"Sore. But I'll live." Ada touched her bruised jaw self-consciously. "Mairi says the swellin' should go down in a few days."
"Good." Magnus hesitated, then pushed forward with what he'd come to say. "I wanted tae ask ye somethin'. About last night."
Ada's expression shuttered slightly. "What?"
Magnus ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with his own inability to find the right words.
"Last night, when I found ye in the courtyard, ye were fightin'. Ye connected a good kick tae that bastard's shin. Drove yer elbow into his ribs."
"I was tryin' tae get away."
"Aye. And ye did well. Better than most would have in that situation." Magnus met her gaze steadily. "But I want tae teach ye tae dae better, like we’ve discussed. Would ye like that? Tae fight properly."
"Of course. That would be so much better than being locked in our chamber. Tae hide until this is over."
"I thought about it." Magnus's jaw tightened. "Believe me, every instinct I have is screamin' at me tae lock ye away somewhere safe. But ye're nae the kind of woman who tolerates that. And truth be told, I'd rather ye ken how to defend yerself than rely on others to always be there in time."
Because he might not be. That terrible truth sat between them, unspoken but understood.
"When dae we start?" Ada asked.
"Now, if ye're up fer it."
Ada glanced down at her gown. "I'm nae exactly dressed fer it."
"It'll dae fer today. We're just coverin' basics." Magnus gestured toward the training yard. "Come on. Before I change me mind and decide tae lock ye in a tower after all."
Ada's lips quirked slightly. "Ye dinnae have a tower."
"I'd build one if I thought it would keep ye safe."
Something in her expression softened at that. She followed him across the courtyard to the training yard, a space near the outer wall where his men practiced daily.
It was relatively empty that time of morning. Most of the guards were on duty or sleeping after night shifts. Just a few younger lads working through sword drills in the far corner.
"All right," Magnus said, stopping in the center of the yard. "First thing ye need to ken is if someone grabs ye from behind like they did last night, what's yer instinct?"
"Tae pull away. Tae try and break free."
"Aye. And that's exactly what they'll expect. Which is why it rarely works." Magnus moved behind her, careful to telegraph his intentions. "May I?"
Ada nodded, her body tensing slightly as he stepped closer.
"I'm goin' tae put me arm around yer waist," Magnus said. "Like they did. Tell me what ye feel."
He wrapped his arm around her, pulled her back against his chest. Not roughly, but firmly enough that she'd feel restrained. Her back pressed against him, her head just reaching his shoulder.
Magnus forced himself to focus on the lesson. Not on how perfectly she fit against him. Not on the scent of her hair or the rapid flutter of her pulse where his forearm rested near her ribs.
"What dae ye feel?" he asked, his voice rougher than intended.
"Yer arm. Strong. Holdin' me too tight to pull free." Ada's breathing had quickened slightly. "And ye're much taller than me. Much stronger."
"Aye. Which means pullin' away willnae work. So what dae ye dae instead?"
"I dinnae ken. Teach me."
Magnus smiled despite himself. "Ye go intae them. Nae away." He loosened his hold slightly. "Ye're small, which they think makes ye weak. But small means fast. Agile. Hard tae hold if ye ken how tae move. So ye drop yer weight suddenly." He demonstrated, letting his knees bend. "Makes it harder fer them tae lift ye. Then ye drive yer elbow back, hard as ye can, right into their ribs or gut."
