Despite a previous promise not to do so, I avoid Kedrick for the second time and once I’ve recovered, I spend all of my free time training with Aquin. Working myself into exhaustion helps me to deal with the revolted looks from the court.
It’s not hard to avoid him, mother has had Kedrick in negotiations since his slip in the dining ring. I’m oddly thankful, though I realise how twisted that is. I run down the empty pathway to the village on my way to Aquin’s. The meadow had now been harvested and is empty. My robes and veil flatten against my front as I run. I imagine material billowing out behind me. In my mind, my veil becomes my hair and instead of the brush of material, I feel the heat of the firelight directly on my skin.
Occupied by this, I barely have time to react to a cracking sound to my right. Large hands grab at me. I lash out with my right leg, hearing a loud grunt in response. I twist under the tall person’s arm, take hold of their wrist and use their flailing momentum to throw them over my hip and into a Kaur tree.
I whirl around and sink into a fighting pose as I hear several heavy steps approaching. I straighten at the sight of Malir and Rhone walking into the clearing. The two men were the least friendly of the delegates, but rather than dislike them for this, I found I enjoyed it. When people were forced by custom to talk to me, they were always polite, whether they wanted to be or not. My mother hated me, but wouldn’t tolerate open disrespect of me.
Anything discreet was fine.
Both are looking with confusion at the person behind me. My brain slowly turns over, until I realise who I’ve just thrown into the tree.
I whip around to where Prince Kedrick lays at the base of the tree groaning. Malir rushes forward.
“Veni!” I say, also rushing forward. “Kedrick, you snuck up on me.”
He sits up, wincing a little with the movement. “That is the worst apology I’ve ever heard. How the hell did you throw me like that? You’re so small.” He rubs his back where he hit the tree.
I walk to inspect the tree. There is not any sign it has been hit.
“Is the tree alright, Olina?” he says sarcastically, standing on unsteady legs. Rhone snorts and I look at him in surprise. Rhone made a sound, he can talk.
In light of previous comments Kedrick has made about Bruma women being mainly decorative, I suspect his pride has suffered the biggest injury from my throw.
“Thank you, it is okay,” I reply in the same tone, receiving a glare from him and another snort from Rhone. His use of my name has reminded me I am angry at him.
“If that is all, I will be on my way.”
“To the orphanage? I hoped you could be persuaded to take a walk with me,” he says to my back.
“Another time, Prince Kedrick, I’m quite busy today.” I keep walking, even though my stomach is sinking.
“Shit!” I hear him say. I hear some murmuring behind me, which fades as I round a bend. Footsteps sound behind me. Kedrick runs to my side, grabbing my hand. I look back and see Malir and Rhone walking off to the meadow in the opposite direction.
“Lina, wait. I need to talk to you,” he says. I wrench my hand from his grasp.
“Don’t call me that,” I hiss. “That’s what put us in this mess.”
“You got in trouble?” he asks, face paling. I roll my eyes, how has he somehow missed the tension of the last days?
“Yes, of course.” I push at his shoulder roughly and he takes a step back. “How could you call me Lina in front of the court? In front of my mother?” I ask.
“I’m sorry,” he says, reaching to grab me. I push his hands away.
“Sorry is not enough. I need you to understand the importance of what you have done. The only people to call me Lina are my family and one very old man who has known me since birth. The whole court thinks we are…lovers,” I say.
“What? Is that why it got so weird?” He throws his hands up. “Shit.” He can understand how this would garner a strong reaction. “You have been Lina in my mind for months now. It slipped out. Please, tell me what I can do to make this right.”
I hear footsteps approaching from ahead of us. I drag him off the path, into the trees until we are out of sight.
“Nothing can be done, except what I am already doing. We cannot be seen together,” I say.
Kedrick looks at me for a long moment. “I’ve ruined everything haven’t I? How bad will this be for you?”
“I am used to it.” I shrug. “I accept your apology,” I continue, to change the subject.
“Will you also accept my solemn promise not to do it again?” he asks. I nod. He steps forward to grab one of my hands. “I am not sure I could so easily forgive my stupidity, but I thank you. I hope I have not lost your trust.” He hints at a question, and I know he has purposely poised it this way, so I can choose not to answer him. I also know discretion is not one of his strengths, but he has proved himself in other ways.
I recollect my intent to see Aquin and a grin spreads on my face as a plan forms in my mind.
Brushing aside thoughts of what Olandon will say when he finds out, I step up to the Prince.
“There is something I’ve never told you.” I walk a little from him. “Something very important to me, but something which will also endanger another’s life if anyone else were to ever find out about it.”
A crack resounds through the forest to our left, I drop low, and feel Kedrick do the same. I peer through the trees and wait, holding my breath. We both wait several minutes, but there is no further sound. It was probably just a fallen branch. I back away and pull close to Kedrick, whispering to him while keeping one eye on the forest in front of me just in case.
“We must leave Malir and Rhone behind, unless you trust them not to tell King Jovan.”
He nods. “Let’s go,” he says, his warm breath tickling my ear.
We keep out of sight, going around the outside of the village before ducking between buildings and slipping into the orphanage through an opening. I wave out to the matron and greet children as we go, weaving my way to the back of the building. This should keep anyone following off our track.
I crack open the back door and look out to the Kaur forest. There’s no one in sight.
I turn to the Prince. He opens his mouth, but I put a finger to his lips. He grips my hand and kisses my finger, before turning my palm over and placing another on the back of my hand. The hot shivers I’m starting to like, run down my body.
Pulling free, I duck out the door and run to the forest, Kedrick trails closely behind. After ten minutes, I stop and wait for Kedrick to catch up. I can hear him crashing closer after a minute.
“Why all the running and orphanage stuff?” He gasps. His limbs are long, but I know he’s not as graceful as he first appears, and he is unused to jumping over the vines which are yet to drop off the Kaur trees.
“The orphanage is a cover for what I really am doing,” I explain.
“And the running?” He has his hands on top of his head, drawing in huge breaths.
I laugh, not out of breath at all.
“Because I am able to get to Aquin faster.” I take off at another run, ignoring a weird growling sound from him. He stays closer this time.
I don’t stop until I break into a clearing. The clearing holds several large Kaur buildings.
My trainer was revered as the best of the Elite guards in his time. Olandon and I had heard the guards talking of him once. I think of him as my father, my advisor and a great friend. I used to pretend he and his wife were my grandparents. It was easy because they had no children of their own.
I slow to a walk so Kedrick can catch up. He is dripping with sweat when he does. I forget he is not as accustomed to this heat, and feel some small guilt at making him run all the way here. He does not talk, just looks around while he catches his breath.
“This Aquin is rich,” he gasps, as though he is disgusted by the fact, a bit hypocritical considering he is a Prince himself.
We round a corner and I spot Aquin sitting on his favourite bench in the shade. Both of his hands rest on top of his cane and his head is bowed. I stop in front of him. Kedrick looks at me with a raised eyebrow. I smile. He probably thinks Aquin is asleep
“You have brought company with you Lina,” Aquin says, astonishment colours his words. His voice would have been called deep ten revolutions ago, but time had since taken some of its resonance. “There is a first time for everything,” he says, opening his eyes and looking at me.
I see the Prince making the connection as to who this person is. A sudden grin shines on his face.
I shake my head at his mood swings.
“I’ve brought the Prince Kedrick to watch our session,” I say.
“A Bruma Prince of Glacium, none the less. You trust this boy?” Aquin keeps his eyes on me not acknowledging the Prince at all. I smile as Kedrick bristles beside me.
“Yes, I do.” I look at the prince and his eyes hold mine as he looks back.
“I see,” Aquin says, standing with a swiftness belonging to a much younger man. Kedrick jerks beside me, taking a half step backwards.
“Get changed and meet me for warm up,” Aquin says over his shoulder as he moves to the largest Kaur building.
I direct a confused Kedrick to follow him, while I head to another smaller building to change.
I take my robe off and throw it over the screen, careful not to dislodge my veil. The small set of training clothes lay over a bench in the corner, I pull these on. They’re my favourite clothes to wear, even better than the toga dress. We’ve had to adapt the top which was too tight in the wrong places and too easy to grab onto around the waist. The result is a light sleeveless top, which stops just above the top of my matching black trousers.
There’s so much more freedom in them than what my robes afford. They are much more like what the villagers wear. And every time I put them on my uncertainty and my fears fade. I become more like the person I want to be.
On my way out I grab a leather helmet which ties under my chin. It is the only way my veil will stay on during our sessions.
Entering the largest building, I see the Prince leaning on a wall, looking around with unstoppered fascination at the array of weaponry. This is where Aquin’s true genius is displayed. His mind was why he was considered such a formidable fighter.
The room is filled from floor to roof with different apparatus. All over the room there are panels, all of which open to release a form of weapon or trap. Between these are other obstacles such as swinging logs, bags of dirt, nets and jagged surfaces. A series of ropes hang from the ceiling. All of this he somehow controls from levers around the room. I used to think it was magic when I was younger, and even now I cannot begin to understand it. Aquin was very guarded about how they worked.
Aquin is dragging equipment into place for our session. Kedrick watches him. No doubt he offered to help, but was cuttingly refused by the older man. The Prince glances at me as I walk towards him then turns his head back to Aquin, only to whip his head straight back towards me. His mouth drops open and his eyes move down and back up. His gaze lingers on my chest for several moments before returning to my face as I stand in front of him.
I watch with interest as his face reddens. I haven’t seen this on him before. I tilt my head to the side and place my hands on my hips.
“Are you ready to see my secret?” I turn from him and walk to the middle of the clearing, looking back over my shoulder when he does not answer. His throat works as he swallows.
Aquin starts me on a light series to warm my body. Any difficulty blocking out the distraction of Kedrick fades as Aquin speeds up the routine and begins to shout out complex kicks and spins. Soon I have a sheen over my body.
At the blocking post, I jump back into stable footing and stop a wooden shaft with my forearm. Aquin wheels the twisting post faster and faster until my hands are blurring and the whistle of the approaching shafts blend together, making it impossible for me to anticipate where to place my hands. I glare up at him as a shaft whacks me in the side of the head.
We move onto weapons; throwing and sparring until I am pouring sweat. I can stick a dagger hilt deep into the training dummies around the room. My downfall is that without sound, I have no accuracy. I am just as likely to hit the wall as the dummy. When I’m sparring with my brother, I fight using touch, heat, the sounds of his breathing, the shuffling of his feet and, of course, my memory of his weaknesses and strengths in combat. When we fight with swords, I listen for the whistling of the swing and I am passable with swordplay, but Aquin still insists on blunting the sword’s edge. Bow and arrow is similar to throwing a dagger, I can deliver a forceful strike with no accuracy. It is frustrating I have no other sparring partner. Since Olandon has been training with the guards he has started to beat me. He has learnt to creep silently across the training surface and he breathes soundlessly so I’m blind to his position and next attack.
I really can’t complain at the handicap my veil presents. Without it, my reaction times would be much slower. I’ve learnt to react instantly, without thought. Aquin also thinks my other senses have grown much stronger due to one being impaired.
Next is my favourite part of the session, because I never know what Aquin will unleash. This part had not been dangerous when Olandon and I were children, but as our skill grew, the padding had been taken off most of the blunted weapons.
We start. I have no idea how long I’ve been evading, blocking and dodging when Aquin does something completely new. He releases a gigantic log suspended between three ropes from the ceiling. My mind registers the beginning of its slow arc. At the same time I hear a whir behind me which I’ve learnt over the years means arrows are being released.
I drop down to dodge the first arrow. It punctures the air where my head was half a moment before. Gathering strength in my legs, I jump and tuck my legs to my chest as the log careens underneath me. I throw my legs out and arch backwards as the second arrow, which would have hit my side, flies underneath me. Landing from my backflip, I close my eyes to shut out the distraction of the shifting veil. Twisting, jumping and side-stepping, I dodge seven more arrows. I miss the last arrow’s whir as it leaves the wall. Aquin must have released two at once. It hits me on the bone of my left hip. Hissing with pain, I bend forward. Momentarily forgetting the giant log which is swinging back towards me. The cloud of pain clears just in time for the creaking groan of strained ropes to register. I burst upwards and fling myself horizontal. The log passes underneath, tearing at the skin of my stomach as it does. I stumble on the other side of the log, landing on one knee and quickly roll upright and jog out of the log’s swinging pathway. It will take a while for it to come to a stop.
“Nine out of ten arrows dodged. Not bad. What happened with the last?” Aquin asks, tapping his cane on the side of my arm.
“I missed its noise as it left the wall,” I say, moving to the area designated for cooling down. As though you can cool down in this heat.
The old man stops in front of me and stares at me, waiting.
I sigh in aggravation. “Yes, the sound of two leaving at once was louder.”
“I would imagine it was twice as loud.” He snorts. “Therefore you should have registered it. Dropping to the ground would have been the better option. Though you have the arrows’ routes memorised and possibly could have positioned yourself to miss both.”
I close my eyes and go through the scene in my mind. “Yes. I know the sound now. You will not catch me again with it.” I challenge him.
Aquin chuckles as he moves to collect the arrows. “Once is enough on a battlefield. There is no chance to memorise everything there.”
“I will just have to make sure my enemies all wear veils then,” I joke.
He looks back at me. I cannot quite understand his expression, but it dries up my laughter. His gaze flicks from Kedrick to me. He arches an eyebrow and resumes his tidying.
What was that about? I shake my head as I hear Kedrick approaching.
The Bruma prince stops a few strides from me and does not say a word. I slide through my series of stretches. A few minutes pass before I open my eyes and finally acknowledge him. He is frowning at my stomach. I look down and see my top has been torn and there is a large graze where the log passed beneath me.
“It got me.” I chuckle, then wince as I feel the already forming bruise on my left hip. “Aquin, that log was new. I loved it.” Aquin grunts and Kedrick chokes.
I turn to him, ripping the ruined bottom half of my top off. His eyes fix on my bare stomach. I ignore his look, bending down to stretch the backs of my thighs.
He finally breaks his silence. “What…was that?” I smile under my veil.
“What do you mean?” I say.
A derisive noise comes from him. “You know what I mean. I’ve never seen anything like it. My heart stopped two dozen times during it. How do you see anything?” Words tumble from his mouth. “Shit. It’s no wonder you keep it a secret.” He shakes his head and paces a few times, pulling a little at his hair.
I try very hard to suppress my amusement at his reaction.
“You’re surprised.” I let humour fill my voice.
“That’s one word for it.” His eyes flick briefly to my chest again. “Here I thought if there was ever any danger, I would be the one protecting you.” He shakes his head, a baffled expression on his face.
“Do you fight?” I ask.
“Of course. Every Bruma male fights.”
He seems a bit insulted. “Will you spar with me while you are here? The only person I get to practice with is Olandon. I’d appreciate fighting someone with different techniques. He has been beating me lately.”
Kedrick swallows audibly. “Uh…sure.” He moves to find a comfortable spot. “How do you see out there? I wouldn’t have thought you could see anything under your veil.”
“I don’t see as such,” I say. “I listen, feel and much of it is memorised.”
We walk to the edge of the training building and I slide the heavy door open. We pick a seat on the edge of the forest clearing under a tree while Aquin continues to clear up. I’ve learnt not to offer him help, he always tells me to go away. We sit in comfortable silence, listening to the sounds of the forest. The dampness in my veil dries as we sit. My nose wrinkles at the smell so close to my face. It is the only bad thing about training.
“I’ve seen only a few who could rival the speed you just displayed. Perhaps only my brother Jovan, if I really think about it. You’re very fast,” he says. His admiring tone encourages me to open up. He listens intently as I give him an account of how I started training with Aquin long ago.
Kedrick laughs, breaking the silence we have fallen into.
“You let me go on and on about the females of our world. I’m remembering some of the things I said, and I can’t imagine how you were able to listen to them with a straight face.”
“What was I supposed to say? I could not tell you my secret yet. I did not trust you then,” I say.
He glares at me.
I roll my eyes and shrug a shoulder. “I trust you now. Showing you my training should have told you that much. You are my friend now.”
He flings the handful of dried dust and grass away. “Bloody friends,” he mutters.
I whip my head around to him in some disbelief at what I just heard. What does he mean? It sounds as though he is not happy with being friends. Has he felt that way the whole time? The thought tears a little at my heart. I stand to get away, but Kedrick stands also, grabbing my elbow.
“I would be more than your friend.” He steps up to me and grabs my other elbow, bringing me to face him. I place both hands on his chest to steady myself, speechless. He tilts my chin upwards, leans his head down and kisses me through the veil. The heat of his skin reaches mine. The veil moulds to my lips and I taste the salt of my sweat. The friction causes tingles to spread through my body all the way to my toes. “I love you,” he says, laying several kisses down the side of my neck before breathing deeply and stepping back.
“I would also love to continue, but until you put your robes back on we’ll need to stop there. If I didn’t think Aquin would put a dagger in my back...” He trails off, eyes fixed on me, as though he could stare at me for days. My skin starts to warm under his intent gaze.
I assess my cropped training top and linen trousers. I am sweaty and definitely not smelling like a wild flower. I cannot see the allure.
“I could tell you were petite in your robes, but bloody hell,” he groans. “Let’s talk of something else.”
My cheeks heat at his almost pained words. I’ve never had someone look at me the way he is right now. Maybe it is a Glacium custom. It hadn’t occurred to me to worry about what he may think. Mumbling a vague something, I leave him to get changed, thinking about our kiss the whole time.