Chapter 25 #2
Aryel’s eyes darted to Corinne before returning to the councilor. “I’d be honored.”
Corinne imagined it as she and Aryel made their way to the training grounds—that warmth and laughter and feeling of utter belonging at the Mykotas’s home, this time with Aryel there. Would it not be strange for the prince to be in such an informal setting?
“Oh, Ari, wait—” Corinne jogged a few steps toward him as he paused halfway down the corridor. She lowered her voice, waiting to speak until after a servant had passed them by. “Would you mind training indoors today?”
His brow furrowed. “Is it supposed to rain?”
“No,” Corinne said, averting her eyes as she adjusted her sword absently. “But the heat will be a bit unpleasant.”
When she met his gaze again, understanding lit his eyes, then softened them. “Indoors, then.”
It was a swordplay training day, and Corinne tossed a practice sword to Aryel after passing her real one to the attendant. They ran several drills in a row, ones he’d mastered previously, but today they weren’t as cleanly executed.
“You’re thinking too much,” Corinne told him after he’d missed a parry that would’ve been a potentially fatal mistake. “Follow your intuition. You’ve done this before.”
Aryel lowered his practice sword and heaved a sigh. “My intuition seems broken today.”
“You had trouble sleeping,” Corinne said. It wasn’t a question; she’d seen how tired he was even after waking late that morning.
Aryel sat on the floor of the training ring, placing his practice sword down beside him, and Corinne followed suit. He stared at her for a moment, his expression conflicted.
“I always have trouble sleeping around my birthday,” he said finally. “My mother dreams up more extravagant festivities every year, it seems.”
Corinne frowned. “Shouldn’t you be able to do what you wish to do?”
Aryel huffed a humorless laugh. “Not if you’re a royal heir. At the ball, it’s expected that I dance with any unmarried noble who asks.”
“That sounds…exhausting.”
“It is.” Aryel groaned. “And I’m certain Lana will take the opportunity.”
“She won’t if I have anything to say about it,” Corinne said, eyes narrowing.
“What will you do?” he asked, grinning. “Dance with me all night so she can’t?”
Corinne averted her gaze. “Maybe I would…but I don’t know how to dance.”
Aryel got up and walked over to where she sat, offering his hand. “I can teach you.”
Corinne’s face heated. “Oh, no, I—”
“Come on, Sunshine,” he said with a soft smile. “I’ve been embarrassing myself for weeks in these training sessions, and now I can finally teach you something.”
Hesitation still prickled up her spine, but she acquiesced, taking his hand and letting him help her stand.
“Have you at least seen dancing before?” he asked, and Corinne nodded.
“I’ve seen dancing in several villages. And that night at the party in the woods.”
“Ah, right. Well, formal dancing is a bit different.” Aryel held out both of his hands now, which Corinne tentatively took.
“You’ll put a hand here.” He lifted Corinne’s right hand to his shoulder, then held up her left in a soft grip.
His now-free hand went to her lower back, gently pulling her closer, their chests almost touching.
Her breath hitched, and either Aryel didn’t notice or pretended not to, his brown eyes trained on their feet.
“This is the simplest one and the most popular,” he said. “Start by just mirroring my steps.”
Corinne forced her mind to focus on his instructions for how she should step and not on the smoldering heat spreading from her core outward.
So much for avoiding touching him. His thigh going between her legs as they stepped forward and back, moving to imaginary music, didn’t help her rationalize the skip in her heartbeat either.
“You’re picking this up quickly,” he said, releasing her back to allow her to step outward once before pulling her back into his body. “You must be naturally good at everything, huh?”
Corinne huffed a laugh as she forced her gaze away from his, glad for the distraction. “I once thought so.”
He leaned back, his hand coming to rest on her waist, and Corinne hoped to Helaera her face wasn’t blatantly red. “What do you mean?”
Corinne sighed as they continued to move, the steps slowly becoming more natural. “I thought I was destined to become one of the greatest amongst the Lightguards. I was the best of my trainee class, and they told me all my life I was bound for a life of honor in the eyes of Helaera. But…”
The words caught in her throat. But I’ve disgraced myself, been burned and abandoned by my only friend.
“But I was too prideful, and now I’ll have to start over,” she said instead. “Find my footing and regain their respect with humility and devotion to the Goddess.”
“Prideful,” Aryel muttered, his eyes on something over her shoulder. “You deserve to feel confident in your own abilities.”
Corinne wasn’t sure how to respond. She opened her mouth to say something, but the door to the training hall flew open, and she and Aryel jumped apart.
“Corinne!”
Danai rushed forward, the alarm on their face sending Corinne’s heart into her throat.
“It’s Iliana,” they said. “She just arrived at the castle in a panic, her brother is injured, and she’s asking for you.”
Corinne turned to Aryel, who retrieved her sword from the attendant and handed it to her before gesturing toward the door.
“Let’s go,” he said.