Lucille almost didn't notice that two days had passed. To her, the flow of time was rather unimportant when it only determined whether she would be sitting or lying in her bed. She was forced to wake up in the middle of the night to take medicine anyway, so her sleeping rhythm was already disturbed enough.
The fact that talking to Cedar was so fun only caused her to go to bed later, and the wonderful books he had brought didn't make that better either. Lucille knew that she should probably try to keep a daily schedule to some extent, but she didn't have anything productive to do. So, she just gave her best to go to bed when the sun set and to rise before breakfast was brought.
Luckily, Lucille had managed to do that today since she had already been told that Fiona would come before noon. So, she quickly ate and then waited for the minister meeting to be over. Most likely, her friend would be happy to have been able to attend that conference. She could already imagine how Fiona would beam when she came in. At least she had thought that.
But when the door opened, and a servant brought the duke's daughter inside, Fiona's face was pale as she rushed to Lucille's side. She immediately raised her voice as soon as she was there. “Luci! Are you alright?” She climbed onto the bed without caring for any of the people who were watching them and looked like she wanted to hug the other woman. She held herself back at the last moment and just looked at her friend like she wanted to cry.
Lucille felt a pang of guilt in her stomach and quickly replied. “I'm alright. It doesn't hurt anymore. I can't walk or something like that, but otherwise, it should be fine. The doctor said that I can leave the bed in a couple of days if everything goes well. So, you don't have to worry.” She took the other's hands and gave her a smile to prove that she was fine. It should be convincing. After all, she truly wasn't in pain anymore.
But still, Fiona looked like she was more upset than anything else. She pressed her mouth into a thin line and tightened her hold on Lucille's hands. “You...can't imagine what was going on inside my head. His Majesty only told me about you when the meeting was over. I was so worried. I almost ran here because I didn't know whether you were truly alright or...” She cut herself off and closed her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. She only continued after a few seconds. “I wouldn't have been able to sleep calmly if I had known that you were hurt. I'm glad that it's better now, but if you are here, it has to be something serious, right?”
Lucille hurried to speak up again. “I'm really fine, Fiona. You don't have to think about what could have been. I didn't die, and I also won't suffer from any long-term consequences. The royal doctor said that I should be as good as new after resting for a few weeks. Of course, I won't be able to run around in the near future, but I won't be confined to the bed much longer either.”
That didn't seem to calm Fiona. She only narrowed her eyes and squeezed her friend's hands. “What happened? Your father refused to tell me anything. Did His Royal Highness hurt you? If he did, I swear to the gods that-”
Lucille cut her off there. “No, no, no! Cedar didn't do anything! His mother sent assassins to kill him. Apparently, she wanted me dead too because I had been spending a lot of time with him. I jumped in front of Cedar when an assassin aimed at him, and an arrow hit me. Cedar carried me to the guards, so we came here. And now, we have to stay to ensure that the dowager empress doesn't hurt us.”
Fiona's face fell before boiling anger overcame her features. “What? That woman is in confinement, and she still dares to harm noble families? Because you talked to her son? Does she want to kill both of her children now? What is wrong with that woman? Does she not know that she will make the whole capital her enemy with this?” By now, her grip was so tight that it hurt, but Lucille didn't dare to bring it up as Fiona glared into the distance while muttering a few curse words that no one should utter.
Lucille gave her some time before replying. “We think that she is insane too. But unfortunately, she is also powerful. She can even attack people from her jail without leaving any evidence. We have to be careful, and that is why Cedar and I are here. For now, please don't do anything reckless. I don't want you to become a target.”
The dukedom of Lamont was one of only three ducal families within the whole nation, and they were already on the emperor's side. If they chose to be even more obvious with their standing, the dowager empress might try to attack them. So, Lucille couldn't risk her friend trying to help her.
Luckily, it seemed like Fiona understood that. She looked unhappy but nodded. “I will try my best to stay out of this. But I will be much more careful around that woman in the future, and I will tell my father to keep his distance. And I will never forget that she tried to kill an innocent person.”
Lucille didn't point out that there had actually been victims. She should tell her friend that, but right now, she wouldn't be able to explain without beginning to cry. So, she forced herself to stay quiet about that and quickly changed the topic. “I know that you won't forget. I won't either. But now, I will be safe in the palace. That is all that matters.”
Fiona shook her head. “No. What happened matters too. That witch can't just attack you and then say that it will be fine. I hope His Majesty drags her in front of a trial to get rid of her for good this time.” She glared at her friend while still grabbing the other's hands with way too much force. “And did really nothing else happen? You being shot is bad enough, but I heard that some coroners came to the Valerian estate. That wasn't just a coincidence, was it?”
So, Lucille wouldn't be able to avoid it after all. She pressed her lips together and balled her fists while meeting her friend's gaze. She didn't want to say anything, and she didn't need to.
Fiona already understood. Her expression became even more grim as she lowered her head. “I'm sorry.” She closed her eyes for a moment before she lifted her gaze and hugged her friend with utmost care. “I'm so glad that you are fine. How did...” She was probably asking about how all of this had happened, but she knew that her friend wasn't prepared to talk about everything, so she stopped herself.
Lucille still wanted to reply as she returned the other's hug and gave her best to stay calm. “I...was just sleeping. When I woke up, people had broken in to hurt our staff members. Cedar barely managed to bring me out of the building by using a service elevator. I think he had to kill someone for that. And then we went out and climbed over the wall. An assassin pulled out his bow, and I panicked while jumping in front of Cedar. But as you can see, I wasn't wounded too badly.” That was probably a lie. She had only survived because the doctor had quickly dealt with her blood loss after Cedar had stopped the bleeding. “Thankfully, my father is unhurt too. He wasn't there during the attack, and when he returned, everyone was already gone.” Lucille knew that it wasn't a good idea, but she changed the topic as soon as she had given herself the chance to do so. “I didn't tell you about him yet, did I? My father came to visit two days ago, and he was nice for once. He even hugged me and cried. So, you could say that I was lucky. Even if...” The rest of the people in the mansion hadn't been that lucky.
Fiona was silent for a moment and only loosened her hold on the other's hands now. “I'm glad to hear that.” It seemed like she was too focused on other things to think about that though. She looked down at her lap and pondered whether to speak up or not, but in the end, she gave up and did. “I know that I'm already bothering you with that again, even though you said that it was fine. But you need to be careful around His Royal Highness. He is a manipulative person. He might be all friendly now, but what if he just saved your life to gain your trust?” That was ridiculous.
Lucille replied without skipping a beat. “He would have let that arrow hit him to protect me. He even scolded me because I jumped in front of him. There is no way that this was an act. That would make sense if I was a duke's daughter like you, but I'm the child of a viscount. My family doesn't have enough power to be important to anyone. No one would try to impress us with such strategies. And aside from this reason, there is another one too. Cedar isn't like that. He is sweet and kind, and he took care of me while I was lying around here and visited me every single day. He would never endanger others because of his own interests.”
Fiona's expression made it obvious that she just got more worried with every passing second. “Luci. He was the one that started an attack on the royal palace. That revolt could have ended with a lot of bloodshed. It was only stopped because His Majesty quickly intervened. Don't believe that His Royal Highness is innocent. That man is dangerous. I truly mean it. Why do you think did he help his vile mother the whole time?”
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Lucille saw the other's pleading gaze, but she already knew what her response would be. “Cedar isn't a bad person. Maybe you don't know that, but I do. He was just caught up in a web. But now, he cut himself free. I won't judge him for doing what I did too. We both just blindly listened to a parent. And now, we are slowly getting more independent. He deserves a second chance to prove what kind of person he is without his mother's influence. I trust him fully. He trusts me too. He told me a few things that are rather important to him, so I think I understand what is going on inside his head.” At least she knew the basic things, even if the rest was still a riddle to her.
Fiona didn't seem happy to hear that. Her expression got grimmer as she met her friend's gaze. “I know that you don't want to believe me here. But please just be on guard. You have no guarantee that he isn't just playing with you. What exactly are you to him? Can you even answer that question?”
Lucille knew how stupid it was to cling to something Cedar had said once, but she couldn't help but repeat it. “He said that I was a special person to him. That he trusts me more than most people around him.” Now that she repeated it out loud, this sounded a bit strange to someone who hadn't heard the whole conversation, so she quickly averted her eyes and began again. “I don't know what this is yet either. But I like him, so I won't stop spending time with him. This may seem odd to you, but I know that I can trust him.” She desperately hoped it at least. After all, she truly liked Cedar a lot. She didn't want any bitter surprises. She would be fine as long as she was able to see him every few weeks for a bit. They could be called friends by now, could they not? Then it would be alright for them to keep meeting even if a lot of time passed, wouldn't it?
Fiona finally seemed to understand that she had met indestructible stone here. She sighed as she gave her friend a look that made her seem like a worried mother. “You are as stubborn as ever. You can't imagine how concerned I am whenever you talk about him like that. It almost sounds like you fell in love with him or something like that.”
Lucille's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately hated herself for it. She truly wasn't in love with Cedar. Definitely not. She couldn't deny that she sometimes felt like this was the blooming bud of the very first seed of love, but she refused to acknowledge it. After all, that would only make her interactions with Cedar more uncomfortable. She liked him a lot, and she didn't want to feel odd around him. Especially not since it was obvious that a viscount's daughter and the second prince of Artias didn't have much in common. So, she hurried to change the topic. “You should focus on becoming duchess instead of worrying about me. I'm fine, and I currently don't have any problems that I need to discuss. I'm more curious about what's going on outside. Did something good happen?”
Fiona narrowed her eyes as if she knew what the other woman was doing, but she didn't say anything about that. Instead, she complied and went along with the other's words. “Well, kind of. I'm still unsure, and the deal hasn't been made yet. But I can assure you that it's a great chance for me and my whole family. After all, we would be trading with the Peril family if this works out.”
Lucille froze when she heard that name. “Peril?” She couldn't suppress the bad memories that she connected with that woman. Lady Peril's wide grin and Cedar's story about that person had been enough to ruin the whole family for her.
Fiona picked up on that immediately. She was a bit more careful when she replied. “Oh, yes. Lady Peril is obsessed with perfume and even creates her own. She sells it in expensive boutiques, and now she offered us to invest in her husband's stores. I think that she is skilled in doing business, so her ideas might make us even richer than we already are. But...you seem to dislike her.”
Of course, Lucille hadn't been able to hide it. She forced herself to give the other woman a little smile before replying. “She visited my father because she wanted to make a deal with him as well. And when I talked to her, she seemed strange. I was uncomfortable with her looking at me. So, I would say that she is a rather intimidating person. I know that this isn't a real reason, but-”
“Fine.” Fiona replied as if it was normal to accept such a vague warning. “I will keep that in mind. I found her a bit strange too. I will make sure to remember your words. Because in contrast to someone else here, I listen to advice. Your intuition is always right, so it couldn't hurt to be careful.”
Lucille was baffled by that. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. She was just so relieved that her friend believed her that she ignored the small hint about her own stubbornness. But she quickly came to the conclusion that giving a real reason may be better. So, she spoke up. “Well...it's not just my intuition. Cedar told me something too.” She scanned her friend's slightly annoyed expression and hurried to explain. “But it's not only problematic because it was him. It's a general problem. In the year, of His Majesty's coronation, Lady Peril tried to get closer to Cedar in a...romantic sense. He was fourteen then, so I would say that you know why this is an issue.”
Fiona's face scrunched up when she heard that. “Isn't that woman a decade older than him? That is truly concerning. I get why you dislike her then. I will be careful around her.” It seemed like she was as disgusted with that as Lucille was. Maybe because the both of them had always found it strange that girls their age were occasionally married men twice as old as they were. In any case, it was good if Fiona believed her friend.
Lucille nodded in satisfaction and showed the other woman a little smile. “Thank you for trusting me.”
Fiona met her gaze and let out a deep breath before smiling back. “Of course, I would trust you. I know you well. You wouldn't lie about things like this. I will have to think twice about this deal. We'll see.” She slowly withdrew her hands and gazed into the other's eyes for a while. Then she spoke up in a much more cheerful voice. “I think that was enough about problematic topics though. It would be best for you to relax while you recover, so I think that we should focus on more lighthearted things.”
After that, Fiona did exactly as she had said. She insisted on distracting the other woman. She talked for a long time and told Lucille everything about the newest gossip in the capital and the upcoming tea party in the palace. It was wonderful for the both of them to meet again, so they were in a good mood the whole time. Fiona only left in the evening after her father had come to the room to pick her up. Even then, she still made him stay for a few minutes, and after they both told Lucille to get better a dozen times, they returned home.
That day had been the last time something special had happened in the palace. The following weeks were rather uneventful.
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Two weeks went by in the blink of an eye, and of course, Lucille couldn't do much in that time. Her father had visited twice while trying to be subtle about her whereabouts and had brought some clothes, but she had still been forced to sit and lie around.
After one week, she had been able to go to the bathroom, but even then, a person had always supported her. So, she was even more relieved than when the moment she could finally leave her bed came. The doctors told her to be careful about a hundred times, but she couldn't hold back.
Lucille almost wanted to jump up, and only Cedar's presence was forcing her to go slow. She allowed him to help her and slowly got up on her feet. Her legs felt like pudding, but she managed to stand, and she even took a few steps on her own while a proud smile appeared on her lips. But she was the only one that seemed to be confident here.
The doctor looked at her with a deep frown and skeptically stared at the bandages as if he expected them to be tinted red any second. “Are you sure you are not in pain, Lady Valerian?”
Lucille happily nodded and took another step. Her stomach felt a bit strange, but it didn't hurt. Maybe she just didn't feel that because of the excitement that had come from being allowed to stand, and possibly from holding Cedar's hand.
The prince stood next to her as if he was ready to catch her at all times, which only made him seem even sweeter than usual. “Please don't go too fast. You need to test out your limits first.”
Lucille smiled at him and replied in a cheerful tone. “It's fine. We didn't even go anywhere yet. I've walked to the bathroom on my own too, right? There is no issue with me moving around a bit.”
The doctor quickly chimed in. “That isn't entirely true. Your muscles will be extremely weak because you barely moved for the past few weeks. That means that you have to take care of them and walk around regularly. But you also can't overdo it. You have to find an in-between to get better quickly. You cannot under any circumstances reopen your wound. That would be horrible.”
Lucille was aware of that. Obviously, she wasn't too keen on doing that either, but she doubted that walking around at this slow pace would cause an issue. “I will be careful. I will take a few walks each day while pausing in between to rest. That should be fine.”
Cedar smiled at her as he carefully led her away from the dresser that stood a bit too close for his liking. “Then it seems like we have to take quite a few walks in the coming weeks. I wanted to show you around the palace anyway so that you can get familiar with the layout. Is there anything you want to see?”
Finding the answer was easy. “Everything. I have only seen the terrace and the garden around that area along with the ballroom. But I would like to visit the rest of the palace as well. Of course, just if I'm allowed to visit those places.”
Cedar smirked at her. “Have you forgotten who I am? There are few rooms that we can't enter, but those would only be the emperor's personal chambers, his office and the weaponry. I doubt that you wanted to visit those anyway. For now, I think that I will show you the hallways around this area. Would you mind accompanying me on a short walk, My Lady?” He let go of her hand, only to offer it to her again in a much more dramatic manner while bowing his head slightly
Lucille had always found it stupid when people did something like this, but when it was Cedar, she was strangely endeared. She beamed at him and put her hand on his before slowly leaving the room with him.