Harmonia Calendar 715, Thal 21 - Ashspire Estate, Elandor
Noon - Training Yard
The sand was cold beneath my bare feet, grains shifted as I moved.
Around me, the square of stone framed the circle of sand, dummies lined at the edge, and a rack of swords leaned nearby.
I raised my blade. Breathed in, then out.
The swordmaster's voice came sharp.
"Again."
I set my feet, stepped forward, turned my hip, and let the sword flow through the cut.
Shing.
The air hummed with the swing. I drew the blade back, settling into guard again, shoulders tight, and breath steady.
It felt good.
He stepped closer and tapped the blade. His tone softened a fraction.
"Better. You remember corrections. That makes you easy to teach."
I let out a laugh and wiped the sweat off my brow with my sleeve.
"I have to, if I want to become stronger."
His eyes narrowed, though there was a hint of approval.
"Hardworking. That's rarer."
Theodora's laugh floated down from the balcony, but I kept my eyes forward, if I looked, he'd make me run laps again.
The swordmaster's sharp voice pulled me back.
"Focus."
I bowed my head in apology.
"Sorry."
His finger tapped my blade, pointing out the angle of my guard position.
"You're late on the recovery. If you open there in front of someone who wants to hurt you, you won't get a second lesson."
I steadied my grip, nodding once.
"Yes."
He raised his own blade to show the form.
"Guard. Again."
I improved my stance and cut once more.
Shing.
Step. Breath. Cut. Guard.
The rhythm drowned everything else until only the clang of steel remained.
His corrections echoed in my head as I moved.
'A bit higher here. Faster. Twist the wrist a bit more there. Stronger.'
I kept going until my arms trembled and every muscle ached.
Clap.
The sharp sound broke my focus, and I froze mid-swing.
He waved me off with a flick of his hand, voice firm.
"Enough. That will be it for today. Good focus. Keep it up."
I watched him leave with steady steps, then rolled my shoulders, a burn ran down my arms.
Step.
My gaze shifted toward the stairs at the sound of footsteps.
Theodora was already waiting.
She still wore the green dress from breakfast, the color matched her emerald eyes. Sunlight caught her hazel-brown hair, turning it gold for a moment.
'Pretty.'
A cloth hung from one of her hands, a cup of water in the other. Her lips curved as she stepped closer.
She smiled and held out the cup, her voice soft, teasing.
"My hero."
I took it and drank a sip, the water cooled my throat.
I shook my head.
"Hardly."
She reached up and wrapped the cloth around my head before pulling my face down toward her height.
Close.
Too close.
Her flowery scent washed over me, and her breath brushed my neck. Her voice came sharp despite how small she stood.
"Don't argue."
I let her fuss. It was cute, her stern little voice paired with her height, which barely reached my shoulder.
But she was too close, my eyes drifted to her lips before I realized it. I spoke quickly, before she could notice.
"How was it?"
Her emerald eyes caught mine as she pulled the cloth back, fingers slipping into my hair.
She ruffled it with mischief dancing in her eyes, and I leaned into her soft touch.
"Terrible."
I tilted my head, one brow lifting, studying her with narrowed eyes.
"Oh, and why?"
She drew her hand back, then mimicked my swings with exaggerated jerks of her arms, while her face morphed into something absurd.
"Because my hero always makes ugly expressions when he swings his sword. Like this."
Heat rushed to my face. My grip tightened around the cup.
"That's… that's because I have to focus!"
She patted my head, her grin growing wider.
"I know, I know. And I'll still love you even if you look ugly."
My eyes stayed on her lips as she said it.
The words reached me a beat too late, and when they did, heat rushed to my face. I turned away quickly, praying she hadn't caught the flush.
'I have to get away from her.'
I turned and crossed the yard, hurriedly.
But her steps were right behind me, and a moment later she was beside me. Her shoulder brushed mine and stayed there.
'Great. She noticed it.'
***
Noon - Balcony
From up here, the training yard looked funny, with rings scuffed into the sand, footprints overlapping, and dummies hacked and stabbed until straw spilled from their seams.
In the middle, Adonis moved.
Step, cut, recover.
Step, cut, recover.
The same line drilled over and over until it looked clean. His shoulders shook with effort, but he never slowed.
'Always focused. Always giving his all.'
The servants liked him for it.
I'd seen their smiles when he greeted them by name, how he thanked the water boy who fetched him a cup. And as he bent down to pick up a dropped rag without making a show of it.
Small courtesies, added up, until they weighed more than favors.
The swordmaster said something, and Adonis laughed. The sound carried all the way up here.
Warm and innocent, but with it, something unruly tugged in my chest.
His head tilted, and our eyes met.
I raised the cloth in my hands like a flag, waving it at him. He turned, trying to ignore me, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
'Cute.'
I pressed the cloth to my lips until my smile faded.
'Reality is heavier than a cloth.'
Father had already begun to speak with families.
'Potential matches.'
"But if Adonis grew strong enough… perhaps he could…"
The thought felt foolish, like a child's wish. And yet...I gripped the cloth tighter, my feet were already moving.
I turned and ran for the stairs.
***
Noon - Anton's Study
The steward entered again, arms full of slates. He set them down in stacks while I dipped the quill.
I marked the guest list with practiced strokes.
"Confirm the guild escorts. Add two servers to the west aisle. Move the musicians back a pace."
The steward bowed his head.
"Yes, my lord."
I shifted to another slate, signing a flourish at the bottom.
"And send a note to the Valmontis household. A small courtesy."
He bowed lower, then withdrew, the door shut behind him.
Thud.
I rose and crossed to the window, pulling the curtains aside, the yard stretched below.
The boy was there, sword cutting the air into clean lines.
My focus shifted to the balcony.
Theodora leaned against the rail, a cloth in her hands, watching him.
'Theodora still lingers too close. Perhaps…it's time to match him.'
I weighed the thought in my mind.
I let the curtain fall and turned back to the desk. I dipped the quill once more and added the final line in clean words to the report.
[Presentable for guests.]