Chapter 4 First name basis

"Aurora?" voice called and the girl frowned in her sleep, trying and failing to open her eyes.

"Aurora!" The woman's screech woke her up with a jerk and Aurora found herself staring at her mother's face.

"W.. yes?"She asked, still not sure what was happening when she woke up.

"why are you not in bed with the prince?" Her mother asked in a venomous voice.

"I don't... I don't understand." She blinked and sat up straighter, "he slept in his quarters and I have slept in mine. We aren't married."

"He is going to be your husband and you are to consummate the union. Unless you seduce him, he wont like you. You will not have any power on this nation. He will be moving into the room next to yours soon."

"But..."

"Is that a retort I hear?" Queen Livea stared at her daughter, daring her to say another word.

"No." Aurora sighed and looked away,"Did you tell him or must I invite him to change his room.

"You are both to have breakfast together in the royal Garden and you will tell him then." The Queen Stated," I have a breakfast with the King myself."

"Alone?"

"Do you have a problem with it?" Her mother snapped.

"I don't think that that is very appropriate. The Queen knows?" Aurora asked, standing up from the bed.

Queen Livea walked over and with a swift move, caught Aurora's face in her hand, her nails dug into the girls delicate skin.

"I want no more out of you do you understand? Your work here? Is to lay with the prince and make him marry you. You will create a child with him and be his little bed mate. That is all." With that the queen left the girl and walked away.

"suspicious." Aurora sighed and decided to get ready even though her face stung. She was sure there were a few scratches on her face.

Now she had to figure out what to wear. Her clothes were not the best. She had normal clothes and if one saw them they would think that the belonged to a commoner.

If it wasn't for Bella, she would barely have any nice clothes.

The best dress that she could think of was a simple pink dress with a bow on it. It barely had more than two layers and was not like the other royal gowns.

Her maids helped her get ready and one of them even gave her their own brooch just so her dress could look a little more royal. It wasn't like she cared.

The Princess was led to the prince who sat at the table in the garden and was clearly not happy with this situation himself. It was sunny and there were a lot of servants around who were there to help when needed.

Aurora was seated across him at the pretty white table.

"Hello." She muttered and he returned the greeting.

The food was served and she could see him get uncomfortable as time passed by. He wasn't even eating and was fiddling around with his food.

"Uhm, can we be left alone?" Aurora asked and the servants immediately left.

"Grab your plate." She told Lucian who followed as she stood up and began to walk away.

"Where are we going?" He asked and she signalled him to another part of the garden. It was closer to a small pond of water and had a large tree besides it with large rocks around it. Aurora sat on the rock and signalled him to sit as well.

"This is better." He agreed and finally began to eat.

"I know." She nodded, observing how he was dressed. He looked sharp whereas she.... Anyway.

"You look quite pretty... simple." He stated, surprised as how much this look contrasted the previous day's look.

"Yeah mother did not wish for me to have an inflated sense of self and therefore did not allow me to have expensive clothes. I just have normal ones." She smiled but Lucian found this stupid. Her mother dressed up like a a pallete of paints but she had to be simple?

" I see.. I am sorry we started off on the wrong foot." He said.

"It does not matter." She shook her head, "but I hope you understand that I hate you and I don't want to be anything like a wife to you."

The way she said it made him understand that she did not want to consummate the marriage. However, he wanted her to say it.

What part of being a wife?" He asked.

"The part of... of playing a mother and all."

"I don't like children either so that's fine." He shrugged

"No, I mean. I don't want you to think that I'll... I'll stay by your side the whole day and you can come over at night to.... To me."

"Very well you can stay in the room the rest of the day then?" He appeared to be confused as she grew more and more frustrated.

"No I...."

"Say it." He said and she stopped talking for a second to stare at his face.

Biting into a strawberry, Lucian looked up at her, his face was innocent but his eyes had a mischievous sparkle to them.

"You know what I mean." Aurora's face flushed and she felt hot.

"I don't." He shook his head.

"I... I don't want to ... consummate." She whispered out the last word as if it was hurting her lips to say it.

"Why?"

"What kind of question is that? I don't know you... or like you. I ... I have never even kissed a boy. I cant ...." She shook her head and refused to finish the rest of the statement.

"Fine that is okay with me. I have no desire to bed you." The sentence from Lucian was simple but affective. She fell into a comfortable silence and after the breakfast was over, Lucian left her.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Aurora leaned back onto the tree. Why did he fluster her so much!!

They had a class together surprisingly, a class on the different laws of the clan. They were both well versed in the laws generally but this was just practise. If Lucian was to be king, he had to know them by heart.

He earnestly stared at the books as he read through them. Aurora did read them but she found herself looking up at him now and then. The sun shone into the library and rays of the sun shone on his face, reflecting the specks of gold in his beautiful green eyes.

As Lucian turned the page, he looked up momentarily and caught her gaze which she quickly tore away. Heat flushed through his face as he realised, she had been staring at him.

"After the Laws you will be taken through history, and tomorrow we shall practise sparring." The counsellor smiled at them.

"Sounds interesting." Lucian smiled and went back to the book as if it was the best thing that he had read.

"You like reading don't you" Aurora asked as they walked out of the library.

"Books are the best... The only friend I had for a long time." Lucian said and then realised that he had said something very vulnerable.

"You're the prince, surely you had people clammoring around you." She chuckled but when he did not respond she realised that he did in fact mean what he said.

"You didn't have friends?" She asked with a note of pity in her voice that he did not like.

"We have to make a trip to the city today after history. I want to meet the people and see if the living situations are more organised now."He changed the topic.

Aurora did not reply but followed him as they walked to the old Hall. It had paintings of previous leaders and kings and multiple scrolls that had been saved over a millenia.

They pored over the scrolls and Aurora found a scroll related to the war between witches and werewolves.

"This... this is one I did not understand." She shook her head.

"What did you not understand?" Lucian asked.

"The witches had fights with the werewolves related to the lands they owned, and the fact that werewolves wanted to use magic too." She replied, "There is so much land why fight over it and fight over magic? The witches were so unreasonable,"

"They lived in the forests... which is where their magic stemmed from. The werewolves thought that they could get the magic if they took the forest. They over turned the forest and the witches were thrown out, those that did not die anyway. It was genocide." Lucian sternly explained, "They were not unreasonable. They were hunted."

"You're passionate about this aren't you?" She narrowed her eyes, "Why? They're just witches. The scum of the earth."

It was shocking for Lucian to see such a pretty, dainty girl openly hate people.

"I don't hate people based on their species." He said, "And I did not think that you were one of those who blindly hated people as well.

"I... Lucian I..."

"Its fine." He snapped and walked away, banging the door behind him as he left.

What the hell had just happened? Aurora did not understand this. All werewolves hated witches. This was well known. How come he didn't?

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"This has been a delightful time, King Medus." Queen Livea giggled as she was passed a glass of wine, "I can't remember the last time I had a meal this lovely."

"I don't recall having such good company either." King Medus replied with a coy smile, "A pretty lady makes any meal better."

"Look at you being a good old flatterer." She laughed and placed a hand on his arm, letting it rest there. King Medus held her gaze and they stared at each other surprisingly lovingly before looking away.

"I should leave.... Its getting late." Queen Livea took her hand back and placed it on the table instead.

"I wish you didn't have to go... I do want to discus some official matters with you. Maybe that could help you stay?" He asked with a charming smile.

"I could stay for work." She chuckled, "Uhm... what work?"

"The children... do you think they would be good as rulers just yet? I think the kids are a little young and don't know enough to run a whole country yet."

"I agree." Queen Livea nodded, "I think the adults should take the reign until the children are able to do so."

"Right? This is why you're the longest lasting queen of Persus... you're smart." He smiled.

Queen Livea blushed, "Oh you are too kind king Medus."

"please... call me Medus. Why the formality between us." He held her hand, "I am glad to have found companionship in you... Livea."

"Well... you do have your wife... I have... no one." She said with fake sadness.

"My wife... well its been a long time since.... We have even talked." King Medus chuckled, "I would say she would rather be alone than talk to me... Besides you aren't alone... I am here with you."

"Are you...." She asked, her eyes looking straight at him, as if seeing his soul, she leaned forward, her dress revealing a lot more of her than would be appropriate "Are you with me...?"

King Medus' gaze faltered down to her chest before looking back up, "I am... Livea."