The marriage peace treaty

Chapter 5 Before the Wedding (Part 4)

Lucius soon regains his composure and starts to ask more questions, mundane things like her favorite color, flower, animal, food, etc. She answered diligently with purple, and black Violet flowers, birds and horses, pudding, etc. He also told her what he liked: Black, yellow roses, cats, chicken rice porridge, etc. The atmosphere is a bit awkward it is comparable. She finds him easy to talk to with him leading the conversation patiently. While he is confused about why he is acting so friendly and low-key excited. Although Maryden is oblivious to his feeling, she just thinks that he is a king gentleman who threats everyone in a friendly manner. She is so used to eyes that either look at her with disgust, hatred, and fear. So when someone is friendly to her it is not because they like her but because they are just friendly to everyone. She does not mind, she thinks that such peapole is a blessing to the world making lonely people like her have a piece of happiness. Such a man should not marry someone like her but a kind and proud woman that he can love with all his heart. Too bad that it won't come true, but she is sure that while they won't love each other they can become good friends. That is better than a loveless marriage where they hate each other. She hopes that he will still be as friendly when he gets to know her true identity. Although she is not ready yet she will tell him soon, keeping such a big secret from your marriage partner will only end much worse than if she tells him sooner. 

After all a reaction hurts a lot more and is more damaging the longer you wait. She will tell him the truth bluntly without saying it directly first and when she is ready she will tell the whole truth. This is for the best even if they don't love each other. They start to eat the fruit and drink the lemonade, as they continue to small talk. Until Lucius asks if it is true that this hut has a hot spring. She nods and he asks if she wants to bathe in it. She declines so he goes in alone. He feels like he needs to calm down and this was the perfect answer. Seeing him leave Maryden decides to sitt on one of the beds to meditate. After 1 hour Lucius walks out of the bath covering his lower body with one of the towels near the hot spring and walks into the hut. He has forgotten that there is a woman with him today. Once he enters the hut Maryden opens her eyes only to see his wet abs and sexy upper body. Now a normal woman would blush or look away, but she living in the army for 9 years has seen many half-naked men so she did not react at all. In fact, she thought that this is normal though she will admit that he is more well-polished and handsome than the others she had seen. 

But Lucius on the other hand although it took him a while he froze when he realized that he has forgotten about her. There are no women in the army he commands since all of them who joined were there for sightseeing, not actual military work so he fired them on the spot. Well, there is one woman but she is gay so she doesn't count. Will she think that I am an exhibitionist? But when he looks at her more thoroughly he realizes that he worried too much, she did not react at all! He realizes that she is probably used to this in the army, but he can't help to be disappointed she is his wife after all and he has always been told that he is sexier than all the other men by both genders. Did they lie to him? No, it must be her who is the problem. Is it because she is too innocent, am I, not her type, or is it because she does not love me? Thinking about the latter possibility he does not know why but he becomes a bit frustrated. But he quickly pushes it aside, what a joke of course she does not love him. She is not one of those fools that fall in love at first sight and there is no way that he is one of them too. She is just more comfortable to be with and they both share a love for swordsmanship. They are both strong and independent human beings. Such peapole only falls in love with someone they get to know for a long time. So he calmly walks towards the other bed and lays down. he goes to sleep while he continues to meditate. 

The next day is the day of the wedding but they don't travel in the same carriage instead there are 2 carriages one for each of them. After all, they are going to slightly different places to get dressed. The wedding will be taking place in the Avilen palace, as is customary that a marriage peace treaty takes place in the royal palace of the bride's home country.