Chapter 12
Callum – Sixteen Years Ago
The sun has still yet to make an appearance over the horizon by the time I reach the training center.
No one is here yet, and I take a second to enjoy the crisp morning air and the silence that surrounds me in the moonlight.
Training doesn’t officially start until dawn, but I was too excited to sleep and decided to head over early to run through my drills to practice and warm up.
Now that I reached my thirteenth birthday, the King invited me to officially start training with his Hunters and soldiers.
Rafe, although not quite at that age, has also been invited, and there’s no one else I’d want by my side through this.
Ginna isn’t allowed to train with us as the King doesn’t think it proper for a noble-born woman, but Rafe and I promised that we’d teach her everything we learned later.
Since letting me stay in the Ashven palace, the King had generously hired a swordsmaster to start teaching me the basics.
As soon as I could walk, I was practicing holding a wooden sword, learning the basic positioning and steps.
The King was always very vocal that if I didn’t prove useful, I could be easily tossed out, orphaned and homeless.
I would lose Ginna and Rafe, my life that I was working to build here in Ashven, and that threat hangs like a heavy stormcloud above my head.
However, despite my age, I work harder than most trainees.
I’m confident that I could hold my own against one of the other Hunters or soldiers and am eager to prove myself in training.
I’m in the middle of a parry when I hear someone call out to me.
“Rafael isn’t with you?”
I turn and see King Corvin and hastily drop into a bow. “Your Majesty, I didn’t see you there.”
“I wanted to check in on your progress on the first day, but I was hoping to see Rafael with you as well.” The King peers around sternly, as if Rafe is hiding somewhere in the shadows.
My pulse always races around King Corvin out of fear. He rules with an iron first, and I’ve felt firsthand how much that hurts. Because I grew up with Rafe and we were close friends, I’ve also landed the role of being responsible for where he is at all hours of the day.
“He’s not late, sir, I’m early. Training starts at dawn. He’ll be here then.”
“Hmm…” He gives me a onceover, walking around me in a slow circle. “Walk me through those again.”
I do as he says, performing one drill after another and executing them near perfectly. I’m panting, adrenaline at a high. That was the best I’ve done the drills, and the naivety in me is waiting for the King’s praise on my performance.
The praise never comes. It never did with the King.
“You are too slow, Callum. Thrust harder! Move faster! You need to be as ruthless as our enemies are!” The King walks over to the rack of wooden training swords, picking up one after another, examining them all until landing on one of the heaviest.
“Yes, sir.”
“What was that? You mumble too much, boy.” He raises the wooden sword in my direction.
“Yes, sir!” I shout. My heart is threatening to jump out of my chest. I chose the lightest sword this morning – trying not to wear myself out before the actual training started.
The sword the King selected could easily snap mine in half with one blow.
I’m also not sure if I should be defending myself.
Fighting against the King is a line that I’m not willing to cross to risk his wrath.
The King swings his sword at me unexpectedly, and reactionary I raise mine to block.
The weight of his strike causes my entire body to rattle, and I almost lose my grip on my hilt.
I’m holding the hilt with both hands now, steadying myself.
I prepare for another blow against my sword, but instead the King sweeps his sword hard and low, striking me on the side of my left knee.
The unexpected hit causes me to cry out in pain and I collapse.
King Corvin tosses his sword away, disgust written all over his face. “You’re too noble. If you don’t learn to fight dirty, you won’t fight at all. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” I manage to choke out, still dizzy from the pain.
The King says nothing else as he exits the training center, leaving me crumpled in a heap on the ground.
When the sun at last starts to seep into the training center, I brace one hand on the ground as I try to stand. My left knee gives out and I inhale sharply.
“Cal? Is that you? What are you doing on the ground? And why are you here so early?” Rafe is walking towards me, stifling a yawn.
I grimace, trying to stand on my opposite leg now. Rafe must see the pain on my face because he quickens his pace and rushes over.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
I shake my head. “I’m fine,” I grumble. “Just tweaked it while practicing drills this morning.”
Lying unfortunately came easy to me, no matter how much doing so caused my stomach to churn.
But Rafe already had a strained relationship with the King, and telling him the truth would only worsen that.
Besides, if the King dealt his blows to me it meant that he stayed away from Rafe or Ginna, which was a good enough reason for me to continue to lie.
Rafe wraps one of my arms around his shoulders and takes most of my weight, leading me to a bench by the wall. Although he’s a year younger than me, he’s already a couple inches taller and has started gaining muscle in his lithe form.
“One day your stubbornness is going to get you killed, Cal. Take a break, for once. Not even the Hunters train all day.”
I roll my eyes at Rafe as he sits me on the bench.
He rolls my breeches up past my knee to inspect the damage.
As Rafe’s fingers gingerly cup my knee, my heartbeat echoes in my ears, but this time it’s not in fear.
It’s a sensation that’s become more pronounced since spending more time with Rafe, one that I’ve been questioning, but any lingering thoughts dissolve as I stare at my injury.
My kneecap has swollen to almost double the size, and I can see a dark bruise forming.
“This looks like more than a pulled muscle.” Rafe furrows his brows towards me questioningly.
Rafe has enough problems without me adding to them, but he’s as protective of me as I am over him. I know he won’t buy my lie, but I also know him well enough that he won’t press me further.
“I’m fine, Rafe,” I bellow, swatting his hands away. “Help me stand up.”
He looks at me warily. “You need to sit this one out. Stay off your feet today.”
I scoff and stare Rafe down. There’s no way in hell I’m missing my first training opportunity with other Hunters and soldiers. Rafe knows that, too, based on the fact that he’s helping me to my feet against his better judgment.
I carefully bend and extend my knee back and forth, testing out the movement. I should be able to manage if I favor my right and put all the weight on that leg today. I’ll deal with the aftermath later.
People start clamoring in as dawn approaches. “Are you going to be okay?” Rafe asks, releasing his hold on me.
“Absolutely.” I flash him a grin. “Doesn’t even hurt.”
Rafe shakes his head. “You’re a terrible liar, I hope you know.” He tries to maintain a serious expression, but a smile is tugging at the corner of his lips.
“I know. That’s why we’re such good friends.”