Markus stepped out of the room, leaving Lydia to get changed together with the Maid-Servant. He looked to his left, to the guard stationed just outside. Karl, one of his most loyal retainers.
"Heard anything from the Fergus Kingdom?" Markus asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Nothing yet, sire, but we got eyes and ears. Though let me remind you, we cannot be certain she came from there." Karl responded.
"I'll ask her in a bit, but given how the current moves, she must have come from the north. The dress she had also appear to be made in Fergus, according to the tailor I asked. Finally, the slight accent she has suggests Fergus, so I am 95% certain. Oh right, look into noble houses starting with the letter "B", who may have misplaced a daughter. But silently.." Markus then said.
"Of course, sire. Though... why this sudden interest in her, if I may? You must know already the Palace is now ripe with rumors that you brought a woman home for the first time. The Queen will be watching this place like a hawk." Karl answered, his voice lower and conspiratorial.
"Let them talk. If anything, just bringing her here was a victory in and of itself. I can imagine how the Queen is trying to figure out all she can, about the mysterious guest in my Palace. She'll get nervous. And nervous people make mistakes." Markus said, smiling smugly.
Just then, the Maid-Servant poked her head out: "She is ready now." she said.
Markus lit up, and Karl, noticing the reaction, shook his head. To him, this seemed like more than just politics... but it was not his place to say.
"Alright Sierra, you can leave now to fetch the lunch." Markus said, before ushering her out of the room. Then, he stepped in, and closed the door behind him. He took a moment to collect himself, before he turned around to face Lydia. He didn't know why he was hesitating like this, but for some reason, he really felt like he wanted to leave a good impression on his guest. When he turned, and saw Lydia sitting in the sofa, he stopped briefly.
She was, for a lack of a better word, radiant. Now clad in a soft, silken white dress that went down to just above her knees, with a slight cut along the right thigh to make it easier to move. The back of the dress was open, as was custom in Hylea because the climate was quite warm. The dress then ended in two loops just where her arms began. It was snug, but not tight, and further enhanced Lydia's already great form. Fit yet curvaceous, and then there was just the overall air to her. A refined and elegant female posture, her movements fluid, a very gentle-looking exterior, but behind her eyes and past that neutral expression, there was a storm brewing, Markus could sense it. And like a moth to the flame, he was helpless before its allure.
He approached, hand on the back of the sofa, yet he couldn't speak. He was actually speechless. He, who always had a witty remark or retort. He watched helplessly as she looked up at him, offered a gentle smile, and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
-"Welcome back, Your Highness." Lydia said, her voice neutral yet hinting at friendly.
The comment finally pulled the Prince out of his trance, and a bit bashfully he ran a hand through his dark hair and sat down on the sofa beside Lydia, but keeping a respectful distance.
"Thank you, Lydia. I hope the dress is to your liking?" he said, trying to play it off cool.
-"It is, though it is a bit more revealing than what I am used to." Lydia responded, truthfully. Back in Fergus, women usually wore less revealing dresses, though fashion had begun to change subtly over the last few years.
"Well, it certainly looks great on you. I guess dresses in Fergus are a bit different?" Markus asked, curious how she would react. However, she had no hesitation when she answered.
-"Indeed. They usually cover more of the body." she said simply, hands clasped in her lap before her, not avoiding the topic.
"I was under that impression as well. Though if I may, I think the southern style suits you more." he said, offering a somewhat suave smile.
-"Is that so, your Highness?" Lydia responded with a gentle tilt to her head.
Then, the maid-servant returned carrying a big tray, containing a lot of food. A lot of it was fruits, sliced pear and honey-melon and peaches. But there was also bread with honey and cream, and sliced salami and cheese. Sierra, the Maid-Servant, put it all down on the coffee-table and then excused herself. Markus then spent a while explaining that you are supposed to dip the bread in the cream, and then sprinkle honey over it. Especially delicious together with the melon.
Lydia was more than happy to try. She had never had a chance to try southern cosine, so she was eager to have a taste. And when she got some cream on her nose and corner of her mouth, it was Markus who leaned in and wiped it away with a napkin. Again, Lydia had resurging memories of her time with Damien, from back when they were still engaged. But even then, Markus's eyes never left her. It was a bit intense, but not necessarily in a bad way. She felt like she truly held his full attention, while Damien had never made her feel that way.
-"Where I am from, Royalty would not be so friendly, your Highness." Lydia said, raising an eyebrow, but her tone remained friendly.
"Can one not care for their patient in Fergus?" Markus said, partly avoiding the topic.
-"So I am your patient? I was not aware His Highness was a doctor or healer." Lydia said, as she reached for a glass of orange juice.
"Well, it was I who found you washed up on the beach, so I consider you my honored guest, until such a point you have recovered." he answered, watching her intently.
-"And what happens when I have recovered?" Lydia asked, sipping from the orange juice.
"Then, I fear I may have to send you back to your home." Markus said. Truth be told, he did not wish to send her back, not yet. He was not quite ready to part with her, he knew this much already, even though they had only technically known each other for an hour. But he was drawn to her, just as he had been on the beach that day.
-"If I say I have no home, what then?" Lydia then asked. She was not eager on being sent back to Fergus, just to face execution for attempted murder of her half-sibling. However, as she watched Markus now, and how his eyes seemed to gleam when she had said she had no home, she felt rather confident he wanted to keep her around, for whatever reason.
"Then you will just have to stay here as my guest, Lady Lydia. It cannot be helped..." Markus said, reclining back, shrugging his shoulders, though in truth he was deeply pleased. If she wanted to stay by her own accord, that would be perfect, after all.
-"While your guest, is there anything I can do, to keep myself busy?" Lydia asked. Certainly, she wanted revenge against all those who had wronged her, but right now she needed a short reprieve, where she could take a breather and figure out her next steps. Going back to Fergus right now was not an option. So while she was here, for however long that would be, she needed something to occupy herself with too.
"I'd hardly be a generous host if I made my guest work, now would I?" Markus responded. And that was to be expected.
-"Naturally I understand that, but I cannot just sit in this one room and waste away. Perhaps there is a library, and a garden, that I could visit? Or you, and your office?" Lydia said, as she put down the glass of juice and reached for a slice of pear instead. She wanted to eat faster, but stopped herself. She wanted to maintain her image as a lady, after all.
Meanwhile, Markus leaned forward slightly, eyes fully on Lydia. How bold she was, even asking to be in his office while he worked. Had it been any other woman, he would have said no. The things which happened in his office were confidential, and having an agent of the Queen in there would be bad. But Lydia was different. Besides, he wanted her where he could see her, if possible, so it wasn't a bad idea.
"Yes, I'll make sure everyone knows you have free reign to move as you please in my palace. But it only accounts for this palace. There is also the Queen's Palace and Prince's Palace nearby, and you should not go there. Nor should you leave the palace grounds." Markus said, a bit firmer than he had intended.
-"So I am your prisoner?" Lydia asked, though her tone remained light.
"No, just my guest, who I do not wish to see hurt. Once you have gotten more used to how things are around here, I'll ease the restrictions." he said calmly. Lydia studied him for a bit, then nodded. She was certain she could leave any time she wanted too, with all this magic power she now possessed. No one would be able to stop her. However, Markus seemed sincere in his words, and he was the man who had saved her life. In a way, she owed him. So at the very least, she could ensure that she did not complicate his life even further.
-"Very well, I understand. It shall be as you wish." Lydia said, as she got another piece of bread, dipped it in the cream, then sprinkled some honey over it. As she took a bite, she watched Markus, as he in turn watched her. He did not seem like a bad person. Then again, she now knew better than most, how ugly humanity could be. He might appear to be nice, but once upon a time her family and fiancé had been kind and friendly to her too. She remembered how her father had hugged her and sang to her as a child when she had a fever, or how Lucas used to make flower-crowns for her to wear during the spring. Before Mirabelle had arrived.
But it was not Mirabelle who had tossed her into the ocean. While she hated her manipulative little sister, that did not mean her brother and father were innocent. They chose to believe Mirabelle. Chose to ignore her own pleas. And chose to act on things without real evidence. She hated them all, equally. But she also mourned, for the times she had, back when she was a young child. The love she had felt, and which had been taken from her. Before she knew it, a tear rolled down her cheek.
In an instant, Markus was suddenly close beside her, a thumb brushing over her cheek, covering the tear. She tried to force a smile, but it did not help, as more and more tears began to flow. She tried to rise to get away, but he caught her, a hand firm on her shoulder, but also gentle.
"Don't run away, Lydia. Let me help you..." he said, and just held her, wrapping his arms around her. Just that tiny bit of kindness, of understanding and support, it just made the dam break. How many years had it been, since someone truly saw her. Who held her, and cherished her? Unable to stop herself, the tears turned into sobbing, and all the deeply repressed emotions seemed to just bubble to the surface. Before long, she was crying rivers against his shoulder, as he patted her back and ran his fingers through her silvery blonde hair.
While it hurt him inside to see her crying like that, Markus also could not help but enjoy it. Her face was so extremely beautiful when she cried like that, and for a moment he had felt drawn to her lips. Thankfully, he had enough modesty to hold back, and settled on just holding her instead. Feeling her hot face against his shoulder, the smell of her hair, the sensation of her body against his, he had to show a lot of restraint to not do things he might regret. Never once had he felt this way, and it was a very strange and confusing mix of feelings he was experiencing.
Once the tears had dried up twenty minutes later, Markus picked Lydia up and carried her to the bed. He laid her down gently and made sure she was settled in. Told her to rest some more, and that he would be nearby. She offered a smile that Markus felt could thaw even the coldest of glaciers in an instance, and he hurried out of the room with an urgent rush. He had to leave now, or he might not be able to stop himself. As soon as he emerged from her room, he closed the door and leaned back against it, his face flushed red.
"Get it together Markus... you're going absolutely crazy..." he said to no one in particular.
"What was that, sire?" Karl said, and suddenly Markus became very acutely aware of his right-hand man who he had told to stand guard.
"N-Nothing... keep standing guard. Only Sierra and I can enter, understood?" Markus said before he hurried off down the corridor towards his office, not wanting to have this talk with Karl right now.
"Yes, Your Highness..." Karl responded, and watched as his prince left. A small smile tugged at Karl's lips. "Seems spring has come to Hylea..." he mused quietly.