Thank you so much Jennifer Mckern for the votes and the comnts. ❤️
....
The sharp sound of steel rang through the training grounds.
Adele twisted smoothly on the heel of her boot before driving her sword downward with enough force to crack the earth beneath her feet.
The blade buried itself into the ground, and dust shifted around her boots.
Her chest rose slowly with controlled breaths while sweat glistened faintly across the side of her throat.
Around her, the Blackfen warriors continued training without pause. Their swords collided, wolves shifted mid-sprint through obstacle formations, and commands echoed sharply across the grounds beneath the gray almost afternoon sky.
Her hand remained wrapped tightly around the hilt of her sword.
mories.
God, she hated mories.
They arrived without permission and clawed through her mind whenever silence stretched too long.
No blade could cut them away, and no strength could silence them.
Adele yanked the sword free from the earth sharply. The sound grated through the training yard.
One of the younger warriors nearby imdiately straightened his stance.
Adele ignored him.
Her braid had loosened during training with her dark strands clung lightly to her skin while the cold wind brushed across her face.
She lifted the sword again, and swung fast. Every violent strike cut through the air with terrifying control.
A warrior across from her attempted to block the next hit during sparring practice. The impact knocked him backward hard enough to nearly send him to the ground.
Gasps rose nearby.
Adele lowered her blade imdiately.
The young warrior stared at her with wide eyes before bowing quickly. "Lady Blackfen." He called, wanting to remind her this was just practice, and not sothing personal.
"You’re leaning too heavily on your left side," Adele said flatly. "Fix it before soone removes the arm attached to it."
"Yes, my lady."
She stepped away before he could speak again.
The mont she did, a servant hurried through the edge of the grounds.
The poor maid looked visibly terrified navigating through ard wolves twice her size.
She dodged two sparring warriors barely in ti before finally reaching Adele.
"My lady," she breathed.
Adele wiped the side of her blade clean with a cloth before glancing toward her. "What?"
The maid bowed quickly. "Lord Varent is here, Lady Blackfen."
Adele froze.
Disgust crossed her face so quickly the maid nearly lowered her eyes further in fear.
She was already opening her mouth to dismiss him entirely when movent near the upper stone path caught her attention.
Lord Varent approached with the easy confidence of a man who had never once been denied entrance anywhere in his life.
Adele’s jaw tightened imdiately. She never exoected him to co here personaly, but he ca.
The nobles always did when they wanted sothing, anyways. And unfortunately for her, Lord Varent wanted her.
The man smiled the mont he saw her.
Adele nearly sighed aloud from irritation.
She straightened to her full height gracefully before sliding her sword back into its sheath.
"Lord Varent," she greeted politely once he approached close enough.
He looked pleased imdiately. "My lady Adele."
He reached for her hand before she could avoid it.
Adele suppressed the urge to yank her arm away.
He lifted her hand gently and pressed a kiss against the back of her palm with a charming smile that probably made lesser won faint.
Unfortunately for him, Adele Blackfen was not lesser won.
"You look radiant today." He said, although he doesn’t like the idea of a lady sparing. Even if she’s a Blackfen, it’s unladylike, and too manly. "Then the training grounds are blessed indeed." He added.
Adele nearly walked away from him but instead, she smiled politely.
Lord Varent finally released her hand.
He was handso today in the polished way noblen often were. He wore expensive clothes, carefully styled hair with gold rings resting against his elegant fingers.
Varent looked capable of surviving wine tastings.
His gaze shifted toward the cracked ground nearby where her sword had embedded earlier.
"That caused by you?"
Adele didn’t respond. She simply stared at him with a straight face for him to catch the fact.
He smiled wider. "Impressive." He lied.
Adele humd noncommittally.
"Would you care to walk with ?" Varent asked.
Adele forced another smile. "Of course."
The two began walking slowly along the edge of the training grounds.
The maid imdiately disappeared in relief.
Varent glanced toward the warriors training nearby with mild fascination. "Your house trains harder than the royal military."
Adele shrugged. She looked back at the people training, then straight ahead. "We survive longer because of it."
His mouth curved faintly into an uneasy smile. "You say things most noblewon would never dare say aloud."
"I wasn’t really taught embroidery before survival."
Varent laughed softly.
Adele remained expressionless.
Silence stretched briefly between them before he spoke again.
"Your father speaks highly of you."
Adele almost snorted at the ntion of her father. "My father speaks highly when alliances are involved." She said lightly.
Varent glanced toward her carefully then.
She went on. "And I think politics are usually excuses for greedy n to pretend they’re honorable."
Varent looked amused instead of offended. "That almost sounded personal." He noticed.
Adele’s lips curved slightly. She adjusted her training corset, to feel lighter. "Perhaps I simply enjoy insulting powerful n." She said without care, as she stared down at her boots for a second.
That earned another laugh from him.
Adele kept walking. His laugh hurts her ears. She could swear they were fake but she doesn’t have proof.
The cold breeze shifted around them softly.
Varent’s voice gentled after a mont. "Your father only wants your happiness."
Adele chuckled inwardly. "He’s allergic to that."
Varent blinked in question.
Adele realized too late she had spoken that aloud.
His brows lifted slightly. "I beg your pardon?"
Adele recovered imdiately without missing a step. "I said he’s attentive to that." She arranged her words smoothly.
Varent studied her for a second longer than necessary.
Adele smiled politely enough to kill further suspicion.
Unfortunately, the man was observant.
"I get the impression," he said slowly, "that you dislike these etings."
Adele looked ahead calmly. "I dislike being evaluated." She opened up. "I’ll love a genuine mate when the ti cos, and not one made from forced proximity."
Varent stilled, stared at her, then surprised her by laughing openly this ti.
"That honest?" he questioned, his smile never leaving his face.
Adele turned to him with irritation in her gaze. Now, why woukd he laugh? Did she say sothing funny? Her brows furrowed in thoughtfulness, and then, she parted her lios to speak again. "I think pretending otherwise wastes ti." She deadpanned, hoping to wipe his stupidity off his head.
She turned away from him with an offended tutt.
Varent’s gaze lingered on her face thoughtfully. "You’re nothing like the rumors."
Adele glanced toward him. "Should I be offended?"
"No," he admitted honestly. "Mostly intimidated."
That finally amused her faintly.
Varent shook his head with another smile. "The warriors weren’t exaggerating then." He dropped, hoping to stretch the conversation with her.
"They exaggerate constantly."
"Not about you."
Adele didn’t answer to that. She simply walked on, with no expression on her face.
Several younger wolves nearby quickly looked away when they realized she noticed them staring.
Varent folded his hands behind his back as they continued walking. He tiptoed for a minite, then finally he found sothing to say in hopes to hold the conversation. "I heard about the recent instability in the kingdom."
Adele’s expression cooled slightly.
"A difficult ti politically," he continued carefully.
"That’s one way to describe public hysteria." Adele murmured, obviously uninterested.
"You disagree with the kingdom’s actions?"
Adele looked at him directly this ti. "That sounds like a question ant to travel back to other nobles."
Varent raised both hands lightly. "This is rely conversation."
"Mhm." She humd with no trust. Whatever he was playing at, it was stupid. She never thought a king maker to be this dense.
His smile faded slightly at her distrust.
Varent glanced toward the horizon. His voice softened. "Fear spreads quickly among wolves."
Adele smiled softy. She casually tucked a strand of her hair out of her braids that blew on her back behind her ear. She inhaked softly, and replied thoughtfully. "Fear had done a lot of things. I’ve seen it make love ones crueler than monsters ever could."
That answer silenced him briefly.
Adele imdiately regretted saying it aloud. She had let out too much than she should, and she wished to shoke on her words.
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