Young Lucian was a curious, playful young boy who loved to get into mischief. As one might expect, this mischief brought great stress to his mother, Rosa Camilia. With the kind of woman Rosa was, Lucian would often get lectured for his lack of self-preservation and thought. The young boy would leap before thinking, step before looking, and race his way into dangerous situations. It was enough to convince his mother she'd grow grey hairs before her 30s.
His father, on the other hand, loved encouraging his son's sense of adventure. It was Alixandre who helped to foster Lucian's interest in reading. He loved the stories of adventure and daring, saving princesses from towers and exploring strange worlds. Often, he could be seen outside with his brother and sisters, roping them into his play.
"I'm going to be the prince! And you, Felix will be the dragon." He'd call confidently as Felix huffed. He'd wanted to be the prince this time...
As Lucian grew into a man, he found himself well-read and well-rounded. He was trained in fencing and horse riding by his father while his mother encouraged painting as a hobby. She'd wanted to give him something that would allow him to express himself in a healthy way. Perhaps she also hoped it would help keep him soft and kind.
When Lucian was 20, he asked his father's permission to marry his childhood friend, Sophia. She was not of high nobility and he knew the odds of receiving a yes were nigh impossible. His father, the kind man that he was, told him to wait. He'd have to discuss it with his mother. After many days, his mother finally came to him in his study. She had a stern look on his face, so he wasn't in high hopes.
"Mother, before you begin, you must know-"
A simple wave of her hand silenced him. She had discussed it at length with his father and she knew the lengths her son would go to for love. She had no desire to lose any of her children, though she asked that Lucian strongly reconsider. He told her he had no plans to reconsider. In response, Rosa asked that Lucian prove his love. She told him to wait for 2 months while she prepared a large banquet.
Rosa invited as many women with the same build, hair color, and eye color as Lucian's first love as she could. She gave them all masks and asked them to remain as silent as they could through the night. Lucian's task was to find his true love among the rabble. If he could do that, his mother would approve.
Lucian found her within 10 minutes. He took Sophia to his mother, tears streaming down Sophia's face. Rosa smiled warmly and took both Lucian and Sophia's hand in hers. "Good man." was all she spoke. They were married 6 months later.
---
Several years later, near Sophia's 23rd birthday, Lucian was making preparations, along with his mother, to hold a banquet for her birthday. They'd just recently found out that Sophia was expecting. After a few years of trying, the two nearly broke down into tears when the doctor confirmed it for them. That morning had been oddly cold, so he was heading out to check on her, a coat for her in his arms. His wife had an intense love for gardening and spend most of her time outside in the gardens. The rose bushes she'd planted a year or so prior had been her pride and joy.
Something kept nagging at the back of Lucian's neck, like someone was watching him. It was a growing, nagging feeling in the gut of his stomach. It grew more intense with each passing moment as he wandered through the garden, calling for his wife.
"Are you looking for me, Lucie?"
The tension that had wound him up seemed to expel all at once upon hearing her voice from the distance. He raced over, smiling as he spotted her. She had a look of confusion on her face. "What's wrong, my love?" She continued.
Suddenly, a black figure appeared behind Sophia and all of the tension Lucian had been feeling came rushing back like a vice grip. His breath caught in his throat. "Sophi-" He'd barely squawked out her name before it happened. It was like the world slowed down. His feet felt heavy like he couldn't move them, all he could do was watch in abject horror as he watched his beloved wife as she was ripped apart.
He watched as her bones snapped, her skin sliced open, as something unseen dragged her now mangled body through the air. He reached, both hands swiping as if in slow motion. They made purchase with nothing as he stumbled forward. "Sophia!!" He screamed, stumbling and falling as he tried to race after her.
To say the world went dark would have been an understatement. Lucian had lost his entire world that morning. Each morning after, he would wake and turn, expecting to see his wife, expecting her to smile at him and ask if he'd had a nightmare. But each morning, his bed was cold and empty.
A few months after the attack, he ordered his servants to change his bed for something smaller. The king-sized bed they slept in felt like a frigid ocean. His parents didn't know what to do or how to comfort him. His mother was incensed, but had no recourse to calm her own anger. Anything she thought of doing felt like a lost cause. They had no leads.
Lucian shut himself in his room most days, ordered drinks and medicine from the servants and doctors. Sleepless nights became commonplace for him, to the point of developing insomnia. He took whatever pills they were willing to give him that might help him sleep. He drank until it all went numb. There were times he could be seen roaming the halls, a drunken mess of a man as he called out for Sophia.
It wasn't until one night, when Lucian had finally fallen into a somewhat restful sleep, that he finally woke up. He dreamt of Sophia. She stood, just at the edge of his bed, positively glowing in angelic light. Her eyes were filled with a sorrow that Lucian knew all too well.
After that dream, Lucian woke as if a renewed man. He was dressing each morning and ate, though still not very much. He trained with his sword and eventually sought out the help of the Vanguard. Not only would they help him defend his kingdom, but they would also help him defend his kingdom from magic-users. He works now as Killian Hale's apprentice, tracking, hunting, and killing magic-users.
When his parents send him to Caesonia to find a wife, they can't believe it when he actually agrees. Little do they know...
