~Florence

My eyeballs. I press the palms of my hands into my eyes as I lie on my bed. It’s mid-afternoon one week after Miles gave me the stack of books to read…and read is all I’ve done since.

I’d had to meet with him a couple of times to ask him some questions, since there are gaps in my general knowledge. Thankfully, he took the time to explain. He also informed me that our mother’s sister is a mage of some renown, but she left the country as soon as she married, only sending letters every few years. Miles wrote to her as soon as he realized I was a mage, but he said not to expect a reply anytime soon.

Still, for the first time since waking up, it feels like someone in my family is on my side. Despite the pain in my eyes, there has been a warm lump inside my chest, doing its best to thaw the ice surrounding my heart.

“A cool cloth, my lady,” Mary says, placing the cloth on my face. “The seamstress will arrive shortly. Shall I send her up straightaway?”

“Yes, please do.”

She is the reason I’m not reading at the moment—I have to take a break to try on the special garments she finished for me.

The cool cloth helps the pain. By the time she arrives, I can look around my room without wincing. Who knew one could read too much?

“Good afternoon, m’lady,” she says, bringing in a couple of large boxes and one smaller box. She looks to the left, at Mary. I get the message.

“Mary, you may leave us,” I say. She curtsies and takes her leave. “Before I forget again, may I ask your name?”

“Natalia Shaw, m’lady,” she says, dipping a curtsy, “but you may call me Tali if you prefer.”

“Only if you call me Ren,” I reply, suddenly feeling shy. Not only would it be practical to get closer to Tali, but it would be nice to have a confidant.

Her eyes widen and her mouth opens in shock— “Oh, I couldn’t, I’m not supposed—”

“It’s alright if I tell you it’s alright…Tali,” I say to her. “I don’t have anyone else who…who knows about all this, except Sir Thorne. Please?”

Reluctantly, she nods, then briskly sets herself to work unpacking the boxes.

“Boots.” She holds up a pair of sturdy, yet soft, leather boots that reach to mid-calf. The soles are flat. “Leather breeches. Tunic. Bracers. Gloves. Leather corset. Proper undergarments. Hair covering. Cloak. Shall we get you dressed, m’lady?”

“Just a moment.”

I go over everything, picking up each piece and studying it—asking questions as they come to mind—until my curiosity is satisfied. The materials are so different than what I'm used to! Only then do I allow Tali to dress me.

The woman in the mirror is a stranger. She doesn’t look like a girl wearing boys’ clothing. She looks like a woman, a warrior come to life. Or at least, one in training.

The undergarments feel odd, but the rest of the clothing feels so…freeing. I feel like I could run forever in these boots! The corset isn’t too tight. In fact, I feel like it’s protecting me.

At first, the idea of a hair covering does not please me, but I learned that Sir Thorne ordered Tali to make one—my hair is so unique that I would be identified immediately if anyone saw me. It is a practical wrap that gathers my hair up to the back of my head, then the ends wrap around to be tied on top. No pins are needed, and I can do it all on my own. Only my golden roots peep out, and that looks normal enough.

“How does it look, m’lady? How do you feel?”

I can see Tali smiling shyly behind me in the mirror.

“I…wish I could wear this all the time, Tali,” I tell her. She beams. “You’ve thought of everything.”

“That’s not quite true,” she admits. “Sir Thorne helped me.” He did?

“But you made it, didn’t you?”

“I did, yes.”

I smile at her, feeling the best I have in weeks. I can’t wait to start working with Sir Thorne, which can happen any day now that I have my clothes. The Academy starts next week, too, meaning my life will finally start getting back on track.

“Thank you, Tali.” The gratitude I feel is deep and genuine. “Thank you.”

♥♥♥⸸

~Trevor

Thorne—

She’s ready.

-N.S.

Trevor read the note and a tendril of excitement shot through him. He could finally get to work training his mage. Not only that, but she would be starting at the Academy in the next week!

How long had he been waiting for a breakthrough like this in his plan? Over a year now. Granted, his plan was still a few years away from completion, and now it was also contingent on the abilities of his new mage, but the fact was he now had a mage.

For all intents and purposes, Lady Florence was his.

Was he a bit of a bastard for taking advantage of her like this? Maybe.

But it wasn’t like she wasn’t getting anything out of the deal. She was going to get training from a knight—and not just any knight. Lady Florence wouldn’t know this, since he was masquerading as regular knight Sir Thorne, but Lord Trevor Rowanward was known as the Iron Knight, or Trevor the Unbreakable. This was thanks to a battle early on in his career where he had made the stupid decision to stand his ground.

Luckily, he had been able to hold his position, which allowed the rest of the unit to move forward, then double back, ultimately winning the battle. He had been young and stupid, arguably he still was, and it was honestly a miracle that he wasn’t a flattened smear of flesh and blood beneath the enemy’s feet instead of sitting here in his room, planning a training session for the Lady in the neighboring Duchy.

He held the note to the candle flame and watched it burn. Perhaps Lady Florence wasn’t getting the best deal, receiving training from a reckless fool like him, but at least she’d learn a thing or two. And put some muscle on that pitiful frame of hers.

What was it she had said?

“...I want to be strong. I want to be able to fight off…someone your size, for example.”

Her eyes. They’d gone so distant when she’d said that, as if she knew exactly what it felt like to be helpless. But she was a lady of a noble house! Who on earth would dare lay a finger on her, knowing their life would be forfeit?

Trevor’s brow furrowed. Lady Florence wasn’t exactly a normal lady. Maybe the time they’d caught her on Rowanward land hadn’t been the first time she’d gone out on her own?

Oh.

Trevor suddenly remembered where he had taken her the night of her debut. She hadn’t returned to the manor, but to the annex. Did her family force her to live in the annex? Was it her choice? Was there some reason for it?

He remembered the state she’d been in, the way Peter had described seeing Lady Florence in the training yard, surrounded by hundreds of sparkling gems on the ground, her gown ruined.

She’d utterly destroyed it.

Why had she done that?

Why was she staying in the annex, away from her family...and how long had she been doing so?

Most importantly, why did he even care?