Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince

Chapter 195: The Future

"I need to know what Kalliope means to you." Rena requested.

Her beautiful green eyes stared directly into Lucius's own. They were firm and resolute in their determination. Lucius detected no hint of jealousy, frustration, or really any emotions coming from his wife. Her question was purely and simply, a request for knowledge.

He sighed for a moment and closed his eyes. His mind was filled with haunting memories of the many dozens of times the wolf girl attacked him and attempted to woo him. Some of the more aggressive ones had even gotten some of his and her clothes off and involved a large quantity of powerful wines.

*****

In the years he had known Kalliope, they had never actually taken that final step. There was one instance, the night that Lucius was given a place in the King's Shadow, that they had almost sealed the deal on their relationship.

Lucius had turned seventeen a few days prior and on the day of his celebration, he decided to enter into a small tournament for one of the Eroan academy locations. He thought it was nothing more than a simple fight to showcase the prowess of the school's students.

It was his idea that he could burn off some steam and have a little fun by showing up as a no-named half-blood that wiped the floor with these highly trained academy students.

By that point, Kalivas had trained him for three years and he had more than enough understanding that his strength, knowledge, and ability to control the pacing of the fight were more than enough to make him stronger than almost anyone else in his age group.

As he predicted, the fights were easy and he won without much effort. It wasn't until after everything was over, he realized these fights were for entry exams into the academy and he found himself swarmed by different teachers and martial artists who all begged him to join their respective programs.

Kalivas was able to rescue him from their clutches because while he was excellent at fighting, Lucius was always terrible in social situations. Thoughts of simply killing them and being done with it had crossed his mind multiple times, however, the knowledge that it would burden the man who took care of him as well as the woman who saved his life, kept him in check.

A recruiter with the King's Shadow watched the entire incident, including the parts where Lucius fought against himself to kill the flies pestering him. When Kalivas pulled Lucius far enough away from the fight, they cornered them in an alley where Kalliope was already waiting. She clearly had no idea they were there and was surprised when they showed up out of nowhere.

That very moment was when the organization decided to recruit Lucius into their ranks. Out of reflex, he answered immediately: "Only if Kalliope can come too."

Even to this day, Lucius had no idea what possessed him to say that. In reality, it was likely because she had been his faithful companion, training partner, and savior. The thought of being separated from her hurt him. However, he also knew that whatever feelings he had for her were still secondary to Rena.

On the night of their induction into the order, they had a celebratory meal at Kalivas's home. Before the meal was over, Kalivas received a request to handle some situation in the castle and he had to leave which left Kalliope and Lucius alone.

Neither of them had anything to drink other than water, yet they found themselves drawn to one another. Even with his mind and heart filled with Rena, Kalliope found herself a place there. It was a place all her own that was separate from Rena's. It was a place that only Kalliope could fill.

In moments, they found themselves holding one another. Lucius's tongue and her own mingling with each other passionately, neither stopping long enough to breathe. When they pulled back, they both panted with their faces flushed.

Lucius attempted to lean in and continue, but shockingly it was Kalliope who pulled away. With tears in her eyes, she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back from her. She was still panting and he knew she wanted to continue. He was willing to fulfill her wishes.

"Don't." She pleaded. Her eyes continued to water. "Not until you are doing it for you. I don't want this because you want to fulfill my wish. I want you to do it because you want to be with me. When you make that decision Lucius… then…"

Lucius shook his head and found himself back in front of Rena. Her eyes were still trained on him, but he felt different. He brought his hand to his face and they came away slightly wet.

*****

He sighed again after returning to the present and looked Rena directly in the eyes, "I love her."

"Okay." Rena answered while sighing as well. She did not seem mad or upset, rather it felt like she was relieved.

"Okay?" He asked, "What do you mean okay? If you are worried Rena, you are my first love and my wife. I have no intention of leaving you for Kalliope or anyone else in this world."

Rena turned her back to him. "If I asked you to abandon her, to forget about her, would you do it?"

Lucius was about to say yes; however, the word would not come off his tongue. Instead, he answered what he felt in his heart. "No. I may not be willing to leave you for her, but I will not abandon her. She is my friend and she saved my life. As much as I would never abandon you, I could never abandon her." Stay tuned for updates on M V L

"Alright then." Rena turned around and had what seemed to be a proud smile on her face. "Honestly, I'm happy you are being honest with me. I know the rules of your homeland, where your father's bloodline hails. You can have multiple wives, so I will permit Kalliope to be one of them."

Lucius opened his eyes wide, "Truly?"

Rena walked into his arms and allowed him to embrace her. She placed her head on his chest and listened to the thrumming of his heart from beneath his armor. "I do have one condition."

"Name it, my love." Lucius answered.

"Im not asking you to love her, or even be friends with her... but can you try to get closer to Natali? The girl basically idolizes you. She grew up listening to stories of you." Rena requested, "I would like for you to at least start interacting with her, outside of sparring sessions. It would mean a lot to me."

Lucius sighed, but nodded his head, "For you, I will try."