The Guarded Princess

XLVII

Most of the world's leaders had gathered in the dining area, sitting in their respective seats as their servants and followers stood to their side. Hakuei, Koumei, and Kouha had returned from informing their generals of the situation and after a quick lunch break, they had started planning things out along with the rest of the leading generals of each country.

"Little princess, over here!" Sinbad grinned and waved.

"You'll be coming over here, Lucy," Hakuei smiled as she placed her two hands on Lucy's shoulders and motioned her over to where she had been sitting. "The rest of you can go enjoy lunch by yourselves. Though, I wouldn't mind if Masrur-dono were to join as well."

He nodded his head and followed Lucy who turned around and smiled apologetically.

That woman, Kouen furrowed his eyebrows together and scowled.

As Hakuei seated Lucy down beside her, Hakuryuu brightened up but as he did so, the eyes of everyone else showed nothing but dissatisfaction. Kouha and Kougyoku ground their teeth together as Koumei just sighed - he, too, having hoped that Lucy would be eating with them. Kouen sat on his throne with a discontent look and ate his platter of food that was set before him by the servants.

Hakuei and Hakuryuu just ignored the daggers that Kouen threw at them, though Lucy and Masrur were quite uncomfortable for his eyes seemed like they were going to bore holes in their heads.

"Lucy-neesan, here," Hakuryuu put some of the steamed pork and radish into her bowl. "They're really good!"

Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Hakuryuu."

"Here, have some of this, too," Hakuei set upon her plate a platter of shrimp rice noodle. "You used to eat this all the time. Though, anything that has seafood in it, you always liked it."

"You remembered," she looked at Hakuei.

"Of course. You're our treasured Lucy, after all," she smiled with a small blush on her cheeks.

As the two spoiled Lucy with food, Kouen continued to glare at them and the air around him was thick and tense with no hope of changing. Koumei gulped his food, not liking how cold the atmosphere was and hating the sour expression on not only his older brother's face but his younger siblings' faces. It was killing his appetite. Though, Lucy was partly to blame as well. She knew full well of the tense relationship between Kouen and Hakuei and Hakuryuu but when it came to food, she completely forgot her surroundings. Moreover, the cute face she was making as she ate the food...of course Kouen would have such a mood.

Masrur glanced at Lucy and reaching out a hand, he wiped the corner of her mouth. "You had something," he licked his finger.

Lucy touched the corner of her mouth and noticed that it was gone. "Thank you, Masrur," she flashed a bright smile.

He smiled but on the other side of the room, he could feel a coldness running down his spine and he turned around and as expected, Kouen was glaring daggers at him. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and he returned back to eating his food.

Hakuei watched her eat with a contented expression, glad to see her doing well. Hakuryuu, too, gazed at her with longing and gentle eyes for other than Hakuei, the one person who he treasured was Lucy considering how long they all had spent with one another inside the Imperial Palace. The two had heard of what had happened with Lucy and needless to say, they were ready to go kill someone. But, they knew that she would be fine by Kouen's side and sure enough, she really did look happy.

"Lucy," she spoke up. "We'll be in your care."

Lucy stopped eating and smiled softly, nodding her head. "It'll be okay, Hakuei. I have no intention of letting any harm get to you guys."