The Villainess Wants More

Part 9

It had been 2 weeks since the fiasco at the imperial palace with the second prince. Due to her being grounded, Lucienne had been forbidden from leaving the duchy and she hadn't received any updates about her sudden engagement to Ennox. She was sitting in front of her window drawing when she looked up to see one of the front gate guards running up the driveway. She stood from her chair and watched. She exited her room and peeked down the staircase. She could only faintly hear the conversation the out of breath guard was having with her father. "Sir... is here.... Let in?" She could hear her father grumbling and she decided to get closer. "Daddy?" She reached the bottom and went up to her dad. "Lucienne!" He gasped. "Who's here?" She asked the guard. The guard frantically looked at Lucienne's dad and he sighed. "Lucienne the prince is here to retrieve you." He shook his head and looked at the guard. "Let him in." He shoed the guard away. The guard hurried back outside. "Lucienne, come." He guided her to his study. They sat down. "My dear daughter I must ask you, is this really what you want?" He rubbed his head to soothe his migraine. Lucienne sat silent. She was thinking. "Yes. I do love Erno. I wish to marry him." She finally said. Her father looked at her. "You are not marrying just 'Erno', you are marrying the second prince. Do you know what this means for you?" She thought about his words. She had thought about this before. "I've come to the conclusion that I am prepared. I want to marry the second prince. I will face whatever comes my way with grace." She sternly said. Her father looked into her eyes. She had a flame in them that could not be put out. He sighed once more and called for Mel. "Mel, have the maids begin packing Lucienne's belongings." Mel nodded and quickly left. Lucienne looked up at her father and hugged him. "Thank you Daddy." She whispered. He patted her back before hugging her. "Anything my daughter wants she may have. And besides," He chuckled. "Your mother would have wanted this." He stood and helped Lucienne to her feet. They both headed to the doors and opened them. Her brothers met them on the steps as the imperial carriage rolled up. The door opened and Ennox stepped out. "Lucienne!" He called. She smiled and skipped down the steps to meet him. "Erno!" She hugged him. He could sense the stares he was getting from the top of the steps and he fought the urge to kiss her right then and there. Partly because he had missed her so dearly and partly because he wanted to urk the nerves of his new in-laws. She released him and he held out his arm for her to grab. They walked up the stairs together and Lucienne's family begrudgingly bowed to the prince. They arose and Ennox reached out his hand to the head of the house. "Greetings Duke Delverne. I fear we got off on the wrong foot beforehand. Why dont we start anew." The Duke reached out and shook his hand, grumbling under his breath. Ennox went down the line and turned to Colvette. "Ah the heir!" He shook his hand aswell. "Looking forward to having you be my brother in law Colvette." He narrowed his eyes. Colvette felt his blood temperature rising. He looked over to his sister and saw her expectant face. He took a deep breath and wryly smiled. "Yes I couldn't agree more." The twins were next. He looked at them and chuckled. That alone riled up Rudnine and Kalin grabbed his brothers shoulder. They both said their greetings and avoided his hand shake. "Why don't we all go inside and enjoy some tea, get to know each other better!" Lucienne perked up, sensing the tension. Her father turned and started inside. She took that as a passive aggressive agreement and led the rest of them inside.

They entered the sitting room and sat down. Lucienne and Ennox sat on one side while her brothers sat across from them. Her father sat at the end of the table on a chair. It was silent for a while before Ennox turned to Lucienne. "I've missed you terribly. I sent letters but as I expected, they never got to you." He caressed her face. She sighed and smiled. "Yes I missed you as-" she was interrupted by her father loudly clearing his throat. "So... Your highness-" Ennox stopped him. "Please, call me Ennox" Her father continued "So, Ennox... why have you decided you wanted to marry my daughter. Marrying her gives you no advantage." He glared at Ennox. Ennox placed his hand on top of Lucienne's, much to the duke's dismay, and smiled. "I am not marrying Lucienne for gain of power. I am marrying her because she is perfect." His eyes seemed to glow. "Lucienne is everything. She is the one I was made for. I do not wish to trap her, or make her unhappy, I just wish to have her love." While this was mostly true, he could not deny that he did wish to have her all to himself. He wished that anyone who wanted her would die and he could just keep her with him and by his side forever, but he restrained himself. Her father grunted and looked over at her brothers. Kalin rolled his eyes. "We know that Lucienne is perfect. But what about you? What could you do for Lucienne. Don't you know how hard this must be for her." He sadly looked at Lucienne. Ennox nodded. "Yes, I know the trials she will have to face in my stead. But I am going to be her shield. Whomever wishes to hurt her will have to see me dead before they even fathom the idea of her being hurt." He proclaimed. The twins looked at each other and sat back in their seat. Colvette thought about his words. "What is the life you have planned for you and my sister?" He leaned in. "Me and her will live happily and luxuriously in the comfort of my palace. I shall provide her with anything she requires or requests. I am not the heir to the throne so she will live in ease." Lucienne looked up at Ennox. She remembered his words to her two weeks ago. "We could rule together." Was what he said. She kept silent. He noticed her looking at him and grabbed a strand of her hair. He played with it before kissing it. She blushed and looked away. Colvette furrowed his eyebrows and scowled. The twins looked at him in shock. Even on the battlefield he remained calm and composed. This was the angriest he had ever looked. There was a knock at the door and Mel walked in. "My lord, Lady Lucienne's belongings are fully packed." He bowed and waited. Ennox looked down at Lucienne. "I shall have them loaded into the carriage. Though I doubt you'll be needing them. I shall supply you with a whole new wardrobe." Lucienne shook her head. "I couldn't possibly ask for that. My father spent a fortune on my dresses!" She grabbed his shoulder. Her father had a smug look on his face. He gave the order to Mel to start loading the belongings into the carriage. He watched as Ennox flirted with Lucienne and clenched his jaw. He hated Ennox. He would have hated any man that Lucienne wished to marry but she hated Ennox particularly more. He hated him because he had deceived Lucienne, he hated him because he thought of him as a tyrant, he hated him because he was taking away his sweet daughter, but he really hated him because he could sense evil in him. He could tell the prince held no ill will towards his daughter but that made him dangerous. He knew that if there were ever an opportunity, Ennox would kill for Lucienne. And he knew Lucienne would not be pleased with that.

They stood on the top of the steps again. This time they were saying goodbye instead of hello. Lucienne was crying and her father was sniffling but not yet fully crying. She hugged him tightly. "Thank you daddy so much. I love you more than anything!" She sobbed. "I love you too my sweet child. You must visit every chance you get. And please let me be the first to know if you change your mind." He whispered the last part in her ear. He hadn't meant for it to be a joke but she laughed at it nonetheless. She kissed her father on the head and looked at Colvette. He had a somber expression on his face. "Colvette..." she was trying to figure out how to explain how much he meant to her. She couldn't find any accurate words so she just hugged him. He hugged her back. "Luci. Your presence will be missed. I will come to see you whenever I am free." He squeezed her tighter. She nodded. "Please send me letters detailing your expeditions. I love you so much brother." She cupped his face in her hands. "I love you Lucienne." He patted her head. She turned to the twins. "Rudy, Kalin." They were sobbing more than she was. "Luci you still have time to stay!" Rudnine pleaded with her. "Who will watch us duel if you are gone?" Kalin cried. She grabbed both of their hands. "I don't wish to leave you guys at all. I love you dearly and I will miss watching you guys spar. But I have fallen in love with Ennox. Promise to forgive me brothers?" She looked into their eyes. They both hugged her and sobbed violently. "Lucienne we do! We do forgive you!" Rudnine sobbed and Kalin agreed. She planted a kiss on all of her brother's cheeks and joined Ennox. She tucked a strand of his long, white hair behind his ear and smiled at him. She turned to look at her family before she entered the carriage. She looked at her father. He smiled sadly at her and nodded. She smiled and entered the carriage. Ennox joined her and they drove away to the second prince's palace.