Chapter 21: Runaway

Lucille 

Honestly, it was only a matter of time until they found out. The secret romance between the two of them had been short and blissful. Very precious memories keep surfacing in her dreams, but tonight, she'll make these a reality once again. 

Lucille is just fastening her packed bags when there is a sudden knock on the front door. A maid answers and after exchanging a few words calls the teen girl downstairs. Putting on her usual bright smile--so as not to seem suspicious, she presents herself. 

"Ah, there you are. This young lady says she's a friend, and you're going to her house for the night?" 

"Yes, I am. I already have my bags packed, so Blanche and I will be taking our leave. I'll arrive back home sometime tomorrow afternoon!" Lucille explains, skipping out the mansion with a wave before she can pester any information. 

Easy as that their plan seems to have succeeded, for now anyways. Undoubtedly her parents will see through such a lie, but even if she does get punished, one day spent with him is worth the trouble. Two whole weeks have passed since her parents forbade her to even look in his direction. 

"Thanks so much for coming all this way, Blanche! I couldn't have done it without you."

"You needn't thank me. I'm more than happy to assist a heartbroken pair to finally be reunited. Still, is this Alphonse fellow you spoke about all that special?" Blanche wears a similar expression her parents make every time she brings up his name. 

"In so many ways it would take hours for me to express." Lucille's gloved hands clenched tightly at her chest as these love pangs the past several days will soon seize. "We've only gone fourteen days exactly without seeing one another. Though it seems like, on my end at least, it's been an eternity from feeling his embrace." 

"I see he truly is a keeper to you then. Well, do be careful catching that filthy train given your noble attire. I wish you both a nice night with the small window you have," she adds, giving a tender smile and the two noble girls exchange a quick hug. The red head never imagined the tour she gave her around the capital would sprout a new friendship with the prince's fiancee. 

"We definitely will! Looks like it's time to part ways here, but I'll see you later. And inform you of all the sweet details of our date when I return." Lucille takes off for the station with a bounce in her step. Just a little bit longer until she'll be right at his doorstep. There are many topics she wishes to discuss, however, one stands above all the rest. 

Two weeks ago, her parents opened up a letter Alphonse sent from arising suspicion about her soulmate. Apparently, their nosy neighbors have nothing better to do than spread the latest gossip. This particular rumor is proven to be true when word got out that she was courting a peasant boy. Of course, her initial reaction was to deny those accusations. Unfortunately, she forgot whose name was written on top of her love letter. 

If I wasn't so careless this could've been avoided! Are they so picky with whom I choose because it reflects on their own image? Well, even I wasn't aware Golding was his father after all...

Lucille releases a deep sigh glancing out the train window. Pondering this now will just stress her even further, so it's best to wait until she can look him in the eye and demand an answer. The redhead softly hums as she calms her scattered mind while simply enjoying the long train ride. 

...

Arriving at Aniex within that hour, the sun has already begun to set. It's the first time she is paying a trip to this village in the woods, despite having lived her whole life in Calestra. These brick cabin houses favor the look of Zerek Cove, though instead of colorful flowers they're surrounded by pine trees. A fresh woodsy scent lingers with her soaking in the natural air, and hopefully, she can observe some cute critters along the trail.

Lucille's feet start down the rocky path being unsure where exactly he stays. Countless villagers are still hard at work even with their natural light source slowly going dimmer. A family checking traps nearby looks friendly enough, the noble visitor asking these hunters for directions to the Golding household. It doesn't take long to memorize their detailed steps, and thanking them, she moves fast as high heels will allow her.

Although approaching his cabin on the corner is when Lucille's brisk walking pace drastically shifts. Anxious thoughts now cause butterflies to dance around in the bubbly girl's stomach. Just how will Alphonse react to this surprise overnight visit? What if her soulmate doesn't invite her inside, or he hasn't missed her like she has yearned to see him? 

It's possible he's not even here. I showed up unannounced letting my emotions guide me to his home. Much as I would love to feel his warmth or simply sit and chat, who's to say that these desires are mutual? 

Regardless she came all of this distance and has no intention of turning around, unless he orders such himself. Forcing her hand with his promise bracelet intact, Lucille does a gentle yet firm knock on the wooden door. For a moment, there's no response but the noble girl can't knock again before it suddenly swings open. 

"A-Alphonse, good evening!" 

"Oh, Lucille. Didn't expect you to be the one bamming at our door..." he mutters, clearly still half asleep with a yawn escaping his lips. However, blinking a few times his violet eyes widened in pure disbelief. "Wait, Lucille! What are you doing here?!" 

"Well, I was just on a stroll through the village and thought I would drop by for a visit." 

"Really now? What's with the large bag you're poorly hiding behind your back?" Alphonse leans to peek behind the redhead who immediately takes a step away.

"T-This? Um, I simply have a couple of things I need to carry! Girls are very complicated, you know. Besides" --Lucille's awkward smile vanishes with a frown tugging at her lips-- "I'll answer if you share why you lied about Boyd being your father?"

The noble girl's tone is serious and the exact opposite of her typical carefree mood. Happy as she is to see him, she'll be more pleased when hearing his piece. Alphonse realizes the tables have turned, opening the door wide to welcome her inside. 

"We can continue this privately from listening ears."

Following the male, their cabin is rather cramped but warm in more ways than one. The cozy fireplace, family eating table, and random toys scattered about their home are filled with love. Much more appealing to an empty mansion, since her parents are forever busy at work.

"I know this isn't grand but make yourself comfortable." 

"Just standing in this spot fills me with an unfamiliar longing. I'd prefer to stay here than that lifeless mansion in the capital. I mean, the maids and butlers are there but it's still not the same." 

"If you're trying to permanently live here, I thought you'd bring a bigger bag," he jokes, though she won't let him divert the subject. 

"I said I wanted answers from you first. Why'd you fib directly to my face? I told my parents your truthfulness is one of the things I admired...and n-now you're proving me wrong," Lucille hoarsely mumbles, failing to prevent the cracking in her stained voice.

Alphonse's expression crumbles with remorse written on his face. Grabbing a seat on the sofa, he pats the cushion for her to sit down beside him. She obliges giving this opportunity for a hopefully decent explanation. 

"Look, I'm sorry for not being straightforward with you, but I'll confess the whole truth right now. Boyd, also known as the midnight burglar, is in fact, my father. The exact man who was sentenced to three years in the castle dungeon for robbing wealthy homes." The brunette's hands bawled at this revelation before releasing a tired sigh. "I...knew once you hinted at my surname it was to confirm that connection. So I panicked and acted like we only shared the name Golding by chance." 

"What was the big deal about admitting that to me?"

"I just didn't want you to view me in a different light. Already got snooty people in the capital glaring at me because of what my dad had done. It's not like his actions were right, but all he wanted was to create a better life for us. He had major insecurities since the day mom walked out on our family." Alphonse's hard gaze drops to his lap, and this is the first he has ever mentioned his mother. 

"Did something trigger her to take off?" she questions, quite curious to learn about his past. 

"She wasn't content living in the village one step above the slums. My mom had blamed dad for her bland lifestyle, and eventually, she reached her limit of this crappy place. Leaving a single letter, she disappeared five years ago to God knows where and never came back." 

Alphonse can't mask from her the irritation as he speaks, as if this wound hasn't fully healed for him after all of these years. The red head is well aware her parents' rulings are strict, but they do still love her deeply. Unfortunately, it seems his mother put her material needs ahead of her own flesh and blood.

"My main point is my dad's serving a punishment for his theft, but he isn't a bad person at heart. I wished he understood sooner that we aren't like her and were happy just being together. When I saw how people started treating me after his arrest, I feared you might respond no differently. It was obvious that I couldn't keep up the sloppy lie, but I planned to come clean when the incident settled down."

The brunette locks eyes with her again with his story now fully told. At last, she understands the full truth though one detail concerning it has her hand tingling. No warning given, she whacks Alphonse hard on top of his head and he winces in pain. 

"What was that for?!" 

"It's your punishment for how dense you can be sometimes! Why would you loop me in with the rest of those uppity nobles? I refuse to judge you for the crime a relative committed. You should've been honest from the beginning rather than jumping to conclusions," she lectures, him currently massaging his tender head. 

"Okay, I get why you're upset. Still didn't have to hit me like you were splitting a plank in two." 

"Ah, I'm glad that's settled! Though there's something else bothering me now..." 

"And what is it? Did you leave a bruise? I won't know until tomorrow." 

"I didn't hit you that hard!" Lucille argues, and he chuckles as she's on the receiving end of his teasing this time around. "I was just wondering because you're only seventeen, what guardian is living here? Neither of your parents is able and you can't legally raise children, unless you're seventeen or older." 

"...Well, I actually told the authorities-" 

"Al, Leslie, we're home!" 

A loud declaration interrupts him as the front door swings open. She can see the two kids both share similar features while they kick off their shoes. Yet, another girl appears she didn't even realize was in the house from upstairs. 

"Welcome back. How was school?" The older female asks, hugging both of the children as if routine. 

"It went the same as usual but today we don't have any homework!" The little girl exclaims, and he waves Lucille over to join them. 

"Sounds like someone is in a good mood. Mr. Hayes has been piling you guys with a lot of assignments for weeks." Alphonse gives his younger sister's hair a light ruffle, and after greetings are exchanged, they notice the stranger's presence under their roof. 

"Who are you?" The boy questions, everyone's gaze pinned on her. Lucille has heard plenty about his siblings and now gets this chance to meet them. Having none of her own, she simply hopes to leave a good impression. 

"This is my friend, Lucille. She'll be...spending just the night and I'll see her home tomorrow morning," he slowly decides, this a surprise considering she hadn't explained the situation. 

Guess by this point Alphonse must've connected the dots. I am relieved he's okay with me here, and I'm not imposing or anything. 

"Let me properly introduce you to my younger siblings. Starting with the oldest," --Alphonse first points to the teen girl beside him who wears a confident smile-- "this one is Leslie. She's thirteen years old and the babysitter when I'm at work." 

She has short bob-cut hair that's only a shade lighter than her brother's. On the contrary, her eyes are hazel instead of matching Alphonse's violet ones. Leslie's clothes gives vibes of a tomboyish style, and she gives the redhead a small wave.

"My brother has talked a lotta about his soulmate. It's nice to see your face since he normally only invites Kana over. I thought you might've been imaginary, despite the letters, but he's become more chipper while courting you." The girl finishes with a smirk, and his cheeks redden ever so slightly. 

"If you wanna crack jokes, I'll share with Peter some funny childhood memories the next time I see him. There are numerous embarrassing stories about you to babble, or we can both spare ourselves the humiliation and play nice for once," Alphonse argues, seeming to state a good point as she refrains from any further teasing. 

He next glances at the smaller girl, who caught staring skeptically makes her chocolate brown eyes lower toward the floor. She has adorable dark curly pigtails and a wool knee-length dress that matches the color of Lucille's hair. The noble guest could get a better look if she wasn't hiding behind her brother. 

"This here is my other sister, Pamela and she's nine years old. Why don't you say hi?" he suggests, but the child continues to cling to his side, refusing to make eye contact. "Sorry, just give her some time. She'll come around eventually." 

Lastly, the fourth sibling that remains is the tiniest among them. Alphonse's lone brother and his striped overall outfit is too cute for words. He might have curly locks like Pamela's but his attitude is the complete opposite by the toothy grin on his face.

"This is the youngest, Javier. Don't let his innocent act fool you. He's the biggest handful of all and is just six years old." 

"Hi, Lucille! I'm excited we get to have a different playmate staying tonight. Are you from a rich family? I never saw anybody wear a dress like that around here before." 

His question shows her this boy is quite the observant little man. Lucille squats to Javier's level, happy to come across someone who contains equal energy as her own. It would be neat to have a sibling in general, though she always preferred a younger one to dote on. 

"Yup, is it that easy to tell? I live in the kingdom's capital. You and your sister are two cuties, you know?"

"Well, we do hear that a lot," he replies in a cheeky tone, though is lectured by the oldest to just accept her compliment with thanks. She can't begin to fandom how hectic it must be to act responsibly for not one but three siblings. Still, overwhelmed as he might get at times, she believes they're close knit and is a tad envious of such a tight bond. 

"Um, Al, can we go fishing today?" Pamela quietly pleads, causing her brother to jump up and down in excitement. 

"Yeah, you promised, remember?! We're homework free and it's a nice day out too. Oh, and Lucille can come with us! Have you ever gone fishing before?" 

"Nope, this would be my first," Lucille informs, honestly not something she finds too appealing. The noble girl is never one to eat fish much--except on occasion, but if going will help her get closer to them, she'll push through.

"Certain you wanna go? I know this isn't your thing so I could always make these guys wait until tomorrow," Alphonse bargains, but his kind gesture is unnecessary having already made up her mind. 

"I indeed sustain from eating other meat, but I'll dine on fish every now and then. Hunting would've been a definite no for me though you're well aware of that. Plus my parents always looked down on the activity with this another commoner hobby."

It's similar to the enjoyable Bubbles Bond Festival she missed for years as a result of their orders. Lucille has high doubts basic fishing will ever be up to par with the magic at Greendale Hill. Regardless, today is most likely the single opportunity she will have to try this. 

"Alright, but we better hurry. It's getting dark, therefore, we don't have much time. Go put your books away and slip on your shoes while Leslie and I gather the supplies."

Following Alphonse's orders, the two kids dash toward the stairs. The noble girl is instructed to just sit patiently as they handle all of the preparations. Retaking her seat on the couch, Lucille silently goes over the fraction she does recall about the activity.

...

The five end up at a wooden bridge over a riverbank that runs through the village. According to Alphonse, several small fish which are fairly easy to snag harbor these cool waters. Perhaps, with a stroke of beginner's luck, she will catch something prior to sunset. The two fishing rods are claimed by Pamela and Javier to knock the little guys out first. Lucille watches closely, taking mental notes as the children catch fish without any assistance. 

"Hah! I caught another! I have three fish and you still only caught two." Javier dangles the fish around Pamela's face which she irritatedly slaps away. "I'm fishing for victory today!"

"Al, make him cut it out! He keeps distracting me while I'm trying to focus!" 

"Can the both of you last one day without nitpicking? Javier, leave her alone since this isn't a competition or next time we come, I'll have you watch and skip your turn." 

"Okay..." he grumbles, tossing his tiny catch in the bucket. 

"With how dark it is you're swamping now anyways. Give Leslie and Lucille the rods so they can fish a bit before we head home." 

Javier hands the pole to his older sister while Pamela shyly gives her own to the redhead. Despite watching them she remains at a loss on where to start, and thankfully, Alphonse gets her set up. Between hooking worm bait and casting the line, all she has to do is wait for a tug. 

"Not as hard as it might seem. Just keep in mind the tips I gave on the walk here. Stay relaxed and let the fish nibble a minute before wheeling it in." 

"Alright!" 

Lucille's frozen body could be mistaken for a statue as her golden eyes are glued to the fresh waters below. 

"You're too tense. It'll take some time to get a bite, and acting hastily will result in losing the fish. Besides, there's no need to stand like a soldier ready for battle." 

"I get distracted easily so I'll probably mess this up if I don't stay focused," she counters, determined to claim one fish before they depart from this bridge.

However, that fiery determination diminishes little-by-little as the sky grows darker and darker. Soon the sun is no longer visible as the earlier chatter from town has quieted down. Twice she nearly catches a fish but fails, and by the looks of it, there just isn't any time remaining. All until one firm tug almost causes the girl to lose her footing. 

"H-Hey, I have something and it's really strong!" 

The redhead is eager for this bite though afraid she'll either damage their rod or fall head first in the river. Alphonse rushes over to assist her while his siblings silently stare at the novice's losing struggle. 

"You're doing great so far. Nice, steady, and don't stop wheeling, alright?" He then places his large warm hands on top of her own, surfacing a scarlet blush across the noble girl's cheeks. "I think we got this one." 

"Y-Yeah." 

Lucille tries to calm her pounding heart which is breaking her concentration away from the current task. After giving a little more pull a huge fish comes flying out of the river, and it is indeed the largest catch they have witnessed today. 

"Wow, it's so big!" Pamela exclaims, her brown eyes sparkling at the sight. 

This slippery fish is brought to them and once placed in the bucket, Lucille can finally breathe again. The redhead can hardly believe she caught the thing herself, given its massive size. According to Leslie, this type of fish is quite difficult for novices to manage--despite her having a little help. 

"That was awesome! Even Al hasn't reeled in many fish this gigantic! Your friend is probably a more natural skilled fisher than you," Javier jokes, Alphonse yanking the tip of his hat down leaving him blind.

"Don't get smart. I've been fishing since you were a newborn."

Alphonse turns to her with a grin ignoring his little brother's complaints. 

"Still, I gotta admit I'm impressed. I've never caught a fish like this before when first learning, even if I was much younger." 

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without your extra muscle power. I guess fishing wasn't so bad after all. I'm glad I gave this a shot rather than listen to my stubborn parents."

Lucille has a great story to share with Blanche later, yet the fun day is only halfway through. For now, the group of five gathers up everything and paces thems

elves back down the rocky trail. A delicious dinner is promised to be whipped up for their guest, considering the variety of fish they've caught.



A/N End of the chapter. Will have part 2 up shortly.