The Long Way Back | Lady Lesso

Chapter 13

Lady Lesso stood before the large, arched window of her office, the moonlight casting a pale glow across the stone walls. The flickering candle beside her cast faint shadows that danced like specters of past memories, the only company she ever truly allowed herself.

Her thoughts were with Y/N. The girl had been making progress, though Lesso would never admit how pleased she was. Every lesson, every moment spent in her presence had shown her something new about the young Never—the sharpness beneath her quiet demeanor, the hunger in her eyes that mirrored something Lesso had seen in herself many years ago. But there was something more. A spark. Something deeper that she couldn't quite place.

Lesso had watched her from the moment she entered the school, the way she faced adversity with a quiet resolve. It was that same quiet strength that had drawn her to the girl, though she had no intention of letting Y/N know how much she was invested in her success. It was an unspoken bond, one forged in silence and observation, in the tension of each lesson, and the flicker of something—what?—more.

There was something about Y/N that had begun to chip away at the cold, detached shell Lesso had carefully constructed over the years. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that she had long since buried. She didn't allow weakness. She didn't allow softness. Yet, with each passing day, she found herself wondering if perhaps Y/N was more than a mere pupil, more than a tool for the lesson she had intended to teach.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She didn't turn, not at first, but she could feel the presence of Lady Dovey standing just beyond the door, the warmth of her energy seeping through the cracks.

"Enter," Lesso's voice was cool, but not unkind.

Lady Dovey stepped into the room, her golden hair catching the light as she closed the door behind her. There was always something so undeniably radiant about Dovey—her softness, her warmth. Her unflinching belief in the goodness of the world. She was a contrast to Lesso's cold demeanor, her light to Lesso's shadow. It was a dynamic that had never ceased to intrigue her, one that had lasted for as long as their partnership had existed.

"You've been thinking about her, haven't you?" Dovey's voice was soft, like the whisper of a breeze. It wasn't a question—more of a statement, as if she knew exactly what was on Lesso's mind.

Lesso didn't answer immediately. She couldn't. What could she say? That she had been growing more fascinated, more invested in Y/N than she had ever expected? That the girl was no longer just another pawn in the game of power and manipulation she played daily?

"She is... a challenge," Lesso finally said, her tone neutral. She didn't need to explain herself to Dovey. The other woman would understand. "But she's learning. She is adapting to the chaos I'm teaching her."

Dovey raised an eyebrow, a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Is that all she's doing? Or is there something more?"

Lesso turned to face her now, her expression unreadable. She could feel Dovey's gaze, steady and unwavering. It was as though Dovey could always see beneath the surface, always manage to find the hidden threads of emotion that Lesso so desperately tried to keep concealed.

"What are you implying, Dovey?" Lesso asked, her voice barely a whisper, a warning.

Dovey stepped forward, her smile warm but knowing. "I'm not implying anything. I'm simply asking you to consider whether this relationship, whatever it may be, is as one-sided as you think. You've been molding her, yes. But have you stopped to think about what she might be teaching you?"

Lesso didn't respond immediately, her gaze drifting to the shadows of the room. The question lingered in the air, like a dangerous thought she didn't want to acknowledge. It wasn't that she didn't understand what Dovey was saying—it was that, for once, she wasn't sure how to answer.

In the silence, Dovey continued, her voice gentle, coaxing. "You've always believed in control, in power. But perhaps Y/N is showing you something different. Something about vulnerability, maybe. About letting go just enough to allow something—someone—to affect you."

Lesso clenched her jaw. She hated this. She hated how Dovey always seemed to have the words that could pierce through the walls she had so carefully constructed around her heart. The walls that had kept her safe, kept her in control.

"She is a student. She is not my equal," Lesso said firmly, though the words felt hollow even to her own ears.

"And yet," Dovey continued, her voice tinged with something softer now, "I think you know there's something more to her. You've seen it. That fire. That spark. She's not just anyone, Lesso. She's different."

For a moment, silence fell between them. Lesso closed her eyes, allowing the weight of Dovey's words to settle over her. Could Y/N be something more? Could she really have a deeper role in Lesso's world than she had intended?

Before she could speak again, the sound of footsteps approaching broke the quiet. The door opened, and Y/N herself stepped into the room, her presence as commanding as ever. She looked between the two women, her expression unreadable but sharp as ever.

Lady Lesso didn't speak immediately. Instead, she simply studied her pupil, a flicker of something crossing her features—something far more complicated than mere teacher and student.

"Come in, Y/N," Dovey said, her tone warm. "We were just discussing your progress. It seems Lady Lesso has been more impressed than she's letting on."

Y/N's gaze flicked to Lesso, and for a moment, there was a flicker of tension in the air. Something unspoken. But she didn't let it show. She walked forward and stood tall before the two women, her posture proud, though there was something almost hesitant in the way she held herself—like she knew she was standing on the precipice of something far greater than she had ever imagined.

"Is there something more?" Y/N asked, her voice steady, yet laced with curiosity.

Lesso's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued by the directness of the question. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

"More than what?" Lesso replied, her tone as cold and controlled as always.

Y/N didn't flinch. "More than just a lesson."

There it was—the unspoken understanding between them, one that neither had fully acknowledged, yet both knew was present.

Dovey gave a small smile, stepping back slightly as she observed the exchange. "It seems you're on the right path, Y/N. Just don't forget: leadership requires more than power. It requires understanding. And sometimes, that means understanding the ones who teach you, too."

Lesso looked at Y/N, her gaze intense, unreadable. "You will continue your lessons. But know this: the chaos you seek to control is not just around you. It is within you. And I will help you learn to control it—if you can handle it."

For a moment, it seemed as though the room itself held its breath, waiting for Y/N's response.

Finally, Y/N nodded, her expression steady. "I understand."

And for the first time, Lesso allowed herself to acknowledge that perhaps, just perhaps, Y/N was more than she had initially expected.

Perhaps, in time, she could teach her everything she knew. And more.