As the golden rays of the sun fell on Lorian's eyes, they woke him from his slumber. He always had a habit of waking early after consuming alcohol, and to his surprise, he discovered this strange habit hadn't left him in this new world. His head wasn't heavy; rather, he felt light—light as a feather. He went to the balcony to take a fresh breath. The cold morning air filled his lungs, but still, it seemed to fail to fill a tiny, empty corner of his heart. He was alone, again, in this new world.
"Wassup, man, feelin' down?" a familiar voice asked from behind him.
Lorian didn't need to look over his shoulder or turn back to know it was Azal'gul.
"Where were you yesterday?" Lorian tried to change the topic.
"Was listenin' to her song, so beautiful!" the demon replied, "Are ya feelin' left out, man, lookin' at those lovey-dovey couplez?" Azal'gul punched Lorian's heart playfully.
Lorian raised an eyebrow, "Do you read my mind?"
"Nah, man; I just saw Adrian's life; and I know, ya not one to handle a breakup easy and find it hard to move on! Don't do it, man, not right now; in this world, if you shudder in heartbreak, your enemies will crush you under their boot! Don't do it before you have enough power to protect yerself even when ya are down!"
"I won't, partner," Lorian replied, patting Azal'gul's shoulder.
"Whom are you talking to, Mi'lord?" Kaelen's voice was heard.
Lorian looked at Kaelen. The poor guy looked puzzled, probably wondering if his Prince was still intoxicated or not. Lorian smiled at Kaelen, assuring him that he wasn't dreaming or hallucinating, but merely observed Lorian talking to himself. He ordered Kaelen to get everyone ready and organize the room, preparing for their work today. He also ordered Kaelen to ensure that, apart from the five of them, no one else was allowed to enter the room, let alone touch or take anything. At any point in time, at least one of them had to be present in the room to ensure no one got hold of the documents and items.
With that, Lorian went to join his parents for breakfast.
Today, surprisingly, there was someone else besides his parents at the breakfast table: Selena Stormhold, daughter of Lady Serana Stormhold of Valoria. The environment grew a bit awkward, at least for Lorian. Selena wasn't conventionally beautiful, as princesses are depicted in fairy tales, but there was a certain elegance about her. A charm and allure, a gravity that could not be denied. She was eighteen years old, just like him, yet she exuded an aura of a Lady older than her age. Perhaps it was because of her lineage- after all, she was also a Stormhold.
Lorian's parents kept talking with both him and Selena, although Lorian and Selena didn't speak much to each other. Lorian had erected a strong wall against her, and Selena showed no interest or eagerness to break it. The Lord and Lady didn't try to break the ice between them either.
However, as they finished breakfast, Lady Seraphina mentioned Selena was helping her remodel the interior, as well as taking lessons in the fine etiquettes of a lady. She also mentioned that Selena possessed other talents that could be useful for Lorian, suggesting he keep that in mind. Lord Elmsworth nodded in agreement with his wife.
Lorian looked at Selena, and she seemed to acknowledge the appreciation. Her eyes were a bit brighter than her usual colder gaze. Perhaps emboldened by it, she suddenly spoke up, "Erm… excuse me, Your Grace, is the Beastman who walks by your side your slave?"
Lorian felt a surge of irritation but tried hard to hide his displeasure, "Jax Nightclaw is one of my retainers and my loyal and important subordinate!"
"Your Lordship, Your Ladyship, my Lady," he said, nodding to the princess as he rose from his seat, "Forgive my haste; I have some important business I need to attend. I'll see you again soon."
The Lord and Lady nodded in permission, though there was a feeling of disappointment on their faces. Selena looked more perplexed, feeling she had done something wrong but having no idea what it was.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
When Lorian neared his room, he was welcomed by a strange, unexpected situation. Kaelen and Jax were standing in front of Lorian's door, along with Elara. Facing them were Lyssian, his cousin, and the man accompanying Lyssian was none other than Arthaz, Cassian's new right-hand man.
Lyssian was demanding entry into Lorian's room, and Kaelen was steadfastly stopping him. Jax said nothing, but stood with his back glued to the door, like a statue. Elara was holding Jax's arm, strangely. As Lorian noticed it carefully, he observed Jax had unsheathed his sharp claws, and his eyes were bloodshot with anger and bloodlust. It was clear Elara was calming him down, preventing him from creating an issue too troublesome for Lorian to handle in a bestial rage.
Lyssian was demanding entry to Lorian's room under the excuse of checking on his cousin. Kaelen, on the other hand, continuously reiterated that they had been ordered not to let anyone enter their Prince's room, other than Lord Elmsworth and Lady Seraphina themselves. However, Lyssian was not one to back down from his demand to a mere guard like Kaelen or a 'slave' like Jax.
Lorian realized that if this continued much longer, things might get explosive and too messy for him to clear up by himself. He confidently walked up to the scene with loud, bold footsteps, gathering the attention of all.
Kaelen, Jax, and Elara instantly turned toward Lorian and bowed deeply. Arthaz, standing behind Lyssian, gave a quick, feeble glare in an attempt to intimidate Lorian, but quickly averted his gaze. His master, Lyssian, also gave Lorian a glare but promptly switched his demeanor and complained about how his unruly servants were not allowing him to check on his dear cousin.
Lorian continued the charade, saying how grateful he was to have such a concerned cousin, and assured Lyssian that he was now completely fine and didn't need to worry for him anymore. Lyssian urged to accompany Lorian to his room to talk in detail.
However, Lorian denied his request. He lied to Lyssian, stating that Lord Elmsworth had put him under house arrest for disturbing the rescue operation yesterday while roaming the streets after dark. Lord Elmsworth had also entrusted him with a new task: to check the patterns of Auric Spire's defenses and suggest rescheduling as needed. His father commanded him that the plans were for no one else's eyes, so he could not break his command.
Although Lorian was superficially speaking as if he were helpless under his father's command, there was a cold, commanding tone in his voice that unsettled Lyssian and Arthaz.
Lyssian decided to back off, with a parting suggestion for Lorian to keep his 'pets' on a leash.
Lorian smirked, "Unlike you, I don't like keeping dogs around myself to keep on a leash."