Thankfully Vatarie didn't even acknowledge Lucia

"Christopher you weren't in your room." Vatarie says still standing over the two of you.

"My sponsor took me into the capital." You answer feeling a little worried by her glowering.

A slight shimmer of what looked like jealously flickered through her aura. "Why?"

"To buy new clothes." Your worry was increasing to slight intimidation. You were being glared at by the daughter of a Duchess.

The shimmer returned. "Who is your sponsor?"

You swallow feeling very uncomfortable. "I can't say."Vatarie kept staring at you but no matter how intimidating she was, daughter of the Queen outranks daughter of a Duchess.

"I will be attending the training ground for a sparing session you may accompany me." She waiting standing over you but her jealously seemed to have been smothered by her assumption of your compliance.

For the first time since she arrived your eyes left Vatarie and went to Lucia who was looking wide eyed up at Vatarie. You were enjoying her company and the prospect of making another friend made you uncomfortable just leaving with Vatarie.

Vatarie herself followed your gaze and looked at Lucia for the first time. You watched as their auras met. The moment they did Lucia's retracted in deference and her eyes lowered from Vatarie's face. Vatarie look Lucia over. You recognised the critical eye Vataire was giving her. The analytical flicking from muscle to joint, access combat training, checking clothing to access wealth, and face for any family resemblance to other nobility. It was the same look she had given you and Edin when she first approached.

Lucia seemed to shrink under Vatarie's gaze. "L-Lady Vatarie. My name is Lucia."

Vatarie kept glaring then looked away, her aura retracting from Lucia apparently satisfied that the woman you were talking to wasn't a threat. Then her eye caught the dragon Lucia was still projecting. She opened her mouth then looked at you and seemed to chew her words. "The dragon is lovely." Her eyes hadn't left you as she said it and you put two and two together. You told her you didn't like when she was rude to Edin so she was trying to be nice to Lucia for your benefit, nothing actually nice about it. But that she went to the effort of trying for your benefit was kind of flattering.

"T-thank you my Lady!" Lucia exclaimed with glee smiling broadly at Vatarie.

"Christopher will you accompany me?" Vatarie asked going back to ignoring Lucia.

After her trying to be nice to Lucia you were tempted to say yes as some sort of reward. But you felt a little awkward to just abandon Lucia. "I'll just say bye to Lucia." You answer. Lucia shoots you a look of shock that you would delay.

Vatarie shifts uncomfortable then looks at Lucia annoyed. "Are you courting him?"

Lucia sputters and looks between you and Vatarie. "N-no. No my Lady. I mean he– we just met." She looks at the dragon that was still laying in her palm. She snapped her hand shut but forgot she wasn't using a shell so the dragon's image just traveled through her finger. "He– he's." She got rid of the image and looked up at you then at Vatarie. "not my type?" She sounded unsure though that had more to do with Vatarie glowering at her than any personal feeling. You could see her aura, the affection she was building towards you was strictly platonic, Vatarie either wasn't checking Lucia aura to see that or she wanted to make their respective position where you were concerned clear.

Vatarie looked at her. "Say goodbye and come with me." Her aura had cooled but was swirling with mixed feelings and she turned to walk away. You didn't know the specific reason but could assign it to your own bucking of traditions at pretty much every instance when the two interacted. If you were interested in being courted by Vatarie you maybe should try and follow some traditions. For all you know you might be expected to be giving her gifts in addition to general deference.

While you were thinking Lucia was waiting for Vatarie to get to a safe distance. "You know Lady Vatarie? How do you know Lady Vatarie? Why did she invite you– wait is she your sponsor? Wait is she courting you? Why didn't you tell me you know Lady Vatarie?" She rush out the questions so quickly you worried she was going to pass out from lack of breathing. She sucked in a deep breath and looked at Vatarie's retreating form. "Do you think she liked me?"

"In order: yes; she saw my eating last night and came over; she isn't my sponsor; yes; it never came up; and I'm not entirely she why she likes me so, no idea." You answer, her aura was intensely curious and you could see her desire to ask more questions but the worry at interfering with Lady Vatarie's courtship was cutting her off from asking. "I should go. If you have dinner in the hall I should be here."

"Dinner?" Lucia eyes snapped to you then glanced back to Vatarie. "Bu–" She cut herself off as she looked down at the hand she projected her dragon on. "Are you sure?" She looked nervous but there was a spark of excitement. Apparently she must think you could teach her some more.

"See you tonight." You said, standing up and walking to join Vatarie who had just left the hall.

You walked a little faster to make sure she didn't leave the building before you met her. Leaving the hall you can see her dallying by the exit. You hurry your steps actually looking forward to spending time with her. Maybe it was down to your childhood, not having any friends stunting your social development, but being around people that liked you was better than being alone.

"Lady Vatarie." As you say her name you seem a wave of warmth spread through her aura. She turns to give a smile.

"Christopher." She stops walking so you can reach her side. The moment you do so her aura wraps around you affectionately leaving tingles across your skin. She hesitates for a moment shifting uncomfortably, "Thank you for spending time with me, I don't want to share you." It was a worrying possessive statement considering the company you just left for her. Though as you thought about it you recalled how she had worded her teasing of you this morning.

"Even if I'm a good boy." You had a grin on your face and make sure she see's it to know your jesting. She blushes a little and doesn't respond but the tingles from her aura increase intensity so she'd wrapped it a little tighter around you. "Are you sparring with someone in particular or just practicing?"

"Lady Stephanie has let me apply for her classes." The pride in her voice as she said made you smile for her. "All I need to do is show her I'm worth teaching." She hook her forearm around your own and grinned at you. "She's the best combat teacher in the kingdom and only takes a dozen student's each year and I'm going to be the best." The determination in her face was mirrored by her aura as it retracted a little from you to swirl around her.

Your smile for her remained on your face as you tried to put together what she said with what happened this morning. You're sure the women you sparred with said her name was Stephanie but she'd said you'd be attending her classes. You must have her name mixed up.

Arm in arm with Vatarie the two of you walk to the training grounds. When you'd gone there this morning it wasn't bright enough for you to get a good view of the academy, and the three other time you'd been in someones company and not sightseeing, at least not of the architecture.

The dorm building had a pure whitewashed facade with grass, flowers and small bushes growing along its front in a carefully manicured way. The windows of glass were perfectly kept clean of every spot, the windows to student rooms had illusions on them to ensure privacy. You could see through them so presumed it was more a perceived privacy than actual privacy actual privacy was afforded by the curtains.

Before the Dorm's entry was was a circular indent denoting the parking space for carriages where you had gotten off and back on Anastasia's carriage. The middle of the circle had a tree growing in the middle, as carefully manicured at all the other plants.

On the other side of the indent was another three story whitewashed building. It was almost identical to the dorm building except the windows were a little larger, you assumed this was the building classes happened in. Larger windows to let in more light during the day.

"What?" Vatarie asked. You were snapped out of your sightseeing as she nudged you.

"Just checking the academy out." You turn to look at her smiling. She was incredibly handsome. It was odd to think of her like that, she was eminently feminine but the sharpness of her features made calling her beautiful feel disrespectful somehow. "Much better view this way." You grin at her and she grins back.

"So is mine." She pulls your hook arm a little closer together. You look into each others eyes and the smell of comforting burning tickles your nose. "After the sparing will you come to the baths with me?" She purrs it out and her long absent predatory gaze returns but it was definitely a request not a demand.

"As you wish My Lady." The sudden intensity between the two of you was getting a very dramatic reaction from you. Vatarie's eyes flicked down so see such a reaction.

"Use my name." She whispers it only just loud enough for you to hear.

You lean your head as if to kiss then shift to put your lips next to her ear. "Anything you want Vatarie." As you finish you let out a soft breathe. As the air touches her ear you feel her shiver a little.

"Christopher." Vatarie mumbles press her cheek against your own.

As she so public displays her affection towards you it occurs to you how easy she is to turn on. As you pull back a little and see her dilated pupils, blushed cheeks and parted lips, it further occurs that the old adage 'power behind the throne' might apply here, Vatarie was domineering in public but so far in private you had either been given or taken the led without much difficulty.

"Training field's just ahead." You say as your lips near hers. Her eyes check the packed dirt you were approaching before returning to yours. She bites her lip and looks at your own. After a moments hesitation she reluctantly pulls back.

You can hear talking coming from the training field and Vatarie pulls her arm a little away from you. You get the hint and pull from her. She shoots you a thankful look as it was clear she wasn't going to be able to separate from you willingly.

"How long have you been training?" You ask as the sound of metal clashing becomes audible enough to identify it.

"Since I was eight." Vatarie says it like it should be assumed. You hadn't even started learning magic seriously at eight and she was combat training. It was no wonder she was so heavily muscles and it was also no wonder why you were just average. "Have you ever trained?"

"Yeah, started swordsmanship two years ago. Had my first sparring match this morning. You must be incredible." It was hard to not be even more intimidated by Vatarie, you may have the lead in private but she ever wanted it there is going to be nothing you could do to stop her.

Vatarie's aura reached over to stroke your arm happily at the compliment. She didn't say anything as the cause of the metal clashing came into view. Two women your age were sparing and you almost stopped short to focus on watching.

They must be using magic. You hadn't relaxed your eyes to confirm that fact but they were moving too fast for it to be anything else. Clashing then separating and clashing again in less than a few seconds. When you relaxed your eyes you saw their bodies wrapped in a layer of magic.

It was the same shell you could use though theirs were thicker and around their entire bodies rather than focusing on specific areas. Of much more interest to you was their swords. They were imbuing. The shell around their bodies extending to permeate the blades.

You and Vatarie are both consumed with watching the clashing as you walk between the stands. You walk in front of the stands to get a better look. Coming to a stop once you had a side view. With your new position you could see each fighters swords more clearly and the consequences of their meeting.

Each time the clashed and their magic collided it created an invisible shower of shattered magic. Each clash shaving off a section of the blades magic.

"The one the left will win." You said it more to yourself than Vatarie as the left ones strategy became clear.

"She's slower and not using meeting her opponents blade with the strongest part of her sword. Using the end of her sword to block means its just a matter of how long until a blow pushes through." Vatarie responded. You checked again but the more you watched the more it became clear. The one of the right had the speed and strength advantage if this was a protracted battle she would win but the one of the left knew that.

Each time their swords clashed the left one met her opponents sword with a different part of her blade, but she always hit her opponents sword in the same spot. The one of the right was adding, actively trying to ensure the full strength of her blow was transferred at each blocked blow meant always striking with the middle of the blade to give power, control and leverage.

"Christopher is right." The familiar voice came from behind the both of you.

Vatarie spun taking her eyes off the match to look up at the speaker. "Lady Stephanie! Thank you for letting me apply." She bowed slightly but you didn't turn to look up. Surprisingly it was the same Stephanie from this morning.

"It's over." You say it right before the two sparing clash. The moment they do the left one sword passes through her opponents. Each time they had clashed the left one had chipped away at her opponents magic, slowly but surely rending that tiny part of the blades magic. This clash wasn't magic meeting magic it was magic meeting metal and the result was clear.

The left ones sword after passing through the right ones stopped short at her opponents neck. The right one looked befuddled by what just happened. Looking from the blade at her neck to her halved sword.

"You may leave Lady Santea." Stephanie said as she walked down from the stands to stand next to Vatarie who was totally awestruck. "Lady Thea classes will begin in two days at three pm." The Lady Thea bows to Stephanie then walks over to put her sword away. Lady Santea is standing still and it looked like she was about to cry. "You have company Lady Santea." The lady in questions blinks and looks to Stephanie and sees Vatarie.

"Lady Vatarie." She rushes it out blinking quickly to hide her tears. She straightens her back mechanically walks over to put her broken sword into a barrel and quickly shuffles to her opponent who was leaving the arena. "Thank you for sparring with me Lady Thea." She bowed but moved away rather quickly. The whole time her aura was over powered with shame, embarrassment, humiliation.

You had no idea what that was about but apparently not getting into Stephanie's class was something worthy of those emotions. It did bring up the question of why you had been invited, and if your taken someone else spot, someone else much better than you, or at the very least capable of imbuing which you supposed would make them better than you by default anyway.

Once the two fighters were out of the arena Stephanie walked towards board of waiting swords. "Where is my opponent?" Vatarie asked as her aura swelled with confidence, her incorrect assessment of the last match not mattering to her in the least. Considering how focused she was on Stephanie she might not even know how it had ended.

"Me." Stephanie answered taking out a sword and walking into the middle of the arena. Vatarie hesitated. "You are the daughter of a Duchess so you have been train at a younger age and to a higher level than others. The only way to prove your worth is to see how you fair against someone better."

Vatarie aura was uncertain and even though the two of you had been studiously separate, even her aura had been careful to avoid contact since you'd arrived. You reached over to brush her hand with a finger. She looked at you and saw you smile. She didn't know it but you'd somehow gotten into this class, part of you was a little worried the reason for it was so the worst person in the class would still have someone they were better than. If you could there is no way she couldn't.

Her aura fortified itself and as she walked to join Stephanie a tendril tingled across your hand. She didn't go to the swords instead standing before Stephanie and bowing slightly. For a moment you thought she was conceding then she brought up her fists and coated them in magic.

It was fascinating to watch, totally unlike your own shell. She wasn't coating her skin with magic but extending beyond it. It resembled boxing tape as she padded her knuckles with magic. Stephanie didn't react instead taking a dueling stance presenting only her sword wielding side.

They stayed still for only a moment before Vatarie began. Launching herself at Stephanie reaching to grab her sword. Until your sparring Stephanie had imbued her sword and since you had just seen how magic chips away at magic you worried Vatarie was about to have her hand cut open.

Stephanie's sword tilted to do just that when Vatarie suddenly shifted mid air. It was the same technique you used to fly, she'd ejected magic out of her side to push self out of direct danger and giving her a clear shot at Stephanie's now open chest.

It would have been a definitive victory for Vatarie if Stephanie hadn't been positioned as she was. Rather than her sword not being a danger to Vatarie a shift of her wrist and the swipe at Vatarie's hand became a slash at her stomach.

Your stomach clenched as Stephanie's blade almost made contact with Vatarie only for Vatarie to use another burst of magic to flip above Stephanie, reaching out her arms to grab Stephanie's head and land behind her. From her angle she couldn't see Stephanie's other hand but you could. When she landed Stephanie's other hand shifted slightly and you saw the knife in her hand, but she didn't move it. With Vatarie's position all Stephanie would have to do was move the knife and Vatarie's own momentum would have driven it into her heart. But the knife stayed hidden.

The entire fight was over in less than two seconds and ended with Vatarie standing behind Stephanie holding her head between her hands. And you had no idea why Stephanie had let Vatarie win.

"Well done Lady Vatarie, classes will be begin in two days at 3 pm sharp." Stephanie said as Vatarie let go of her head. "Your burst of magic are powerful and the speed advantage could win however you must ensure you never make it predictable."

Vatarie's aura was flooded with pride. "Thank you Lady Stephanie."

"I need to speak with Christopher in private." Stephanie walked over to put her blade back and waited for Vatarie to leave.

Vatarie looked at you then at Lady Stephanie and you saw a hint of worried jealously sliver around her aura. It was smoothed by her adrenaline and victory high before it had time for her to be aware of it. She walked over to you with a manic smile grabbed your waist and pulled you into a kiss. "Hurry." She breathed into your ear before walking out of the arena.

Once you and Stephanie were alone she walked over to you. "How many times could I have killed her?"

"Two. You could have slashed your stomach and used her second magic burst to make the injury significantly more damaging. And you could have moved your knife so Vatarie would have impaled herself on her landing." When you finish taking you feel a sharp but short lived sting on your left hand's knucles.

"Wrong." Stephanie pulled back the thin stick she had hit you with. "Again."

You replayed the fight again but could find a third option. Vatarie was too ready at the start of the fight, while she was in the air her hand position prevented a slash upwards without getting herself injured. "I can only think of those two." This time your right knuckles were switched, it didn't even hurt but the contact surprised you.

"There was only one," Lady Stephanie lowered her switch. "I'm not fast enough to have slashed her stomach." The didn't seem right, Vatarie had moved faster than you had seen Lady Stephanie move so far, but having watched that fight you were faster than Vatarie, surely Lady Stephanie should be. Maybe that initial bust of speed had taken Lady Stephanie more off guard than you thought. She watched your face for a long moment as you work through her comment. "Go join Lady Vatarie." she walked away from you and you walked towards Vatarie when she called out. "Whatever her intentions towards you are, I won't tolerate you not attending my classes."

You didn't respond because it didn't seem like a response was needed instead you hurried out of the arena and saw Vatarie waiting for you, basking in the sun her aura still aglow with her victory. As you neared her she rushed over to you and wrapped you in a hug crashing your lips together. Your previous thoughts about you being control of the relationship in private moments was quickly disproven as her tongue pushed past your lips. Her fingers wrapped into your hair pushing your harder against you. When she pulled you free her entire face was a mask of adrenaline and victory induced lust. Apparently she really liked winning that match.

"Baths." The single word she got out was accompanied by her changing your embrace into something easier to walk with. Her face with still lock to yours and your sides were pressed together as her closest arm wrapped around your side and her furthest one stroked your stomach. She took a step but you were a little too stunned from her kiss to step with her. "Please." It was a whisper but the request in her tone brought you back to the moment and you plant a kiss on her lips.

"Anything for you." You responded utterly unable to think of anything other than spending time with her following that.