Chapter 362: The Last Moments of the Gathering

Chapter 361: The Last Moments of the Gathering

Lyria’s POV

"Have you?" he asked softly.

She nodded.

"Me mum says I’m always talkin’ about ye."

Lucian’s mouth twitched.

"I hope she speaks favourably of me."

"She says ye’re handsome."

Lucian blinked.

I covered my mouth.

Duke Valenridge turned away, clearly attempting to conceal his amusement.

Samantha, however, appeared entirely unaware that she had said anything particularly remarkable.

"She said ye look like one of them princes in the storybooks."

Lucian cleared his throat.

"Your mother is exceedingly generous."

Samantha frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means she is very kind."

"Oh."

She nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation.

Then she tugged at his hand.

"C’me."

Lucian looked towards her.

"Where are we going?"

"I’m gonna show ye me mum."

"Very well."

"And me little brothers."

"Little brothers?"

"Two."

She held up two fingers.

"They’re twins. They’re a right nuisance."

Lucian’s eyebrows rose.

"I see."

"They’ll probably ask ye if ye can fight."

"I suspect they shall."

Samantha giggled.

"They ask everyone that."

She tugged his hand again.

"C’mon. They’re waitin’."

Lucian allowed himself to be led forward.

Then he stopped.

Samantha turned around.

For the first time since she had approached him, I noticed a flicker of uncertainty cross her face.

Lucian, however, merely looked down at her with a faint smile.

"Since it is your birthday, I believe I ought to make you a proposal."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

"You have agreed to introduce me to your family."

She nodded.

"In return, I shall remain your companion for the remainder of the afternoon."

Samantha stared at him.

"Really?"

"Really."

Her face lit up.

"Then ye’re my partner!"

Lucian smiled.

"For today, at least."

She squeezed his hand.

"Best birthday ever."

Then she turned and began dragging him into the crowd.

"Come on, Your Grace!"

Lucian followed, his expression somewhere between amusement and resignation.

"I am coming, Miss Samantha."

"You’ve got to meet me mum first."

"Of course."

"An’ then me brothers."

"I shall endeavour to make their acquaintance."

"And don’t be too fancy."

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"Too fancy?"

"Me mum gets nervous round fancy folk."

Something softened in Lucian’s expression.

"Then I shall endeavour not to make her nervous."

Samantha beamed.

"Good."

Then she disappeared with him into the crowd, still holding his hand.

Duke Valenridge watched him disappear.

"I believe he has been claimed."

"Quite thoroughly, it would seem," Baron Redwick replied.

Soon enough, the rest of us were surrounded as well.

The commoners drew closer, though there was still a certain hesitation among them. They were excited, certainly, but many seemed uncertain about how much freedom they were permitted in the presence of nobility and royalty.

Children, however, appeared to have no such concerns.

They darted between adults, laughing and calling out to one another.

Then I felt a small tug upon my gown.

I looked down.

Brianna stood there.

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

She looked as though she wished to throw her arms around me, but stopped herself at the last moment.

Instead, she attempted a curtsy.

It was terribly crooked.

Not much different from mine, really.

I laughed softly.

Then I curtsied in return.

Brianna’s face broke into a grin.

"Yer pretty."

I felt something warm settle in my chest.

Another woman smiled just then.

"She is, ain’t she?"

"Look at ’er gown!"

"She’s lovely."

"Look at ’er hair."

"Her ’Ighness is beautiful."

The words came from every direction.

Flowers were pressed into my hands.

A woman gave me a small bundle of herbs, insisting they would bring good fortune.

A little boy presented me with a smooth stone.

"It’s lucky," he told me proudly. "Found it meself by the river."

I looked at the stone.

"Thank you."

The boy beamed.

Then I noticed something.

Not once did anyone recoil.

Not once did anyone’s gaze linger upon my scar before hurriedly turning away.

They simply looked at me.

They smiled.

They spoke to me.

They saw me.

And somehow, that felt more precious than all the jewels in the palace.

Nearby, Earl Hawthorne had acquired an audience of his own.

Several young boys were staring up at him as though he were some extraordinary creature.

"How’d ye get so big?" one of them asked.

Benedict laughed.

"Training."

The boy frowned.

"That’s all?"

"That, and a considerable amount of food."

The boys exchanged solemn glances.

One nodded.

"Me mum says ye’re a war ’ero."

Benedict’s expression softened.

"Your mother is exceedingly kind."

Another boy tugged upon his sleeve.

"Can ye lift a horse?"

Benedict stared at him.

Then laughed.

"I believe that may be asking rather too much of me."

The boy looked disappointed.

Benedict seemed to notice.

"Although," he added, "I have lifted a rather heavy man before."

The boy’s eyes widened.

"How heavy?"

"Heavy enough that I regretted offering."

The children burst into laughter.

Elsewhere, Duke Valenridge had attracted a little girl who was staring intently at his hair.

She tugged lightly at his sleeve.

"Why’s yer ’air so red?"

Valenridge looked down.

"Because I was fortunate enough to be born with it."

"Does everyone ’ave red ’air where ye come from?"

"No. Only my family."

The girl considered this carefully.

Then she nodded.

"That’s special."

Valenridge smiled.

"I suppose it is."

Baron Redwick, meanwhile, appeared to be enduring an interrogation.

"Wot’s yer favourite book?"

"Have ye read all of ’em?"

"’Ow many books’ve ye got?"

The poor man adjusted his spectacles.

"I have read a great many."

"All of ’em?"

"No."

The children stared.

"There are simply too many books in the world for one man to read them all."

One boy frowned.

"Even you?"

"Even me."

They seemed genuinely astonished by this revelation.

Then they laughed.

Duke Thorncrest, meanwhile, was surrounded by children who appeared entirely convinced that he was a legendary hero.

"Did ye really fight a bear?"

The duke looked offended.

"Who told you that?"

"My brother."

"Your brother is a liar."

The boy’s mouth fell open.

Thorncrest leaned closer.

"It was not a bear."

"What was it?"

"A very large wolf."

The children stared.

"It was that big," the duke said, spreading his arms as wide as possible.

"That big?"

"Perhaps slightly smaller."

The children burst into laughter.

I could not help smiling.

The duke had a remarkable talent for making even the simplest conversation entertaining.

Everywhere I looked, the suitors were surrounded.

Even Silverwyn, whose usual arrogance seemed impossible to miss, had been forced into conversations with several admiring women. His expression remained smug, but I noticed that he seemed genuinely surprised by the attention.