Happily Ever After

Chapter 13

(Y/N) POV

The sound of clashing swords echoed inside the room. I wasn't giving up and neither was Alois. No body backed down, determined to win the fight.

After the heated battle, I emerged as the final victor. Alois was down on the ground with a blade pointed at his throat.

"Not bad, (Y/N). Your skills are getting better." Alois stated.

I pointed the sword away from Alois and returned it to its rightful place. Then, I extended my arm to out. Alois took my hand and stood up.

"That's all for today. You've done well."

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

I collapsed unto the golden purple couch with a loud 'thud'. I was tired and sweaty from fencing and training with Alois.

'Why is an English lady holding a sword instead of needles and thread?' Some may ask. At first, my parents were not fond of the idea of their precious daughter fencing with swords. It took me two weeks to fully convince them to allow me to train with Alois, thanks to his help of course.

I would come to the Trancy manor twice a week and train with Alois for an hour or two. He would teach me everything he learned from his fencing teacher, Sir Midford, a well-known knight and swordsman. Training together became a means of bonding between the two of us.

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Alois asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm just tired from all this training. That's all." (Y/N) replied.

"Here, drink some water to replenish your energy." Alois handed me a cool glass of water.

I drank all of it at once for I was very parched. "Thank you." I put the glass down on the small table.

Alois drank some water himself and sat down beside me. "You know, (Y/N). You have greatly improved over the last few weeks. I cannot believe that your fencing skills are catching up to mine. You'll soon be as great as me in no time!"

"Why thank you for the compliment, Alois." I smiled. "I should say that you yourself have improved a lot as well. Four months ago, you could barely sit tight for five minutes. However, your current record is 57 minutes and 55 seconds! How great is that!" I exclaimed.

"Oh and I remember the time you first held a real sword. You were having trouble keeping it steady that you almost unintentionally slit my throat. I am very thankful that you can now handle swords well without losing a body part or two."

We laughed, taking a stroll down memory lane. We recalled our memories these past few months, going over the moments we both shared.

"It's already three in the afternoon. I suggest that we change into our casual attires and proceed with the rest of our scheduled activities."

"Alright," Alois agreed. "It's my turn to learn now. Today I shall make sure to beat my current record! And if you think that you can make me lose my cool over some petty insults, you are definitely wrong."

"Are you challenging me, Lord Trancy?" I cocked my head to the side. I raised an eyebrow as a playful smirk played on my lips.

"Maybe I am, Lady (Y/L/N)." He went closer to my ear and whispered, "Maybe I am..."

I madly blushed at his remark. I did my best to keep a straight face despite the feeling of strings tugging up the corners of my lips.

Before any of us could utter a word, we heard a gentle knock on the door. "Young Master, I have come here with some snacks prepared for you and Miss (Y/L/N)."

"You may come in, Walter. Please set the food on the table, and you may be dismissed. That is all. Thank you." Alois said. He pulled away from me and sat properly, acting like nothing happened

Oh how I want thank Walter for saving me from that embarrassing situation. If he did not come, Alois would have probably seen me all flustered by his actions! Oh my, I wouldn't know what to do if it did happen. I would certainly be dying inside in embarrassment.

~•~

Alois POV

I've been sitting in the library for who knows long. The activity chosen today included me waiting for an hourglass to fully finish one cycle before my patience runs out. It might seem like an easy task for most people, but today this test came with a twist...

"Foozler..."

Every now and then, (Y/N) would throw an insult or an irritating remark at me. Having to sit in the library would have been a breeze, unlike before, but this... This is just torture.

I was not allowed to talk back or reply with witty comebacks. No sarcastic remarks or visibly showing my anger either. And to make things worse, I had to convince (Y/N) to stop spewing insults in a calm, collected manner.

"10 minutes to go church bell! Can you still last? Hmm?" (Y/N) said in a teasing manner.

~•~

"Finally! It's over!" I exclaimed.

"You did well today, Alois. However, I believe that there is still more room for improvement!"

"I agree! We have to push beyond our limits and do our very best!"

"Thank you for today. I enjoyed your company very much." (Y/N) pulled me into a hug. I could feel my heart racing a hundred miles per hour. Swarms of butterflies were fluttering in my stomach.

~•~

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