The Protector

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Leon was right, as he always was. Things were beginning to change but they were also the same as they always had been. I had moved into an adjoining room to Edmon as a compromise the day after the Queen's funeral. Edmon and I had also come to an unspoken understanding which entailed either of us knocking before entering each other's rooms, neither of us was ready for that step.

We had been training with the other qualified knights, maintaining our fitness and honing our skills. I had ensured that Rohann had been able to maintain his position as knight's trainer insisting that I had been the one to make him remain silent. For the past five days I had gotten up extra early to find him and train before all the other knights would get up. Not much had changed in the training courtyard. Everyone knew I was a girl now but it didn't affect the way they treated me. Many just thought it was more of a game to see if they would be able to beat me. Of course I worked hard to ensure they couldn't. It was almost more satisfying seeing how much they loathed getting beat by a woman.

Today was all I had before I would be introduced to the court as Edmon's soulmage and I spent it training. I now had less than a day before we would be announced as mages and Arabella would have to formally apologise to me. I had already skipped out on dinner, opting to have a simple supper brought to my chamber. I definitely wasn't going to be looking forward to standing in front of everyone and was fearful of my food making a reappearance in the mess hall. Powerful mages like Edmon and myself were rare. We were a dying breed, literally. Many of our kind had been hunted and killed for fear of our power according to the books. That wouldn't happen to us, I hoped at least. Edmon was well liked and a high ranking noble, two factors that should aide to protect us.

"Alesia?" I hear a familiar voice call through the door leading out into the corridor. I quickly lift myself out of the cooling bath and wrap myself in a sheet of fabric before calling for my sister to enter.

"I've finally got it!" She calls as she closes and locks the door behind her. I was the first to return after training to clean up. I coil my now long hair arounds itself, wringing off the excess water. Something I learned to do years ago. Not ashamed of myself in front of Claudia I step out from behind the bathing screen with just the sheet protecting me from her studious gaze.

"What have you got?" I ask. She gives me a look, the one she gives me when she knows I wasn't listening to a previous conversation. She can't blame me, I've had a lot going on over the past couple of days. Sighing dramatically she relents and tells me.

"Your new robes. I would call it a dress but I don't think it will pass for one of those." She continues muttering to herself as she hangs up the garment for me to admire. It was truly beautiful deep blue and red, the knight's colour. It was clearly designed purely for me, feminine yet practical, showing off both sides of me. The bodice was deep blue covered in a red lining across the top part of the dress. Radiant blue silk lined with red lacing ran down the central panel coming to a delicate point just below where my hips would be. Capped sleeves would allow for maximum movement in combat as would the lower half of the dress. The deep blue skirts appeared to only fall to the rear of the dress allowing the wearer full use of their legs, the red only showing through on the underlining clearly visible from the front. Small ruffles in the skirt gave the appearance of a full dress from the back but also meant that they would not likely get in the way during a fight.

"The lower skirt is detachable. I have a specially made pair of breeches that will go perfectly with the design of this dress. Your sword will sit just under the ruffles with the hilt visible and easily accessible. You'll notice the red lacing at the front?" I nod, letting her know I have seen it, "you will be able to strap a knife to the inside of the bodice, concealing it completely. There is no inbuilt armour in this dress but the fabric has been toughened to provide a little protection. I figured you would be able to place an enchantment on it. What do you think?" She asks. I tear my gaze away from the dress to look at my baby sister unable to hide the smile.