She looked like hells. There were bags under her eyes, which were a pale, dull blue in the dawn light. He’d tried to get her to talk to him about whatever was weighing on her so heavily, but Aya had merely picked up a sword and motioned for him to begin.
An inside wound, then.
Aidon grunted as her blade came against his, the impact reverberating up his arm. She fought with a vehemence he hadn’t yet seen in her. He parried, his blade knocking hers aside and whipping back towards her weak spot.
But Aya twisted. ‘Fuck!’ she yelled, her hand moving to her cheek.
‘Shit,’ Aidon hissed, dropping his blade at once. Blood coated her fingers, a long cut angling up her cheek where his blade had sliced her. ‘I am so sorry.’ He grabbed a spare rag from the wooden bench and pressed it to her face. ‘I didn’t expect you to turn like that.’ It was an amateur mistake, really. One a Dyminara had far too much experience to make. Whatever was occupying her mind, it had her fully in its thrall. ‘I am so sorry,’ he repeated.
Aya took over applying pressure as she sucked in a steadying breath. ‘It’s not your fault. It was an easy block. I’ve gotten slow.’
Aidon dipped his head, his fingers settling on her wrist ashis gaze caught hers. ‘Are you truly alright?’ He wasn’t just talking about the wound.
‘If you think this is the worst injury I’ve sustained while training, then you insult me.’ She glanced at the rag, marking the blood.
‘I’ll take you to the healers.’
She waved him off, but Aidon insisted until she relented. She pressed the rag to her cheek again, wincing slightly. ‘I’m afraid all this royal treatment has made me lazy,’ Aya sighed.
Aidon’s answering laugh filled the training room. ‘I’ll get you back into tip-top shape,’ he said as he stepped away from her to hang up their swords. She smiled, the expression not quite meeting her eyes.
‘I’m counting on it.’
Aidon paused by the weapons rack, his eyes sweeping over her. She still had that weary look to her – that hollowness that clouded her eyes.
‘Let me make this up to you.’
She raised a brow.
‘Dinner. Tonight. As an apology.’
Her eyes flicked across his face, the corner of her lips lifting slightly as she considered him. ‘As an apology,’ she repeated, some question hidden beneath the words. Aidon allowed himself to return to her. Allowed himself to trail his thumb beneath that cut on her face, her skin soft and warm and smooth.
‘Perhaps the apology is merely an excuse,’ he admitted, his voice low. He waited, watching her blue eyes search his.
She inhaled, her breath steady as she released it. ‘I’d love to.’
The sparring with Aidon had helped in a way, but Aya’s mind still refused to settle. So after her trip to the healer, she took to the winding cliffside paths, her muscles aching with thesudden effort of her run, her head still pounding from the liquor she’d drunk the night before.
She’d seen no sign of Will yet today. She was relieved, and she was fairly certain that made her a coward.
Aya’s body screamed in protest with every step, but she didn’t dare let up. Not when the exertion was settling her, clearing her mind and taming that well inside of her. She ran until she couldn’t demand another step from her trembling legs. Only then did she return to the palace. She managed to find a quiet spot on one of the lower terraces before sinking to her knees, her head pressing against the cool stone of the railing as she gasped for air.
‘Should I send for someone, or are you just taking a moment?’
Aya raised her head to see Josie in a long yellow dress, the fabric loose and flowing in the sea breeze, smirking down at her.
Aya offered up a weak grin. ‘I’m taking in the scenery.’
The princess scoffed. ‘Be honest, you’re three seconds away from hurling your guts up on my mother’s favorite terrace.’ A laugh huffed out of Aya as she grasped the hand Josie extended and stood on wobbling legs. Josie frowned as she dragged her eyes across her. ‘You look as bad as Will did this morning,’ she said dryly.
Aya’s mouth tightened. ‘You’ve seen him?’
‘He went stomping out of here earlier.’
Aya swallowed as a wave of uneasiness passed over her.
‘I’m sure he’ll recover, whatever it is,’ Josie mused, as if reading her thoughts. She scrunched her nose. ‘Besides, if you’re planning on seeking him out, you might want to bathe first.’ Josie let out a noise of protest as Aya shoved her lightly, her grin only growing as Aya started toward the door.
