Lucien and his sisters listen as Cecilia clearly states that their mothers are well, but it’s hard for them to believe one of Michael’s wives, even if she is Alia’s mother.
"You need to tell us where they are, why you ca to this world, and what you are planning." Lucien requests from Cecilia.
She sighs. "Of course, I will explain everything, at least what I know."
Lucien sees that Cecilia is willing to cooperate, but he also notices so hesitation in her eyes, especially when she quickly glances at Ludmila and Svetlana.
The young elf doesn’t notice it, but Ludmila understands that so secrets should remain within the family.
"Ahem," she smiles amicably at Cecilia. "I’m going to get sothing for you to eat, I bet you’re starving."
"Yes, my friend," Cecilia also smiles amicably. "I’ve been traveling for two days non-stop and really need to eat sothing."
Ludmila turns her attention back to Lucien. "I bet nothing left in this castle compares to that shiny food your girls brought, but I have to offer the best we have to our guests."
Lucien grows increasingly fond of Ludmila, not just because she is an exotic beauty, but especially for her intelligence and ability to quickly adapt to situations.
"We haven’t been properly introduced yet, right?" He asks and quickly extends his hand. "The na is Lucien and I’m going to be your greatest ally ever."
Ludmila can’t help but smile, but the confidence and determination in Lucien’s eyes make her worried about the future of her people.
She tries to hide such concerns and shakes his hand. "Yes, I heard your girls calling you by na, and I bet you’ve heard mine too."
"Ludmila, right?" He asks. "It’s a beautiful na."
Such a complint shouldn’t affect an experienced woman like Ludmila, but the fact that Lucien is pumping demonic energy into her body through their hands leaves her excited and horny, which makes it hard for her to control herself.
The sensation is astounding, but the mature elf manages to find the strength to quickly pull her hand away.
Then, she smiles at Lucien. "Yes, that’s the na my father gave , along with the responsibility of taking care of this city, Zimograd."
Ludmila’s smile fades, giving way to more honest emotions, and even though she is worried about Lucien’s plans, her eyes show gratitude.
"Thank you again for helping my people," she speaks sincerely.
"No problem," Lucien smiles and then points to his sisters and states their nas.
Only Sophia and Alia greet Ludmila while the others continue to stare at Cecilia with a certain level of hostility.
Ludmila can see that the girls are concerned, so she doesn’t take it to heart.
Then, Lucien takes Maya by the hand, surprising her. "This is Maya, a dear friend."
For a mont, Maya thought Lucien was going to introduce her as one of his wives, but hearing the words dear friend, the Phoenix wonders if that’s really what they are.
[I guess it sounds right.] She thinks as she shakes Ludmila’s hand.
Ludmila feels a comforting warmth coming from Maya’s hand, but without seeing her real form, even a wise woman like her couldn’t imagine being in the presence of the last Phoenix.
Maya finishes introducing herself and steps back, but not before casting a quick glance at Lucien. The expectant glow in her beautiful eyes reminds him of sothing both wonderful and terrible: her incredible power and the fact that he still doesn’t have a solution other than to steal it from her to save his sisters from a horrible death.
Lucien tries to keep smiling and handle problems as they co, and since he can’t solve Maya’s issue yet, he refocuses on the problems he can address.
Both Maya and Ludmila notice a shift in his emotions, but then he resus his confident smile as he pulls Nea into his arms.
"And this charming Queen is—" He begins to introduce Nea with a proud, wide smile, but Ludmila’s expression seems odd, making him pause.
Ludmila’s eyes sparkle with different emotions, and she seems certain about sothing, leading her to exclaim without thinking, "Nea, the greatest rmaid Queen ever."
Lucien is puzzled as to how Ludmila already knew who Nea was; he looks at her and notices she is also confused.
Nea doesn’t believe Ludmila recognizes her from any tale or description because the certainty in her gaze is too strong, so she can only think of the few tis she visited Shadow Star over a thousand years ago to see Ramla’s mother.
"Have we t before?" Nea asks Ludmila.
Hearing that question, Ludmila imdiately regrets ntioning Nea’s na before Lucien introduced her. Even though she has very good acting skills, it’s hard to hide the apparent nervousness that springs into her gaze.
Nonetheless, she tries to disguise her embarrassnt. "No, I don’t think so."
"But you already knew who she was," Lucien remarks, his curiosity piqued as he tries to understand what is happening.
"I think I heard one of the other girls call Nea by na," Ludmila tries to make them believe that, but as Lucien’s look becos more suspicious, she continues. "And I recognized her majesty from books and stories, naturally..."
While Nea doesn’t have Lucien’s vision skills to see the smallest contractions in each line of Ludmila’s face, she does have her magical sense, which makes her aware of the elf’s nervousness.
And Ludmila also knows about the legendary abilities of rmaids, so she sighs and accepts that she can’t hide it from Nea and Lucien.
"It was my prince, Yakov," she speaks honestly. "He told various stories about the rmaid Queen."
Nea is delighted to hear the na of her old friend and especially Ludmila’s enthusiastic tone, which, combined with her current emotions, tells Nea that they are close.
"Yakov?" Nea asks in a feigned tone of surprise and friendliness; she doesn’t want to lie to a potential ally but also doesn’t want to make her reasons for being there too obvious. "How is he?"
"Very well," responds not Ludmila, but Cecilia, now surprising both Lucien and Nea.
They look at her with a curious expression, and she just smiles casually. "Well, he seed great the last ti I saw him two days ago, maybe a bit tired, actually."
Before Lucien can ask, Ludmila quickly begins to explain. "Zimograd is part of the Blue Resistance, a group that supports Prince Yakov."
She speaks with pride, determination, and also a touch of love in her tone. "Our people have been fighting for hundreds of years so that the crown returns to the rightful heir, and Cecilia is one of our most recent new allies."
Lucien is glad to be close to finding his potential greater ally in this world, but as Ludmila just ntioned, and as the situation in Zimograd clearly indicates, they are the resistance and not the main forces of the Dark Elves.
Thus, his potential great ally will need help to regain control of Shadow Star before handing it over to him. Since Yakov is a man, it’s clear that the Shadow Star’s situation cannot end up like the Blue Star.
Lust notices Lucien becoming less optimistic and can’t resist making a suggestion in his mind.
"How about seducing the Dark Elf Queen, who is also your father’s wife? You could simply make her stop the war, which seems easier than helping the weaker side anyway."
This suggestion might align with Lucien’s cunning and strategic nature, as it offers a more direct and potentially simpler solution to the complex situation.
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