Miraric

21| A Dance with Swords.

Meridia Eris Yezdrov was always a late riser.

But today turned out to be an exception.

Today, as she laid on her back in the bed, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers that her heart was demanding, the sun rays making their way to her through the minute holes in the window, kissing her freckles, showering her brown locks cascading down her pillow, making her onyx eyes flutter, she was sleepless and thoughtful.

She sighed, getting up from her bed and stretching her body to wash away the sleep that she wasn't even getting ironically in the first place. With a gloomy look on her face, she walked to the door leading straight outside and opened it, but closed it again when the sunlight seemed too blinding.

After completing her morning routine, she eventually opened her door, welcoming the bright sunlight, the swaying light breeze, and the birds' song. She sighed, no longer regretting waking up so early in the morning and took in the scenery in front of her — the enormous yard of theirs surrounded by trees, casting shadows onto the flowers that were barely blooming, the butterflies flying for a home, little birds eating grains from the ground, the sun being guarded by the clouds and just then, amidst all the creations, she caught a glimpse of someone being surrounded by all of them, as if they all wanted to be around him, surrendering to him.

Meridia stood there, her eyes watching Edric's shirtless figure, the refined muscles in his upper abdomen, embodying his body — the very body which could barely move due to starvation seven years ago now built on strong muscles. He was skinnier than me just a few years ago. She thought as she watched sweat buds crinkling down from his bare chest, scars from his training sessions contrasting to his skin tone, evidence of his tries and failures.

Edric swung his sword, his each swing graceful, and calculated even without opponents striking at him, using the very sword that she had gifted him on his twentieth birthday. He blew a final strike, his grip on the hilt in the same way Meridia had taught him, his sword now facing Meridia who was standing a few feet away from him as he finally noticed her noticing him.

They both spoke nothing for a while, Meridia watching him with half-opened eyes, her head tilted as millions of thoughts raced across her mind, all regarding Edric. "Eris," Edric said, his voice quiet, sweeter than the birds singing above him, gentler than the breeze caressing his face and softer than the newborn flowers.

"You never call me by my first name," Meridia voiced out one of her thoughts regarding him, immediately regretting it.

Edric watched her, a questioning look on his face, obvious, he didn't hear her whisper. "Sorry, I didn't really catch—" he reached her, the sword still firm in his hold.

"Nothing," she said, turned around to hide her flushed cheeks and went to her room, grabbed her sword, and came back with it. She pointed her sword at him, the pointy part catching Edric off guard and making him back down. "Let's spar, Resrei," Meridia said firmly.

"You're leaving soon so I may not find a worthy opponent like you again," she said as they reached the middle of the yard, Edric standing opposite to her.

Her eyes reached his chest, before shaking her head and looking away. "Well?" She waited for an answer from him.

Edric pursed his lips and nodded. "We haven't sparred for a long time. It's a good time to see if I can still defeat you or not,"

Meridia smiled briefly before stepping forward and blowing her first strike, which Edric immediately caught up with and clashed his own sword against hers, the clanging of the swords driving away the birds. Edric swung his sword at his opponent and Meridia instantly dodged, the sword brushing away against the tip of her upper ear, a few hairs getting cut off as well.