CHAPTER 4

The figure turned and smiled. “my name, I don’t have a name”, he said teasing her.

“don’t play games with me”, Dianne said.

“why, what do you need a name for”.

“so I can find you and kill you”, Dianne spat out.

“admit it, you liked it”, the figure said.

“I don’t think, killing, is enough for you”, Dianne said and the bell rang again.

“your name”, Dianne prompted.

“Lucien, call me, Lucien”, he said and left without another word.

“Lucien”, Dianne whispered the name, it sounded so different..

******************

“my lord, I have been waiting for you a long time”, Jasper said.

“is he ready to receive me”, the figure whose name was Lucien said.

“indeed, right this way”, Jasper said leading him to a room.

“HIS ROYAL LORDSHIP, LUCIEN DA VINCI III HAS ARRIVED”. Jasper announced as they got into the room.

“I see”, King Maximillian said as they entered. “you’re still alive”, he said.

“as you can see, I am indeed”, Lucien said.

“you should be dead alongside your parents”, King Maximillian growled’

“unfortunately, I wasn’t and that’s too bad”, he said. “let’s quit the frivolities, you know why I’m here”.

“what do you want, you insolent creature”.

“I want every single bloody thing, that is mine”. Lucien said.

“are you declaring war!”, King Maximillian said.

“do you think you can stand against me”, Lucien said.

“I’m going to make things easier for you”, he added knowing fully well he had the upper hand. “I’m going to give you a week to make up your mind, your life and kingdom in exchange for your daughter”, he said and his right- hand man blinked, this was not in the plan, they were no options for him none at all.

“leave my daughter out of this, she is not involved in this”, King Maximillian said.

“oh, yes, she is, with a body like hers, she’s definitely involved”, Lucien said licking his lips

“my daughter is not a bargaining tool, leave her out of this”, the king said.

“she’s the only saving grace you have left, either way, I’ll still have her, I’m only making it easier for you, you of all people know I don’t give second chances”.

“I refuse to allow my daughter, be involved with you, she is not going to be your sex slave, she’s worth more than that”.

“sex slave, I like the sound of that, what I do with your daughter is none of your damn business”.

“make a wise decision, I won’t be patient for any longer”, he added.

“you won’t have her, over my dead body!!”. King Maximillian said.

“very well then, it shall be over your dead body”, Lucien said and walked away.

“you should be grateful, he’s bargaining with you”, Jasper said. “he doesn’t usually does that”.

“guards!!”, King Maximillian yelled...

***************************

My name..... my name is Lucien”, Dianne groaned for the tenth time, she just couldn’t get the sound of his voice out of her head, his name sounded so different, so strange, so... so..... and his kisses.....

“oh, God, I definitely need to get this out of my system”, Dianne groaned again.

“your highness”, Maria called, “is there anything I can do for you”, she said. Dianne shook her head. “you seem quite distraught”, Maria added.

“it’s just that..... never mind, it’s not something you can do”, Dianne said instead.

It was the first time, someone had gotten on her nerves like that, and she just couldn’t understand how he managed to do that, not even Edward whom she had started to like can do that.

“Maria, have you ever felt strange, when you’re with a man”, she said out of the blue.

Maria gasped, “my princess, don’t tell me, you’ve finally slept with a man”, she said, Dianne choked and coughed. “I thought, you said no one here is good for you, you have finally decided to pop your maiden head, your highness”, Maria gushed.

“no... no, it’s not like that”, Dianne said.

Maria blinked, “then what is it”, she said.

“I don’t know, myself, it’s just strange”, Dianne said, glancing at herself in the mirror.

“perhaps, you might have.....”

“no way, it’s not possible”, Dianne interrupted, “do I look like the type of person to fall in love with a total stranger, that’s not possible”.

“besides, why are we even talking about this, quick, help me undress”.

“yes, your highness”, Maria said.

Love..... love, my foot.

***********************

King Maximillian paced the throne room in agitation. “ how many soldiers do we have at hand”, he asked the royal adviser.

“a thousand soldiers at hand, sire”, the adviser said.

“a thousand soldiers!!”, he thundered. “ in all my years of conquest, you’re telling me, I have a thousand soldiers at hand”, he said.

The royal adviser trembled, “you have about fifty thousand soldiers ,your majesty, but they were all dispatched at your various places you’ve conquered, only a thousand soldiers is at hand now, your majesty”. The royal attendant said.

“why?, a thousand soldiers, don’t you know that is it where the king is that needs more protection”.

“those where your orders, your majesty”, the royal adviser said.

“I did that?”, the king said.

“yes, your majesty, you said that no one would dare come against you, that’s why only here has the least protection”.

The king could see now, that it was a bad decision. “how soon can an army be dispatched here”, he said hopefully.

“the closest army, is in the regions, it will take a month”, the adviser said.

“a month, I don’t have a month!!”, the King yelled.

“I’m afraid, your highness, there is no other option”.

“how big is our attacker’s army”, he said.

“your highness, yours is nothing compared to his, he has armies scattered all over and all of them are skilled in weaponry and are good fighters too, his, is the best in all the plains”, the adviser said.

“how many other options do we have”, the King said.

“I’m afraid, your majesty, we don’t have any other option”, the adviser said, “ he may consider us, if we heed to his demands”.

“no way, I am not sacrificing my daughter to that worthless creature”, he said.

“that’s our only option, your majesty, all we have to do is wait”, the adviser said solemnly.

“then wait, we shall”.

*****************************

“my lord, you offered him, his life in exchange for his daughter, that was not part of the plan”, Jasper said.

“and how does that affect you”, Lucien said.

“my lord, our original plan was to kill them all, spare no one alive”, he said.

“but then, I didn’t know he had such a beautiful daughter, I can always change my mind, when someone has she is, is involved”, Lucien said.

“what makes you think, King Maximillian would give you his daughter”.

“he has no choice”.

“a die hard like Maximillian, always have other choices”, Jasper said, “ and what’s stopping him from using his daughter against you, eventually”.

“he can try, but he won’t succeed”, Lucien said.

“you are really just going to let him go after all he has done to you and your entire family”, Jasper said.

“no, I’m not”, Lucien said. ”he deserves more than I’m going to do to him”. Jasper smiled, now, that’s what he wanted to hear.

“then I’ll make the arrangements, sire”, he said, “what do you intend to do”.

“every single thing that belongs to him, is mine”, Lucien said. “ but I want him to suffer slowly, above all, let him smell what it’s like to lose everything, you ever have”.