The Tower of Nearness

Chapter 5: What was Given

Saren had been surprised by him. He'd done it. He'd collected all the weeds. She'd honestly expected him to give up. She had been watching from the woods when, Ian, her pet duck attacked him. Any normal prince would have turned his back on her already... but not Lucian. It was... different.

"What do we do now?" he asked, "What must we do to set you free?"

She frowned. He was adamant. She'd really hoped that the task would make him think that she wasn't worth the effort. She looked at the dark sky. It was growing late and the cold was beginning to seep in.

A sudden idea popped into her head. Maybe spending the night out in the cold would give him some second thoughts. If not, at least it would provide her some time to think of another task to rid him. 

"I'm afraid, dear prince," she stated, "The spell can only be performed in sunlight!"

"What? So we must wait?" he sounded angry, but if he didn't like it. He could leave.

"I'm afraid so, my Prince..." she tried not to sound pleased. "Perhaps you had better leave and forget about this quest! There are far easier quests to perform."

He was so quiet that if she hadn't been looking at him, Saren was sure he would have disappeared.

"No... I'll wait." He said resignedly and headed to his little camp.

"Prince Lucian?" she called out from her window.

She heard a grunt. She smiled; she liked him better when he didn't act all princely.

"Lucian?" She repeated, "Why don't you go back to the village?"

"But then, how will I protect you?"

"It's highly unlikely that something will happen to me tonight..." or any other night for that matter...

"I'll stay, besides," he turned his face up to the night sky that covered the earth in its never-ending cloak of darkest blue and glittering stars, "It's a lovely night."

She followed his gaze upwards. It reminded her of a lady of the courts wearing her finest dress. The stars merely playing sequins and baubles in the black and blue velvet fabric. The crescent moon, an adorned necklace chosen for her by her lover.

She glanced at him and found him staring at her with a peculiarly intense gaze. Blood rushed to her face.

She turned away, mortified at herself for actually blushing. She didn't blush. Blushing was for idiots and young girls barely out of childhood.

An icy wind clawed around her shoulders, digging into her flesh, forcing her focus back to the present day. If she was feeling the weather from the safety of her fire warmed tower, she could only imagine how Lucian felt. She left the window to retrieve a thin blanket for him and hastened back to the window before she could second guess herself.

"Lucian?" She called down. "Come close!"

He didn't question her order and came to under the window.

"Catch!" She dropped the blanket. "It's not much, but might help a little bit."

He examined the blanket in awe and then looked up at her with a quizzical expression.

"What's this for?"

"It's a blanket. To keep you warm." She explained. Don't make me regret this...

"What about you?" He questioned, "Won't you be cold?"

"I have a spare one." She answered. She felt that it would be redundant to tell him that it was big, fluffy, and extremely warm. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

He was silent for so long that she began to worry he was going to refuse it out of some sense of princely duty.

"Thanks! It's freezing out here!" He said catching her off-guard.

She nearly burst out laughing. He really was different... but still a prince. It was a sobering thought.

"Goodnight Lucian."

"Goodnight Saren, sleep well." He smiled at her and went to his makeshift bed.

She allowed herself a small smile as she herself climbed into bed. Feeling eyes boring holes into her head, she turned to see Ian glaring at her. Or at least she assumed he was. It wasn't easy to tell with ducks.

"Oh come on," she rolled her eyes. "He'll be gone by morning with this cold."

As if it were possible, he issued a quack that she interrupted as 'yeah, right.'

"Fine! If he's still here tomorrow then I'll...." she hesitated before a sudden and slightly evil thought made its presence known. "I'll send him to the cave."

Ian seemed pleased by this. She frowned. She needed to stop personifying Ian. It was beginning to disturb her.

She fell back in her bed and closed her eyes. She could hear someone softly singing... a male's smooth baritone. Lucian? She didn't get out of bed to check. She was afraid that if she did she would break the moment. So, she stayed and let the lull of his voice wash over her and lead her into sleep.