Chapter 7 - Bonds (Patreon)

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It was mid-afternoon.

The warm sun beat down upon my skin. My head craned into the air, eyes closed, as I basked in the warmth the giant orb had to offer.

It was my first real break since the tea party, so I relished the time.

I’d learned a lot since coming to this world. Enough that I could have filled volumes with it and still missed half of what mattered. Professor Lorik had ended his contract a year ago, I could study on my own, and I’d already tested well enough to attend the University in Camden if I ever cared to. For the time being, I didn’t. Getting a Divine Treat was still the main goal.

The problem was that once my lessons eased up, I realized how little of a life I had beyond training, studying, eating, and sleeping. After the tea party, it was all I could think about.

I was a lonely little brat with no friends. I couldn’t connect with anyone my own age, and the people I would have wanted to talk to weren’t about to spend their days entertaining a teenage noble girl. I couldn’t even blame them. I wouldn’t in their place.

So I wandered and thought too much.

Castle Grey had gardens, trees, ponds, and more space than any one person could use, but none of it felt like mine. The one place that lay beyond the wall. Near the back of the grounds, hidden by brush and moss, there was a crack in the perimeter wide enough for me to slip through.

But the castle was also on its own small island in the middle of Water’s Bastion. It was enough that it would take about thirty minutes to run from one end to the other. There was enough vegetation and cover for small animals to live there, though no monsters. Groups of cadets routinely patrolled it to ensure no one snuck onto the island, and there were towers at key points on the Water’s Bastion side surrounding the city to monitor any activity. Plus, patrol boats. The place was safe and secure.

I was allowed into the island, but only with an escort, which I didn’t want. But I’d found a loophole to that little problem.

On the northern wall near a corner in a courtyard garden, the wall surrounding Castle Grey was cracked. It was a hidden crack that would have been very hard to see if you didn’t stumble upon it on accident like I did. It led right into the island unseen.

It was one of the happiest discoveries of my life, and one I abused relentlessly whenever I could.

After a particular brutal training day with Master Talbert, I passed through the crack to find my hidden oasis in the forest and unwind. After around ten minutes, I stumbled upon a pond. It was devoid of life, not heavily vegetated, and crystal clear. It sat within a clearing. Trees surrounded the expanse, and a short-grassed meadow circled the water.

It was the perfect find, and far away from any regular patrol routes I knew of. It was mine and mine alone to lounge about whenever I pleased. 

I undressed and slipped into the water. My head was reclined against the pond’s bank, and my eyes were only half open. Heat lay over my skin as sweat dripped from my brow. The cool, crisp pond water hugged my body. I sagged against the brilliant green grass and let my agitated muscles be soothed by the vindicating water.

“Time to eat some food,” I said.

A leather sack sat nearby. I pulled it closer and opened it. Inside was a book, a bamboo box, and a bamboo cylinder. I took out all three items.

One of the more useful things I’d done since arriving in this reality was to recreate foods from my old world from memory. Mayonnaise, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, smoothies. The usual comforts. Chef Rumsley had taken those ideas and run wild with them, which worked out well enough for both of us.

Inside my bamboo box was lunch: strawberries, sliced apples, carrots, and a glob of peanut butter. In my bottle was plain well water, tragically lacking ice. If I ever got a Divine Treat that could fix that, I’d consider my life improved.

“I wonder what gift I’ll get when I get that damned treat,” I said, plopping a strawberry past my teeth. “Bet I’ll be a Typical like everyone else. Be nice to be an Admix.” I tapped my fingers lightly against the ground. “I hope I get an ability that adds to my strength. Nigel’s got a good one. Seen him use it a few times. Bang!” I laughed. “Sure would make up for being such a weak little brat!”

The edges of my lips faltered, though.

“That’s all assuming I can get a Divine Treat someday.” My head reclined further against the grass. “I feel like I’ve proven myself to the baron. I’m in the age range. Talbert’s aware of what I want. He’s promised to help me. Soon. So relax, Scarlet.”

Even with Talbert’s help, though, I could feel both my parents getting, hmm, agitated.

The baroness would ask me about friends or events. Apparently, she didn’t like any of my answers because she’d get annoyed with whatever I told her, the bare minimum, and that nothing had really happened. At first, she was sympathetic, but three years of the same answers had worn her patience.

I wasn’t going out of my way to be with people. I did the bare minimum that was required of me. I’d never hosted any social events myself and made no indication I ever would. No one in the city’s wealthy circles had anything positive or negative to say about me. I just kind of existed, doing my job, so to speak.

The baron was only concerned with my networking, too, and asked about the sons I’d met. He wasn’t pressuring me to meet with anybody, but he was getting more obvious by the day. It was probably his way of trying to have me “plant seeds,” so I’d have options in the future, unfortunately.

I think the two of them saw me as a weirdo. A sword-obsessed bookworm. But I didn’t care. I didn’t see them as my parents. I knew I never would. They were the baron and the baroness. They weren’t father and mother. I felt bad I’d deprived them of a normal child, but I had no intention of living my life for another unless I could get something I wanted out of it. That’s all that mattered. Me. Myself. My freedom.

Nothing else.

My status as a Chosen Child was hardly brought up anymore. The older I got, the less people gave a shit. I hadn’t done anything amazing with the status. Granted, I was only thirteen, but still. People could only care about something for so long before it became a normal fact of life, especially if it didn’t affect them directly.

None of that mattered to me in the slightest. I got good food, exercise, books, and walks whenever I wanted. Life was peaceful. If I could just get a Divine Treat and become an Eater, phase one of my life would be set.

Having some people to talk to everyone once in a while would be nice, too.

Shrugging, I popped a piece of sliced apple past my lips. A healthy amount of peanut butter was dabbed onto it. The flavors melded together in my mouth.

“Enough worrying. It helps no one,” I muttered. “Time to read. Get my mind off the useless shit.”

My eyes darted around. Though no one was nearby, I was sure of that, embarrassment still licked the back of my neck. I moved the book I’d brought closer to me.

The title blared out before my eyes. “The Musician’s Lust” sent signals like fire to anyone who might read the label. I felt ashamed reading the crap, but it was like literary crack. I couldn’t put it down.

It was about a wandering musician who went from town to town seducing different women in lewd, graphic detail.

After a while, he grew steadily bored with that life until one day he was rejected. Well, that had never happened before. Not to him.

Turned out, it was a princess who rebuffed him out of spite for his lower-class style of living. The musician, henceforth, resolved to win her over at all costs. He wished to prove that even he was worthy of the admiration of royalty for his talents and beauty, regardless of his wealth and status.

I was just at the part where they met. The shit was cheesy. I started reading it as a joke, but it was so addictive I just kept reading.

Oh! The musician just grabbed the princess by the arm as she was trying to sneak back home. The princess can feel her heart beating rapidly inside her chest, but she verbally denies her attraction to the musician’s face.

Gods, how roman—

Wincing, I slammed the book down. “Stupid brain!”

Looking at my body, I cringed. Penisless and small. Bright, soprano-ass voice. I was already growing shitty useless sacks of fat on my chest. People were starting to look at me weirdly. I hated it how weird and foreign it made me feel.

“Ugggh!” I sank my head below the water and blew bubbles, annoyed and uncomfortable.

…but I’d be lying if I said things were bad. They weren’t. Aside from minor things, my entire lifestyle had substantially improved with my reincarnation. Even the worst parts were manageable, as awkward and confusing as they were. 

My biggest fear was that I’d slowly grow to forget my past. I felt myself slipping day by day. This world and life were better. All the opportunities I could have ever wanted lay before me in a future so vast that I could barely grasp its potential.

It’s because I’m Scarlet, not Felix. Felix played a hand in developing this existence. Not because of who he was, but because of his knowledge. It helped me grow as the person who benefited from him and Scarlet.

And there I go again, referring to myself as two different people.

Dammit. It’s getting worse.

I slapped myself in the face. “Get a hold of yourself,” I cursed. Closing my eyes, I meditated for a moment before relaxing back into my train of thought.

But the scary thoughts didn’t go away.

Who will I be five years from now? I can tell I’d already changed. I’ve only just become a teenager. I was a far cry from Felix, but I couldn’t say I was Scarlet either. I’m starting to have weird urges and dreams now that I’m going through round two of puberty. I keep thinking about sex, and what it might be like if—

I punched the sides of my head to keep the thoughts away. 

Shut the fuck up, you stupid brain!

I shook the thoughts out of my head. Again. “Don’t think, psycho. Stop freaking yourself out just because it’s quiet. Read. Read the damn book and forget!”

My eyes scanned back through the pages until I reached my previous spot.

The princess recounted her hidden desires for the musician.

I could feel my own heart fluttering as she described the—

Why am I still reading this shit?!

I tossed the book far into the trees.

“Screw the book. Relax.” My head sank below the water. “Happy thoughts. Peaceful thoughts. Nothing at all. Think nothing at all.”

My eyes closed as I listened to the hum of the forest. Birds. Leaves. Animals rustling through the brush.

Absolute bliss.

“—od find,” said a voice in the distance. The echo barely reached my eardrums.

I raised an eyebrow and lifted my head out of the water. “What was that?” My ears strained toward the sound.

“Yeah. Found the place a few days ago. I’ve only been by once, but it’s a hidden gem. No one patrols here, and it’s relatively close to the castle. Should be a nice place to take a break, get in some more practice, maybe eat some lunch,” a male voice, different from the first, said.

“I feel like I should be more concerned going deep into the woods alone with you two,” a more feminine voice cut in.

Hmmm. So there are at least three people here.

The voices moved closer.

“Why? Scared we’ll do something?” said the second voice.

“No. I can take you both,” declared the female voice. There was a heavy layer of sarcasm and confidence embedded within her words.

“Yeah, I know you can,” the second voice said, chuckling. His voice was deep but young.

The three of them seemed to be in their older teens. Older than me, but not quite adults yet either. And one of the voices was familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on who it was.

“Hello?!” I called out.

The forest seemed to freeze.

“Hello?” returned the second voice.

“People do use this place,” lamented the first male voice. His was calmer than the second. More soothing too.

Who is that? I know that person, I swear.

“Yes! Hello!” I called again once I confirmed they could hear me. “Are you all headed to the pond in the meadow?!”

“Yes,” replied the soothing first voice.

“Can you three hold a moment? I’m bathing, and I’d like to dress myself before I’m walked upon by strangers.”

“Sorry! Didn’t hear that! Wait there, I’ll come closer so you can whisper in my ear!” said the second voice with a wry sense of humor.

It was clearly a joke, but I suddenly felt afraid for my life.

There was a smacking noise.

“Ow! The hell?!” said the second voice.

“Who says that to a girl they don’t know, you moron?! It’s not funny!” corrected the female voice. I heard her hit him a few more times before there was silence. Then she said, “Let us know when you’re decent. You’re safe. We’ll wait. You have my word.”

I laughed audibly. “That’s comforting!” I said sarcastically.

That could have gone wrong.

With a nervous sigh, I exited the pool of water. Strands of liquid beaded off my body. I’d planned to dry off naturally by tanning in the grass, but I didn’t have the time anymore.

My eyes stayed trained on the forest as I pulled my dry clothes on over my wet body. They stuck, felt gross, and generally fouled my already agitated mood.

Once my boots were on, fighting through the sloshy feeling, I called back out to the random strangers kindly waiting for me in the forest. As I did, I grabbed my practice sword off the ground and tightened it to the left side of my waist.

“I’m decent! Thank you for waiting!”

Moments later, the sound of brush moving caught my attention. My eyes were already trained in that direction.

Three people emerged from the brush dressed plainly in pants, shirts, and boots, much like me. Each carried a wooden practice sword at their hip and a small duffel bag full of supplies.

“Oh!” I remarked upon seeing them. “Nigel! Thought I recognized your voice.” I peered at the others, whom I couldn’t quite place off the top of my head. “Uhhhh, I’ll get it. One sec.” I held up a finger and tapped my foot against the ground. Then it hit me. “Ah! Remi and Alexander! See? I knew it!”

The three of them gawked at me.

“The baron’s daughter,” whispered Alexander. “I said that bullshit joke to the baron’s daughter.”

“It’s your own fault. We kept telling you something like this would happen someday.” Nigel lightly jabbed Alexander in the side. “You deserve it. Think before you speak.”

“Yes, the only remedy for this is summary execution.” Remi bowed to me. “I’ll serve as a witness. I can attest to the blatant harassment before the baron.”

“Come on, guys!” complained Alexander. He turned sideways to his friends. His shoulders seemed to droop. “It wasn’t that bad. Obviously, I wouldn’t have said a thing if I’d known it was Lady Scarlet. I thought it was some pretty cadet or maid I could scare off, you know? No one was supposed to be here. Two birds with one stone, you know?”

“It’s okay with a stranger, but not with me. And this stranger was supposed to be pretty, but you didn’t use that word for me. Which means I’m not. How unfortunate. I guess I’m ugly.” I added to Alexander’s torture. I put my hands on my chest. “I thought they were coming in quite nicely. Guess they aren’t enough to make up for my horrid face.”

“They are, but—” Alexander’s gaze darted to my chest, then up to my face. He watched me watch him do that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. You look nice, but… I’m going to stop talking now.”

I guess he’s only like two or three years older than me, so his reaction makes sense. And this body does look good. I’ve kept it in great shape, and my parents’ genetics are top-tier. Cute face, shapely, and great eyes. Yeah, I’d rather be six-foot-four and ripped, but I have a mirror. I can be objective about the meat suit I control. I. Am. Pretty.

But that fact doesn’t mean I should let this dude off easy.

My left eyebrow rose. “I was berated with lewd jokes and now ogled, all in the span of several minutes. Rude. I’ve never felt such disrespect in my entire life.”

Alexander winced, chuckling.

“I’ll write your epitaph,” announced Nigel.

“I’ll sing at the wake,” joined Remi.

Alexander’s entire body drooped. “Alright, relax, everyone. Can we be kind to each other? Experience some short-term memory loss as a group? Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

I snorted. “Relax. I don’t give a shit.”

“Oh!” Alexander’s face brightened. “That’s great. You’re my hero. Praise be, Lady Scarlet!” He bowed.

“Down, boy.”

“Jokes aside—” Nigel marched forward, bowing slightly as he stopped before me. “—what are you doing out here by yourself, Lady Scarlet? No one knows you’re here, do they?”

“And that would be a great guess on your part.” My shoulders rose, then sagged. “Sometimes I need to get away, you know? It’s my little home away from home. You’ve been with me to the bullshit parties. Half the time, I kept wishing you’d go insane during one of them and chop my head off for making me drag a guard along,” I bemoaned. “The Gods know I wanted that too. You have no idea.”

Nigel closed his eyes briefly, said nothing, opened them, and completely ignored everything I said. “It’s not safe out here, Lady Scarlet. We should return to the castle.”

Ever the protector. What a fucking narc.

I clasped my hands together as if in prayer. “Please, please keep this a secret, alright? I don’t get to leave the castle. Ever. I should be allowed to have some semblance of freedom, no?”

“Lady Scarlet—”

“Oh, let her be, Nigel.” Remi walked up beside him. She snapped her fingers right in front of his face, silencing him. “It’s not like she’s in any real danger.” She peered at Alexander. “Well...” She stood between him and me, flashing him a smile. “Now she’s not in any real danger.”

I giggled.

Ugh, why did I giggle? I hate myself. Who am I?!

“So this is how everyone’s gonna see me now, huh?” muttered Alexander. “The baron’s daughter thinks I’m a pervert. My only two friends are making it worse. I’m so happy. Yaaaaay...” He gave a thumbs up while looking listlessly into the sky.

Nigel ignored everyone and focused on me. “It doesn’t change the fact that you shouldn’t be... nude out in the forest, Lady Scarlet. What if someone with evil intentions had wandered upon you? You announced your vulnerability to strangers. You were lucky. Eviler men would have taken advantage of you,” Nigel said matter-of-factly.

“True,” I said. “But we’re on an island owned by my family, occupied by staff and soldiers that work for them, and by default, me. Even in the very small chance someone under those circumstances would be dumb enough to do something to me, in that instance, I would have used my sword to buy myself some time,” my retort flowed past my lips as I gently patted the wooden handle lying at my side.

Nigel raised an eyebrow. I could tell what that eyebrow was saying: Yeah, but can you use it? And also: It’s made of wood, you know.

Alexander stepped closer. “I’d like to apologize for—”

In a flash, I lashed out with my practice sword.

Neither Nigel nor Alexander had time to react.

Within a second, the tip of the wooden blade sat gently between Alexander’s legs.

Alexander froze.

“Well?” I stared at Nigel. A wry smile played at my lips.

“Well, what?” Nigel honestly wasn’t very impressed.

It hurt a little, but I pressed on.

“You looked as if you doubted me. You think because I go to tea parties and wear dresses, I can’t defend myself?”

Nigel raised an eyebrow. “Why would I think that? Master Talbert trains you.”

Oh. Right. He would know that.

Alexander chuckled. “I don’t think I like having two pieces of wood between my legs.”

I made a face. “Two? What are you—” Realization hit me. I stepped back, pulling away my sword. “Gross.”

Alexander, now free, let his shoulders droop. “Oops, back to one. Now I feel lonely.” He sighed dramatically. “You never know what you got till it’s gone.”

“My lady, as a soldier in your father’s garrison, it is my duty, as well as that of my comrades, to escort you back to the castle,” said Nigel, once again ignoring Alexander and his stupidity.

“Stop using ‘lady.’ It’s annoying,” I hissed.

“I respect your authority,” responded Nigel seriously.

“Authority?” I scoffed. “I’m a shitty, privileged little teenager. I don’t have any. It all belongs to the baron.”

“And that is exactly why we must take you back,” agreed Nigel in a somewhat different conclusion than I was leading.

“I refuse.”

“Come now, Lady Scarlet, ple—”

I pulled out my sword again. My arm swiped forward. I angled my hand so that the back of the blade carried the momentum.

Clack!

At the last second, Nigel brought up his own practice blade. My attack hit it at an angle, skewing off gently to the right.

Nigel grimaced. He stared at me with neutral eyes.

Alexander’s mouth dropped.

“Oh, I like her,” Remi said.

Nigel kept tension on the blade. Based on his posture, he was preparing to strike and disarm me quickly before things got out of hand. “Lady Scarlet, I—”

Not letting him, I swung my sword again. A diagonal slash aimed at the left side of Nigel’s torso.

“Lady, lady, lady. Blah, blah, blah.”

With each word, I struck.

“Rude comments. Sarcasm. Blatantly ignoring my wishes.” I kept attacking. “You three are annoying.”

I was pressuring him, but Nigel was still stronger than me. More experienced. He had the advantage regardless of my practice. He was male. And he’d eaten a Divine Treat.

I didn’t have a prayer.

In a way, that gave me the stupid confidence I needed to keep going.

Nigel continued to block my attacks as they flooded his body. “This isn’t safe, Lady Scarlet.”

“Probably not!”

Remi cheered from the sidelines. “You’re doing great, sweetie!”

“How are you so calm right now?!” I heard Alexander say to Remi. “If either of them gets hurt, there will be hell to pay for both of us.”

“Us? What are you talking about? I’m blaming you,” retorted Remi. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Why?!”

•

For ten minutes, I kept swinging.

A grin had fully overtaken my face.

Slowly, the same became true of Nigel.

A connection began to build from combat.

But even still...

“So this is where I’m at...” I muttered to myself between gasps of air thundering through my lungs.

“You’re slacking.” Nigel deftly parried another one of my blows away.

“And you’re in too good of shape. Eat more bread. Stop exercising. Lose to me!”

Nigel caught my final strike with his blade. He shifted the weight to the side, allowing my attack to bounce away.

My lips widened as adrenaline surged beneath my skin.

My hand dropped off the blade, and with my left, I re-caught it.

Using the momentum of the grip change, I pulled the edge forward at a reverse angle, hilt first, to jab him in the gut.

I could always use my left and right hands equally, no matter the task. Swordplay was no different. Talbert called it my secret weapon.

So I used it as such.

“Oooo!” Remi and Alexander said in unison.

Nigel pouted.

Bang!

A small explosion erupted from the bottom of Nigel’s foot. Plumes of smoke rushed upward in response. Dirt hit my eyes. I closed them before the particles could sting my pulse.

“Gah!” I replied as the momentum from the bang stopped my sword stroke. I leaned forward. Coughing wrecked my lungs as sediment invaded my system.

A shape whooshed around to my back.

One hand squeezed my wrist hard enough for me to drop my sword. The other angled my right arm behind my back until I was fully restrained.

“And it’s over. You lost,” said Nigel from behind me. “Good match. I’m sorry I didn’t take you seriously at first. You fight well.”

I sighed. “Now I see how helpful gifts can be. But I already knew that.”

“Lady Sc—”

“No, it wasn’t even that. You could have counterattacked me at any time. All you did was block me. I was outmatched. Outplayed. I never stood a chance. That’s disappointing,” I muttered absentmindedly.

No one spoke.

“I thought I’d be stronger by now. But I barely get to spar with anyone other than Talbert, and he’s a psychopath. Then, in my first match outside of him, I got my ass kicked. If Talbert finds out, he’ll probably torture me more than he already does. How exhausting.”

“Lady Scarlet, please don’t put yourself down like that,” Nigel told me. “You did very well.”

I raised my head. Carefully, I craned my neck back around to meet Nigel’s gaze.

“You are by no means weak. If I hadn’t stopped your final blow with my gift, I’d have been hit,” Nigel said. “You’re very young, and your future is full of potential.”

“Plus, neither of you were really trying to seriously injure the other,” added Remi out of the blue. “Well, except when you got overzealous at the end there.”

“And I have no real insight at this point in time,” said Alexander, just to be a part of the conversation. “You looked good, though.”

I let out a small, mischievous smile. “Such a perv.”

Alexander crinkled his nose. “Alright, the bullying’s gotta stop, guys. It’s hurting my feelings. I cry, too. I’ve got a heart. Feelings. Hopes! Dreams!” He opened his arms as if in prayer. “Let’s all put aside the past and move forward into the future!”

There was silence.

Then I laughed.

Remi followed.

For some reason, Nigel chuckled right alongside us.

Alexander’s head drooped. “Well, I tried.”

“Ahhhh! What was that?!” I genuinely asked. “So stupid!”

“He’s just trying to get off easy. I’ll make sure he’s thoroughly punished for his transgressions, Scarlet!” Remi placed a sarcastic salute on her forehead. “Though he may like that, the sick freak.”

“My reputation is in shambles...” muttered Alexander. His face darkened. Doomed. He stared blankly at the ground.

“All joking aside,” interrupted Nigel, “you really did very well, Scarlet.”

“Oh!” I pointed at Nigel accusingly.

“What?” he recoiled.

“You didn’t add ‘lady!’ That’s great!”

“O-Oh?” Nigel went to bow. “I deeply apolo—”

For what felt like the thousandth time, I interrupted him. “Don’t worry about it! I prefer it that way!” Both my hands rose in front of me, urging him to stop. “Makes me feel like a normal person for once. I like it.”

Nigel stared at me for a moment.

I clasped my hands together. “Could you indulge me in some more practice? You can take me back to the castle right after, but I’d reaaaaally appreciate it! It’s the most fun I’ve had in years. Please?” I batted my eyes. “Besides, if you’re with me, I’m not breaking the rules by being outside the castle walls. What do you say?”

Nigel continued to stare.

I raised an eyebrow.

Eventually, Nigel’s expression broke. He grinned just like he did when we were fighting. “It’ll probably be easier than dragging you out of here by force. Fine. For a little bit.”

“Feel free to use gifts.”

Remi stepped between us. “I’m all for practice, but a missing finger or a hole in the gut means the three of us will lose our heads,” she directed at Nigel. “Try to be careful.”

“Ah.” A bead of sweat appeared on Nigel’s forehead. “Yes. I will.”

Remi turned to me. “Then we can spar next.” Her head jerked over to Alexander. “Then you can thrash the pervert.”

“Oh my fucking Gods,” groaned Alexander, exhausted. “Talk about beating a dead horse. Let the joke die already!”

•

Hours later, I was lying on the ground, exhausted.

My shirt was stained with sweat. I smelled terrible.

The others were much better off. They gently kicked my ass one by one. They were a little older and had Divine Treats to amplify their stamina.

Alexander fought like a berserker. Heavy swinging and very little blocking. He looked more graceful on the surface, but his personality and fighting style were just like the abilities he used: rocky and jagged. It was by no means bad. He was a tough fighter. Alexander was just... a contradiction. His looks and his actions didn’t match.

Remi fought with graceful refinement, like a ballerina. She used a sword, but I bet rapiers and knives suited her best. She didn’t block any of my attacks. All she did was dodge. I never landed a hit on her while she picked away at me like a gnat.

Out of all of them, though, Nigel was the most fun to fight because he was like an unsurmountable mountain. I wasn’t making any process, but I knew, if I could beat him or scratch him, it’d actually mean something.

But my win wouldn’t be that day. Nor any time soon.

I was too exhausted to do anything else.

“Where the hell do you get all that energy from?!” shouted Alexander. He was sitting on a nearby rock using his shirt to wipe away sweat. “Are you finally ready to call it quits?!”

“I think so,” I said through bated breath.

“You’re certainly tenacious,” said Nigel. He was leaning against a tree, drinking water from his own bamboo container.

“I’ll say.” Remi was crouched over me. She’d been the last to beat my ass and help me to my feet.

Steadied and breathing somewhat normally again, I patted dirt off my clothes, stretched, and beamed at them. Endorphins had me amped, and my mind was racing too fast.

“Ahhh, that was great!” I chirped. “Same time again tomorrow?” I asked the group.

Nigel began to laugh.

“What?”

“I’ve tried so hard to act properly in front of you all these years, and it melted away in a single day.” Nigel shook his head, smiling. “Shameful.”

“You were overexaggerating your position,” noted Remi.

“And failed,” replied Nigel.

“Never got an answer to my question, though,” I interrupted the two of them.

“Huh?” Nigel and Remi said at the same time. Alexander continued huffing on his rock.

“Same time tomorrow? Or do you have prior duties? We can schedule another time if not. I don’t mind.”

Nigel’s eyebrows knitted together. “You want us to keep practicing with you?”

“Kind of. If that’s not too much to ask.”

All three stared at me for a moment.

I froze.

Oh no! Did I assume too much? I probably did, and I took up all their time! Shit! I’m starved for people to talk to, and I jumped the gun.

Dammit! They felt obligated to stay here because I’m semi-royalty! Stupid. I should have known better. This was my first conversation with anyone other than my parents that I haven’t totally hated.

“I think I can swing tomorrow,” said Alexander. “Captain Van Gallan only has us training in the morning, right?”

“I believe so, yes,” agreed Nigel.

“I was coming regardless,” Remi snorted. “There’s a serious lack of women in this place, and I can only take so much of you two. No offense.”

“Huh?” I quietly blurted the word.

All three of them looked at me.

Remi laughed. “What? You don’t like us anymore?”

For a moment, I couldn’t think of what to say. They weren’t my friends, but they were willing to do something with me.

That was honestly enough.

“Maybe if you’d let me win once or twice, I would,” I exaggerated, huffing.

“Never,” said Nigel immediately.

“Yeaaaah, I thought so.”

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