Later that day.
While Lucien left Cassian to have a private familial meeting with his parents. He walked out of the premises, heading to where his feet led him and he sighed as he stopped infront of the elf, absolutely annoyed with himself for butting into Cassian's business like this when he was supposed to be glad that they were separating. But yet there he was in front of Sora and doing something that he was supposed to ignore entirely.
Lucien found Sora emerging from the library with an armful of a heavy tome.
"You impure thing." Lucien drawled and the half-elf nearly jumped in shock as he looked up at Lucien.
"Oh....Sir Arden it's you." Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You sound disappointed."
"Perhaps I am. I was merely hoping that you were somebody else."
Sora shrugged with a mocking smile lopsided on his lips.
"How rude."
Lucien hissed and Sora smiled innocently as he nudged him.
"By the way, good afternoon Sir Arden, what do I owe this pleasure of being visited by you out of all people?"
Lucien rolled his eyes.
"Walk with me."
"Am I under arrest?"
"No."
"Then am I being escorted to execution?"
"No."
"Kidnapped?"
"No."
"Mhm I guess I have no other choice but to follow you to find out then."
Lucien snorted and walked alongside him for a short walk. The two began walking through one of the academy's quieter garden paths and for several minutes neither spoke.
Just then after what felt like a while, Lucien finally broke the silence.
"The Crown Prince is worried about you and your safety."
Sora's steps slowed slightly, Lucien glanced sideways. "And you don't even come to greet him anymore, that part worries him even more." A bitter smile appeared on Sora's face as he glanced at Lucien's side. "Then shouldn't you be happy about that, Sir Arden?...that I don't visit his quarters anymore."
Lucien stopped walking immediately and his eyes narrowed as he looked back at Sora. Sora stopped a few steps ahead before slowly turning around to directly face Lucien Arden. The atmosphere between them slightly shifted. Dangerously so and it was subtly tense between the two of them.
"What are you talking about, Sora Curzon?"
Sora looked at him quietly. For a moment neither spoke but then Sora sighed.
"You know exactly what I am talking about Sir Arden. After all haven't you and my mate grown miserably closer lately?"
Lucien blinked, his expression remained unreadable and Sora looked away from him.
"You touch his waist whenever you want, Sir Arden."
"You stand beside him and you whisper into his ears with flirtatious smiles all over your faces and only the gods may know what that is all about Sir Knight. And I'm afraid that has greatly wounded my pride."
"Sora—"
"You spend more time with him than I do." Sora added, his eyes finally leaving the floor but to glare at Lucien. He stared harder.
Then suddenly, Lucien realized how all of those antics that Sora was talking about came to affect their relationship.
"Oh....so that's why this is all about. To think that you paid that much attention to your mate. It's pretty impressive."
Sora folded his arms, his expression suddenly calm. Far too calm, which somehow made the tension even worse.
"I am happy for you Sir Arden, and especially for him, at least now I can be relieved that he will be left in good hands once our bond is broken."
"But you do not sound happy to me."
"Trust me I am." Sora assured him with a smile on his face. But Lucien just stared down at him for a second and then shrugged.
"Well for someone who is happy, you look like you're imagining seventeen different ways to murder me right on this spot. And one of them must be chewing me with your bare teeth, isn't it?"
Sora looked away.
".....—Is it that obvious?"
Lucien softly chuckled.
"Of course, for a man of my calibre these sharp senses come way too easily."
The half-elf groaned, proceeding to walk away and so did Lucien, silently following behind him.
"Well it's only natural, as his mate that can't have him. How do you think I feel when I watch you stand at the spot I'm supposed to be in?" The words were soft as they purred out of Sora's lips. Painfully soft.
"In fact Sir Arden, just try to imagine yourself in my shoes for a brief moment, I mean just take yourself as his mate. Let us say you are fully bonded with the Crown Prince just like I have, where divinity brought you together and the heavens declared that you are destined for each other, even fate brought you together."
"Your life is supposed to be his life and his life is supposed to be yours. A situation where you are only supposed to live for each other's sake—..." His voice trembled slightly. "And on top of that you also have a child together," Sora swallowed and Lucien's chest tightened.
"But despite all that—..." Sora laughed quietly, a sad laugh.
"The world forces you apart."
"You watch him live the life you're supposed to share together."
"You stand far away while others stand beside him."
"You fall in love when you aren't supposed to."
"I mean you have every right to be with him and claim him for yourself."
His voice cracked.
"But you just can't.... because the ways of the modern world don't allow you to."
Silence followed, only the sound of distant birds remained but then at that very moment Sora finally looked up at him.
"In all honesty....how would that make you feel Sir Arden?"
Lucien's smile disappeared.
But Sora kept walking without looking back, his eyes fixed ahead while Lucien stayed silent. As if he can already imagine himself in that heart stifling situation.
Lucien found himself unable to answer immediately. Because for the first time...
He truly imagined it.
The bond.
The child.
The separation.
The helplessness.
And suddenly—
His chest hurt.
"I suppose..." His voice came out quieter than intended. "For a creature like yourself..."
He looked away.
"It is difficult to even fight for him."
Sora laughed. A hollow laugh nodding.
"Indeed Sir Arden."
"Because if I do—.....I will be executed."
Neither spoke. Then Sora smiled, a heartbreakingly gentle smile with a shrug.
"Well."
"Isn't that tragic?"
Lucien nodded.
"Indeed it is."
Sora lowered his gaze for a moment.
"Hence why I'm drawing away from him even though it hurts."
"But at least I'm trying." He clenched the heavy book against his chest.
"So when the time comes to say goodbye..." His voice became barely audible.
"It won't destroy me."
Lucien watched him. And then he quietly asked.
"Will you quietly endure it all?....even if it means crying yourself to sleep every night while longing for him?"
Sora froze.
Immediately, his eyes widened as he quickly turned to look at Lucien.
"How—"
"Don't look so surprised." Lucien folded his arms. "As the creature carrying his first child, I am obligated to protect you as well you know?"
Sora stared and Lucien sighed.
"After all you were there when I promised His Highness that I would."
For a moment the half-elf simply looked at him. Then he smiled softly.
"Sir Arden."
"What?"
"You are surprisingly kind-hearted. Is it because you are a Holy Knight?"
Lucien immediately grimaced.
"If you truly knew the depths of my heart Sora..."
His voice dropped.
"You would be repulsed and take that statement back immediately, little fairy."
Sora instantly laughed. The first genuine laugh Lucien had heard from him all day.
"That is quite ironic coming from a holy knight that is supposed to be pure both inside and outside."
Sora laughed out loud but Lucien's expression quickly hardened again.
"Seeing that you can laugh so heartily I guess this brings me to confront you for what brought me to you at the first place."
Sora blinked, his smile slowly fading as Lucien leaned closer to him and he pokes at his chest.
"Right now, you are making the Crown Prince I am supposed to protect quite miserable. So what should I do with you you selfish creature?"
Sora's smile completely disappeared.
"What are you–..."
"Your bond with Cassian isn't broken yet."
Lucien stepped closer.
"But yet as his bonded mate, you're neglecting him because you're afraid of your own emotions. Here you are, nursing your own feelings, do you think he's any better?"
Sora flinched taking a step backward.
"How do you think he feels right now huh?"
Lucien's voice sharpened, his eyes slowly squinting as he glared down at Sora.
"If you are suffering this much, do you honestly believe he's unaffected?"
Sora opened his mouth.
Then closed it. For once he had no excuse to defend himself.
"The Crown Prince doesn't even understand how these mating bonds work at all."
Lucien continued.
"Only you do. And he needs you on his side to figure it out with your help as his supposed mate."
"At least until the bond is broken Sora."
His gaze softened slightly.
"Then after that—..."
He shrugged.
"You can do as please and leave his sight for good. I won't even stop you, I'll be crazy to do that."
The words hit harder than any blade and Sora looked away from Lucien.
"But until then...That man had better be happy, Sora Curzon."
The temperature around Lucien seemed to drop and Sora physically shivered.
"I—..."
For the first time in days—
He truly felt ashamed.
"I see." His gaze lowered. "I really have been selfish, thinking that I was the only one suffering from our bond."
Lucien remained silent and Sora continued.
"Instead of making the most of the little time we have left together while the child is unborn..."
Sora laughed bitterly.
"I have been wasting it, pathetically feeling sorry for myself.... Perhaps it was all because I genuinely thought he was doing fine."
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?...is that so?"
"I mean judging by how intimate the two of you have been lately—."
"Jealous much?"
Lucien snorted and Sora immediately growled annoyed.
"Sora Curzon you are nothing but a vile and an impure creature that I can never accept to be in his Highness's life. So live quietly and just focus on your position in his life as his forbidden mate and the father of his heir and I will focus on mine."
"Then what exactly is your position in his life Sir Arden?"
Lucien smirked giving him the knowing look.
"Well, it is none of your business you will be gone in no time anyway."
Sora's eye twitched.
"That wasn't an answer."
"It wasn't actually meant to be."
"You're insufferable."
"And you are jealous."
"I am not."
"You absolutely are."
Sora groaned.
"Sir Arden."
"Yes?"
"Now I suddenly understand why the Crown Prince always seems like he wants to punch you so bad."
Lucien let out a low chuckle leading the way back to Cassian's premises.
And for the first time in many days—
The journey back to Cassian felt a little less lonely and painful for Sora.
*****