Do I have competition?

Aliana stared at the man in her bed and frowned.

"Luci, what are you doing here?" Aliana muttered tiredly. She wanted to sleep after her excursion with Sam to the hot springs.

"I thought I would come to keep you company but you weren't here," Lucien smirked. He stretched his muscular arms up high and settled them behind his head.

Aliana bit her lip and blushed. She remembered when Lucien was a gangly teenager with not a lot of meat on him but the years had made him fill out with lean muscles. "I wanted to soak in the hot springs before I went to bed."

"You did always like your baths," Lucien said with a knowing look. "I remember joining a few at that bathhouse in Vekeli."

If there was a hole to jump in Aliana would have taken her exit. Since she knew Lucien when they were growing they had their fair share of embarrassing stories of them together. "If I remember correctly you would 'accidentally' come into the bath I was using claiming the stream was too thick to see through," She countered.

Lucien chuckled and had a lopsided grin plastered on his face. "I really couldn't see very well and you looked boyish when you were younger, that spells a recipe for a mix-up."

Aliana narrowed her eyes at Lucien and turned around to go to the attached bathroom. She had grabbed a nightgown before entering and she quickly changed into it before facing the man in her bed again.

She hadn't seen Lucien in years and now he was in her bed teasing her, there was only so much Aliana could handle in one night. She reentered her room and Lucien had moved to the balcony where he was standing looking at the night sky.

She walked out to join him and he smiled down at her when she settled next to him leaning on the balcony.

"Want to know something funny?" Lucien asked with a smirk.

Aliana looked up at him curiously and nodded. "I thought the lottery of the noblemen was a joke but when I was picked I started to think back to when we would fight and tease each other. We were always good together in our own way."

Aliana stared at Lucien and took in his words. "You want to be my King Consort?"

Lucien chuckled deeply. "I know it doesn't seem like I would like to be but the way you carry yourself and command attention is so damn beautiful that I can't not want to be by your side in any way I can, especially as your husband."

"You know I can't just pick you right?" Aliana asked with concern. "I have to give the other men a fair chance too."

"Do I have true competition, Ali?" Lucien asked his eyes danced with amusement.

"This is the first principality I am to visit out of seven," Aliana murmured. "I have no idea yet, Luci, but I want you to be one of my choices." Aliana thought back to her earlier activities with Samuel and wanted to pick both of them, she would have to break some rules already.

"So the answer is yes," Lucien said amusedly.

Aliana rolled her eyes and put her hands on Lucien's chest while looking up at him, "You have an advantage most don't, you've known me my whole life and not many can say that."

"Well I hope I can outshine all the other men that you have to choose from," Lucien said with a soft smile. His confidence was radiant and made Aliana blush.

He gathered her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He knew he would have to really win her heart especially with the attention she was giving Sam after tonight.

"We shall see what happens," Aliana murmured against his chest. "I need my sleep though, Luci, I shall see you tomorrow."

His heart always softened at the sound of his childhood nickname. No one dared call Lucien 'Luci' except Aliana.

"I'll say goodnight then," Lucien whispered. "I hope you have sweet dreams, especially of me."

Aliana giggled and bid Lucien goodnight at her door and he kissed her cheek before she shut the door on him. Her blush was a deep red, she shook her head at the thoughts of Lucien's lips on her skin.

Walking back to her bed Aliana sighed as conflicting feelings were already running around in her mind. She blew out the candles that surrounded her bed and tried to quiet her busy mind. Romance was never Aliana's strong suit so she was feeling very out of her element and this was just the beginning.

As sleep fell heavily over her after about an hour of worrying over all the choices she was going to have to make. She snuggled into her covers and went into blissful darkness.