The tent was spacious, furnished with a large desk, a couple of chairs, and a chest. A large map of the war zone hung on the wall, with red pins marking the lead deposits.
The Crown Prince stood in front of it, his back to the entrance. The room also had Celine, standing by the Crown Prince's side. She was wearing a light armor, almost touching the Crown Prince's shoulder as she pointed at the map.
Lucian closed the flap behind him, the smile on his lips not reaching his eyes. He walked further inside, her body turning to face him.
"Lady Rochefort," he bowed his head, "I didn't expect to see you here."
She turned her back to face the map, showing him her disinterest with her action, "Lady Bianca is in safety now, my people are watching over her," she continued to talk to the Crown Prince.
Lucian's smile faded.
The Crown Prince no longer looked at Celine with the hatred he had shown her at the academy. Instead, he was listening to her every word with a calm expression. He turned around to welcome Lucian, "You survived, Sir Arclight. That's good."
"Did you expect me to die?" Lucian's words came out harsher, but not enough to convey the displeasure in his heart. His smile returned, sweeter than before, "It's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince probably thought his attitude was due to his enmity with Celine, and even defended her in front of him.
"Lady Rochefort helped me with a small but delicate matter," the Crown Prince turned toward her, "I would appreciate it if you treated Sir Arclight with respect, Lady Rochefort. He has done a lot for our kingdom."
"Maybe next time. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go see the wounded." She picked up her bag from the chair and walked toward the exit, but Lucian blocked her path, stopping her from leaving.
"Forgive my rudeness, Your Highness," he said without looking at him, his eyes fixed on Celine's face, "I don't know what matter she helped you with, but I request that you don't get involved with her."
"I know you two are on bad terms, but I hope you put your personal feelings aside for the sake of our kingdom," The Crown Prince stepped closer, placing a hand on Lucian's shoulder, "You may leave, Lady Rochefort. I'll have a talk with Sir Arclight."
Celine stepped around Lucian, and he grabbed her arm before she could walk past him. He pulled her closer, "Don't make me catch you doing something you shouldn't, Lady Rochefort."
Her eyes met his, and she shook his hand off her, "Don't touch what's not yours."
She left the tent, making Lucian bite the inside of his cheek. The only person she should have been saying that to, was the Crown Prince.
"Take a seat, Sir Arclight," the Crown Prince offered him a chair, ignoring the fact that Lucian just touched a noble lady.
Lucian sat down, rubbing his temple with his hand. Not knowing what she was up to put him in a worse mood than he was already in.
"She was able to convince King Eon to consider a peace treaty," the Crown Prince explained, sitting across from him, "In exchange, he requested Lady Bianca's hand in marriage. That girl agreed, but not without conditions. She wants a year before the wedding, to complete her studies."
Both armies were to be put on hold until then, and the mined lead would be split equally between the two nations. They only needed a neutral party to oversee the process and ensure the agreement was upheld. Lucian Arclight, Glory's founder and ally to both kingdoms, was the perfect candidate.
"I want you to be the middle man in this negotiation," the Crown Prince leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Lucian's face, "Lady Bianca trusts you. King Eon seems to like you. And we need someone trustworthy on our side to make sure no foul play is involved. Do you understand what I'm asking of you?"
"Perfectly," Lucian nodded, hiding his thoughts behind a smile, "I will make sure the treaty is fair and beneficial for both sides."
They continued to discuss the details, such as the amount of lead, the transport routes, and the security measures. The meeting was cut short when a soldier came in with an urgent message, telling the Crown Prince to leave for the front line.
"Another attack?" The Crown Prince stood up, grabbing his sword and putting on his light armor.
Lucian also rose from his seat and followed him out of the tent. He tried to search for Celine, but the lead in the area blocked his sight. He couldn't find her even when she must be around here somewhere.
The camp became busy with soldiers gearing up and getting ready to move out. The Crown Prince mounted his horse and gave Lucian a final nod, before riding away with his guards.
She said she was going to treat the wounded, so Lucian waited by the medical tent's entrance until Celine came out.
She was removing her gloves, her hair braided to the side, a tired expression on her face. She walked out of the camp, with soldiers bowing her way as she passed. She must have helped a lot of people, given how respected she seemed.
Lucian followed her silently, their steps in sync. She entered the forest without looking back once.
He continued to trail her, avoiding the patrolling soldiers and keeping a safe distance. She was heading deeper into the forest, where the trees grew thicker, and the light dimmer. She stopped by a small cave, hidden by vines and rocks, and entered it without hesitation.
Lucian waited for a moment, his ears catching the sound of water dripping inside the cave. He pushed the vines aside and walked in, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.
The cave was bigger than it looked from the outside, the walls and ceiling covered in ice. The temperature dropped as he went further in, his breath turning into mist. The place looked like a hidden winter wonderland. Light came from the other end of the cave, a bit of it filtering through the ice.