Growing Into You (First Draft; Unedited)

xxi.

Jayen

The library was just as I remember it. The smell of old books and leather polish filled my nose. The lady was lounging on a loveseat. Her feet was up at one end and he was reading a thick dark green book. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn’t even hear me come in.

“My lady?” I said nervously.

Lady Dupon sat up and tossed her book on the seat next to her. “Jayen, you’re awake. . . I thought I told Maj to come to get me when you woke up.”

“I haven’t been up that long.” I ducked my head down. 

 She moved the book from beside her and tapped on the seat. “Sit down.”

I sat down next to her. My stomach was fluttering, was I not feeling as good as I thought I was?

“How are you feeling?” Her voice was soft.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Was I-- I mean, were you--” I wasn’t sure how to ask my boss, the lady of the house if she was in my room or if I fell asleep in her lap. Maybe I just shouldn’t ask. “Ah, nevermind.”

“What is it?” Lady Dupon rested her head on her hand.

“There’s a competition in Town. Devi and I wanted to enter. It would be a duel.”

“I see. . .” Lady Dupon bit her lip. “Thank you for asking. You can only go if you can prove that a duel wouldn’t be an issue.” 

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been unconscious and now you’re asking me if you can go fight a stranger. Someone who’ll probably be stronger than you. I’m not going to let my staff get maimed.” She stood up.

“It’s not going to be a stranger.”

“Who is it then?” 

“Jinan.”

Lady Dupon looked down at me. “Why do you want to duel him? An Elemental?”

“It’s. . . personal.” I clasped my hands together. “I just want to know if I can go, please. I would need to train as soon as possible.”

“You passed out in my lap yesterday. Are you sure about this?”

I felt my face flush. Is that what happened? I wanted to cover my face and leave the room, how am I supposed to carry on this conversation knowing that? That’s so embarrassing. . .

“Spar with me.”

I shot my head up to look her in the eyes. “What?”

“I used to do quite a bit of swordsmanship. I’m sure we could both use the refresher.” Lady Dupon reached her gloved hand out to me.

 I took her hand and she pulled me up. “Okay.”

“Good, let’s get you a sword and into. . . a better outfit.” Her eyes trailed up and down my outfit. It didn’t have the mobility that I wanted it to and it was too flowy. I felt small under her gaze and I felt the same tightness in my chest and the gymnastics in my stomach. I just nodded.

“Did I really. . . pass out in your lap?”

Lady Dupon was still holding my hand. “You did.”

“Ah.” My face was bright red, wasn’t it?

I followed the lady up to her room. She was still holding onto my hand and I wasn’t going to say anything. When we got up to her room she dropped my hand quickly before pulling out a drawer.

“Here.” She handed me a red button up shirt that was made of soft and flexible fabric.

“Thank you.”

“Get changed and meet me outside. Aoife should be coming inside anyway.” Lady Dupon handed me a pair of black baggy pants made of the same type of fabric.

The fabric felt cool and soft on my skin but I couldn’t get past the fact that I was wearing her shirt. The lady’s shirt. I brushed my hair into a ponytail to keep it out of my face. What if I messed up? What if it started raining? I shook my head.

When I finally got outside the lady was already out there. She was wearing a similar outfit to mine but it was all black and she wearing a riding jacket over it.. Her long hair was tied back into a braid. Her back was towards me.

“My lady?”

She turned around, she was holding two swords. “Are you ready?”

“I think so, it’s been a little bit though. Please go easy on me.” I held my hands in mock begging.

She threw me a sword and I barely caught it. “Would Jinan go easy on you?”

I clenched my fists. “He’d kill me if I got the chance.”

She laughed, clearly thinking I was joking. . . she didn’t know. How could she not know? If I were to tell her, would she look at me differently? Would she fire Jinan?

The sword was heavy. The sheath was made of a thin steel with vines carved onto it. I attached the belt and the shealth to my waist and she did the same thing. We were standing quite a ways away. I took out the sword, it was thin and lightweight but very sharp.

“Come at me when you’re ready.” She drew her sword.

This is it. 

I ran at her, keeping my sword low. She didn’t move out of the way but she did lower herself, just a bit. I swung upwards at her and she jumped back. 

Damn it, she’s agilic!  

She thrusted her sword at me and I side stepped her. She spun towards me, swinging her sword downward. I jumped back and brought my sword up to counter her. The metal clanged together.

“Not bad.”

“I try.”

She flung her sword upwards to break the contact and threw me off my balance. I flicked my wrist and called on the undergrowth nearby. A vine grew up and wrapped around her ankle, stopping her.

She whipped her sword near my arm, just missing it. I thrust my sword forward and she ripped the vine away to dodge me. She jumped around to move behind me before using the hilt to knock me off balance. I spun around and brought up my sword which she easily knocked away.

She brought the sword up to my throat. The blade was cool as she tilted my head up to meet her eyes. I froze, not even trying to counter or to move away.

“I don’t know but I thought you’d be better than this.” She said, her voice was low and heavy. I felt a chill go down my back and my stomach was doing flips

“I’m just letting you win.” 

“Oh are you?” She leaned in a bit more, my heart sped up.

I dropped the sword. I could feel the warmth of her body and I could smell the vanilla on her skin. I let my eyes drop down to her lips, they were deep red and looked so soft. I fluttered my eyes back up to hers.

“I could totally beat you.” I breathed out. I was transfixed.

She brought her hand to my waist, lowering the blade. “Mhm.”

She was fully staring at my lips. Was she going to kiss me? Did I want her to kiss me? I did, I completely did. But she pulled away and dropped her hand from my waist. I immediately felt cold and she sheathed her sword.

Lady Dupon cleared her throat. “I um, maybe we should stop for a little bit.”

“Yeah.” I whispered. My heart was still racing. Was she going to kiss me? Did she even want to? I was probably just grasping at straws. She couldn’t like me like that. Did I even like her like that or was I just starved for attention? This was getting too complicated. . .

Lady Dupon’s eyes softened. “Meet me back at the gazebo in an hour. Get something to eat.”

I needed to talk to Maj.