Huntress [REWRITE] - NaNoWriMo 2023

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Lucilia's afternoon was amazing, but her evening was a completely different story. She had a feeling of dread about halfway through the afternoon and decided to head back early. She found a family visiting her parents and was both relieved that she came back early and annoyed. If she didn't get ready in time, her parents would be upset with her. But... if she wasn't here for them to yell at that might be better.

No, her father would know where to find her. He wouldn't send the guards either, he would go himself. Which would be worse.

Lucilia had to rush back to her room to put back on the dress she was in this morning and to re-do her hair before her parents found her. Her mother would most likely retrieve her from her room for dinner to make sure she was meeting her standards.

Right after she finished re-braiding her hair in a slightly more elaborate style, her mother barged into her room.

Her mother looked up and down her body several times and then frowned. "You put back on your morning dress?"

Lucilia looked down at herself and then back at her mother, "what is wrong with this dress?"

Her mother sighed dramatically, "we have company and they are important." She rushed over to Lucilia's closet and started rummaging. Lucilia noted that her mothers dress was much nicer than usual, almost to the point of one of her fancy dinners but not quite. Missing a few ruffles to be that fancy.

She watched as her mother pulled out three dresses and laid them onto Lucilia's bed. She then looked them each over one-by-one and looked back at Lucilia, evaluating. Then she picked up a deep burgundy one and held it up. "This one works best, hurry get the other one off."

Lucilia rushed to change, there was no point in fighting. She would only lose, especially when there are visitors.

Once she was changed, her mother inspected her face and hair, but those were up to her higher standards. Her mother pushed her out of her bedroom door and made her hurry to the dining room. She slowed down right before the doors and let her mother go in before her. Her mother liked to enter a room first.

"I finally found her!" Her mother announced as they strode over to the dining room. There was a family of five seated at the table and that startled Lucilia slightly. No wonder her mother was panicking, usually when surprise guests arrive, there are only two or three of them. Five is more than usual.

Her mother pointed to a seat to sit in on the left side of her father, second chair in. Her mother sat to her right, directly to the left of her father.

Across the table was a boy not much older than Lucilia with dark brown hair, to his left was what looked his father and to his left looked like his mother. The other two people at the table were mini versions of this boy, probably younger brothers and one of them was sitting to Lucilia's left.

The staff came out as soon as they sat down and started serving the fist course. Her father and the other man starting talking immediately about the kingdom and what was happening in the castle. They both seemed to have different inside information that they traded back and forth like a game. The two boys to Lucilia's left started giggling and joking which made it difficult for Lucilia to pay attention to the important conversation.

When the first course ended, and the second was being served, the boy across from Lucilia cleared his throat, which made her look up in surprise.

"So, what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?"

Lucilia was surprised, she put down her fork and smiled a little, "I like to read. What do you like to do in your spare time?"

He nodded, with a slight concern on his face, "I do like to go hunting. Have you ever hunted before?"