Adrian laughed as he answered her question, "I'll be twenty-three in jus' a few months. 'n' how old are you, if I may be so bold."

Lucina blushed as she thought of an acceptable age. He was still just a baby, she realized as she stood. "I'm twenty-four." Lucina lied smoothly, not brave enough to reveal her true age though she kept herself older then him. "You're mature for a twenty-two." Lucina smiled as she wrapped her arms around her book and walked towards the bed carefully. "For a human that is." She teased, enjoying the confused looks he gave her when she was cryptic.

"Why do you live here?" She asked as she stepped closer to the trunk where his clothes were and sat on the edge. "On a farm that is." She explained.

"Twenty-four, huh," Adrian chuckled as he set down his book and crossed his arms lightly as he looked at Lucina, "I live 'ere on a farm, 'cause it was me Dad's. I helped him keep th' farm goin'. When 'e died, we couldn't bring ourselves t' sell it. After all, potato farmin's all I know how t' do 'n' it brings in enough money t' survive on. I'm not one t' go to th' city 'n' learn lawyerin' 'r judgin'. I prefer country folk, they're a lot kinder 'n' much more hospitable. Not t' mention there's a natural calm 'n' peace in th' country that I love. I take it yer from th' city then?"

"Not quite." Lucina sighed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you where I was from. You'd think I was insane." She smiled sadly before pushing thoughts of home from her mind.

"Why are you so kind to me?" Lucina asked curiously as she set the book her lap. "You had no idea who I was. In fact, you still don't. So why take me in?" She asked, interested in his seemling flawless selflessness.

Adrian smiled, "I know ye'll tell me who ye are in time. 'n' if ye don't? It was nice seein' who ye were when ye were here. As fer why I took ye in, ye looked like ye needed help. I couldn't very well leave ye stranded alone out there, ye never know wha' kind o' despicable cads ye might find on th' road like tha'. As long as yer 'appy 'ere 'n' wish t' stay, yer welcome t' live 'ere with us."

"I'm afriad Lori doesn't extend that same courtesy." Lucina laughed quietly. "You're a strange boy." She added as she traced the designs on the front of the book with her fingertips. "You're different then people back home." She sighed as she looked up at him. "Its...refreshing." She said. He had a way of looking past the angry Lucina who had barked at him as he had offered to clean her hand and who had thought poorly of his sister on more then one occasion.

Running her fingers over the smooth bandage on her hand, Lucina seemed to fall into a sort of trance. "I can't believe I'm here." She said, her voice dream-like as most of the other Goddesses spoke where she was from though she had left her peacefullness behind and filled with anger and bitterness. A mistake she was beginning to regret. But only slightly... Lucina added to herself.

"Am I really so much a boy in yer eyes Lu?" Adrian asked with a small smile, "As fer Lori, she's just afraid yer playin' a game with us 'n' are tryin' t' weasel yer way into a marriage t' try 'n' give an unborn child a father 'n' pass it off as mine. Tha' girl's imagination run's wild, 'specially fer only bein' fourteen. Ye just 'ave t' look pass it, if ye can. She'll warm up t' ye in no time. It may take a few months, but if yer still around, which I hope ye will be, she'll come around."

Lucina laughed quietly as Adrian asked if she truly considered him a boy. "Children?" Lucina asked as she cradled her flat stomach. "I can't have children." She said. "At least, I'm not suppose to be able to." She sighed, unsure if the rules had changed when she became mortal. No Goddesses or Gods were fertile except for the select few on the Council. "Everything is so confusing here." Lucina sighed.

Adrian blushed, "F-Forgive me.. I didn't mean t' be rude Miss Lucina 'n' pry.. Please fergive me.." Of course this would happen. No sooner did she feel comfortable around him and finally speak to him civilly, does he go and muck it all up by saying something so foolishly inconsiderate and rude. 'Now she'll prob'ly never speak t' me again.. 'n' God knows I wouldn't blame 'er if she didn't..' he thought sadly, disappointment and shame appearing slightly in his face.

"Don't apologize." Lucina smiled at him. "I don't particularly want children. I'm not suppose to have children." She sighed as she propped her elbows on the book and rested her chin in her hands. "You make it difficult to hide things from you." Lucina smiled, her life story sitting on the tip of her tongue.

Leaning close to Adrian as a bolt of lightning lit the room Lucina whispered carefully, "Can you see it?" She asked, referring to the glow of her skin that was unnatural for humans but perfectly normal for a Goddess. She knew the glow was lessened but it was clearly visible to Adrian as her face stopped only a few inches from his.

Blushing at their close proximity, Adrian looked at her as the lightning crashed once more, causing her to almost glow for a few brief moments after it was gone. Thinking it a trick of the light, he whispered, "S-see what Lu?"

No sooner did he say the words did Lori open the door and find them together, "Adrian, mum 'n' I 'r g-." Her eyes going wide, Lori ran from the room, slamming the door shut behind her as she darted down the stairs. Calming herself before walking outside, Lori ran to the carriage and hopped up beside her mother. "Did ye tell 'im 'n' find Lucina?"

"Aye, we're all set t' go," said Lori as she tried to push the image of Lucina on top of Adrian from her mind.

Lucina sighed as she stood up. "Maybe its not so hard to keep things from you. Though maybe its not your fault for being so naive." She said, her tone hurt as she backed towards the door. "I know you could see it." She said as her voice turned to ice before storming out of his room and back to her own.

Falling into the bed, Lucina opened the book she'd borrowed from Adrian as she hoped to lose herself in someone else's world as a few tears betrayed her and fell down her cheeks.

"Lucina," called Adrian as he darted from the bed and knocked on her door, "Lu, please don' be angry. Ye'll think I'm crazy if I tell ye what I thought I saw! I don't know what answer yer lookin' fer," Adrian said with a sigh as he leaned back against the door and sunk to the floor. "I'm sorry I upset ye.. Please fergive me.. I just.. I can't say wha' I thought I saw.. Ye'll think I've gone loony fer sure.."

"I know what you saw." Lucina said as she set down the book and moved to the door, resting her forehead against it. "You saw the glow." She said softly as her fingers lingered over the doorknob. "You had to have seen it. I was close enough." She sighed as she dried her eyes with her free hand.

Adrian nodded although she couldn't see him, "Aye, I saw what looked like a faint glow a few moments after th' lightning struck when ye were near me. I thought it was a trick o' th' light," he admitted softly, "I thought I was seein' things.. lost in yer eyes, as I was..," he added with a blush, though he meant every word.

Lucina blushed as she took in Adrian's words. He was a baby compared to her though her heart swelled slightly anyways. Opening the door, Lucina peered out to see Adrian sitting on her floor.

Looking up at her, Adrian's blush deepened as he scrambled up as fast as he could, "Fergive me, Miss Lucina, I shouldn't 'ave said such a forward thing.. Please accept me apology," he said quickly, yet softly, as he bowed slightly, embarrassed by how forward he had been, and a bit surprised at the words that came out of his mouth. He's never expected to voice those thoughts. Yet, there was something about Lucina that made him want to tell her his every thought, even if they were in regards to her.

"Look again." Lucina said as she lifted Adrian's chin with her hand and stepped closer to him. "I know its there." She sighed, closing her eyes in hopes that he would believe her. "Tell me you see it." She said softly, almost pleadingly.

Looking at her as she had asked, Adrian saw a faint glow surrounding Lucina. Reaching out and caressing her cheek with his hand, Adrian nodded as he searched her eyes as if they held all the answers and he would find out Lucina's true past if he looked hard enough, "Aye.. I see it Lu.." Realizing he was caressing her cheek, Adrian stepped back and let his hand drop as he stammered, "F-Fergive me, Lucina... I.. I don't know what came over me.. I.. I deeply apologize for being so forward."

"Its alright." Lucina smiled, relieved that he had admitted to seeing her glow. "I'm afraid I haven't been completely truthful with you." Lucina admitted softly, looking up at Adrian shly. "I'm not twenty-four." She smiled playfully as she took a step forward, clearing the distance between them as her confidence swelled. "I'm much older then you." She said, biting her bottom lip.

Adrian chuckled as he looked at Lucina, "Lu, somehow I don't believe that. I do however believe that you're not twenty-four. You look to be nineteen or twenty at the most. Tell me the truth, how old are you?"

"The truth?" Lucina asked, taking a step back. "You won't believe me. I'm not younger then you, Adrian. Where I'm from you'd be considered a child." She said carefully, her confidence fading. Adrian would probably throw her out on the doorstep if she revealed her true age.

Adrian sighed as he looked down into her eyes, "Tell me, please? What, are ye so old tha' it'd be unfathomable 'n' yer really some immortal who lives ferever, like a Vampire o' sorts?" he teased as he took a step forward and loosely took her hand. "Please tell me, I don't like ye feelin' like ye 'ave t' lie t' me.. I'm not goin' t' throw ye out 'cause o' th' truth, whatever it may be, I promise ye."

"Not a vampire." Lucina said softly. "But, see the reason I know so much about the weather is because I planned it. I-I'm a Goddess. Or rather I was. I got kicked out for a year as punishment." She rambled on, not daring to look him in the eyes. "I know how crazy this sounds to you but I promise its not a lie. And its not a lie that I'm older then you."

Carefully, Lucina looked up into Adrian's eyes as her hand curled slightly around his. "I'm two hundred and fifty eight." She said, watching Adrian's experssion carefully.

Leaning back against the wall behind him, he sunk to the floor as his eyes glazed over and his stare became blank. "Two.....hundred....fifty...eight.... Goddess..... weather... planned," Adrian mumbled to himself, his hand still linked with hers even though he was going into a bit of a shock from the news. Crazy thing was, he believed every word she was saying.