Sparring Her Heart ⚔️🥀 | Clorivia

05 | Awkward

⚔️🥀

Those next two days if I wasn't at work, I was out in my backyard training. There wasn't much I did on the daily basis anyways, but I had never trained so much for a duel. I didn't really have an explanation as to why I had been training so much. There was nothing special about this, I had trained countless of people in duels, what was so different this time? There was no difference. My mind was just in another place, thinking of the possibility it might be Navia. Only a fool could think that. My mind was leading me towards madness
Not everything was about Navia, Clorinde, I had to remind myself.
Which speaking of, I hadn't seen or heard of her in a while. I remembered the words Callas had spoken to me that day right before his heart stopped.

"Take care of Navia for me, please." He said with tears forming in his eyes and that weak smile on his face.

Had I been doing what I promised to? I asked myself.
Even if it was hard to do when she didn't even want to look at me, I promised her father.

The morning I was supposed to duel that girl I left my house early on the morning and asked all around for Navia. I was met with weird looks and frowns of disapproval, everyone knew she didn't wanna see me. Despite so, I still asked until I met someone who was willing to tell me where she'd be at lunch time that day. It may seem a little stalker-ish, but I went to the place I was told she'd be at...

I put my coat on and walked out the door. The walk to the restaurant Navia would be in wasn't long and before I knew it I found myself standing outside the restaurant's door. What exactly was my plan, to walk in there and sit with Navia? I couldn't do that. I stood there and stared at the double doors. Right as I was about to turn around and walk away the doors swung open.

"Clorinde, fancy seeing you here." Navia said with almost no emotion on her tongue.

"Navia!" I looked at her trying not to look nervous and startled. How could I not be though?

Her bodyguards glared at me.

"Were you about to get lunch?" She asked returning to her normal tone. A slight smile formed on her face. Strange, why was she smiling?

"Ah, yes. I wanted to try something new. I assume you just got lunch, no?" I tried to keep the conversation going.

She looked at me, at her bodyguards, then back at me. "Not exactly, why don't you grab lunch with us?"

"Are you sure, I wouldn't wanna get in the way of your schedule. I know you're a busy lady."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Clorinde. I don't have much on my schedule today anyways. Why don't you come along?"

I reluctantly agreed and followed her to another nearby restaurant. This one was less fancy than the other one, and rather welcoming. One of her bodyguards held the door for both of us and the other one guided us inside. I awkwardly smiled and thanked him; he just nodded. The hostess walked us over to a table and gave us each a menu. I sat across Navia and her bodyguards next to us both, one on each side.

"Have you ever been here before?" She eagerly looked around at the pictures on the wall. Before I could answer her question she began speaking again. "Me and my father used to come here all time."

Awkward.

I awkwardly smiled trying to think of a response.
"Again, thank you for inviting me." That was my attempt to change the topic.

"Every Sunday after we went to my mothers grave we came here." She ignored my remark. "Quite the coincidence that today is Sunday." She chuckled. "Don't you think so?"

"Ah, it is? I hadn't even noticed. Yes, that is quite the coincidence." I awkwardly laughed with her.

"Could I get you all started with some drinks?" The waiter interrupted.

He went around the table asking us what we each wanted to drink. After a while he returned with the drinks, and took our orders.

"How are you holding up, Navia?" I finally broke the awkward silence.

She tensed up a bit hearing me ask her that. "I'm doing just fine. Still don't quite get why my old man chose to do a duel, he's not as young as he was when he sparred with his buddies." She gave me an awkward laugh before taking a sip from her drink.

"Well, Navia, you have to understand the situation your father was in. There's no way he would've won the trial with the charges he was facing." One of her bodyguards said before being cut off by Navia.

"My father didn't do it." She had a serious look on her face.

The bodyguard nodded and went back to drinking his drink.

The waiter finally brought our meals and we all ate in silence, occasionally striking a conversation; but it quickly went back to being silent.

"Oh my, would you look at the time? It's been a pleasure eating with you, but I have somewhere to be. Why don't we meet here next week, same time."  She grabbed her stuff and left, her bodyguards following after her.

I stared at her seat for a few seconds until the waiter walked by.

"Could I get the check, please?" I called out to the waiter.

"Oh, the lady you were with already paid."

I nodded, grabbed my stuff, and left. Coincidentally, I also had somewhere to be. Me and that girl were supposed to spar this afternoon.