Chương 11: An Unexpected Visitor II

Lucian stared at the man beside him, unsure if he should cry or be happy for him anymore. Even though he expected Simon's story to be full of hardship, he didn't think it would be this heart wrenching. From watching his mother slowly kill herself, to watching people that he grew up with die in street beatings, and sometimes because of hunger.

At this point, the prince didn't know if he should give the boy a hug or not. How was he able to act so freely while had experienced all of that? How was he even able to live with himself? Lucian wasn't sure he had the strength to cope after being through all that. He always lost his senses just after a mere argument with his father, this was nothing compared to that.

"I..I'm sorry about all that." Lucian squeezed out, unsure if those words were as sympathetic as he wanted them to be. He didn't know what else to say, and he wasn't sure apologizing would be enough to convey his thoughts well, perhaps the hug would do the trick.

Simon had been caught unaware by the prince's sudden move, and he hadn't been fast enough to move out of the way. Getting hugged by Lucian was not something he could ever anticipate, and he was very visibly stunned by that action. So stunned that he had frozen on the spot, unsure of how to react or even act. Pulling away forcibly would be disrespectful, and he wasn't sure if returning the gesture back would mean overstepping his boundaries. So he just sat there with an awkward smile on his face.

Lucian held the hug a moment longer, feeling the tension in Simon's body, the awkwardness of the situation pressing down on them both. The prince wasn't sure what he had expected—maybe some mutual comfort, but he quickly realized that Simon wasn't used to this kind of affection, and his own uncertainty began to grow.

Finally, Lucian pulled back, his hands lingering on Simon's shoulders for a brief second before he let them fall to his sides. He looked at Simon, trying to gauge his reaction, but the boy's face remained unreadable, his awkward smile still in place.

"I'm sorry," Lucian said again, this time as an apology, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just...." Unsure of how to complete his words, Lucian stopped awkwardly before putting a little space between him and his squire. The hug hadn't been the best idea, but he did not regret it.

A heavy silence descended upon the room after Lucian had pulled away from the embrace. He thought doing so would ease the awkwardness in the room, but it only seemed to make it worse.

Simon on the other hand only managed to regain himself after Lucian had spoken. But even then, he didn't exactly know what to say either. However, after realizing that the silence was lingering a little too long, he finally decided to speak.

"It's okay, really," He replied, his tone light but still tinged with a little embarrassment. "I'm just not used to... well, that kind of thing. But I appreciate it, Lucian. I really do."

"It's fine." Lucian replied sharply before swiftly changing the conversation. "I've sent Mark to send the coins to your people as promised."

Simon's eyes immediately lit up in gratitude, but the light in them soon died off a moment letter. "Ohh...thank you for keeping your promise."

Lucian was sharp, and the change in Simon's expression hadn't escaped his attention. "What is it? You don't seem especially grateful for this great deed of mine."

"No, I'm especially grateful, I didn't mean it like that." Simon immediately said in his defense. He didn't want his words and expressions to be misinterpreted. Lucian had been kind, a lot kinder than Simon had thought he was. He should have been hanged or amputated for his crimes, yet he was getting rewarded for it instead. He would be insane to not be grateful.

"So what is it then? Why do you look like you're not happy?" Lucian inquired, curious and concerned. Now that he knew about Simon, he couldn't help but get invested in the littlest of things that the boy does.

Simon opted to not answer that question at first, he didn't want to look ungrateful, but it didn't look like Lucian was going to let it go anytime soon.

"It's just that I wanted to see how they're doing. I was thinking I'd be able to see them even if it's just for a moment."

Lucian's expression softened as Simon's words settled. He knew they would be worried about him as well. From what Simon had told him he was the breadwinner of the entire family, and they survived mostly off the things he managed to steal. He was the most talented when it came to pickpocketing. And in order to keep the younger ones from trying and being beaten by the common folks, he had taken up the entire responsibility.

"Mark hasn't left yet, I guess there's still room for you to join him. I'd be coming as well—"

"No, I don't think it's safe for you to come along." Simon immediately warned. The villagers would definitely harm the prince if they caught sight of him. The royals weren't exactly welcomed in those parts of time, and it wouldn't be advisable for Lucian to go there without enough security.

Lucian didn't need an explanation to understand what Simon meant. However, he was not discouraged. He wanted to find out more about the common folks, he wanted to be more like them, to have a taste at what a normal life was.

"I'll be fine." Lucian assured with a smile before rising from the bed.

"The people don't especially like the royal family, it would be suicidal to come along—"

"I said I'll be fine." Lucian interjected silkily, a reassuring smile plastered across his face. "Get prepared, we leave in half an hour." He added before exiting the room. He hadn't walked two centimeters away from Simon's door when he bumped into the familiar figure of Rosaline.

"Rose? What are you doing here?"

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