Lucilius had heard a lot of things about Vorian's pretty new bride. For one, they had never met and that worked in his favor, so he thought anyway. There was always a kind of rivalry between the boys. Lucilius always wanted what Vorian had and Vorian always got everything he wanted. The youngest prince felt as if he was drowning in an endless whirlpool of war and rivalry.
So when the perfect time came for him to make the kind of move on something that was to be Vorian's, the prince jumped at the chance to do so. He had one of his sweetest and prettier slaves to help attend to the woman. She was to say nothing, be nothing, and report back to Lucilius as soon as the soon-to-be queen was finally settled and alone. The tiny woman followed the prince's orders to the letter and returned to him on the second night of Irena's extended stay in the palace stronghold.
Lucilius dressed in something that would suit the evening. It wasn't a dress uniform, but it was something more soldier-looking than he preferred. Something to make him almost ruggedly handsome and sweet all at the same time. He wanted to make a lasting impression when meeting his brother's bride, to leave a mark on her that wouldn't let her forget him. Of course, it wouldn't just be in the way he dressed. Lucilius would be cordial and gentlemanly. He would be so sickeningly sweet that she wouldn't know what to think. That was the plan anyway.
He entered the garden slowly so as not to startle the woman and cleared his throat as he smiled at her. "I must be dead," he spoke carefully and gently, "for I seem to be in the very presence of a goddess and that is something I never thought I would achieve."