Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

By this point, the capital of Arcadios seemed to return to normal. The shopping stalls returned to being concentrated in the market and the streets were no longer overflowing with people. Rena was glad things had returned to normal, mostly because even though everything else went back to the way it was before, Lucius was still here.

There was a small part of her that was concerned. He was not really built for the hustle and bustle of city life. Negative interactions with him and a stranger had the potential to go very poorly. In the past, he had to be concerned about people\'s perception of her as a pursuant to the position of heir to House Petra. However, now that was no longer the case.

Not only was she out of the running, but her father formally disowned her in a private letter. All that was on top of her marrying into a new house. Her reputation was no longer considered as important as his own… which did not matter to him.

Rena released an exasperated sigh but then smiled. They reached the gates of the embassy, which was manned by a contingent of beastman guards twenty-four-seven. They had a large collection of guards, maid staff, and diplomats staying at the embassy, but there was still plenty of space for Lucius to have a small section of it granted to him for his own use.

The guards let them pass through the gates with a simple nod from Lucius. They also gave a polite bow to everyone as they passed by. The interior garden was rather pretty, but most of Rena\'s thoughts were occupied by whoever was waiting for them.

"Don\'t worry," Lyrah whispered. "I\'m sure everything will be…"

"L-L-Lucius… is that… you?" a familiar but slightly older voice called out the moment they shut the door behind them. Standing there with a hand covering her mouth was Rubellia. Her hair had a few streaks of gray that were not there before, but other than that, she looked about the same.

She slowly walked forward and stretched out her hand towards Lucius\' face. Rena watched tearfully as Lucius, like a child, rested his cheek in Rubellia\'s palm.

"Mother."

"Lucius. Lucius, my sweet boy." Rubellia pulled him in tightly for a hug. Tears flowed freely from the woman\'s eyes as they pooled on the ground. Her soft sniffling turned into loud sobs as she held in her arms the child she thought was long gone.

For a few minutes, Lucius stood there, gently hugging his mother as she sobbed. He did and said nothing, only letting her express every ounce of emotion she felt. Members of the embassy staff peeked in a few times but had the courtesy to not interrupt the reunion.

When everything had been let out, Rubellia\'s face was swollen and red, her eyes puffy and bloodshot. Rena knew all too well what it was like to realize he truly was here. No doubt, by the time she woke in the morning, she would have wondered, just like Rena had, if everything was simply a dream.

Remembering what that felt like, waking up wondering if things were a dream… she resolved for them to stay the night so that mother and son could spend much-needed time together. If she was able to confirm that her time with him was real, then so too should Rubellia.

Eventually Rubellia completely calmed down and they moved to a common area where they were served tea by the embassy\'s maids. It was plainly obvious that her mother-in-law was uncomfortable sitting and being served rather than being the one doing the serving. When she started to get up out of instinct, Lucius pulled her down with a gentle tug.

He also indicated that Natali remain seated by Lyrah, stating that in private, she is a friend, not a maid. His words made Rena smile because it meant that he was truthful when he told her he would be nicer to her friends.

Lucius shared the story of the tournament, of his reunion with Rena, and the expedient wedding that occurred shortly thereafter. Rubellia was beside her with laughter, hearing that her son essentially had \'stormed the castle to wed the princess\' and did so right under the nose of the \'king,\' who was Richard in this tall tale. Read latest stories on mvl

Lyrah eventually introduced herself. "Hello, Mistress Rubellia. I am Lyrah, daughter of the Oracle, Lady Adellia. And Lord Kane here is my dear brother."

"Oh my." Rubellia gasped. "Lucius, your mother is the Oracle?"

"The person who birthed me does seem to be the Oracle, yes… though I think something more interesting is Miss Natali\'s connection to us."

"Oh?"

Natali cleared her throat and attempted to talk at a normal volume. Her voice came out scratchy and broken, but Rubellia could hear her at least: "Mylene and Derrik… Wayne\'s cousin. I am… Derrik\'s daughter."

Rubellia started to tear up a little more and rushed to hug the girl. "Oh, my dear, I know Wayne received letters about you from Derrik after your birth. To think I would get to meet you. Oh, you are just so precious."

"Mother," Rena squeaked out. She was slightly nervous calling her that. "I want you to know I have not forgotten what you told me before I left for the academy. I want you to know I am trying my best."

"Mother!" Kalliope shouted out from the corner. "I ask for your permission to become Lucius\'s second wife! He is heir to a beastman house so having multiple wives is normal."

Lucius sighed and glared at the wolf-girl, but she held firm in her resolve. Rena had gotten used to this behavior by this point. Lucius had told her that Kalliope was the reason he was alive, so there was no way she could look poorly on the girl. On top of that, she wanted to become subservient in the wife role, placing Rena at the top of the hierarchy… if it was normal for beastmen… then maybe…

"Can it, Kalliope," Lucius growled