Neither was I, but what I'd said about cold showers was true, and there was a whole long list of other benefits that I hadn't mentioned.
If I had, Codric would have just rolled his eyes and tuned me out.
My cousin's attention span left a lot to be desired in most areas. He loved everything to do with mysteries, though, from crime novels to solving puzzles and everything in between. He would have done well in the Elurian Civic Guard, and until we'd discovered our blood connections to Elucia, that had been his plan. He'd even studied criminology and criminal justice in preparation. After all, as a member of the royal family, no matter how distant, he couldn't start at the bottom as a simple guard. He would have been immediately given a high-ranking position, but first, he needed the appropriate education.
After getting dressed, we made our way to the mess hall for breakfast, and the first thing I did when we got there was to scan the place for Kailin.
She sat with Shovia at our usual table, her head bent close to her friend's as they talked animatedly. Cheeks flushed, hair still damp from her shower and pulled back in a practical braid, she was so beautiful that the sight of her sent a rush of warmth through me that was part desire and part a feeling I refused to call love.
Kailin was incredible, and I knew I was falling for her, but it was too early for a grand declaration of everlasting love and devotion.
Sensing my eyes on her, she glanced up, and the smile that bloomed across her face made my heart speed up.
Smiling back, I loaded my tray with enough food to replace the calories burned during our morning run and made my wayto the table. Choosing the seat beside Kailin rather than across from her was deliberate, and I planned to also take her hand and kiss her cheek to publicly declare that we were together.
"Good morning," I said, sliding onto the bench next to her.
"Morning." Her cheeks pinked as she leaned slightly against me, our thighs and elbows touching.
I reached for her hand, lacing our fingers together, and then leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She looked surprised, but she didn't pull her hand out of mine, and her smile turned radiant. "That was a good morning."
"Good," I said. "With your permission, from now on, this will be how I greet you every morning at breakfast."
Kailin chuckled. "Permission granted."
"You two are sickeningly adorable," Shovia said with a grin. "Should I move to another table to give you privacy?"
"Don't you dare," Kailin warned, though she made no move to release my hand.
Codric arrived with an overflowing tray and dropped onto the bench opposite us with a groan. "If I collapse during weapons training, just leave me there," he announced. "Give my body to science. They can study the effects of sadistic conditioning regimens on otherwise healthy young men."
"Drama prince," Shovia teased, stealing a piece of fruit from his plate.
"Thief," he countered, though he pushed his tray in her direction to facilitate further theft.
Morek joined us moments later, completing our quintet. Unlike the rest of us, he seemed relatively unaffected by the morning's exertions. "Good run today," he said cheerfully, earning collective glares from the four of us.
"Have you always been a superhuman?" Codric asked him.
Morek shrugged, his mouth already full of eggs. "I like a challenge," he said after swallowing. "Building endurance. Weall need it, so stop complaining. Imagine getting winded while running after the enemy or from it. You need to be in top physical condition, and that means pushing our bodies to the limit."
I knew that, and so did Codric. We'd both gone through basic training that was all about building endurance and the mastery of weapons, but it had been at least a couple of years since we'd finished that program, and we'd gotten spoiled by cushy palace living.
The fact that I was feeling the strain of these runs was a reminder of how much I had allowed myself to get out of shape and that I needed to push myself harder. Naturally, the altitude was making things even harder on me and Codric, but that only meant that we needed to train more, not less.
Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about it until tomorrow. Right now, I could enjoy these moments with Kailin.
She was glowing this morning, radiating a quiet contentment that I took immense satisfaction in knowing I'd helped create. It certainly wasn't the morning run that had put that smile on her face.
"We should head out," Morek said. "I'm looking forward to weapons and target practice."
The range was on the first floor of the Citadel, and the map I had copied from the wall didn't include the layout of the lower level, but supposedly, there were signs on the walls to guide us there.
We gathered our trays and joined the line to the disposal bin. I kept hold of Kailin's hand as we walked, savoring the connection and the public acknowledgment of what we were to each other.
"I wonder when we will be called for kitchen duty," Kailin said.
