"Crowns topple easily. Thrones crumble like dust. Hearts cease to beat. Thorns draw blood."
In a country torn into two, there should have been no room for mistakes. Especially not at the very core of the royal family. That was what she was. Yes, a...
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"Alright, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Do I just raise my hands and give it a go?"
Irina stood in a clearing near the garden, an open space more or less, surrounded by trees to prevent anyone from stumbling into their training.
It was a good place to train, with a lot of empty space and fresh air. Not to mention that the weather was wonderful with the sun shining brightly and the trees swaying with the soft wind. It would have been a perfect day if she wasn't struggling so much.
She awkwardly raised her hands, like she was trying to catch a ball.
Aleksander smirked at her. "Not so confident now, are you?"
"I am trying!" She protested, glaring at him while changing her hands into a different position. She looked stupid, to say the least. She tried to recall what gestures she used in the previous times she used her power but she could only remember laying a hand on them.
"Well then try harder." He commanded, before raising an unimpressed brow. "What happened to the girl who made a man choke and broke the ribs of another?"
Irina gave up, dropping her hands to her sides. "I can't do this. What am I even trying to do?"
Aleksander walked over to her, standing behind her and raising her hands again. "Just focus on Dimitri, make him do something. Something out of the ordinary."
She sighed, trying to make her guard stand up. He had been sitting for an hour, plucking grass from the ground and blowing on it. If she took any longer, he would probably begin to eat the grass soon.
"Dima, are you starting to feel something?" She asked, beginning to sweat and shake from her impatience.
"Yes, I am starting to itch. This grass is really itchy, you know." Dima said, looking bored out of his mind.
"Stop being so mean. Once I figure this thing out, I will be asking you to slap yourself every day." She threatened.
Her guard only looked more bored, if that was even possible. "Sure you will. By the pace you're going, maybe in the next few years, you'll be able to get me to lift my finger.
Irina groaned, putting down her hands again. "Why are we even using Dima?"
"Because he is the only other person to know about our arrangement and quite frankly, it will be difficult for a Heartrender to train her abilities if there is no one to train on," Aleksander explained as if she were a child.
"But I'm afraid to hurt him! What if I cause permanent damage?" She asked, looking worried.
Dima piped up, panicking. "Permanent damage?!"
Aleksander did not answer for a while, thinking to himself. He was seemingly deciding on something carefully, discerning whether to go through with his plan.
