Chapter 475: What the Crown Had Wrought

Chapter 474: What the Crown Had Wrought

Lyria’s POV

Lucian paused when he beheld the cat upon my lap, his countenance shifting into one of mild astonishment.

"Since when did you acquire a cat?" he asked.

I could not help but smile at his surprise.

"He b-became my c-companion r-recently," I said.

Lucian’s brow furrowed slightly.

"I knew I had caught a peculiar scent upon our journey to Gallowshill," he said. "But for some odd reason, I never attributed it to a cat."

I laughed softly, then lifted Zephyr that Lucian might see him properly.

"Your G-Grace," I said, "this is Z-Zephyr."

Zephyr, who did not appear to relish being displayed in so undignified a manner, began to fuss at once, twisting in my grasp with considerable indignation. I set him down upon the floor without delay, and he immediately set about smoothing his ruffled fur with an air of profound offence.

And then I watched in surprise as he approached Lucian — for I had been quite certain he meant to attack him, as he so often did with others.

"Zephyr d-does not l-like..." I began, but stopped when I perceived the unimaginable scene unfolding before me.

Lucian had crouched down, extending one hand towards the cat, and Zephyr, rather than hissing or swiping as he did with nearly every other soul, had placed a paw directly into Lucian’s palm.

Lucian ran his fingers through his fur, and Zephyr, far from objecting, closed his eyes in evident contentment.

I stared at the scene before me.

"This i-is quite s-shocking," I said. "Zephyr d-does not l-like a-anybody. E-Especially not upon f-first acquaintance. Even Duke V-Valenridge had to b-bribe him with s-snacks."

Lucian glanced up at me.

"Evander knows of him?"

I nodded.

"He d-does. I b-believe the t-two of them have even b-become akin to f-friends now. And Duke T-Thorncrest has made Z-Zephyr’s acquaintance also."

"How fortunate for them," Lucian muttered. "I confess I am rather jealous that every other soul appears to have met Zephyr before myself."

"A-At least you h-have m-met him now," I pointed out.

Lucian nodded, though a slight frown remained upon his countenance. He gathered Zephyr into his arms, and Zephyr settled as though he had known Lucian this long while.

Lucian looked at me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I am w-well," I said.

He tilted his head, those blue eyes of his observing me closely.

"Are you quite certain of it? I saw you after your conversation with Jim, and you appeared rather out of sorts."

I laughed, though the sound carried no true mirth.

"I was m-merely lost in th-thought," I told him.

"What thoughts, precisely?"

I shook my head.

"You n-need not t-trouble yourself, Your G-Grace."

Lucian studied me a moment longer, then reached into his coat and extended something towards me.

I frowned, taking it from him.

It was an ointment, held within a small glass jar, its contents a pale, fragrant cream.

"I know you insisted that only you may know when you are hurt, and the extent of your own pain," Lucian said. "But still, I could not simply stand by, knowing you to be injured. For you are hurt, Your Highness."

I looked down at the ointment, then back at him.

"I do not possess one such as the last I gave you," he continued. "This one is not so effective, but it shall still prove of some help."

I nodded slowly.

"Thank you," I said. "And I am s-sorry — for b-being so h-harsh with y-you earlier, in the f-fields."

Lucian sighed at that.

"I must confess I disliked that you were so very stubborn," he said. "But I came to understand the reason for it, later. It was for that reason I let you walk down alone."

"But," he added, after a pause, "I must also confess it wounded me that you wished for my help in nothing whatsoever. For I should do anything for your sake, and I detest seeing you hurt. Truly."

"I t-too should h-hate to see you h-hurt," I said, with a smile. "So I c-can understand y-you well enough."

Lucian stared at me a moment.

Then he shook his head, a low laugh escaping him.

"It is not quite the same," he muttered, almost to himself alone.

I was upon the point of asking him to explain when he spoke again.

"What did you speak of with Jim?"

"We s-shall need to h-hold a m-meeting with all of us," I answered at once. "But Jim i-is open to g-giving us a c-chance, which was precisely what I a-aimed for. He is w-willing to h-hear us, and that i-is a beginning. For if he is willing to h-hear us, then we c-could arrive at a d-decision, c-could we n-not?"

Lucian nodded slowly.

"Even though Jim stands open to you, the same cannot be said for the rest, can it?"

"I know i-it is n-not," I said. "But Jim i-is a beginning. I s-suspect the people f-follow him. His d-decisions guide them. And one th-thing of which I am quite c-certain is that every soul in th-this town — every p-person — loves this town dearly. If they s-see that I am genuine, and n-not only I, b-but the other nobles t-too, it shall only be a m-matter of time before they c-come to be more o-open towards us."

I paused, a frown upon my face, then added:

"One th-thing Duke Valenridge told us was th-that the people of this t-town are misunderstood. I am b-beginning to see the truth of it. They have been s-scorned and n-neglected, but there i-is more to this t-town than th-that alone. People s-see only their hatred of n-nobles. They do n-not trouble themselves to ask w-why a town such as th-this should hate n-nobles so. There is m-much m-more to t-this t-town, I b-believe."

I gazed directly at Lucian.

"For the C-Crown’s cruelty extends to m-most places, does it n-not? What more, then, of a t-town like Gallowshill, which h-has no protection from a l-leader such as y-yourself?"

Lucian’s frown deepened.

"When you speak of cruelty," he said, "what precisely is it you mean?"

I stared at him.

"D-Do you w-wish to pretend as though you d-do not understand the c-cruelty of the C-Crown?" I asked.