The next morning, I decide to go on a short walk through the gardens to clear my head, but I mistakenly forgot that the Gardens eventually led into the training grounds, and I suddenly find myself at the edge of the field, looking out across the vast expanse of grass where trainees are completing there drills.
As I stare out at the group, I suddenly begin to miss everything about training. The adrenaline as you completed drills, the confidence you gained from winning a fight, even the uniforms I seemed to miss.
I look down at the dress I'm wearing, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in such clothing. My body longed to be in something other than a long skirt and constricting corset, and when I look back up at the trainees within the field, I'm jealous of how comfortable they look, even though in reality, the uniforms were scratchy and often irritated your skin.
"Hey, what're you doing?" I hear a voice behind me ask.
I jump as I feel a hand touch my shoulder and turn to see Cael standing behind me.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. What's going on?" He asks me.
I'm unable to answer him with words, and instead I just look back towards the training grounds longingly.
"Oh. I see" Cael replies, understanding my body language effortlessly.
We watch the trainees in silence for a second while Cael decides what to say to make me feel better.
"Hey, why don't we do some training right now?" He finally asks.
I turn to him, looking at him in confusion.
"I'm not going back out there. Not yet." I reply finally.
Despite my deep yearning to join in training again, I felt like if I reentered that field and saw Arthur again, I'd relive the events that insued and I'd have to forget about them all over again.
"I never said you had to" Cael replies, capturing my attention.
"Come with me" He suggests, offering his hand to me.
It would've been impolite for me to reject such an offer from a Lord, so I had no other option but to accept it, and when I do, Cael sets off in a brisk jog, pulling me along behind him. Cael leads me back over to the forest the Greenhouse sits within, stopping in front of it.
"Why are we back here?" I ask him, confused by his choice of venue.
He doesn't answer, and instead just opens the door to the Greenhouse, grabbing a small cloth bag, then throwing it towards me so it lands at my feet.
"What's this?" I question, waving away the cloud of dust particles that have billowed up from the bag as it landed at my feet.
"Open it" Cael replies with a mischievous smile.
I shoot him a skeptical look, but follow his instructions, opening the bag to reveal a small stack of wooden staffs and daggers.
"Are these real?" I question, holding up one of the daggers.
"That depends, do you think they are?" Cael questions.
I shoot him a mischievous look, throwing the knife so it hurdles towards him. He steps aside before the knife hits him, and instead impales itself in the tree trunk behind him.
"It would seem so" I reply nonchalantly.
"Easy there, newbie. Try not to kill your trainer just yet" Cael replies with a chuckle.
"What's the fun in that?" I question, selecting another dagger and swinging it around as Cael approaches me.
"Let's take this one step at a time..." Cael suggests, replacing the dagger in my hand with a dull wooden one.
YOU ARE READING
The Promise of the Dawn
General FictionCHRONICLES OF CROWN AND CASUALTY BOOK 2- She was a stranger in someone else's land. A visitor to the grandeur of a royal. Allied with someone who was born into power and luxury, yet she had fought for her place. She had spilled blood for her crown...
