Whole day has passed and the prince was nowhere to be seen.
"He can't keep me here forever..." Maze was getting sick of being in the same two rooms all this time. She had absolutely no entertainment, not even a book. "What does he think I'll kill him with a paper cut? Hmm, that's a thought..." she trailed off as someone finally came in. "Your Highness." Maze was oddly hoping it was Lucian, but it was just Naya with dinner.
"Naya, where is the prince?" She didn't care how loud she's asking the question but no guard came in when Naya told her that the prince has duties to fulfil in the kingdom. Maze was wondering if that was truth as Naya seemed oddly quick to answer.
"Could you tell him I would like to see him?" Maze asked and Naya bowed.
Evening came and the sun has set, letting no light through the narrow windows up near the ceiling.
Maze could barely see but this night no one came to light her fire and candles.
She managed to find the door in near darkness and knocked. "Hello! Can anyone hear me?! My fire is not lit!" No answer came from the other side.
She heard rustling behind her and she quickly turned around and put her back flat against the door. By now, all remaining light was suffocated by the darkness. Maze couldn't even see her own hands. She tried to focus her hearing on the room but her racing heart was too loud. A noise from her left.. no right.. Blue glow passed in front of her and she slid down to the floor. Back firmly against the door.
"Don't be afraid." Lucians voice came from all directions at once. "Lucian! Where are you? I can't see anything. The fires were....."
"Shhh, there is a assassin in the palace. I'm hunting him. Get under the bed and stay there until I come for you." Maze was scared but she felt the bed post out in the darkness and she did as instructed. She wondered how Lucian got in and out of her chamber like this. She didn't see the door open or any light. She came to a conclusion that there must be secret passageways all around the palace. She stayed under the bed for what seemed like hours now. Finally the door opened and Lucian burst in. "Wife!" He called out and Maze crawled out from under the bed. Before she could straighten herself he was next to her. "Are you alright? Did you hear anyone outside?" He placed his hands on the sides of her face. She shook her head no and kept staring at his bloody face. He's blue eyes glowing in the darkness.
"There were a few of them. We don't know how many..." Lucian was still studying petrified Maze when he realised he's covered in blood. She looked at him with so much fear.
A soldier run in and informed him that they got one alive. "Take him to the dungeons and find out what he knows. Send a slave here and have guards at this door every second of every hour."
He let go of Maze to give her space. She looked like she was about to vomit from seeing the blood on him. A slave hurried in and started lighting the candles, another came up to Lucian and bowed awaiting his orders.
"Fill my bath and put my sword on the fire near the bath. Bring wine too... loads of it." Lucian said and handed the sword over to the slave. Once he was away, the prince sat down in an arm chair and poured water in a cup and the rest of the vase he emptied on his face. Maze still stood there, on the same spot. "Help me, wife." He directed to her and she hurried to help undo the knots on his shirt. She grabbed the bottom and pulled it over his head. Once the bloody shirt was off she noticed that most of this blood was his own. He's been hit with an arrow and he pulled it out. "The arrow head is still there. They make them like that on purpose so that soldiers die even if they get help.." he explained and passed a dagger to her. "If you're to be my wife, you need to learn a few things. First example.. taking an arrowhead out without killing me." Lucian looked at her and started drinking the wine he asked for earlier. He poured some on his shoulder and indicated for her to start taking it out.
"I need water, clean cloth and definitely more wine." Maze woke up from this haze and remembered when her brothers used to come back with wounds and she had to nurse them back to health so they could lead the sheep out in the morning without their mother noticing they got themselves into trouble again. Unfortunately, one day they never came back. Months went by and her mother received a message that they have been hanged for stealing.
Lucian was surprised how steady her hands were when she started to clean the dried blood around the wound so she can see better. He watched her intently. Her green eyes focusing on what she was doing, her brow slightly creased from the intensity of her concentration. Long strands of black hair, softly falling on her high cheekbones... "Right, it's quite deep so it will hurt like hell." Maze warned him.
"You have no idea." Lucian kept his body relaxed and he didn't even flinch a muscle when she cut the wound diagonally with the blade. She rinsed it in water and put in the fire that was now lit. She returned and poured more wine on the open wound. She took a swig herself and she dug her fingers deep into the princes flesh. Even then, he has not moved a muscle. Droplets of sweat formed on his skin but he seemed like he felt no pain.
Maze finally felt the head and got a solid hold on it. She slowly pulled it out so she doesn't cause even more damage. She dropped the metal in the bloody water and grabbed the red hot dagger. She wiped the blood and pressed the dagger fast onto Lucians flesh. The sizzle and the smell made her slightly sick, but she held her composure. "Naya, bring me fresh egg." Maze told the old woman. She hurried away. Returning her gaze to Lucian, she saw his amusement.
"What? I had three older brothers. They used to come back wounded all the time." Maze answered the unsaid question. "Did they die from your healing skills?" Lucian laughed as he looked at his shoulder.
"If you want I can stab you again and you can do it yourself." Maze rolled her eyes at him. Once Naya brought the egg Maze asked for she cracked and whipped it in an empty cup. She dipped her fingers in it and put it on the fresh burn. Lucian was watching what she was doing intently. "It's for the healing. Egg helps, stoops the boils so they can't get infected." She explained, gently applying the egg on his skin.
Lucian placed his hand on hers. For a moment he felt something. Something deep down in his dark soul. He looked into her eyes and for the first time in his long existence he felt love. He lost himself in the light emotion. Maze pulled her hand away and took a step back. "Out!" Lucian ordered the slaves and raised from the chair. "Come, wife. You will help me bathe." He put his hand out and she slowly took it. He lead her into the bath chamber and started undoing his trouser knots. Maze turned away embarrassed. "Don't look away. Come help me with it."
Maze was really nervous at this point. She never seen a man naked. She only heard stories from some of the girls who had husbands. She blushed but approached him closer. She took the strings into her hands and she tried her best not to touch Lucians skin or anything that was under the material. Her hands were shaking at this point, but she managed to get the double knot out. The material fell to the ground and she shut her eyes before she could see anything. "Open your eyes." A whisper, close to her ear made her butterflies flutter. She opened her eyes and looked straight into Lucians eyes. He looked around her face and neck. He traced his finger up her arm and slowly pulled the string of their dress down. It fell revealing one of her breasts but she didn't flinch. She kept stealing into his eyes, even though he was looking all over her body. He moved around her like a predator observing its prey. From behind her he moved her hair to one side and made the other shoulder strap slip down her soft skin. She was absolutely naked. All Maze wanted to do was to hide her body and run away.
"You're exquisite." Lucians voice frightened her, making her body jump slightly. "I won't take you until you tell me to. I want you to want me as much as I want you. Only then, I'll touch you. You have my word." She felt his lips on her bum cheek and felt the nightgown slip up again. Lucian smelled the fear on her. Heard her heart pound even with his human hearing. Maze let out a breath she was holding for gods know how long.
Lucian got in the bath and instructed her to brush his hair. She gathered all the strands and hung it over the edge of the bath. She reached for a comb and started at the ends.
"Lucian, why do you insist on calling me 'wife'?" She asked after a while of uncomfortable silence.
"Because you're my wife... besides, you never told me your name and I didn't want to change it. I thought you'd might keep it." He answered with low voice. Almost as if he's falling asleep.
"You never asked." She replied.
"My dearest wife, what is your name?"
"My name is Mazikeen, but people call me Maze." She said and her voice sounded sad. Her mother used to call her Maze.
"Mazikeen.... I'm glad I didn't change it. Mazikeen suits you. Maze..." the prince trailed off into his own thoughts. Once she brushed his hair out, she helped him was she remaining blood off of his body. "I think I'll wait there.." Maze murmured and she exited into the bed chamber. She wasn't sure what she should do with herself. She decided to sit on the ends of the bed. Minutes have gone by and there was still no sign of Lucian. She decided she will lay down under the covers so that he can just leave her and go to his chambers.
She heard his footsteps and immediately she felt stupid for feeling scared. He walked out with only night trousers of. He's jet black hair was still wet and fell loose around his face, onto his chest. Maze could see why she felt like a doll in his arms. He looked strong. He's broad shoulders were in perfect proportion to his chest and stomach. Arms strong and muscular. She blushed at the sight but it was hard to look away. How could someone she supposed to hate be so handsome?
She watched him as he went around the bed and climbed under the covers. "Wha..what are you doing?" Maze sat up. "Until I know how many assassins there were in the palace, I'm not leaving you at night. In the day time you will also be close to me." Lucian yawned the last words out and ended the conversation. "Sleep well."
