chapter 23

I went down a carriage around nine and found Lucian waiting by a Hummer. It was pitch black with tinted windows. I ran straight into his arms and he gives me a long kiss hallo.
            "I hope you are done mixing business with pleasure" he tease me exactly the same way the girls did yesterday and opened the passenger door for me.
            He was a prince indeed. "So did you enjoy the museum."
            "Yes, especially the portrait of you and your family" and he blush scarlet red.
            "I hate that thing. The day was ten times worse just for them to get everything right, and they still did a crappy job" I laughed.
            "So where are we going" I asked.
            "It is a surprise, although not the one I want to take you to but it will have to do."           The drive wasn't that long and we played a lot of tunes.
            "I want to play you something" he says and took out a disc with his one hand and slide it into the reader. It was a beautiful song, very upbeat rhythm. The lyrics was beautiful. It was about a girl that the singer hasn't found yet. Lucian smiled as I listened to the song.
            "What" I ask thinking that I had something in my hair or worse, teeth.
            "You know who that is" he asks.
            "What the guy singing" and he nods his head. I listened again. "No, should I."     He laughed.
            "Common Elena guess" and I giggle.
            "Is it you" and he laughs again.
            "Hell no. I can't keep a tune."
            "Then who" I ask not thinking that I ever heard his voice before.
            "It's Blake" and I could feel my mouth hanging open.
            "Get out, really" I shriek.
            "He has what it takes to make it big but the Council doesn't want to grant him anything because he is the Rubicon. It doesn't stop him from doing a couple of gigs though."     "Wow." It was the only thing that was appropriate.
            "He recorded this about a year ago" he sighs again.
            "You really miss him don't you" I ask and he wrinkles his nose, not answering.
            "So, what song do you use when claiming Blake" and he laughs while taking out another CD.
            "Blake once admit that this song scares the living crap out of him" he replies and I gawk as the song starts playing.
            "You know ACDC" I asks and he chuckles.
            "Elena, everybody knows ACDC" and I closed my eyes trying to imagine what Lucian looks like getting introduced to Thunderstruck. It gave me goose bumps.
            "Wow" I said and he smiles.
            "What?"
            "I can just imagine what it must be like. I would be scared too if I was Blake."
            He roars as he turns into a deserted parking lot. He parked the car and put on a baseball cap and shades.
            "Just precaution" he smiles and jumps out to opened my door for me again, like a real gentleman."You don't know what I had to do for this" he jokes and I still had no idea where I am. Only when we walk up to the front, I could see that it is an Art Gallery.
            "You didn't" I smile.
            "I had to" he sings and the woman that opens the door for us had a huge smile.   "Hi Lucian" she greets us with a warm welcome and let us in. There was no one besides us and she gave us the best tour I've ever been on, not that Art Gallery tours were on dad's list. They had beautiful pieces there and I was stunned at how some of the artist use their colors. He stand behind me holding my waist as we listened to the artist and what the piece represented.
            "Elena is an artist too" Lucian tells the guide whose name was Maggie.
            "You should show me one day" she sings and walks on to another painting. A bright flash light breaks my attention and both Lucian and her froze. It follows by a couple of others and Lucian pulls of his jacket and throws it over my head and lead me to the back of the gallery into a small room that looks like a kitchen. 
             Lucian's name was being chant and the lights of camera's faded.  My heart was beating like crazy and he looks really pissed. "Did you tell anyone" he asks Maggie.
            "Lucian, I promise I didn't say one word" she says and he takes a deep breath. "Just wait here okay, I am so sorry Elena."
            I just nod my head, not really knowing what is going on and felt as if my heart is going to explode with the tempo it is beating.
            "I am going to kill the person that leaked this out" Maggie says and was so glad that I wasn't that person. She was raving mad too.
            "Are those" I couldn't say the word.
            "Yes, Elena. He really didn't plan on this" she had a worried look on her face.    "Is there a way out of here without letting them know" I sounded petrified and she huffs.
            "If it was another celebrity, maybe. But Lucian McKenzie, no way." I closed my eyes and wish that I could just wake up. I am not good with this and have no idea what he's father is going to say about it.
            "Is this going to be in the newspapers tomorrow."
            "Sweetheart, it is the prince of Tith. It's going to be in every magazine" she replies and felt as if I could cry.
            Lucian came back and he was still not happy about the reporters being here.
            "I am so sorry Elena. Welcome to my world" he replies and I giggle nervously.   "What are we going to do" I asked.
            "We can wait it out but they are not going to leave. By the next hour, the crowd would have multiplied and who knows what it could look like in three. They are not going away. They know that I am in here with you and will wait until you came out. Even if it's going to take three days" and I swallowed hard.
            "Honey, the way I see it. Is give the ones that is out there now what they wants and get the hell out of here before more arrives" Maggie says and Lucian gives her the eyes.
            I closed my eyes again not knowing how I am going to be able to walk out of here. I was a nervous wreck.
            "Here" Lucian gives me his shades that was way too big for me and pulled the hooty of his jacket over my head. "We walk out of here when security arrives. Don't say a word Elena, we might be able to hide your identity" and he looks at Maggie again.
            "I won't say anything Lucian."
            "Nobody else knows her name except you so don't get any ideas Maggie" he warns. She locks her mouth with an imaginary key and jump as there came a hard knock on the door. "It is just the security. Are you ready" he asks in a worried tone and I nod my head fast. I just want to get out of here.
            "Not a word Elena, and keep your head down."
            I did what he says and kept my eyes on the ground clinging on to his hand.
            The reporters were yelling Lucian's name all at once as the doors open. Security kept them a hand and we had enough space to walk. Questions who I was and what was my name were the only information they wanted. I didn't dare to look at them and allow him to lead me towards the hummer. I don't know how Lucian can handle this kind of attention. I felt as if I am about to run away, wall or no wall. I wanted to get out of Paegeia.
            We finally reached the hummer and he pushed me inside. "Sorry" he whispers softly and ran around to the other side and jumps in behind the steering wheel. I was glad that the windows were tinted but the photographers didn't care. They were still taking pictures like crazy. He pulls out of the parking lot and drove behind two bikes that looks like they were some kind of law enforcement officers.
            "You okay" he asks me sounding the way I felt.
            "Yeah, are those pictures going to be in all the magazines" it was all I could think.
            "I am so sorry Elena. I should have thought twice about today's trip. I am so naïf when it comes to people keeping their mouths shut" he replies.
             "Is it like this every time you go outside" and he chuckles.
            "Pretty much" and I cringe. "But sometimes I get away with it hiding behind my disguise."
            I took another deep breath as Lucian honks for the officers in front that it's save and they salute him and turn off by the next stop. He shakes his head, still embarrassed about what just had happened.  We walked through Dragonia's doors around three and he hugs me tightly. He kissed me softly but hear someone clearing his throat which makes me jumped. It was another student.
            "Master Longwei wants to see you in his office" he speaks to Lucian and had a worried face on my look.
            "Thank you Stan" he replies and the guy runs off. "Don't worry Elena, he probably wants to know what happened. It's not a scolding. Go take a hot bath and I will see you at dinner okay."

            I did what he asked and sigh as I slide into a hot bubble bath. Really glad that Becky and Sammy was still somewhere in Elm.

When they came back I told them what happened and they were hanging on my lips at every word I was saying.
            "Are you okay" Becky asks me looking worried.
            "The bath helped but shudder to know what the tabloids are going to say."
            "Well if Lucian didn't tell his dad about you, I guess they are going to find out the hard way. I am so glad that I am not Lucian" Becky sings in her famous tone.
            "Will he get into trouble" I wanted to know. We didn't do anything wrong but he was royalty.
            "We will have to wait and see Elena" she replies and we went down for Dinner. I was quiet around the table as Lucian just stroke my head retelling them about the Gallery. "I am sure it is a first date Elena is not going to miss" Becky teases and couldn't help but to laugh. She is sure right about that one.  We walk back to our dorms around nine.
            "Elena, meet me tonight" Lucian whispers in my ear. I gave him a frantic look thinking that we had enough drama for one day, not to mention what happened the last time we sneak out at night. He chuckles softly. "We won't go to the lake. I want to show you a special spot."
            "What if we get caught. Master Longwei will chuck my a*s out of this place" and he raised his eyebrow.
            "With a mark as dark as yours, I doubt it. I will wait for you by the door around twelve" he nods towards the big wooden one.
            "Fine" I sulk. "But if we get caught I will blame everything on you."
            "It is a blame I will take with a pleasure" he sings through a huge smile. "Goodnight my Juliet." I blush as I climb the stairs and giggles softly at how goofy he is. Some of the boys teased him a little bit about his last line.
            I struggled to fall asleep and every time I close my eyes could still see the flashlights behind them. The clock reached twenty three hundred and couldn't stop thinking about all the possible ways how things can go wrong. All of them involved Master Longwei. When the digits on my clock read twenty three fifty seven I sneak outside my room.
            I found him waiting in a jean with a hooty over his head.
            He just smile, kiss me softly and leads me towards the cafeteria. We went the opposite direction of the lake and the moon was shining so bright that it light up the school ground. We walk in the direction of the classes and found a small tower that was abandoned.
            "It is one of Dragonia's first watch towers but they don't use it anymore. He opens the door and we walk up the spiral stairs all the way to the top. It had the same ambience as the Seer's tower just more run down and had the most breathtaking view of Paegeia.  I stood there for a long time with him right behind me, leaning his head softly on mine.
             The picture was a masterpiece. The moon made the mountains in the distance visible. He points towards a forest which reminds me of the dream about the queen.
            "Etan" he whispers.
            "That is Etan?"
            "Yes, no one can enter, no one can fly over and no one can get out."  There was a strange sadness in his voice.
            "You know someone there" I ask.
            "My grandparents. They retired in Etan after my dad took over the throne. He was  good friends with King Albert and Goran." It was the first time I hear him speaking about the man that betrayed the king.
            "Cheng said that he thinks his powers backfired the night he killed them. That is why the creepers came out of nowhere" and he smiles.
            "Cheng's got plenty of theories Elena. He is really smart but believes everything the Seer tells him."
            "Well she has never been wrong."
            "You sure about that?" There was a big question inside that tone of his which made me think.
            "What was she wrong about?"
            "She foretelling the birth of Blake's true Dragonian. It never happened Elena and somehow the words are still black."
            I didn't know what to say about that. Cheng couldn't explain it to me either.
            "You really do worry about him don't you."
            "He is changing fast, as if the dark side is some kind of a virus. I should have never left him" he mopes.
            "What do you mean, he is mean towards you too Lucian."
            "A true friend looks beyond that Elena. I should have realized that it was the dark in him pushing me away" and I frown. "Paegeia will be lost. He will declare war and burn down every single thing that matters to us and most likely will end up with Goran as his Dragonian. He is the only one advanced enough to be able to handle Blake's abilities. Together they will claim control over Paegeia and there is plenty that will follow him just because he is the Rubicon. King Albert was positive that he will be the first good one."
            "It is not to late Lucian. You will just have to try harder" and he hugs me tightly from behind and kissed me softly against my temple.
            "Thank you for believing in me. I thought your times with Cheng would have doubt me entirely" and I sigh.
            "It did" I admit. "He told me that it is only his true Dragonian can control and use his abilities."
            "What change your mind" he asks.
            "King Albert. When I saw a model of the Night Villain in the museum I knew anything can be possible if you truly believe it. You are the only one brave enough to go after Blake" and he chuckles softly.
            "You forgot about Arianna."
            "Yeah, but I think her reason behind it is not noble" I reply.
             "You're right, it's not. For her claiming the Rubicon means lime light and fame" he agrees. I laugh.
            "I can't imagine that there is people that actually love the lime light thing" and he chuckles too.
            "We were born with it, must be use to it now but I agree one hundred percent with you on that one" and he sigh.
            "You were scared too" I ask and he nods his head.
            "Still am" he replies.
            "Well you are save now" I reply.
            "I'm not talking about the paparazzi Elena, I am talking about you ditching my a*s because this is too much." I smile and couldn't help kissing him again.
            "Lucian McKenzie it's going to take more than just a couple of photographers to ditch your a*s." It was silent for a minute. "So did you tell your dad about me" and he laughs nervously.
            "Sort off, but guess they will see how serious it is tomorrow" he replies.
            "Is it going to be a problem" I ask and he paused for a minute. "Lucian" I ask sounding worried.
            "Truth" and I nod my head not knowing if I really want to hear it but I had no choice. "A part of him will probably not like it because I am already spoken for, sort off."
            "You have a girlfriend" I shriek sounding pissed and wanting to cry at the same time.
            "No Elena, I will not do that to you."
            "Then what do you mean 'spoken for'."
            "When King Albert died without an heir Paegeia got divided up between my dad and Arianna's. They came up with this brilliant plan to get one ruler again by forcing me to marry her one day" and I struggled to swallow. I understood now why she threatens me that day in the cafeteria. "I promise you I will fight this and rather die before I marry her."
            I nod my head not knowing if I should believe his words or not. He kissed me on my temple again and I just wanted to change the subject.
            "Do you know why Goran betrayed King Albert."
            "There is many speculations. I was very young when that happened. Still an ankle biter" and I giggle. He told me that when the king finally accepted his fate that someone in his counsel might betray him, he ask Goran to make him a potion. It was a deadly one and I will learn about it in my second year.  The way he spoke about the King and Goran's friendship brings up another question.
            "So Goran has the essence too" and he nods his head.
            "His dragon died while giving it to him."
            "Why?"
            "Don't know. Some say that it is the reason why he became so evil. His dragon gave him too much."
            "You know how the king and queen died."
            "My dad told me that she was burned alive and that King Albert was tortured. He just made it out with Emanuel in time before the creepers consumed everything."
             A cold shiver runs through my spine.
            "He burned the queen alive."
            "Yeah, he is a monster" I took a deep sigh. He change the subject to the Council which was a relieve. I couldn't listen about how evil Goran was anymore. I started to wonder how things would have been if King Albert and Queen Catherine was still alive. Somehow we ended up talking about Julia. Her mother and father was both Chromatic dragons and against King Albert and his mission for Paegeia. She ran away when she was barely fourteen and Constance found her, raised her as her own and give her a good life.
            It was really sad what she had to give up just because she didn't want to be evil.
Then he promised me again not to worry about the tabloids. He covered my face well and will burn down Maggie's gallery if my name gets printed. I laugh at that one but was still worried about what his father was going to do to him.
            I fell asleep in his arm and when the first ray of sunlight woke me up I found that we were still up in the tower. 
            Lucian was behind me resting against the wall, still fast asleep. I was nicely wrapped up in his arms. Even when he sleeps he looks so beautiful, like an angel send from heaven just for me.
            "Wakey wakey sleepy head."
            He opens his eyes slowly, a grin appears softly on his face and reached his eyes.
            "I can't believe we fell asleep" he croaked and strokes his face to wake up. "We should go Elena before anyone wakes up."
            "What no running today."
            "Hell no" he replies back and we left. I sneak in back to my room only to find that it was not necessary.
            "Where the hell have you been" Becky shrieks.
            "Sorry, you guys. I thought that you are still asleep" I apologize and felt how fear was strolling over my body.
            "Elena, your alarm woke us"
            "You were not here and we got scared" Sammy was the only one crying.
            "I am sorry. I didn't think that we would fall asleep" I was close to tears.
            "You were with Lucian" and I nod my head
            "Elena, you didn't at least think of mentioning this to us" Becky was still upset.
            "He ask me not to and I am sorry. We just talk nothing happened and then we fell asleep" I said again.
            "Okay, I get it. This could have really gone so wrong. If we were to tell Master Longwei Elena" and my eyes were huge.
            "We didn't" Sammy put me at ease. "But we almost did."
            "If this is going to happen on a regular basis you have to tell us" Becky almost shake me.
            "I will, promise."
            "Okay" and she smiles softly. "So where did you guys go to." She was herself again and  smiled too.
            "It is his special place but with the most amazing view" I sing in a dreamy tone. He is so romantic.
            "You not going to tell us" Sammy sulks.
            "Sorry, not mine to give up" I answer back and the both pulled their faces. We got ready for today and had a quick bite before school start.