“No slight intended, Cedrych,” Vasil said. “But my instruction stands. You will not be harmed, nor will you harm yourself while under my protection. Is that understood?” His steadfast gaze held mine.
“Fine,” I said with some bitterness.
“Commander, why don’t you take Cedrych down to the training yard and get him outfitted? Perhaps some light exercise might be in order?” Vasil said.
“Yes, m’lord.”
I nodded tersely at the lord and followed Anika out of the study. In Emrallt Valley, I was the one who gave orders to myattendants and guardsmen, but not here, not anymore. Anika opened the door to the metal contraption I’d ridden in last night with Vasil to our rooms. We boarded it again, and I held on tightly to the railing as it lowered us several stories to the ground floor. At home, I’d have simply flown or taken the stairs, but everything was built differently here, as if an attack were imminent.
I’d memorized the layout of Vasil’s fortress on my previous visit and knew every obvious entry and exit point, including a few that were hidden. At Crystal Castle, I’d roamed freely throughout the grounds and come and gone at will. Despite my mother being nosy and overbearing, I’d never been restricted in my movement. I wasn’t sure I’d get used to it.
“How long have you been commander of the elvish guard?” I asked Anika.
“Ten years now. Ever since Lord Vasil took over the crown. It was at a time when there were enemies all around us.”
“And you’re related?”
“First cousins on his father’s side. My mother, his sister, passed away when I was young, and I was raised here in the fortress alongside Lord Vasil by my aunt and uncle. ”
Was Anika the lord’s only true ally in the entire elvish realm?
“Lord Vasil said there are still threats being made on his life,” I said.
“Every few years an attempt is made. Thankfully, none have been successful, but each time, we must tighten security, which only heightens his isolation. I was happy to learn of this betrothal. He tries not to show it, but he is a very lonely man.”
I didn’t want to pry too much into Vasil’s personal life–I knew what it felt like to have people talk about me behind my back. “We don’t have women in our military forces,” I informed Anika. Something else my mother and I had butted heads on.Women were better suited for domestic duties, she’d said, ironic because I’d never seen her do anything of the sort her entire life.
“How unfortunate. Surprising too. I thought the fae were more open-minded about gender roles,” she remarked.
“When it comes to procreating, yes, but apparently not when it comes to battle.”
“Perhaps your brother will be more forward-thinking when he inherits the crown?” she mused.
“Perhaps,” I said, but part of me doubted it. For as long as she lived, my mother would have influence over Godfried and the ruling of the fae. Godfried tended to go along with her missives, rather than confront her head-on. That was always me.
In the guards’ changing room, I retained my breeches and boots, but donned a thick canvas tunic in elvish blue. The training yard was hard-packed earth, surrounded on all sides by thick, stone walls and parapets where sentries were posted in intervals. Anika asked me to go through our standard fae forms so that she might observe, then showed me their elvish variation. The main difference was that they couldn’t rely on flight to dodge or strike, so their maneuvers were more grounded and even acrobatic at times.
“I imagine you could do a lot with the aid of your wings,” Anika said when I added a flourish to one of their turning kicks.
“Yes, but for ground skirmishes, they can be a disadvantage. Too much of a target.”
“I can see that as well. Let us spar now.”
We each grabbed a wooden staff from the rack and took up a ready position. My staff was slender but strong, decorated with delicate vine patterns. Anika’s staff appeared to have been crafted from a sturdy oak branch, its surface adorned with elven runes and bound with intricate leatherwork.
Lord Vasil had wandered onto the shaded balcony that overlooked the courtyard to observe us from above. As we tradeda few light jabs to warm up, I found myself sweating under his imperious gaze. Nerves and excitement, it was a heady cocktail he inspired.
Why was I so keen to impress him? Why had I always sought his attention, even as a lad? I’d been so jealous of my older brother and the many occasions when Godfried received the lion’s share of Lord Vasil’s attention. Even now, envy burned through me at the thought of my brother calling Vasil by his first name, to be so intimate and casual with a man whom I was swiftly considering to bemylord.
As my thoughts churned, our blows intensified. Anika’s athleticism was impressive and I resisted the urge toward flight to avoid some of her more unexpected attacks. I tried not to let the fact that she was a woman soften my blows, but at one point, she stopped me and said, “Do not go easy on me, Your Highness.”
“Call me Cedrych,” I said, my muscles truly warmed up by now.
We faced off once more. Having the lord’s attention filled me with anticipation, as visceral as the summer breeze kissing my cheek. With a nod from Anika, we started again. She gripped her oaken staff with a determined expression, her movements fluid and precise. I lunged toward her aiming for a solid strike at her shoulder, but she deftly parried, our weapons clashing with a satisfying thud. She countered with a swift, sweeping motion aimed at my legs, and I leapt into the air, avoiding the blow.
Anika smiled as she circled me, her staff poised for another strike. She feinted left, then quickly shifted her stance to attack from the right. I was prepared and blocked her advance with a spin of my staff, the movement so fast that the wood blurred before my eyes.
We continued our dance, the dust from our movements thick in the air as our breathing became more labored. Our weaponswove patterns through the air while the muted thud of wood echoed throughout the yard. Other soldiers gathered to observe our match, but I ignored their presence, too focused on besting my worthy opponent.
