Chapter 193 Chapter 0193

Chapter 193 Chapter 0193
AERITH'S POV

Two days had already passed since Lucien had first looked at me with that strange expression and created doubt in my mind that I might be pregnant, even I for once thought I might be pregnant, but he said that I can't be pregnant because dragon can't have children but I still wanted to be sure about it, so we did a pregnancy test, and it turned out negative, I would admit I was disappointed when the test turned negative, and I was still hoping that maybe, it was the early stage that is the reason the pregnancy test turned negative but somehow, those feeling I felt that day all disappeared, no nausea, no vomiting, no strange hunger that made me feel as though I could eat an entire kitchen. Maybe it was for the best that I wasn't pregnant, because at this point, I am a fugitive, hiding under the same roof as the man who wants me dead. So instead of thinking of a baby, that might be in danger because of me, I decided to focus on more important things, which is to master my magic. The king's birthday was in two days, and after that, Lucien and I were supposed to leave. At least that was the plan, but for now, Lucien had decided that my magic needed to be under control before we moved anywhere. I was still not sure where we would be going, but I was trusting Lucien to make the right decision.

This morning, I sat in a chair in the middle of Lucien, staring intensely at a small wooden object sitting on the table several feet away, trying hard to move it with my eyes, not my mind. "C'mon," I muttered, focusing more on the object while I narrowed my eyes. "Move." The object didn't move. I leaned forward, my eyes fixed on the object, while I rolled my pupils upward. Still nothing. I groaned in frustration. "This is ridiculous." Behind me, Lucien chuckled as I turned around.

"Getting mad for nothing again?" I pouted.

"It wasn't nothing."

"Of course, it's not important." I glared at him.

"Now you are making jest of me?" He shook his head.

"You know I wouldn't dare." I gave him a suspicious look, he was sitting comfortable on the couch watching me, I didn't know when he returned, he was out the early hours of the morning, he had his normal training, I turned back to the object ignoring Lucien, I didn't have time for him, I had already learned to control my vines, that part had become surprisingly easy, I could summon them from my skin without losing control, I could make them disappeared whenever I wanted, I could even make them wrap around object and pull them toward me but this. Gods, moving something with my eyes was impossible. I had seen Raezor do it with ease; I had watched him move me with my chair without touching it. Yet there I was struggling to move a tiny wooden stick on the table.

"What am I doing wrong?" I complained, Lucien stood up from the couch.

"Maybe your mind isn't there." I looked at him.

"What do you mean my mind isn't there when you know I am dying to move it?" He sighed then walked toward me.

"Maybe the energy that you are using, is too much for it." I looked at him.

"Energy?" I asked. He nodded, then stopped in front of me, blocking my view of the object. 

"You have to stop forcing yourself." I stared at him.

"I am not forcing myself, I just want to..." He leaned in and pecked my lips, shutting me up. His kisses were soft and gentle. When he pulled away, I wanted to protest, but he reached down and pulled me gently from the chair. "Lucien."

"Come here," he pulled me toward the couch.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to relax."

"I am relaxed."

"Glaring at pieces of wood around the room doesn't seem like a form of relaxation." I look back at the object.

"It's annoying me."

"That is precisely the problem." He sat down and pulled me with him, before I knew what was happening, my head was already resting against his lap, and I blinked.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you," I smirked inwardly.

"With my head on your lap?"

"Yes," I raised an eyebrow.

"That is your method of relaxation?"

"Do you have a better one?" I opened my mouth, then closed it.

"No," I admitted.

"Exactly," he said, smiling, "then listen to the expert here." I sighed and settled against him, making it clear I needed some distraction. Then Lucien snapped his fingers. My eyes widened; something changed behind him. Then a sudden burst of energy filled the room. Two enormous wings unfolded from his back. I sat up immediately.

"Lucien!" I called. He laughed at the way I was staring at his dragon's wings. They were magnificent; they stretched wider behind him, dark and powerful, their surface shimmering with a strange magical sheen. I had seen his dragon, but I hadn't seen him transformed before, and I had never seen his wings this close. "They are beautiful." I reached toward the wings; Lucien's smile softened. My fingers brushed across the edge of one wing; it was warmer than I expected.

"You can touch them."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," I ran my fingers carefully along the smooth surface.

"They are so soft," Lucien laughed.

"Soft?" He asked

"Yes,"

"Don't tell anyone."

"Why?"

"Because I have a reputation to maintain." I laughed.

"You? A reputation?"

"Very serious." I continued examining his wings, and then he suddenly leaned closer. "Now, let me see those lovely ears of yours." I burst out laughing.

"My ears?" He nodded.

"Yes." Before I could answer, he flicked his fingers. A strange warmth passed over me; my pointed Fae ears appeared instantly. I reached up and touched them.

"I still can't believe you taught me how to hide them."

"You are welcome." Elora had taught me some of the basics of disguise the previous day, saying that was the first spell she learned, but Lucien had helped me perfect it. I could now change my appearance enough to pass as an ordinary human. Then I blinked; my ear disappeared, and my disguise returned. Lucien frowned. "Stop being a party spoiler..." I laughed, letting my disguise fall again and my ears appeared, Lucien smiled,

"Now, your hair." I laughed.

"You want to see that too?"

"Yes." I allowed the disguise to fall; my golden hair shimmered, then slowly the color faded. Silver strands appeared, flowing over my shoulders. Lucien smiled. "There goes my queen." I touched my hair.

"I almost forgot that my hair was no longer gold"

"You shouldn't." He said looking at me.

"Why?"

"Because I like it." I looked at him; he reached for my hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Something." His fingers moved through my silver hair, then he began separating sections, I watched him curiously,

"Like?" He smiled.

"Braiding it."

"You know how to braid?" He laughed

"I told you, I could braid more beautifully than Elora; have you forgotten?" I burst out laughing. I remember the first time we met up at the riverbank; I had complained that Elora braided my hair too tightly and it wasn't even beautiful, and Lucien had said he could braid beautifully. I never took him seriously.

"I thought you were joking."

"I never joke with important things," he said, smiling.

"I underestimated you."

"You did."

"You seemed so arrogant."

"I am arrogant." I nodded,

"That I could live with, and I guess you would make a good handmaid." I mouthed when his fingers continued moving through my hair; he braided it carefully, surprisingly gently, nothing like the way Elora braided. "How do you learn to do this?"

"Queen Lysander!" I paused, then tilted my head to him. I knew the name he mentioned wasn't his mother's name. "She is more of a mother to me than Aria," his voice softened. "She taught me how to be a child, while my mother taught me how to be a weapon." I looked at him. I could already feel the sadness in his voice and expression, but I didn't comment on that; instead, I rested my head against his chest. "Hey, silly girl, how am I supposed to do this, with your head pressed against my chest?"

"Maybe I just want to hear your heartbeat." He smirked, holding my shoulders,

"You will, but first let me finish this."

"Fine," I frowned, pulling away from his chest. When he finished, he gently moved the braid over my shoulder.  

"There." I touched it, then smiled.

"It is beautiful."

"I told you."

"You are very proud of yourself." He nodded,

"I deserve to be." I laughed at his words, then leaned back into his lap. This time, he didn't stop me; he tapped my forehead. "Now," I looked at him, my expression darkening, "your turn."

"My turn?" I pointed to my chest; he nodded; I groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes" 

"But I was comfortable." 

"You are always comfortable when you are avoiding work." I sat up.

"Fine," he smiled, adjusting my position, bringing me back into his lap, my face warmed, "Lucien.

"Focus."

"But you are distracting me."

"Then don't look at me." I rolled my eyes. How can I not look at him when I am lying on his lap, and his handsome face is right in front of me?

"Easy for you to say." He pointed toward the table.

"Forget about the object."

"What?" I frowned. "But that is what I am supposed to move."

"You are thinking about moving it." I nodded, and he tapped my temple. "Instead of thinking about that, think about the connection between you and it and the reason you want to move it."

"Hmm, that sounds nice," I admitted, I really didn’t think of the reason I wanted to move it, so instead of the object on the table, my eyes tilted to my nana's book on the table, I close my eyes took a slow breath, the room became quiet, I could hear Lucien heartbeat beneath me, steady, calm, I breathed again, then I imagine the magic inside me, it was no longer chaotic, it felt like stream if water, they were peaceful, I parted my lashes, and my eyes fall back on my Nana's book then I reach for it, not with my hands, not with my mind but with my eyes, at first nothing happened, slowly, I think of the reason I wanted the book and where I wanted it to be, then I felt something, a tiny pull, my eyes widened, the book just trembled, I gasped.

"Lucien..."

"Don't break focus." He whispered. I swallowed hard, then reached again. Without blinking, I kept my gaze on it. The book moved, just an inch, then another inch. Excitement filled my lungs, then it lifted completely from the table. I stared at it.

"I am doing it." Lucien chuckled

"Keep going." I concentrated harder. The book floated across the room, straight toward me. My hand stretched out, and then it landed gently in my hands. I stared at it, then I screamed. I couldn't hold my happiness.

"I did it." I jumped up from his lap. "I did it!" Lucien laughed as I turned toward him, "I actually did it."

"You did." I hugged him without thinking, his arms immediately wrapped around me. "I know you could." I pulled away, grinning.

"Because of you!" He looked at me. I leaned into him, and I pecked his lips. "You are the best thing that happened to me."