32
Training with Maeve has quickly become one of my favourite things to do, other than getting under her skin.
Maeve trained with me yesterday morning and again today, although she seems to be in a much better mood with me this morning. I didn’t get as much conversation from her yesterday.
We’re sparring on the mat, just hand to hand, throwing punches and blocking.
“When did you become King?” She asks suddenly after blocking one of my punches.
I smile slightly at the fact that she is starting to seem interested in my life.
I almost answer her straight away, before I realise I could use her sudden interest to my advantage.
I smile at her. “How about we do a question for a question, I’ll answer yours if you answer mine?” I ask as I send a kick her way that she promptly blocks.
“That seems unfair when my question is one that I’m sure I could find in a library.”
I block her punch before replying. “Yes, but I’m saving you the time.”
She smirks at me as she sends another punch my way, this time aiming for my stomach, which I let land.
She looks all too happy at landing a punch.
“Fine.” She agrees.
I smile and answer her question immediately. “I became King fifty six years ago.”
She snorts while blocking another one of my kicks.
“I forget you’re so old.”
I smile at her, I much prefer when Maeve is like this, even when that involves her making fun of me.
“I’m actually quite young for a fae.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
I smirk and ask her my question. “What age did you leave the Agency?”
“I didn’t leave, I was conscripted.” Maeve answers bluntly, avoiding the actual question entirely.
“Come on love, you know that’s not an answer.”
She rolls her eyes and sends another punch my way, this time I block it.
“Almost two years ago, my turn.” She says with a grunt as she kicks my stomach. I stumble slightly but I’m able to quickly grab her leg and flip her onto the ground.
I cross my arms and wait for her to get back up so she can ask her next question.
Maeve glares at me and throws another punch, which I promptly block. “How long have you known Cole?”
Her choice of her second question surprises me, I expected a slightly more angry or loaded question, considering I just handed her to the mat.
I throw another punch her way before answering and she blocks it. “I’ve known Cole almost my whole life, we met when we were just kids and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since.”
She laughs softly at my comment but quickly resumes her attempts at hitting me.
“Will the Agency look for you now?”
I ask the question to satisfy my own curiosity, but I do also need to know if we should be looking out for them. In addition to Hidale’s soldiers, who now so graciously hang around our border.
“No.” Maeve says bluntly.
“Why not?”
She looks up at me. “That’s two questions, your highness.”
I snort as I block another jab. “Very well, ask away then.”
“What happened to your parents?” She asks hesitating slightly, “to make you King?”
My stomach turns, I hadn't actually expected her to ask that question. I do my best to answer in a way that won’t bring down the mood. I’m enjoying our more free conversation today.
“They were murdered, I was out with Cole. I was told the news when I got home.”
“Who murdered them?” She breathes.
I click my tongue at her and smile slightly.
“Uh uh, my turn, love.”
Maeve sighs as I ask my next question, the same one from before. “Why won’t the Agency come for you?”
She grunts as she blocks my jab aimed directly at her face.
“I signed a contract once conscripted, releasing ownership for five years.”
My eyes flare slightly at the word ownership.
I don’t like it one bit.
This also means she has three years left before they come for her. Maeve will likely have a plan for if she doesn’t want to return but that still means she would have to live her life in hiding and that is no way to truly live.
I would let her stay here of course and she’d be safe. But at this stage, I’m not entirely sure that she wants that and I have a feeling that there’s more keeping her there.
The thought sends a twist through my stomach.
“Who murdered them?”
Maeve’s voice brings me back from the depth of my mind and I take a second to release what she has asked.
“Oh— it was Hidale’s men, the murder that sparked the start of the war.”
Her eyes narrow, confused. “The war hasn’t been going for that long.”
“That’s not entirely true.” I say as I block another one of her jabs.
“The war as you know it, has only been going for just over a decade but Hidale had started his plan to kill hybrids and take over long before then. His moves were just more calculated and not as obvious to those around. We were fighting in secret for a long, long time before actual war broke out,
when he decided to make his move for more land.”
“But if he ordered his men to kill the King and Queen, why did your army not attack his? How did that not become the war as we know it today?”
I look into her eyes, my own intrigued by the fact that she is now so interested.
“I didn’t send our armies as I did not know it was him for years. Once I knew, I retaliated in a way that goes beyond sending my soldiers into his land.”
Her eyes go wide as she takes in the meaning of my words, just as she blocks another jab from me.
“What did you do?” She asks, her voice just above a whisper.
My body stills, not ready to offer her the answer. I’m not sure she’d still want to be near me. And I’m not sure I could handle that.
“I’m afraid that the answer to that question goes beyond any answers you could offer me.”
The next jab she throws is aimed right at my face and I can tell by her eyes that she’s pissed off.
Rightfully so.
Too distracted to block, her fist smacks me right in the cheek and knocks my face to the side.
I inhale a sharp breath. “You were holding back.” I say, bringing my hand to hold my now throbbing cheek.
“So were you.” She replies simply, crossing her arms.
I hear a deep male laugh from the doorway, just as I’m about to reply to Maeve. I turn my gaze away from her for a second to see my commander standing there, grinning too brightly.
“I am so glad I arrived in time to see that.” Cole says, laughing harder than I’ve seen in a while.
Maeve smiles at him and stalks towards the door. Leaving me on the sparing mat.
“Feel free to add a mark to the other side of his face, commander.” Maeve says as she breezes past Cole, who gives her a mock salute and walks over to me.
I jump off the mat and grab a towel to wipe the blood from my cheek.
“She has a strong punch.” Cole notes.
“That she does.” I say, with a bite to my words.
“Know what you’re doing there?” Cole asks, looking towards the open door that Maeve walked out of.
“What do you mean?” I ask, acting oblivious as I turn to face him.
Cole shakes his head and blows out a breath.
“Nevermind.”
“I thought you liked her after your mission together?”
Cole throws me a pointed look. “I do, she’s grown on me but…” He struggles with his next words, trying to figure out what to say. “You’re the King.”
I ignore him and walk over to the knife rack and start throwing at the targets, hitting my mark every time.
“Alright, I get it.” Cole says joining me as he starts to throw knives at the target next to mine.
“Just don’t be surprised if she gets upset when she finds out you knew.”
My body tenses as my commander reminds me of yet another thing Maeve might hate me for. I sigh and roll my shoulders back before my next throw.
“I know, I’ll tell her soon.”
“Has she asked you yet? Why you can’t read her mind?”
I throw another dagger, making a satisfying thunk sound as I hit my mark.
“No.”