The first time Edmund met Lucien, he was ten.
The golden-haired boy was strolling through the garden with his mother, though the way he dragged his feet under the summer sun showed just how bored he was.
Surrounded by a riot of colors, his beauty stood out among the blooms. Even the pure white jasmine, proud and flawless, paled beside him.
When he turned his head toward the sun, the light caught his eyes: deep violet, luminous like the amethyst gemstone Edmund's father once showed him.
"Look at that amethyst, Edmund. Don't you find it beautiful?"
Randolph had pointed to a signet ring bearing an opal amethyst, the De Luca family crest etched in silver inside.
In ordinary light, it was faint, but when turned, a coiled serpent appeared within, elegant and majestic, just like every member of the family his father admired.
"Yes, Father. It's beautiful."
