Lucian leaned back slightly, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his voice calm but tinged with exasperation. “I have nothing to do with her. She’s the one who came to me this morning. Out of nowhere! I swear, this was the first time we’ve spoken.”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed, skepticism replacing his shock. “And what, she’s calling you darling ?”
Lucian nodded firmly, but his tone carried an edge of desperation. “Yes! She asked me to marry her, and I rejected her. That’s it. End of story. I swear, I didn’t”
“Darling, don’t be like that,” Celestia’s voice interrupted, sweet and syrupy through the speaker. The sound made both men freeze, their gazes snapping to the phone. “We’ve become so close already, and I’ve told you, Arthur. If you don’t believe me, you can check Lucian’s underwear it’s black with white stripes. I assure you, we have so much to do with each other.”
The room fell deathly silent for a moment.
Lucian’s mouth dropped open so wide it seemed as though his jaw might unhinge. “Wait what?” he spluttered, his voice rising in pitch as his face turned an alarming shade of red. “No! No, no, no! What the hell are you talking about, Celestia? Yes, it’s true, but no! You’re twisting it! That’s not it’s not what it sounds like!”
He practically jumped out of his chair, his hands flying to his temples as he struggled to comprehend the absurdity of the situation. His neck flushed red, the heat spreading to his cheeks in a mix of embarrassment and fury. “This is insane! You’re making it sound like I don’t even what the hell, Celestia?!”
Arthur’s gaze shifted slowly from the phone to Lucian, his expression one of pure, unfiltered disbelief. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Then it opened wider. And wider still.
“Your… underwear?” Arthur managed finally, his voice faint as though the words had physically drained him. He blinked several times, staring at Lucian as though he were some kind of alien species. “She knows your… how does she…?”
“I don’t know!” Lucian shouted, throwing his hands up. “I have no idea how she knows, and I don’t want to know!”
Arthur leaned back in his chair, his hands gripping the armrests as he tried to process everything. His mouth moved wordlessly for a moment before he finally said, “This is… this is so far beyond anything I ever imagined.”
Celestia’s laughter crackled through the speaker, sweet and teasing, but with an unmistakable undertone of mischief. “Oh, Lucian,” she cooed, her voice dripping with faux affection. “Don’t be so shy. We’re practically family now. We’ll be fast, very fast. And Arthur,” she continued, her playful lilt sharpening, “why are you so shocked? You should be happy for us!”
Arthur groaned audibly, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to wrestle his patience back under control. His knuckles whitened, and his jaw tightened as though physically holding back the explosion threatening to burst forth.
“Celestia,” he said slowly, his voice low and dangerous, each word measured and deliberate. “Stop. Talking. Right now. Or so help me”
“Or what, little brother?” Celestia cut in, her tone dancing on the edge of provocation. “You’ll yell at me? Oh, you’re so adorable when you’re flustered.”
Arthur’s fist slammed onto the table, the loud thud reverberating through the room. He closed his eyes and took a deep, sharp breath, trying to calm the fury bubbling within him. “Stop it,” he growled, his voice tight. “Just… stop it.”
He turned his fiery gaze toward Lucian, his composure cracking just enough to reveal the storm brewing beneath. “Wait,” Arthur said, holding up a hand to silence the next inevitable teasing remark from Celestia. “Stop, both of you. Just… let me think for a second. I need to ask”
Celestia went silent on the other end, though Arthur could imagine her sitting smugly in her room, her posture relaxed as she toyed with her hair or perhaps her nails. Whether she was grinning victoriously, pouting, or plotting her next move, Arthur didn’t know and frankly, he didn’t want to.
Lucian sighed, leaning back in his chair as though already anticipating Arthur’s barrage of questions.
“You,” Arthur began, his voice tight and incredulous as he pointed an accusing finger at Lucian, “said she… proposed to you?”
Lucian nodded slowly, his exasperation evident. “Yes. This morning,” he replied, rubbing his temples as though the memory itself gave him a headache. “She asked me to marry her.”
“And,” Arthur pressed, his finger trembling slightly as if his mind refused to accept the words, “you’re telling me you rejected her?”
Lucian nodded again, his tone resigned. “Yes, Arthur. I rejected her.”
Arthur gasped audibly, his eyes widening in pure disbelief. “You rejected… a freaking princess?” His voice rose in pitch, cracking as his mind reeled. “You rejected Celestia? A PRINCESS?!”
“Yes, yes,” Lucian said, waving a hand dismissively, though his own irritation was mounting. “I’ve already told her, and now I’m telling you: I don’t have any feelings for her. Not now, not ever. And,” he added with a sigh, “I’m really not in a place for a relationship. It’s that simple.”
Arthur’s mouth hung open, his brain working overtime to process the sheer absurdity of what he’d just heard. “You… you… you’re a complete idiot!” he finally exploded, throwing his hands into the air. “A dumbass of epic proportions! How could you do you even realize what you’ve done? Marrying Celestia would’ve secured your entire life! Status, wealth, influence everything! And you just threw it all away?”
“Arthur,” came Celestia’s voice from the speaker, cutting through the moment like a blade. Her tone was light, but there was an edge of warning beneath it. “Behave. Be respectful to your future brother-in-law.”
Arthur froze mid-rant, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to form a coherent response. His hands dropped to his sides, and he turned a bewildered glare toward the phone on the table.
Lucian sighed deeply, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “This… this is what I’ve been dealing with,” he muttered, gesturing toward the phone as though it were some cursed object. “I tried to tell her, but she doesn’t listen. She just… does this.”
Arthur’s gaze snapped back to Lucian, his confusion giving way to suspicion. “What do you mean, she does this? You’re saying she’s been what? Forcing herself on you?”
Lucian nodded slowly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Yes,” he admitted, his voice low but firm. “She’s relentless. She’s even threatened me.”
Arthur blinked, his brows furrowing deeply as he processed Lucian’s words. For a moment, he said nothing, the weight of the situation sinking in. Then, he leaned back in his chair, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and exasperation.
“This is… just…” Arthur trailed off, gesturing vaguely as though words failed him. He stared at Lucian, then at the phone, and back at Lucian again. “I don’t even know how to react to this.”
Lucian sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Welcome to my world,” he muttered under his breath.
“Your sister,” Lucian said quietly, his voice dry, “is a menace.”
Arthur lifted his head, giving Lucian a long, weary look. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he muttered.
—