I proceeded with caution. “What is it?”
Drea placed something long and heavy into my hands. “This is your grandfather’s sword. I believe it belongs to you.”
I nearly fell to my knees as my fingers roamed over a leather sheath. I felt over the hilt of the sword, which had swirling designs carved into the metal. “This was… Emperor Cassiel’s?”
“Yes, and he would’ve wanted you to have it. It’s a strong sword, forged from metal found in the caves of our former Forevermore. The hilt is golden, and those etchings are of cherry blossoms. Your grandfather loved them. There was a cherry tree outside his and Aponi’s quarters in Forevermore. It was an illusion tree that sustained blossoms year-round.”
I choked back what I thought were tears, though I couldn’t bring myself to cry. I’d been through so much lately it was like the tears had dried up. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t break down, though this gift almost broke me. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” she said gently. “Just take it, and use it well.”
“I— I don’t know how to use a sword,” I stammered. “I mean, I’ve created illusion swords, and I’ve used them in battle, but that was in an emergency situation. I’m not sure how to wield one properly.”
I could hear the slight smile in her voice. “Then allow me to teach you.”
I wanted to run away but was too stunned to move. “You’d… do that for me?”
“Of course. I serve the monarchy, and the prince should know how to defend himself with a weapon at all times. If no one else has taught you, I would be glad to.”
My mouth ran dry. “But what about Cameron?” I knew he wouldn’t approve. Drea might even get in trouble for offering.
“Your father doesn’t need to know about this, and if he finds out, I can handle him.” Drea sounded sure of herself. “If you’re interested in learning swordplay, then let us begin.”
The walls I’d built when she’d walked in melted away. “All right. What can you teach me?”
Drea taught me how to hold the weapon, and where to place my feet to steady myself to fight. She explained several movements to help me block and attack, guiding my body into the right positions.
I found myself hanging on her every word. Even though she was my father’s guard, she was still a part of the Emperor’s Guard, which was the highest rank in the Elvish military. If anyone knew how to handle a sword fight around here, it was Drea.
“What do I do if someone’s coming at me?” I asked.
“You’ll block their attack, like this,” she said, guiding my arm to brace an enemy’s blade against my own. “If you do it correctly, you’ll be able to stagger your opponent. If they attack again, parry by swinging upward in an arc. Build off your momentum and give yourself an opportunity to attack. Let me demonstrate.”
We practiced with wooden sparring swords that were available in the training arena. The wooden sticks smacked against each other as we refined the different maneuvers. “You won’t be able to see your opponent’s sword coming, so you need to listen to their movements," Drea said. “Pay close attention to the sound of my feet across the stone, and calculate what I’m about to do based off of how quickly I’m moving.”
I listened closely, focusing my attention on where her feet were. When she rushed at me, I knew she was about to swing, so I braced myself for a block. When she took a few steps back, I saw an opportunity, though she blocked my sloppy swing.
“Where did you learn all this?” I asked. “It’s like you know how to fight without being able to see.”
“To graduate from our training, all Elvish soldiers must prove they can fight an entire group of combatants blindfolded. It takes many years of practice,” she replied. “But if you become skilled enough, you don’t need your eyes to fight. You only need to match the music of the battle, just like playing a song.”
That was a concept I could understand. We worked into a rhythm so I could learn where her body was in approximation to mine, combating the strikes she delivered with movements that slowly became fluid. It wasn’t all that different from fighting with my fists, except now I had an extension of my arm to use as a weapon.
“Sword play is like a dance. If you can predict your opponent’s next move, you can win the battle.” She went easy on me, swinging slowly and pausing every few swings to give feedback. Oberi sat near the edge of the mat, smacking his tail against the ground and panting happily. He liked that Drea and I were getting along.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked curiously as I blocked another one of her swings. “You don’t have to help me. You shouldn’t, really. I don’t…”
I took a breath and blew it out, confessing, “I don’t deserve this.”
Ancestors, those words were like a mantra stuck on repeat these days. Problem was, I couldn’t stop myself from believing them.
“I can’t sit around like your father is doing,” Drea confessed. “Training you in swordplay was your grandfather’s responsibility, but the two of you never got far enough in your training to get a chance to work with blades. I had the honor of serving in your grandfather’s guard for many years, and he taught me personally after I was bound to Cameron. He would want me to make sure your training was complete.”
“I hope he would. But I doubt it.”
Drea paused, ceasing to strike. “Charlie, your grandfather would not blame you for anything you’ve done. I am certain of that, more than I am certain of anything.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I… really miss him. I wish I had his advice right now.” If Cassiel were here, he’d help me. He’d tell me what to do about this divorce, what I could do to fix things between me and Ava.
