Chapter 758: Appropriate Introductions
Lucien and his sisters listen as Cecilia clearly states that their mothers are well, but itâs hard for them to believe one of Michaelâs wives, even if she is Ameliaâs mother.
"You need to tell us where they are, why you came 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 some hesitation in her eyes, especially when she quickly glances at Ludmila and Svetlana.
The young elf doesnât notice it, but Ludmila understands that some secrets should remain within the family.
"Ahem," she smiles amicably at Cecilia. "Iâm going to get something for you to eat, I bet youâre starving."
"Yes, my friend," Cecilia also smiles amicably. "Iâve been traveling for two days non-stop and really need to eat something."
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 havenât been properly introduced yet, right?" He asks and quickly extends his hand. "The name is Lucien and Iâm going to be your greatest ally ever."
Ludmila canât help but smile, but the confidence and determination in Lucienâs 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 name, and I bet youâve heard mine too."
"Ludmila, right?" He asks. "Itâs a beautiful name."
Such a compliment shouldnât 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, thatâs the name my father gave me, along with the responsibility of taking care of this city, Zimograd."
Ludmilaâs smile fades, giving way to more honest emotions, and even though she is worried about Lucienâs 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 names.
Only Sophia and Amelia 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 doesnât take it to heart.
Then, Lucien takes Maya by the hand, surprising her. "This is Maya, a dear friend."
For a moment, Maya thought Lucien was going to introduce her as one of his wives, but hearing the words dear friend, the Phoenix wonders if thatâs really what they are.
[I guess it sounds right.] She thinks as she shakes Ludmilaâs hand.
Ludmila feels a comforting warmth coming from Mayaâs hand, but without seeing her real form, even a wise woman like her couldnât 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 something both wonderful and terrible: her incredible power and the fact that he still doesnât 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 come, and since he canât solve Mayaâs issue yet, he refocuses on the problems he can address.
Both Maya and Ludmila notice a shift in his emotions, but then he resumes his confident smile as he pulls Nea into his arms.
"And this charming Queen isâ" He begins to introduce Nea with a proud, wide smile, but Ludmilaâs expression seems odd, making him pause.
Ludmilaâs eyes sparkle with different emotions, and she seems certain about something, leading her to exclaim without thinking, "Nea, the greatest Mermaid 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 doesnât 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 times she visited Shadow Star over a thousand years ago to see Ramlaâs mother.
"Have we met before?" Nea asks Ludmila.
Hearing that question, Ludmila immediately regrets mentioning Neaâs name before Lucien introduced her. Even though she has very good acting skills, itâs hard to hide the apparent nervousness that springs into her gaze.
Nonetheless, she tries to disguise her embarrassment. "No, I donât 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 name," Ludmila tries to make them believe that, but as Lucienâs look becomes more suspicious, she continues. "And I recognized her majesty from books and stories, naturally..."
While Nea doesnât have Lucienâs vision skills to see the smallest contractions in each line of Ludmilaâs face, she does have her magical sense, which makes her aware of the elfâs nervousness.
And Ludmila also knows about the legendary abilities of Mermaids, so she sighs and accepts that she canât hide it from Nea and Lucien.
"It was my prince, Yakov," she speaks honestly. "He told me various stories about the Mermaid Queen."
Nea is delighted to hear the name of her old friend and especially Ludmilaâs 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 doesnât want to lie to a potential ally but also doesnât 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 seemed great the last time 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 mentioned, 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, itâs clear that the Shadow Starâs situation cannot end up like the Blue Star.
Lust notices Lucien becoming less optimistic and canât resist making a suggestion in his mind.
"How about seducing the Dark Elf Queen, who is also your fatherâs wife? You could simply make her stop the war, which seems easier than helping the weaker side anyway."
This suggestion might align with Lucienâs cunning and strategic nature, as it offers a more direct and potentially simpler solution to the complex situation.
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