Cedar still didn't like Viscount Valerian. No matter how kind that man was now, he had hurt Lucille in the past. Cedar wouldn't ever forgive him for that. But he would accept that man as long as Raymond pulled himself together and treated Lucille kindly. Yet, Cedar would keep an eye on him and interrupt if necessary. Luckily, he doubted that he would have to do that when his lover looked so happy to spend time with her father.
It wasn't like Cedar could judge her for that. He understood why Lucille wanted to see her father. If Raymond offered her kindness now after she had longed for it for years, she would accept it. Cedar couldn't even call her naive for that. He had done awful things to satisfy his mother. It was ridiculous how much he had depended on her guidance. Lucille's dependency didn't go that far, but he understood that she might have the desire to reconnect with her father desperately.
So, Cedar wouldn't intervene. He would stay on the sidelines and protect her, but he would let her make her own choices. He told himself that, and yet, he couldn't help but be a bit annoyed after Raymond had left. That man had told Cedar not to hurt Lucille once again, even though the prince had caused much less pain to her by far.
But of course, Cedar hadn't shown his anger. He had smiled and said goodbye before returning to his room with Lucille. Then he had put away the most fragile gifts to ensure that no staff member would accidentally break them. He had just finished that when he heard a small voice coming from the main room.
“Cedar.” Lucille sounded like she was distressed.
Cedar came out of the dressing room immediately. “Yes?”
Lucille was lying on the bed. She had wrapped her blanket around her body and looked at her lover with something wet in her eyes. It seemed like she was about to cry.
That image alone made Cedar feel like there was some icy dagger being stabbed into his chest. He quickly came toward Lucille and sat down on the bed next to her. He pulled her into his arms and tried to do his best to calm her down at least a little. “Are you alright? What happened?”
Lucille quickly returned the embrace. She sniffled a bit before replying. “My mother sent another letter. I...don't know what to think about her. I...love her, but...I hate her for leaving me behind. Twelve years ago, she ran away without saying a single word. And now, she sends letters as if that would make up for her disappearance.” Her voice sounded so weak that she might as well be mumbling this to herself.
Cedar pressed a kiss onto the side of her face. “I see.” This meant that he couldn't calm her down. At least not really since he couldn't erase the issue. “Should I distract you, or do you want to talk about it?”
For a moment, it was silent.
Then Lucille replied in a whisper. “I...always liked Mama much more than Papa. But by now, I'm not sure anymore. Father wasn't...nice in the past, but at least he raised me. He was there, and I could talk to him occasionally.” She leaned into her lover's embrace and lifted a hand to wipe over her face. “He was at home, and I saw his face. That is more than I can say about Mama. Surely, he didn't...spend much time with me nor did we have pleasant conversations. But now we do. Now Father is kind. And even the few things he did for me are more than Mother did in years.” She pressed her lips into a line as if she wanted to hold back this comment. In the end, she didn't manage to contain herself. “Her stupid letters don't help me at all. She should have just ignored us if she wanted to leave without me. But apparently, she sends letters to me and my father. If she wants contact with both of us, why did she run away?”
Cedar couldn't answer that question even if he wanted to. He had only seen Emily Valerian a few times during some kind of event. He had never done more than to greet her. He only remembered having the impression that Emily was rather weak-willed, which didn't help him when it came to guessing what she was thinking. “I don't know. But I can tell you that you have no reason to read her letters if they upset you. If you do wish to read them, I won't stop you, but to me, it seems like they only make you feel worse.”
Lucille nodded weakly. She leaned her head against her lover after that and whispered again. “I know. But then I think about her maybe wanting to meet me. If she offers that, I need to know. Because...because...” That sounded like she wasn't sure whether she would go meet her mother if an invitation came. She didn't finish that sentence and stayed quiet for a few seconds. She only replied when Cedar thought that nothing would follow. “I don't know anything about her. But Father said that he has an address. Do you think it would be possible to find her?” She voiced that question with so much uncertainty that it hurt to hear.
Cedar wasn't sure what response she wanted to hear, so he would be honest. “Yes. With some time. I have some interesting connections. Theodore and Leonard do too. One of us would definitely find someone who could give you information about your mother. Especially since we can describe her appearance well. In any case, someone would be able to find her without causing an uproar.”
Lucille nodded to herself. She probably wasn't sure what to do with that reply. She didn't say anything, so it seemed like this topic was over for now. She wouldn't ask Cedar to search for Emily even if he was willing to do it.
Cedar could grant her a chance to meet that woman, but he wouldn't do what Lucille wasn't sure about. And if she decided that she didn't want to say any more about this, he would obey. He waited for a moment to give her a chance to speak again. When she didn't, he concluded that she wanted to focus on something else. So, Cedar granted her the favor. He began pressing small kisses onto her skin and told her how precious she was over and over again.
He would claim that he managed to distract his lover quite well. Of course, it didn't push away the thoughts that were going on inside her head, but he could at least make her feel a bit better.
Cedar kept Lucille busy until the evening, and when they went to bed, he could have sworn that her grip on him was a bit tighter than normal. He hugged her with both arms, which put him in an uncomfortable position, but he didn't care. He kept his arms around Lucille until she fell asleep and even after that. Like this, her birthday went by, but it seemed like something else was still missing.
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The next morning had been rather calm. Cedar and Lucille ate some of the remaining cake for breakfast before preparing for an uneventful day. During the first half, nothing special happened either. But then the emperor called them to one of the seating rooms and asked them to dress up nicely.
Cedar had no idea what this was about. It might be connected to some guest that Theodore had welcomed, but otherwise, the prince had been left in the dark. Then Cedar recognized the old man waiting inside the room.
Theodore seemed to have had a pleasant conversation with that man before he focused his attention on the couple. He greeted them with a bright smile before he finally explained what this was about. “You may have noticed the man behind me already. I will make you acquainted in a moment. You don't have to be tense around him. This is Erneis, who has come here to prepare a present.” He turned to Lucille. “You can see it as a late birthday gift. We planned on having him come yesterday, but we thought that you might be busy then. So, today seemed to be a bit more fitting.”
Ah.
Cedar could guess what this was about after that. After all, the canvas and the many brushes lying on the table revealed why Erneis had returned. That was the man who had painted the royal portraits, so it seemed like there would be a painting of Lucille and Cedar by the end of this meeting. The prince normally wouldn't look forward to sitting there without moving for at least two hours or more. But if he received a portrait with Lucille for that, it might be worth it. So, he didn't voice any snarky comments while waiting for the emperor to explain more.
Theodore didn't say anything though. He just stepped aside and let the others deal with this on their own.
Based on their ranks, Cedar would have to speak next then. He showed the artist his perfect polite smile. “I am pleased to see you again, Erneis. It has been a while. I wish you a wonderful day.”
The painter bowed to the prince. When he lifted his head, a warm smile had appeared on his face. “It has indeed been a while since we saw each other, Your Royal Highness. I hope that you have been well.”
“I have. Now that you appeared, I am even more content. I presume this means that we will soon be graced with another masterpiece from your skillful hands.”
Erneis let out a little chuckle. “His Majesty did ask such a favor of me. I could not refuse. It is always an honor to work for the royal family.” With that, he faced Lucille.
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Lucille noticed and greeted the new person with her usual shyness. “I wish you a pleasant day, Mister Erneis. My name is Lucille Valerian, and I'm the only daughter of Viscount Valerian. I hope that your journey here did not drain you too much.”
Erneis beamed at the young woman in front of him before he bowed to her. “It is an honor to meet you too, Lady Valerian. I hope that you are doing well at the moment. I wish you a happy belated birthday. May you be accompanied by happiness and health in the next year and in the following ones too.”
Lucille offered him a little smile. “Thank you very much. I am grateful for such kind words.” She averted her eyes and played with her fingers a little.
Once again, Cedar could barely suppress the urge to hug her since that would only embarrass her more. So, he would stay quiet for now. But they didn't have much time either way.
Erneis grinned at them before explaining what the plan was. “Since you were called here, I believe the reason for my visit is obvious. I have always adored creating portraits of couples and feel like I may do rather well if I put in some effort. That is why I would like to paint you as well. Would you give me permission?”
Cedar definitely would love to have a painting of him and Lucille. What mattered was his lover's opinion. He turned to her.
Lucille also looked at him. She was a bit red now and seemed to worry about something. She scratched her neck for a moment before she replied. “I...wouldn't mind that. It's just... Is that really fine?” She glanced at the emperor before looking at her lover again.
Painting a portrait of a member of the royal family with someone else indicated that the two people within the painting had a very close relationship. Usually, only couples who had been married for over a year or those with children welcomed painters to draw them after all. But now, it seemed like Theodore wanted to speed up the process.
Cedar gazed at his brother, who pretended to look away, before he replied. “Well, our beloved emperor ordered us to do it. I certainly wouldn't mind. So, unless you dislike this idea, we might as well do it. Erneis came all the way here for us after all.” Maybe he had voiced more of his opinion than he had planned on revealing. But now it was too late to change that.
Lucille took two more seconds before she weakly nodded. “Of course. I don't mind.” A little smile grew on her lips, which made it seem like she could be a bit happy about this too. Maybe the prince just imagined that, he couldn't be sure. Either way, she had agreed.
Erneis beamed at them before he gestured to the sofa, which had been moved in front of the fireplace so that the background with the decorated wall would be more pleasing to look at. “Thank you very much. Then would you mind taking a seat? You can choose your pose on your own.”
Cedar offered his hand to Lucille and brought her over to the sofa. He allowed her to sit down first before he took a seat next to her. He didn't mind sitting there upright since he was used to needing to maintain a perfect posture despite his teachers' constant nagging.
Lucille seemed rather worried though. She was too stiff to stay like this for over an hour. She would get sore muscles by the time Erneis began painting.
So, Cedar reached over to her. He gently directed her into a more comfortable position. Like this, Lucille could lean against the backrest without needing to strain her muscles the whole time. Then Cedar glanced to where Erneis put the easel and made sure to find a posture that would look somewhat dignified for the painter.
Along with the artist's help, the couple moved into a pleasant position. This allowed Cedar to hold Lucille's hand while they directed their gazes at the painter as well. This gave him an excuse to interlock their fingers for at least two hours or so.
Now they only needed to wait for Erneis to finish. He held the brush with a rather steady hand, so Cedar trusted that the result would be a masterpiece, like always.
Barely a few seconds had passed when Theodore already bid the group farewell. “I would sit here for a while longer, but I fear that this will not help you much. I will leave now and return when the new masterpiece is finished.”
Cedar wanted to nod in silence at first, but then something else came to his mind. “Sure. But, Theodore, before you go, there is one thing I would like to ask you.”
The emperor stopped in his tracks and turned to the couple on the sofa. “Go ahead. I have few secrets that I can't share.” The prince saw that differently.
Cedar smiled at his brother while thinking about whether to be a bit more subtle in his approach or whether he should just be direct. But then he remembered how harsh Theodore sometimes was. Then he could at least ask his question without holding back too. “Are there any important news you aren't telling me? For example, about my mother? I presume that she messed up again during the last few days. There is no way that she is calm now after what happened after the trial.”
Theodore's face scrunched up as he thought about the woman he hated so much. But his response seemed to satisfy him a little again. “I told you that a servant pushed her down the staircase after she got violent again, right? Well, she might have landed on her injured arm. That must have hurt a lot. Or she just whines for no reason. We wouldn't know since she always complains. In any case, that was too annoying for the servants, so they gave her sleeping pills. Since she isn't royalty anymore, they are less scared and just let her sit alone in her room when she bothers them, or they make sure that she calms down with some medicine. I will inform you if she does make a move.”
Cedar could have guessed that. “I see. I trust that you have this under control. Go ahead and deal with it. But remember that you have to tell me when problems arise. Have a nice afternoon.”
Theodore showed his brother a little smile. “Oh, this won't take until the afternoon. I can assure you that Erneis is quick. He will be done before you can even begin to wonder how long it will take. So, just wait for a short while, and then you will receive a gorgeous picture in return. I wish you a nice hour before we see each other again.” That was certainly exaggerated since no one could finish a painting that quickly, but no one pointed it out. So, Theodore left while waving to the couple.
Cedar was sure that this would take a bit until the painter was done, so he leaned back and relaxed while beginning a conversation with Lucille. She was a bit nervous in the beginning, but she quickly got immersed in the conversation. He was happy if he could talk to her too. So, time passed without Cedar ever feeling bored. That might be because he had been used to sitting through boring ceremonies and events ever since he had been born or because it didn't take long at all.
When Erneis spoke up, it had barely been an hour ever since he had begun. “I am finished. I have to say, you truly offer a pleasant subject. I feel like this may be one of my best works.”
There was no way that the painting was finished. No artist could be that quick. Or at least no normal one could. But if Theodore had chosen this man, Erneis might even be skilled enough to surprise them.
Cedar was still skeptical, but he did his best to hide that. “Truly? You seem to be rather fast. Are we allowed to take a look at it already?” He almost expected to be denied.
But Erneis replied with a bright smile on his face. “Naturally. Please go ahead and tell me whether this looks good in your eyes.”
Cedar didn't wait for a second invitation. He stood up and helped Lucille before he brought her over to the canvas. For a moment, he was stunned.
The painting was gorgeous. The colors seemed so vibrant and lively and yet realistic at the same time. Both Lucille and Cedar showed the viewer a bright smile, which looked so genuine and live-like that the two figures might as well have begun to talk all of a sudden. This made the depicted scene look so much more like it could have appeared in a fairy tale. Even Cedar had never seen such a beautiful painting that had been crafted with such skillful brush strokes.
In short, there was no way that anyone could have created this in an hour.
Even if Cedar had watched the painter the whole time and had seen that the canvas had been blank before, this made little sense to him. But he couldn't do anything aside from accepting that the painting was beautiful. Especially the Lucille in the picture was so breathtaking that it could almost compete with the real version. Almost.
Lucille next to him gasped when she saw the painting. She stared at it in awe, and that sight might have been prettier than the picture itself. “This is...absolutely gorgeous. It's really...” She seemed to be uncertain of what to say.
Cedar himself had taken a while longer to know what to say too. He took over at that point. “This is overwhelmingly beautiful, Erneis. You truly created a masterpiece. I should have known that after seeing the paintings you drew of my brother and his wife, and yet, I am frozen in shock upon seeing such skill firsthand. You deserve the royal family's sincere thanks.”
Erneis seemed to be happy with just that compliment. “Thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. It is an honor to be allowed to paint both of you in itself, and receiving your gratitude eases my heart. If you are content with my creation, I am satisfied and can deepen my trust in my skills.” A man like him should trust his skills, especially after the emperor had invited him multiple times in succession.
Lucille glanced at the painting and the artist again before she spoke. “You certainly must be the most skillful artist I ever saw. Your painting almost has something...magical.”
Erneis laughed. “I am happy that you seem to sense that too. A few people have said that being drawn by me made them lucky. I sincerely hope that it will be the same for you two.”
Cedar hoped so too. He didn't believe in superstitions, but he would take everything he could get when it came to his future with Lucille. He wanted to be with her and make her happy. Thanks to his past, that might be rather hard, so luck was gladly received. “It can only help us if that is the case.” He turned his head to his lover, who already watched the painting with wide eyes again. She was so adorable that he couldn't hold back and brought his hand to the side of her face to put a strand of her hair behind her ear. When Lucille looked at him, Cedar showed her a soft smile. “You seem to be very content with it too. Now then. Where should we hang it?” They just had one choice unless they asked the emperor for permission first.
Lucille affirmed that a moment later. “Maybe in our room? We have a lot of space next to the bookshelf in the main room. Maybe...this could fit there.” She already sounded so uncertain again. Did she worry about her lover not wanting to see their portrait so often? That should be the least of her concerns.
Cedar wanted to be greeted by it every day. “That sounds good. Let's bring it there when it is fully dried.” He leaned over to press a kiss onto his lover's head, which earned him the most adorable smile in this world. But even if that made him happy temporarily, he had a feeling that the situation wasn't resolved with this.
Lucille was better now, but the events of yesterday evening never truly disappeared from her head. It seemed like she was too unhappy about those letters she had received from her mother. Most likely, she would carry this burden with her for a long time. And Cedar was pretty sure that keeping the letters wouldn't help her get rid of that burden. Yet, she didn't throw them away.
In the near future, she would need to distance herself from those letters though. He just hoped that he could help her with that.