A Court of Pain and Sorrow

Training

She could barely breathe.

Her whole body hurt like hell.

She had followed the instructions she had been given. And, just as Hugo had said the day before, none of the criminals enjoyed her being there.
They all looked at her like she was some kind of virus that was going to kill them all. Like she wasn't supposed to be there.

'Because you are not.' She reminded herself. 'You took someone else's place.'

Hugo wasn't happy either. So every time she stopped to rest or to drink water, he yelled at her and made her run laps.

Hours went by and everyone started leaving for lunch.
Except for her.
Hugo had punished her for "not paying enough attention to his explanation" and now she was tidying everything up.

Cleaning weapons, making sure they were sharp, putting all of them in place...

She heard steps coming from behind her. She didn't pay attention to them, assuming it was Hugo who would tell her to be quicker.

The footsteps stopped just in front of her and the person sat down next to her.

"This is what they have you, a malnourished girl, doing during lunch? I think I should have a talk with Hugo and his methods." Dante said.

She didn't look up from the blade she was sharpening. She ignored him, actually.

Rhaella knew he had done nothing wrong and that he had been nothing but kind to her, but she was mad, really mad, and didn't think she could take his cockiness right now. Not without punching him (or trying to) anyways.

One of the criminals that she had trained with approached them. Rhaella didn't remember his name, the only thing she new was that he had been stealing and murdering ever since he was eighteen and that Dante had sent someone to recruit him some months ago.

The mere sight of Dante made the criminal fall on his knees and bow his head.
Rhaella pictured him bowing to her instead. Then, she pictured him apologising for the way he had treated her today.

He was so... mean. Rhaella knew no one would help her there, but he was just humillianting her for fun. Comenting on her posture, the way she grabbed the sword, the way she moved...
Things that she was proud of, that she had always been praised for by Cam and Evelyn, now made her feel like a fool. 

She hated it.

"My King." He said. "I'm sorry to disturb your peace, I hadn't realised you were here."

"It's alright. Raise." The criminal raised to his feet while Dante remained sit. He didn't need heigh to prove that he was in charge. He didn't need a crown for everyone to know who he was.

Rhaella admired that. He was a true ruler, a true king. Someone who didn't need to remind everyone of his authority. Somone who wasn't ashamed of the way he grabbed his sword...

"Do what you were here to do, please. Don't mind me." Dante said.

The criminal turned to Rhaella, looked at her up and down and the face he made, of pure disgust, made Rhaella want to run to her tiny room, curl up in a ball and cry.
Her ego didn't allow her to do such a thing, of course. Instead, she reaised her chin and said:

"What do you want?" She tried to match his attitude, his face, his... everything.

"Hugo said hurry up. We need those weapons cleaned before the training this afternoon. And if you don't finish right now you won't eat." He said glaring at her with those black eyes of his.