Niel sat up straight in bed as a soft ray of sunlight drifted across his face.
"Hmm, morning already," he muttered softly.
He paused as his stomach let out a loud, empty growl. Niel placed his hand on his forehead, sinking deep into his thoughts. I slept so long without even eating a thing. He gently touched the bruise on his brow and let out a soft sigh. I'm such an idiot. Hurting myself like this when I have training tomorrow...
His hand came to an abrupt pause.
He repeated his own words in his head. Training tomorrow.
Realization instantly hit him. His eyes widened as the dread settled in—he was going to have to survive that excruciating training all over again.
As if on cue, his bedroom door was suddenly pushed open by none other than Sky.
She stepped inside, only to find Niel instantly freezing and faking a loud, exaggerated snore, pretending to be fast asleep.
Sky looked down at him with a perfectly calm expression. "I know you're not asleep," she said flatly.
Her words hit him instantly, causing Niel to flinch at the mere sound of her voice.
Minutes flew by, and still, there was no reaction from Niel other than that initial flinch.
Sky's calm expression shifted to one of pure annoyance. He was actually continuing this ridiculous act, pretending to be oblivious despite her literally watching him flinch. She tapped her foot impatiently against the wooden floor, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap echoing through the room.
Her voice turned dangerously cold. "Do you want me to start your first training session right here in this room?"
Hearing that threat, Niel immediately jumped into his next act. He stretched his arms and yawned loudly, trying to look as surprised as possible. "Oh, Sky! When did you get here?"
Niel noticed she wasn't buying his act at all. He sighed in defeat, pulling back the covers. "I'll get ready for training," he said softly, sliding his legs out of bed.
"A person who desires something deeply would do anything in their power to get it," Sky said suddenly. Her cold, black eyes locked onto his golden ones. "Your reason for coming here is to win the heart of your kingdom's princess, but your actions are leaving me rather confused, Niel Adamson."
Niel stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at her, his face twisting into a thoughtful expression.
Sky didn't break eye contact as she continued, "You should be eager to train. After all, it is the only way you will ever gain the strength you need to achieve your goals."
"Well, if training consisted of something other than getting brutally beaten up and mocked, then I would have been more excited," Niel replied, keeping his expression perfectly calm.
Sky's brow twitched at his words.
Niel pushed himself up from his bed, standing to face her. He looked down, staring at the palm of his hand as he spoke. "I am eager. But I also see the bigger picture. Pushing my body through relentless training without rest won't make me stronger—it will only break my body down.
The room fell completely silent. Niel and Sky stood frozen, their eyes locked onto each other, each unyielding in the pursuit of their own ideals to achieve their goals.
The tense silence was suddenly broken as the door swung open. Neela stepped inside, looking for her daughter.
"Sky, is Ni—"
Neela stopped dead in her tracks, her voice cutting off. Her eyes darted between Niel standing by the bed and Sky standing by the door, both still locked in that rigid, silent stare. The atmosphere in the room was incredibly awkward, as if she had just walked in on something she shouldn't have.
"What is going on here?" Neela questioned, her eyes narrowing as she looked back and forth between them.
Sky didn't even look back at her mother. "It's nothing, Mother," she said flatly. "I was just discussing something with Niel."
As she spoke, she locked Niel in a fierce death stare. A growing wave of discomfort washed over Niel under the sheer weight of her gaze, forcing him to finally avert his eyes.
But even as he looked away, staring down at the floor, he could still feel her eyes burning straight through him.
Sky turned away from him and exited the room. Her sudden departure left Neela staring after her in deep confusion, while Niel finally breathed a long, heavy sigh of relief.
"Niel, did something happen between you two?" Neela asked, turning her attention back to him.
Niel didn't answer immediately. He kept his eyes fixed on the empty, open doorway for a long moment before quietly answering, "It's nothing too serious. We just don't see eye to eye, is all."
After listening to what he had said, Neela calmly lowered her gaze for a moment. When she lifted her eyes back to his, her expression was soft.
"Niel," she said quietly, pausing as if pondering exactly how to phrase her next words. "Why..."
But before she could finish her sentence, she was abruptly interrupted by the loud, empty rumble of Niel's stomach echoing through the room.
Niel stared at her with a shocked expression before intense embarrassment completely took over, causing his entire face to turn bright red.
Seeing his burning cheeks, Neela put her deep thoughts and questions entirely behind her. With a soft chuckle, she wore the gentlest smile on her face. "Oh my, I totally forgot you slept right through supper. You must be absolutely starving."
She turned toward his bedroom door, gesturing for him to follow. "Come on, there is some leftover food from yesterday," she said, before exiting the room ahead of him.
She turned toward his bedroom door. "Come on, there's some leftover food from yesterday," she said, before exiting the room ahead of him.
She continued down the hallway toward the kitchen, but stopped when she heard Niel's voice calling out to her. Turning around, she saw Niel looking back at her with a soft, genuine smile.
"Lady Neela, thank you," he said softly. As he spoke, he pointed down toward his waist, gesturing to the cut-up strips of his own garments that had been wrapped neatly and tightly around his torso.
Sky stood atop the high ground, a wooden scarecrow standing silently before her.
With a swift motion, she unsheathed her sword. She wrapped both hands firmly around the hilt, her grip tightening as she took a deep, steadying breath.
Her mind drifted back to her earlier encounter with Niel, his calm face and the frustrating words he had spoken echoing in her head. A surge of irritation flared within her. Lifting the heavy sword high into the air, she swung down in a flash of cold steel.
The blade sliced through the air, cleanly cutting the scarecrow completely in half.