Adeline bit her own lip in a vain attempt to tame her taunting smile, and it was only when the King’s eyes darted down to catch the movement that he seemed to realise the lack of space between them. His gaze shot away across the room but before he could get too flustered Adeline took mercy on him, taking one sweeping step back and a little bow over her sword.
“As you wish.”
???
Adeline won every round from there on out, though it was made that much easier by the King’s reluctance to come within arm’s length of her for the rest of the morning. Still, he held his own for a long while; they sparred until the light began to come level with the windows, warming the room to the point that Adeline would normally have stripped a layer and continued to train in her vest. For today, however, she thought it better to send the young King away un-scandalised by her bare skin.
“We should focus on swordplay for now,” Adeline said confidently, as they tidied away the weapons. Privately, she had no idea if swordplaywasthe best place to start. It made little difference for her own purposes, but who was she to decide what was the most important skill to hone for someone who may eventually lead his countrymen into battle?
Adeline had no idea whyshewas doing this anyway. Did the King even know who he was sparring with; that she’d apparently graduated from her training that very morning?
It made no sense.
She had to seek out Master Ellis and convince him to speak to the Queen, make her see the foolishness of this plan. She still needed his guidance, and the King – well, the King needed to train with someone experienced. Someone who had just as much at stake as he did.
Across the room, he had knelt to extinguish the fire in the grate and now rose to his feet, dusting his palms together.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. His eyes travelled from a torch beside Adeline’s shoulder to fix on her own. He was trying; she could appreciate that. “I am grateful for your help, Princess.”
And he was certainly well-mannered.
She shook her head. “Call me Adeline.”
He eyed her, a hint of intensity creeping back into his careful gaze. With his clothes rumpled from exertion and his dark hair in disarray, he was almost recognisable as the wild man she had met in the courtyard.
Now that the fire was out, the cold rolled in beneath the door and Adeline could feel goosebumps rising up her arms as he considered her.
“Are you certain that’s–”
“It is perfectly proper, I swear.”
The King nodded.
“Then you should call me Kai.”
“Kai,” she repeated, and swore she saw his throat bob. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’d pushed him well beyond his limits, when it came to that ancient sense of propriety he clung to.
He didn’t object.
“Adeline,” he said quietly.
She shivered.
Funny, how it got cold in here so quickly.
Chapter 18
Adeline
Ger was grumpy with her for being late to their lunch plans. The meat buns he’d swiped from Marie were still warm, but the flask of hot tea tucked into his vest had cooled considerably as he waited for her by the palace gates.
“I’m sorry,” she said again, as he took a swig from the lukewarm flask and pulled an exaggerated face of disgust. “I’ve had a busy morning!”
They were walking to the village to browse the wares of the Laune Market, a favourite lunchtime excursion of theirs–often derailed by an innocent stop at the alehouse on their way home.
Ger held up a silencing hand, spraying her with crumbs from his bun.
“Please. Do not ask me to pity you for a sweaty morning spent with an aggressively handsomeunmarriedKing. Approved of by your mother, no less.”
