Duke Lucard de Optima Rakoul. Marcaes’ Lieutenant. A soft-spoken and balmy-mannered man with a slimmer build and had natural, almost fairy-like beauty that can win against any woman alive or dead. His skin was the color of frosted mocha, eyes that put ultramarine to shame, and hair waterfalls of spun platinum metal to his middle back. Lucard is second cousin to His Highnesses King Leovonis and King Leorvis, Crown Princess Maria, Second Princess Elise, and sixth in line for the throne. Duke Lucard was also given the rare middle name Optima, the God of Holy, due to the divination and very high affinity to the Holy arts.

As a young boy he expressed no interest in ruling and instead joined the royal military, declaring with brash courage in the Great Halls that he can do more for his country and its people by being their sword and shield. Not be seated on high like a god. Despite being an expert swordsman and magic user, he started on the bottom with everyone else. But being a person of such skills, he had no rival to match him. That is, until he met Marcaes. After eighty-five matches Duke Lucard has yet to beat him.

“Good day and blessed all be to you, His Highness Duke Lucard,” Ryunise got to her small feet and she curtsied low with her right food behind her, but gloved hands stopped her.

“Please don’t worry about it, Little Lady. I don’t wish to strain you,” Lucard smiled, then blinked when she was suddenly gone.

“If you do not wish to strain her, then please refrain from touching her, Highness,” Marcaes proudly displayed a broad cold smile and hallowed eyes while holding Ryunise firmly in his arms.

“U-um…” She stuttered a bit. What the heck is this sudden chill?!

“Good day and blessed all be to you, His Highness Duke Lucard,” Ryunise got to her small feet and she curtsied low with her right food behind her, but gloved hands stopped her.

“Please don’t worry about it, Little Lady. I don’t wish to strain you,” Lucard smiled, then blinked when she was suddenly gone.

“If you do not wish to strain her, then please refrain from touching her, Highness,” Marcaes proudly displayed a broad cold smile and hallowed eyes while holding Ryunise firmly in his arms.

“U-um…” She stuttered a bit. What’s with the sudden chill?!

“Why, Captain. You say that as if I wish to harm her?” Lucard matched the father’s smile easily with closed eyes, “I would never. Especially sweeping her up so quick. Why, it might even make her little one sick.”

“The only one making her sick is being touched by strangers, Highness.”

“Strangers? I must teach them a lesson. Who would dare be a stranger to My Little Lady?”

“She is not yours, His Highness Duke,” Marcaes continued smiling.

“All young ladies a knight such as myself must serve, Captain Emerodelle,” Lucard beams, “Especially My Little Lady, whom I also swore to protect with my life and sword.”

Just what in the hell? Ryunise gawked, curling her small fingers into her father’s chest. What the hell is this situation?

“You have sworn to this country, need I remind you, Lieutenant Duke Lucard?”

“Indeed, Captain. And she is also in this country, is she not?”

“Stop trying to seduce my daughter,” Marcaes flatly said then with a spark.

“Oh dear, that would be a crime, wouldn’t it? The laws are quite harsh for one rightly accused of such words!” Lucard chuckled, and definitely not phased a cent.

“You mean if they’re found guilty.”

“Exactly, my Captain, all too right you are. If they’re found guilty,” Lucard was practically sparkling.

If it was one thing Duke Lucard had over Ryunise’s father besides social status it was definitely banter. Depending on who you talked to it was a tell-tale sign whether they favored the Duke or not by the nicknames they used: The Holy Tongue, or the Devil’s Whip.

“My Lord,” Ramoul spoke up then with a small chuckle, “I’m still examining the young Lady.”

Yes, please, gods, put me down. What’s with this situation? Ryunise squirmed in her head.

“Ah, yes, Doctor. Apologies, but…” Marcaes looked straight into her face, “Smile for Papa?”

What?!

“You’re scaring My Little Lady, Captain,” Lucard leaned in between father and daughter and beams angelically, “Perhaps she would be more comfortable smiling at me?”

You’re not helping, go away! Ugh! Too bright, too bright!

“That long hair must be so annoying, Highness,” Suddenly the black blade darker than shadow was drawn in a split moment from the sheath and leveled sharply diagonal at Lucard. His swords can move, the Air Knights imbibing their weapons with magic to move with either word or thought. Marcaes said empty with his smile, “I will gladly cut down all obstacles away for free for my Lord and Highness.”

What is with you two idiots?! Idiot father and idiot Duke!

“Papa!” Ryunise grabbed tight her father’s face and squished the cheeks, “Papa, be nice! Don’t be mean!”

It was comical, the face of the Commander Captain smushed between the tiny hands of a girl, and puckered up like a fish. Marcaes’ eyes were wide in shock and blinked twice.

“Put Noxical away!”

“But…”

“Please, Papa? Don’t be mean anymore. Promise Ryu!” Ryunise pleaded with big eyes. On the inside she was in horror at the words pouring out of her mouth. Gods, I’m going to die of self-diabetes!

Lucard had to turn away, clamping his lips shut with a few fingers and shoulders quivering. Doctor Ramoul was in shock, but not even a second later Marcaes melted.

“Okaaay! Don’t be mad at Papa, Papa promises!” He was practically bubbling over in joy as he pulled Ryunise against him and snuggles.

“Ugh! Papa…!” She squeaked. She wanted to gag, but managed to wrap it up in squeaks, “Papa! Put me down already!”

“No! You’re so cute today, I missed you!”

“You saw me this morning!!” She puffed. Oh god, idiot father! “Papa…!”

After he thoroughly cuddled her, Ryunise sat with very puffed and displeased cheeks. Her auburn locks were a complete mess, looking more like a poofed up dog than a little girl. She couldn’t fix anything, not even her clothes, wanting the doctor to finish with his check up on her body. Lucard ended up saving her, yanking her father back into a chair while laughing.

It was more unusual than one would think. Normally those blessed with strong to high affinity by deities, particularly the Gods rather than Goddesses, rarely are left with adequate levels of empathy. It wasn’t the cliché matter of exchanging one’s own emotions – one’s own humanity – for greater power. It’s impossible to force a trade like that. Gods are not complicated by trivial humanly things. They’re Gods. When a God inhabits one’s body, their presence is much too large, and emotions will contaminate the space, so they’re ultimately pushed out. A loving, kind, or even a person riddled with self-consciousness could turn into a shell of their former self; a block of living ice wearing human skin.

Many families can fall apart if they’re partnered with those who are insecure or are suddenly incompatible after they’re bestowed their affinities. Divorce rates used to be very high, and it was especially bleak in times of war. The population numbers plummeted, countless children were orphaned in severe numbers, and human trafficking and enslavement was at its peak. Like a beacon of hope, the Sacred Oraclast Church had stepped in. Acting like family psychologists they pioneered counseling and was a powerful force in mending families, sanctuary to those shattered and abandoned, match-making and marriages. It was a key moment in their history that secured an immense base that spanned the entire nation.

But at least for Ryunise, she was very blessed to have the heart of her father, her mother, and both of them are joyously married to each other. Anyone else they would be polite and mildly apathetic, as if acquaintances, even to their own brothers, sisters, and parents. Somehow, by some miracle, their love for Ryunise was intact and untouched.

“Shouldn’t you be working, Papa?” Ryunise asked.

“His Excellene King gave me the rest of the day off. Are you worried, Nise?” Her father replied with a blossomed face.

“What about your afternoon swords drills?”

“Yes, Highness Duke. What about swords drills?” Marcaes asked with hallow pleasantries.

“On hold for now, obviously, my Captain,” Lucard echoed his tone and smile.

“On who’s authority?”

“Mine and the Little Lady’s, of course.”

“Noted. Now please resume your duties.”

Ryunise sighed slow and long. She obeyed the doctor, turning around to have her back and spine checked, then knees and legs.

“Oh yes. Stashia sent word that she will be arriving in a few days,” Marcaes said.

“My sister?” Ryunise blinked.

“Her hands were full with her tutoring, and with her soon-to-be husband away all manor duties fell to her.”

Ryunise shifted a bit. The memories were hazy, but the heart of this body physically ached at the mention of that name. Stashia dí Wise Emerodelle, soon to be known as Stashia Dev Klasfar, was the first and eldest daughter to Anjina and Marcaes. Much grief hung on that single name. It seems as far back as this body and ears remembered, there was a lot of fights between the two sisters. Stashia had a very loving and doted birth, which that diluted to lukewarm as she grew. She was independent, headstrong, eyes fancied for finery, father’s little girl, and a stubborn foot towards Anjia. At six years old Ryunise was born to tired, but no less caring parents, and an open sister…at first.

“My Lady,” Ramoul knelt before her.

“Ah, yes, Doctor?” She lifted at attention.

“You said it was navy blue today. What was navy blue?”

“Oh. That bright light coming from your hands. From this,” Ryunise took his larger hands and turned to show the back. It was a faint swirling symbol that glimmered just below the surface of his skin.

Marcaes and Lucard watched quietly from the back. The sounds of the breeze tickled a wind chime in its branches.

“And what do you see?” The doctor went on.

“Swirling, blue, like crinkled blue glass bottles. It looks like a water stream, and a current swirling in a circle clockwise right here,” She answered while pointing near his outer wrist, “But it’s going away right now because you’re not using it.”

“You can see that, Little Lady?” Lucard appeared beside them, a gloved hand behind his back and the other under his chin in thought.

“Huh?” Ryunise looked between all the men standing around her, confused, “Can’t everyone?”

“On the contrary, very few are able to see my power, let alone say in detail what it looks like,” Ramoul inclined his head, brows furrowed, “But this is troubling…”

“What is it, Doctor? Is something wrong?” Marcaes asked.

“She could speak not only about the color, but the reactionary color, and also decipher past my seal, despite how she said she couldn’t really see,” He replied, “My Lady. Do you know what that power was for?”

“Um…” The girl fiddled with her fingers just a bit in her lap, nervous, but kept her back straight, “Water…it’s water, doctor. You were looking at the flowing water in my body for poisons or blockages. Then there was an after-flow, like a big shadow was standing over the water.”

Ramoul’s spectacle nearly dropped from his face in shock. What? What is it?