and childhood friend.

He'd watched Lucien grow, first as a sad, lonely Prince, one who worked himself till he fainted of exhaustion, trying to prove himself to his old father, the King. With no affection from the Queen or the King, Lucien turned to winning the hearts of the nobles. He'd seen Lucien soon give up on court politics and the nobles. he'd become old enough to know they couldn't give him any happiness. They only wanted to use him.

He'd followed his Prince when he decided for the first time against his father's wishes, to join the battle on the front lines against the Azarks. He'd fought back to back with Lucien in the bloody battles, saw him change from an unconfident youth to a mighty man of valor, a leader worth serving. His King's talent for fighting was unparalleled, overtaking his swordsmanship, and he was the top swordsman in the Kingdom. Instead of he as a guard protecting his King, the roles reversed, and Lucien protected him too.

Seeing the other noble commanders throwing away soldiers' lives like pieces on a chessboard, Icaros was reminded again of how great the man he served was. Lucien was ever fair and hard working. The first to the training grounds and last to leave.