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"He's taken to it quite well...could probably take on one of our best men," Fredrick explained, leaning closer to Annabeth.
She tried to pretend that she wasnt staring at the boy, covertly looking at him from the corner of her eyes.
The window, no matter how large it was, seemed to be getting in the way of her doing just that.
Annabeth cursed her thoughts. She was in a meeting with her father, to discuss the future of her kingdom and she was fixated on the boy like a lovesick puppy.
It appeared she was not the only one taken with him, as nearby a group of women watched him, giffling and talking among themselves.
She hoped her gaze looked reasonable and that her father wouldn't consider her to be doing anything but assessing a soldier in her army.
Annabeth shook those thoughts away, forcing herself back into the present.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat,"that is wonderful news. I'm glad he's adjusting to it"
"Adjusting? More like flourishing," her father chuckled, pleased with his attempt at humour.
Upon her request, her father agreed for a walk through the training quarters. He took great pride in explaining to her the various stages of preparation taken for war, which Annabeth, despite already knowing, listened to attentively.
When they arrived at the training quarters, Annabeth was quite taken aback by the reverberating echoes of clashing steel.
The mysterious boy, as usual, seemed to have caught her eye.
She could clearly see how well he wielded his sword against his opponent.
He had really come into his own these past few weeks, especially since the ball.
Annabeth had thought him to be clumsy, particularly during their first few interactions where it seemed he could not walk more than a mile without tripping on something.
But now...it appeared something had changed within him. Some unknown power he tapped into as he thrust his sword towards his opponent, his cloak flying behind him like a hawk in the sky. Free and proud.
Annabeth couldn't help me mesmerised by his movements, or how he moved like the sword was an extension of his arm. She'd always been partial to a dagger.
It took her a few minutes to realise that she had been staring, and that her father had begun to notice.
"We should eliminate cloaks from the uniform," Annabeth said quickly, trying to pretend that those were her thoughts,"they are a hazard, and we can use the additional fabric to make winter clothes for the poor out west"
Her father nodded, convinced,"Consider it done. However it might take a while"
Her father spoke to his commanding officers as they updated him on the progress and their needs. He also explained what she had just told him.
Annabeth tried to not turn back to look at the boy, but she couldn't help herself.
He was leaning against a tree, tossing what looked like sugar cubes in his mouth as he listened to one of his fellow soldiers, a man slightly older than him with lush brown hair.
"It appears our stranger is quite popular," her father chuckled, tilting his head towards the crowd of women swooning in the corner,"they've come to watch him almost everyday"
"Have they now?" Annabeth replied, trying to ignore the sting she felt at the thought.
Would her boy be interested in courting any of these women? Is he already courting one of them?
They hadn't spent much time together recently, given their busy schedules.
Annabeth turnt away from the scene, determined to not let her emotions sway her. She had other matters to attend to, matters of the brain not the heart.
"The Queen recently increased taxes in the west, despite it being common knowledge that their harvest has been poor this year. Now....if their princess aids them I'm sure they will support her when the time comes," she told her father, lowering her voice as she looked around.
"Indeed....it's not like our gracious queen keeps track of the food stock. And as general, the protection of such commodities comes under my jurisdiction," her father smiled.
"So I take it you can handle the matter? Discreetly but not too discretely?" Annabeth asked him.
Fredrick nodded, his lips pursed as he entered into his thoughts.
For a minute, Annabeth noticed the similarities between her father and her, wondering whether she also got the same distant look when she was deep in thought.
A giggle broke through her bubble as the princess turned around, only to see a woman smiling sweetly at the boy, who seemed to be showing her how to hold a sword.
They were standing quite close, and the red haired girl, who seemed to have his whole attention was quite beautiful, Annabeth noted, trying to forget.
"Are you alright,my dear? You have been quite distant all day," Fredrick asked, dissolving into his role as her father.
The princess nodded,"I feel somewhat ill, how about a stroll in the gardens? You can tell me the story of how you got promoted again," Annabeth smiled, cherishing the familial bond she seldom got to witness.
"Of course, daughter," the general smiled,"lead the way"
"And soon, I shall lead the kingdom," his daughter retorted, earning a chuckle from both of them.
As the princess led her father past the gates, she did not deny herself one more look at the boy, who still seemed entraptured by the mystery woman.
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New chapter!
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—S