The Broken Prince's Love

Lucille hadn't said it because she wanted to evoke a specific reaction. Her heart had just begged her to tell Cedar what she felt. So, she had told him that she loved him. And when she had done it, his reaction had proven that it had been needed.

Cedar had been overwhelmed with those words. Then he had desperately tried to explain that the problem wasn't her or his feelings. He had wanted her to understand that his past made it impossible for him to say it directly. He had even gone out of his way to tell her about his emotions in an indirect way after that.

Even if she would have been content without him saying that he felt the same, this had touched her more than she could put into words. This scene had meant as much to her as it had to him.

Ever since that day, Cedar's behavior around his lover had changed a bit. He had teased her as much as before, but on some occasions, he randomly became overly affectionate. A sudden kiss or hug had quickly become the norm.

Lucille would never complain. She enjoyed every piece of affection a lot and tried to give back when she wasn't dying out of embarrassment. As long as they were in private, she managed to keep her cool at least a little too.

But today, they would attend Lady Peril's party, and Lucille expected the worst. After all, she might get red just because she hugged Cedar if she was unlucky. She didn't need all of the nobles around them to see how nervous she was, even if that wouldn't cause any real issues. Except for Lucille's remaining fragments of confidence, nothing was on the line.

But to be honest, Lucille needed those fragments still. Even right now, she was already way too nervous. Nothing had even happened. She was just sitting in the carriage while they rode toward the Peril estate, and still, she was brimming with anxiety.

It had been a long time since Lucille had seen the Peril mansion. She could swear that the building's facade suddenly had many more decorations than it had had back then, but she might just have been imagining that.

At least she thought that she might be mistaken until Cedar spoke. “They built another wing. It seems like the Perils are getting quite rich with their monopoly. I can't blame them for using the money like this though. Lord Peril probably moved into the farthest end of the building so that he can avoid his wife.”

Lucille would normally feel a bit of empathy for a woman whose husband did something like this, but she couldn't say that she was surprised either. Being married to Jenna was probably unpleasant enough, and that she kept running after another man wasn't fun for Lord Peril either. “It's good if he can avoid her a little. But it's odd for them to stay married if it's that bad. I mean...I know that divorce isn't highly regarded, but Lady Peril is wealthy. She could keep her head over water, and she is powerful enough that she might be able to remarry if she even wants to. Why would she stay with a man who doesn't like her, and why would he stay with her?”

Cedar looked at her in silence so that she already knew the answer before he spoke. “Lady Peril always strives for the highest possible gain. If a more powerful man was willing to marry her, she would divorce Lord Peril immediately. To be honest, I'm surprised that she isn't targeting Luciano or Duke Lamont. Both are dukes, even if the latter one is rather old. Unfortunately, it does seem like she isn't interested in anyone just because of their influence right now. Of course, I wish no one to be chased by that woman, but it just makes it even stranger for her to annoy us.”

Lucille could hear the frustration in his voice without even needing to listen for a long time. “Maybe she will give up at some point.” They both doubted that, but one could still hope. She gave Cedar a little smile and glanced out of the window again. That allowed her to take her eyes off the royal couple. Those two sat on the other bench in the carriage and were in the middle of cuddling.

Blanche was still pressing her lips together and stared into the distance with a conflicted expression. She glanced at the building before complaining once again. “I can't believe that we are leaving Aurora alone to go to such a horrible woman. I know that we will be back soon and that Stella and the others are there. But still.” She already missed her daughter now.

Theodore did too, even if he looked less sad and more angry due to that. “I know. That's why we will stay an hour and then return immediately. Aurora will probably sleep until we are back. But if you say one word, we will go back in an instant.” He probably fought the urge to do so the whole time. There had been a long discussion between him and Leon. Seemingly, the royal advisor had been forced to swear that he would protect Aurora with his life a dozen times before the couple had agreed to leave.

Cedar scanned the both of them for a moment before speaking. “You could just leave after half an hour too. You only need to talk to the hosts and the ducal families before you are free to run away. Aurora fell asleep when you left, right? She normally sleeps four hours at a time, so it will be fine if you return within two.”

Blanche wasn't convinced by that. She wasn't happy about leaving her daughter at home despite the three maids and a dozen guards and Leon. “I hope so. I want to see my baby.” She leaned her head against her husband's chest and let him console her by patting her head.

It seemed like the conversation was over just in time. The carriage slowed down and came to a halt. Theodore stood up and jumped out of the vehicle. He offered his wife his hand and led her out.

Cedar let out a small sigh when he saw how a servant stumbled away after almost stepping into the others' way while trying to help. He climbed out with more grace than his brother and then turned around to show Lucille a bright smile. “Would you allow me to offer my assistance, My Lady?”

Lucille quickly put her hand on top of his and followed him. He even rested his hand on her back to stabilize her when she reached the bottom, which only made her even more self-conscious. Everyone here was looking at the royal carriage, so they were at the center of attention. Lucille hated it and stepped closer to Cedar, as if that wouldn't make people stare at them even more. Even after she had accompanied him multiple times, she still couldn't get used to the fact that everyone was watching the royal family. She doubted that she would be able to accept it during the next few years, but she would have to accommodate to some extent. At least she would have to if she was still Cedar's then, which she surely hoped.

Cedar waited for his brother to move, and when Theodore took a bit too long, he focused on his lover. His playful grin came back and announced what would follow now. “I didn't tell you the most important thing yet, did I? You look stunning. I knew that dark green matches well with your hair, but you exceed my expectations each time I see you. You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman here.”

Lucille's heart wanted to squirm at that. She forced herself to bashfully make eye contact though. “Thank you very much.” She wasn't sure whether to add this, but she did it anyway. “You are breathtaking as well. I am your partner, so I have to say that, but I'm serious. I'm convinced that you are the most wonderful man here.”

Cedar grinned down at her and, unfortunately, didn't blush in the slightest. Instead, he just came closer and whispered into her ear. “I feel honored to hear that. I have to remind you that I am not just saying this because you are my lover and my partner today either. I may be biased in that regard, I admit it. But I saw countless of the most praised beauties of the nation, and I can proudly announce that you are superior to all of them.”

Lucille shouldn't be proud to hear that, but she was. Now her brain just wanted to give in and start kissing Cedar to return some of the joy she felt. She forced herself to reply verbally though. “Thank you.” She was pretty sure that she had to be the luckiest woman alive to be able to join such a perfect partner. The fact that Cedar liked her still felt like a fairy tale. She would need to remind him how glad she was to have him later. But of course, they were interrupted just a moment before she could try to say anything.

Blanche, who was still cuddling with her husband, didn't even hide how she smiled at the couple. “Cedar is finally getting the hang of it. If he continues like this, he might overwhelm her before they take the next step. He will make sure that Lucille is the happiest woman in this world.”

Theodore let out a snort at that. “The third happiest. No one will be happier than you and Aurora.” As soon as he mentioned his daughter, his smile disappeared again. He glared into the distance and probably went through all imaginable problems in his head already. He was only lost in thoughts, but that made him look rather scary.

Cedar exchanged a short glance with Lucille and whispered to her. “I accept the challenge. We will see.” Then he focused his attention on his brother. He was silent for a few seconds and spoke up when the other man still didn't say anything. “Theodore, would you smile a little? You look like you are in the middle of a battlefield.”

Theodore didn't see the need to fake a smile. “Maybe we are in the middle of one. I dislike the fact that we are visiting that shameless woman, and seeing the dowager empress here won't raise my mood either. If that woman says one thing that makes me believe that she-”

Cedar cut him off. “I thought she wouldn't come? Didn't you say that Leon knocked her out with some drink to ensure that she doesn't send people to the palace right now? I can't imagine that he gave her too little.”

Theodore gritted his teeth for a moment and only got more upset. “If she somehow wakes up from that, I will personally cut off her fingers one after the other. If that wretched woman even dares to-”

This time, Blanche interrupted him. “Theodore, please. You are scary when you get mad. Don't make the guests fear for their lives.” She reached up to pinch her husband's cheek, and his expression immediately softened.

Theodore hugged his wife and muttered a small “I'm sorry” before kissing her. That meant that they were lost in their own world again. Lucille expected them to be gone for a few minutes, but the spouses composed themselves quickly. Theodore led Blanche to the entrance, and the guards let them pass without checking their invitations.

Cedar took that as his cue to turn to Lucille. He showed her a blinding smile and held his hand toward her. “Well, then. Should we visit the second most annoying woman in this nation and show her that there is only one person who can get this close to me?”

For some reason, that sentence was enough to satisfy Lucille. She smiled back at him and took his hand. “Gladly.” She had to admit that being able to stand by his side while Jenna watched was rather pleasing.

The both of them walked toward the building, and Cedar turned to one of the guards near the entrance. “Do we need to show our invitations, or do you believe that we received them too?”

The knight just bowed and stepped aside. “Welcome to the Peril estate, Your Royal Highness. You are free to enter at any given time.”

Cedar scanned the man for a moment longer before walking forward again. “So, that woman still grants me permission to enter her house for no reason. I only ever came here for events, and I hated that enough. There is no way I'll ever visit of my own free will.” It seemed a bit ridiculous that he was smiling so sweetly while saying that. He really had to be annoyed.

Lucille accompanied him into the building while mentally noting that bringing her invitation had been unnecessary. As Cedar had said, Lady Peril had sent the invitation for Lucille to the Valerian estate. Lucille was rather happy that she even received one, even if she found something like this rather petty. After all, she probably wouldn't have gotten it in time if her father hadn't personally brought it to her. But since an invitation wasn't needed if one arrived with members of the royal family, the issue wouldn't have been too big either way.

The couple crossed the foyer and went through the huge opened doors in the center of the opposite wall. They entered the ballroom. Of course, it wasn't as big as the one in the royal palace, but it was impressive nonetheless. It looked much more cozy than many others.

The room itself was round, with tables and small seating areas surrounding the dance floor with the orchestra in the middle. The center was also adorned by a huge golden chandelier, which had to weigh as much as a carriage. Everything was decorated with light blue flowers as well as blue and white garlands and smaller additional items on the tables and the walls. Candles illuminated the whole area, and all in all, it was rather enchanting.

That didn't seem half as impressive if one knew who the host was though.

The royal couple had waited near the entrance. Theodore immediately turned to his brother. “The color of the decorations reminds me of someone's hair color.” Now that he said it, the shade of blue of the items around them was scarily similar to the prince's hair.

Cedar, who had noticed immediately, let out a quiet sigh. “Let me believe that it was a coincidence. Please.”

Theodore turned his attention to someone who approached them. “I would like to believe that too. But look what color her dress is too.”

Lucille followed his gaze and immediately felt annoyance bubble up in her stomach.

Jenna had put on an attire that made her look like an angel, her hair flowing behind her in soft waves. She had gone without her usual dark red lip coloring and instead chose rather natural make-up with light eye shadow. Her dress was in a shade of light blue with some silver and mainly white ornaments. Her attire was more reserved than normal, and her smile appeared to be more welcoming as well. She was beautiful without a doubt. But knowing what her personality was like destroyed that image completely. Even now, Lady Peril was already gawking at Cedar. She ‘hid’ it by blushing and looking to the side, which only made it more obvious.

Theodore exchanged a short look with his brother before greeting Jenna, who had made a curtsy by now. “I wish you a wonderful evening, Lady Peril. We only had a short amount of time to look around, but I have to admit that we are impressed. It seems like your party will be as breathtaking as always. Even the decorations are chosen well.”

Jenna beamed and acted like she was so innocent that it hurt. “Likewise, I am elated to see you here, Your Majesty. I am honored to hear that you are satisfied with our event. You cannot believe how much of a pleasure it is to be able to welcome the members of the royal family into our modest estate. I hope that you will enjoy this evening as much as possible to make up for the time you sacrificed to come here.”

Blanche was quiet for a moment longer than she had to before she replied in an unusually cool tone. “Good evening, Lady Peril. We do not doubt that we will enjoy this ball to the fullest. However, I fear that we cannot stay as long as we would like to. We refuse to leave our daughter alone for more than absolutely necessary. So, please do not feel offended because we will disappear after talking to a few guests.”

Jenna made another curtsy and bowed her head. “I wish you an enjoyable evening as well, Your Majesty. I understand that Her Royal Highness, the crown princess, is your greatest responsibility at the moment. We will not keep you from leaving when the time arises. My husband, who unfortunately is busy at this point in time and will only return in a few minutes, will not blame you either. Please feel free to leave at any given moment. Of course, it is not required, but if you inform me first, I would be honored to accompany you to your carriage when that time arrives.” Naturally, she would be. After all, she wanted to gain as many chances to speak to Cedar as possible. But she wouldn't make progress either way.

Lucille had given up on trying to tell herself to stop being bitter at this point. She hated how Jenna targeted Cedar, and common sense was only a part of the reason. She was jealous, even if it was obvious that her lover wasn't interested in that woman. Maybe she was more upset about Lady Peril not even holding back when Cedar obviously had a partner that held his arm than about the rest too.

In any case, it felt like Jenna was ignoring Lucille again when she scanned the prince with obvious interest.

Cedar probably fought the urge to spite her, but he had to speak. “May your evening be relaxing and full of joy, Lady Peril. I hope that planning this party was not too exhausting. After all, you should still enjoy today's event to the fullest instead of worrying.”

Jenna's face lit up even more. She looked at Cedar in a manner that made it tempting to push her down some stairs. But of course, no one could do that, so she was free to gawk at the prince. “Your Royal Highness, it is a great pleasure and honor to meet you here during our event. I am elated to see that you chose to attend this ball and will do my best to ensure that all the guests are content and happy with this party. It may be a bit exhausting, but the result will be worth it, no matter what.” She stared at Cedar for longer than necessary before she finally turned her attention to Lucille. “I wish you a wonderful evening too, Lady Valerian. I would like to voice my compliments. Your attire is stunning. The royal tailor really does seem to have talent.” She praised the dress and not the one wearing it.

Lucille wasn't sure how to deal with so much unveiled dismay. Of course, she still felt uncomfortable talking to an overwhelming woman like that, but right now, Lucille was the one holding Cedar's arm. She was with the royal family and, more importantly, had the prince's affection. She was his lover. That, or possibly her annoyance upon seeing the other woman staring at Cedar, gave her the courage to speak without averting her eyes. “May you have a beautiful evening as well, Lady Peril. I don't doubt that this event will be perfect when you and your husband are the ones who planned it. I hope that you two will enjoy it as much as we will.” While she clung to Cedar and didn't leave any chance for any other woman to approach him.

Jenna didn't seem to be bothered by that though. She looked down on Lucille. The way that she lifted her fan and hid her mouth made it seem like she was veiling how harshly she judged the other woman. She either was smiling with contempt or gritting her teeth out of anger behind that fan. One way or another, it was rather obvious that she didn't think much of Lucille. “Thank you, Lady Valerian. It is an honor to hear you say that. Of course, I hope that you will enjoy the festivities as well.” She lifted her gaze to the royal couple again. “I do not wish to bother you for long nor keep you from conversing with the guests. There is only one thing I would like to inquire about before we part ways. How long will you stay, Your Majesty? Could give me an estimated time of your departure?”

Blanche responded immediately. “We will leave in an hour at most. Maybe even in half an hour. We will see. We will certainly bid you farewell before we leave though.”

Jenna put on a dejected expression at that. “I understand. That is awfully soon, but I support your decision. After all, being there for your child is the most important thing. However, this still created an issue.” She turned to Cedar. “It will be unfavorable for you if His and Her Majesty leave early, correct? After all, they will take the royal carriage and most of the guards with them. It might be better for you to spend the night here so that you can give the guards a bit of time to come back to pick you up. Just so that you do not have to travel in a less safe carriage or with fewer guards than you could have.” Such a direct invitation was awfully brazen. Even for Lady Peril.

Lucille would have commented on that if she wasn't so baffled. But she could only stick close to her lover while refusing to give him space. She had unwillingly stepped closer when Jenna had come, and now she stayed at that spot to make sure that that woman wouldn't be able to approach Cedar. Even if she knew that he would decline, she was still a bit tense. The thought of him sleeping here was rather unpleasant.

Of course, Cedar just smiled at the offer. “We appreciate the sentiment, Lady Peril. It is not needed though. We will leave along with my brother.” Thankfully.

Jenna almost looked surprised for a moment. Then she hid her face with her fan and glanced down. “I see. That is...dejecting.” She paused for a moment and acted like she was rather disheartened. But a second later, she had some kind of idea, and her smile came back. That probably didn't mean anything good. “Then will you at least join me for a glass of wine later? It has been a while since we managed to have a conversation without the constant meddling of guards or other guests in the background.” That made it sound like she had already met the prince in private, but he certainly wouldn't have allowed that.

Lucille felt annoyance rising inside her. Hadn't Jenna done things like touching Cedar until he lost self-control and pushed her away in the past? And now that woman wanted to see him alone again? There was no way Lucille would let that happen.

Luckily, Cedar already gave that response too. “We really do have to confirm whether that will be possible. After all, I cannot make my brother wait when he wishes to return to the palace. And naturally, I cannot leave my enchanting partner alone either.”

Lady Peril acted like she was upset about that again. “Ah. I fear that it will be hard. But we can try to make a bit of time later. We will see what the future holds.” She curtsied again before making eye contact with the emperor. “I fear that I need to leave now, Your Majesty. I have to converse with some other guests. I hope that you will have a wonderful evening during the short time that you are here.” She left after receiving permission from the emperor.

That left the group alone again, with Lucille still holding onto Cedar's arm. She could swear that she had made eye contact with Jenna for a few seconds, but she couldn't bring herself to care whether that woman watched her. She was here with her lover. Everyone could know that much, especially Lady Peril. So, she merely leaned against Cedar, showing off that exactly one person was allowed to come so close to him.