DUSK.
After staring at the love potion for a while, I stood up and dropped it on my desk. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but for the time being, I was going to let it stay there.
"This is outrageous, Dusk. A love potion for the to-be Alpha?" I asked myself and immediately covered my mouth because I knew there were many eyes and ears in the palace, even when one was behind closed doors.
I went to sleep and had a surprisingly good sleep.
The next day, I was awoken by someone jumping on my bed and ruffling my hair.
"Oh stop." I murmured with my eyes still closed.
The covers were pulled away from me suddenly, and I opened my eyes a little to see Seline staring at me with a smile.
"You're so beautiful while you sleep." She said l, and I gave a little smile and turned away.
“Oh, come on. Wake up." She said and started to shake me continuously until I sat up in bed.
"Oh God, Seline, this is too early." I said, and she pointed to the windows.
"The sun's already out and shining, sleeping beauty. Is this perhaps what you call too early?" She asked, and I fell back to the bed only to have her tickle me, and I burst out laughing.
“Okay, okay, I'm awake." I told her to stop and went out of bed to brush my teeth.
When I came back, she was waiting eagerly for me, and she smiled when she saw me.
"Okay, there's got to be a reason you're here." I said. I was sitting in a butterfly pose on the bed.
"Of course I heard about it. You and Lucius seem to be going somewhere with this relationship thing. I mean, it's no longer cold and loveless; you guys are seriously making some progress." She said, and I smiled.
"It was right after I announced my desire to reject him." I said, and her lips rounded in an O.
"Really?" She asked, and I nodded.
"We fought. He couldn't bear being rejected, but the next day he was calm and composed. I think it's because his ego can't bear being rejected, so he'd rather play it romantic with me than be rejected." I said, and she held my hands.
"Even if he's doing this for himself, there's a chance he might start to feel something for you if you play it well." She said, and I thought about it.
"If I play it well?" I asked, and she nodded.
"Smile, flirt... you know it's not going to cost you a thing. Instead, you have him and something perfect. Lots of ladies eye Lucius, you know that?" She said, and I nodded.
After that, we talked some more and laughed about a lot of things.
Then I went to the toilet to relieve myself, and when I got back, Seline was holding the potion I had kept on the desk.
"What's this? It smells like some kind of —“ She started but I interrupted her, walking quickly to her.
"It's some kind of liquid candy. How do I say it? It's like jelly. I got it for a kid I saw yesterday." I said, as I gently took it from her because if she turned it any further, she would see the guidelines on how to apply it and would know it was a love potion, and I didn't want the way she saw me to change.
"Oh Candy. You're giving it to the kid today?" She asked, and I nodded slowly.
"If I happen to meet her." I said and smiled, and she nodded.
After Seline had left, I went out and found Lucius in his study with a lot of papers on his desk, and he was busy writing and checking them out. I was about to leave quietly when he saw me.
"Oh. Dusk." He said with a smile, and I went in.
"Are you busy?" I asked, even if it was a silly question.
"A bit, but I must say, you're looking quite beautiful today." He said, and I smiled.
"Thanks," I said, and he moved closer.
"Did you change your shampoo?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"No, maybe it's the lotion I applied to my body." I said, and he smiled.
"I like the smell of it." He said.
I and Lucius stayed in his study talking, even though he was quite busy. I enjoyed speaking with him, although I wondered how much longer his pretence would last.
That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept on wondering and thinking to myself.
If his pretence was as enjoyable as it was, then what about the real thing? How would it feel to have Lucius fall in love with me?
After debating it for a long time, I found myself going to Lucius' quarters in the middle of the night.
The instructions were simple. I only had to clean his eyes with the liquid while he was asleep.
I got into his room, and everything was dark. But I could see in the dark.
He was sleeping, and I went to him and knelt.
My heart was beating and pounding hard in my chest because of what I was about to say.
"Let's see. Whether you really like me or are just pretending to, With this, I'll know the difference." I poured drops of the liquid onto one eye and used my finger to wipe it properly. I did the same to the second eye, and he didn't shift or stare, not even once.
I left his room quickly and went back to mine, and it was hard to sleep as I wondered what was going to happen.
~
The next morning, Seline, Ariadne, and Dalia were in the garden disputing over who got to stay. They were being so horribly naughty and unbearable when someone came up behind me and pulled me into a back hug.
I was stunned and looked up to see Lucius, who bent his head and smiled.
"Good morning, my lady." He said with a heart-rending smile, and deep within his beautiful eyes, I saw a faint circle of red.
That was my potion.