I nodded once, not sparing her a single glance as I prepared to focus my energy on one of the many boulderswe’dbrought into the training room. I plannedon stayingthere, tearing apart boulders one by one until the voices ringing out in my head quieted.
Or I passed out from exhaustion.
I wasalrightwith either one, so long as the voice that haunted me was silenced.
As my advisors slowly moved things into place for our next battle, Father’s deep voice replayed in my mindmore often than not.Somehow, he continued to influence me, always criticizing, even in his absence.
It’dbeen so long since he’d gotten to me like he was presently, that Iwasn’tsure how to handle it.
I was relieved, though, that it was only Father’s voice that time.
“Would you like to go another round?” Val’s voice nearly made me jump.I’dbeen so locked inside my own head all day that Iwasn’tpaying much attention to anything real.
Finally realizing that she wasn’t leaving immediately like I’d thought she would, I peered over at her.
Only for my mouth to fall agape.
Val had changed out of her usual flexible, casual clothing and donned a pure silk floor-length gown. The black fabric hugged her upper body perfectly, while the bottom half flowed down herthe rest of her form, a slit on each side exposing her long, pale legs everytime she moved. On her hip and side were two large, blood-red flowers sewn into the dress, each one big enough to wrap around her front and back sides, visible at any angle. Shehad onblack heels that made her just a hand or two shorter than I was, andshe’dleft her short brown hair down to rest just past her shoulders.
She was stunning, and I wasn’t sure how I hadn’t noticed it before.
“Griffin got your tongue?” Val asked, a cheeky smile playing on her plush pink lips.
“You look…” I trailed off as I took her appearance in once again, then cleared my throat to continue, “very nice.”
“Thank you, Dimitri.” Her smile grew a fraction as she dipped her head.
“Where are you headed?” I asked, finding myself drawn to her.
I wanted to be closer.
If only to clear my mind.
Or distract it.
“I was hopingyou’dallow me an evening off. I was planningon hittingthe town,maybe evenstopping by my favorite tavern on the outskirts. Just to blow off some steam,” she said, motioning toward the open windows and the city down below.
“That sounds like a lovely time,” I replied. “The evening is yours to do whatever you please.”
“WhateverI please?” Her cheeky smile returned,fullforce. “Soif I asked you to join me tonight, would you?”
I paused, taken aback by her request. Ononehand, it would bea nice wayto keep my mind busy, sinceit’dbeen badgering me all day. On theother, I worried about what she meant on a deeper level. What did she get outof going totown with me? Why did she want tointhe first place? Was it all some sort of ploy?
“Get out of your head for once, Dimitri,” she said, crossing the room to stand before me.
“Take a night off and join me.You’vebeen training nonstop—you deserve a break.” She extended her hand toward me. “We both do.”
When I hesitated, she added, “Plus, I can’t go out looking like this all bymyself.”
At that, I broke into a small smile.
Then I reached forward and took her hand.
“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Now let’s go find you something else to wear. Oh! Can I decide on your outfit? I promise I’ll pick something almost as nice as mine!”
With our hands clasped together, she tugged me toward the hidden doorshe’dcome from, whichwe both knew was the quickest way to my chambers.
I smiled at her excitement—a small, genuine smile. The action feltnearly foreign, but I welcomed the change with open arms.
