{Fallen Angel} {Risen Demon} [SoMa]

Chapter Five

"Xandeas, have you seen the plans for the second floor of the servant's quarters? I can't find them," she sighs, spreading out her papers while looking for the blueprint.

Construction of the first floor was nearly done, and she wanted to make sure her servants had a place to stay first and foremost. They could make do with the first floor arrangements until the second floor was done, but she knew some of them would want their own rooms.

Their rooms took precedence over the new library and meeting rooms that would be constructed on the second floor.

"Lady Lucy, you just had them," he returns, frowning as she searched through her papers.

"Ugh, I'm losing my mind," she groans, pushing all of the papers to one side so she could go through them individually.

"Perhaps a break is in order?" he asks, fishing a paper out of the stack and placing it before her. The second floor servants quarters.

"Xandeas I would literally be dying without you," she says, looking up to him gratefully. "I'll take a break."

"Would you like me to get you a drink or tell Asa to make you some food?" he asks, and she frowns at him.

"You're my right hand, not my butler," she tells him. "Why don't we go on a walk through the courtyard?"

"Lady Lucy, the whole reason of my existence is to hold your place when you must do things other than your duties," he reminds her, and she groans aloud.

"I know! You're supposed to stay here when I'm gone blah blah blah when I return you step down blah blah blah," she rolls her eyes. "Well I'm the Queen so I make the rules. And I say I want you to come with me for a walk."

He smiles at this, the way she does what she wants regardless of the way things have always been done.

"As you wish, Lady Lucy," he murmurs, nodding.

She leads the way out to the courtyard, exhaling softly as she smelled the brightly colored plants.

She had brought back some plants from her time in the Overworld and had asked that they be planted in a garden. They were blooming beautifully and thriving even with the lack of sunlight.

"Which did you say these were, Lady Lucy?" Xandeas asks as he touches the petals of one of the flowers.

"This is a rosebush," she smiles up at him. "Roses can grow in all different colors, but usually they're white or red."

"What purpose do the thorns serve?" he asks, wincing as he pricked his finger on the plant.

"To keep predators away," she answers honestly. "Some animals try to eat the flowers so the thorns keep them away."

"Earth is such a strange place," Xandeas murmurs, looking to the tiny drop of black blood on his fingertip.

"It is," she smiles at him and lifts his hand between both of her own. He watches as she presses a kiss to his finger, healing the prick in his skin easily.

"Lady Lucy, thank you very much," his cheeks are tinted pink, and she smiles slightly at his fluster.

"You look so surprised," she admits, and he looks away shyly.

"To have the queen herself heal one of my wounds is the highest honor I might receive," he states honestly.

"Xandeas," she exhales, and he looks to her. "You never know. You may one day be the king. You shouldn't sell yourself short."

"To be king would mean that something would happen to you, Lady Lucy," he looks at her curiously. "As your right hand I must sacrifice my life to save yours."