An Ocean of Fire- Supercorp AU

15- Threading Bands

They didn't talk about it.

Lena's mornings were full of wedding planning, her afternoons spent buried in Kryptonian lore.

Kara's days were simply mind-numbing, back-breaking training.

Outside of dinner, which they shared with the royal family, it seemed as if they hardly saw each other.

It wasn't on accident.

Kara was up before the sun and moving through her morning routine on the lawn by the time the first rays touched the sky. She was typically gone before Lena was done with her shower.

By late afternoon, she was trudging through the door, covered in dirt and sweat – and one horrifying day, blood.

Lena was in the study when she heard the door open, entering the sitting room with a thick book in her grasp.

"Kara, look at this incredible design for an autoloading crossb - my word, what happened to you?"

Her eyes traced over Kara's lean form. Her ponytail, normally bright and jaunty, was flagging and dirty. A thick red smear slashed down her upper right arm, and it matched a similar one that began at her temple and wiped back into her hair. It was caked in dirt, and blood flecked her leather armor.

Her arms were shaking, and her eyes showed a reserved fear.

Lena took her in quietly, setting the text down on a table and crossing the room. She hadn't seen her in this state since they were racing through the dungeons of the Red Keep.

Kara eyed her warily, and she tensed when Lena approached.

"Princess, what happened?"

"It was a rough day of training. It happens from time to time." She shrugged, trying and failing to appear nonchalant – particularly because her shrug sent her face wincing in pain.

Lena gave her a sour look and folded her arms across her chest.

"Kryptonians don't bleed, even during rough days of training. This is the work of kryptonite."

Kara avoided eye contact and turned to slip past her, reaching for the buckle on her shoulder strap.

"Yes."

Lena moved around the chair and intercepted her with an incredulous scoff.

"Why are you using kryptonite in training? You could hurt each other. Kill each other!"

Kara stopped in her tracks, her fingers still trying to work the shoulder strap.

"Yes, Princess. That is the point."

Lena blinked. "You are intending on hurting yourself? Are all Kryptonians this stupid, or is it just you and your knights? Where did you even get kryptonite?"

A flicker of anger flared in Kara's eyes, and she lowered her hand from her unsuccessful attempts at undoing the buckle.

"The intent is not injury, Lena. The intent is to train against the power that draws Kryptonian blood. We can no longer sit idly by and do nothing while our people are meeting their deaths at the bite of kryptonite weapons." She stepped around Lena, moving towards the hall that led to her room. "And if you must know, we acquired kryptonite when we intercepted a Cogorian schooner that had been looting our western trade routes. Their hold was full of it. It nearly killed the coast guards when they seized the ship."

A flash of fear gripped Lena's chest, and she took a step backwards.

"Cogorian?"

Kara picked up on the way her voice caught and paused, turning back to eye her sharply.