Dark crown

Empathy

Mae would have traded Aries in for the torture Cass was putting her through in a heartbeat. They had started their training with running three miles uphill which was torturous alone. Next he had taught her some defense and offense combinations which made every single muscle in her body burn. "Now," Cass said "We're going to spar."

"I can't we haven't even taken a break since morning." Cass rolled his eyes laughing. "You really do sound like a princess." He got into a fighting stance and motioned for her to get into one too. "The only way to learn to fight well is by getting your ass kicked first." Mae snorted and went for an attack. She aimed to punch him in the face, but he blocked her with one arm and grabbed her with another pulling her arm behind her and bringing him to his chest. "Your tells are far to obvious," he said letting her go "Move quicker and harder again." She went again this time kicking him in the side he grabbed her ankle and flipped her she landed with a hard thump. The air was knocked right out of her and she layed there not wanting to get up. "Again," Cass said.

"Can't you go easy on me?" Mae asked standing up "I've never even argued with a person before let alone fight them."

"First of all everyone has argued at least once and second the first time I was sent to train I was eight they broke three of my ribs and dislocated my shoulder I am going easy on you. Now again." Mae rolled her eyes and continued to fight him yet nothing held avail. He flipped her, pushed her, and gave her so many bruises her back looked like a mural of a purple sunset. "Alright that's enough for today," Cass said and Mae could have hugged him or killed him maybe she would do both. "Thank the gods," she murmured. Are walked over to the water basin and splashed water onto her face which did nothing against the heat. The training field was nothing more than a block of marble behind the castle with endless racks of torturous weapon surrounding it and nothing to protect against Amwraithia's harsh weather. Cass joined her at the basin not a drop of sweat on his skin. Mae couldn't help but e her eyes wander to his eyepatch curiosity taking the best of her. "Even with one eye I can still see you staring," Cass said an Mae averted her eyes. He laughed saying, "It's okay everyone stares. Go ahead and ask."

"How did it happen?" Cass looked up at her then at the woods beyond as if he was inside of his memory. "Believe it or not I got the beauty and the brains as a child and of course now. I was curious about the world how everything worked and I took frequent trips to the library. One day my curiosity got the best of me and I went to the back of the library where the forbidden files were simply opening one of them could get a man killed, but I risked it anyone and I was caught. I was brought before the king, Aries father, and instead of killing me he did something worse he took away one of my gifts. I was one of the best archers in the army and what's an archer without sight? He carved my eye out with a hot spoon and then gave it to my parents wrapped up."

"How old were you?" Mae asked.

"Eight." Mae stifled her gasp for Cass's sake. How could a someone do that to a child especially a man who was a father. A faint smile played across Cass's lips. "A lot of people think it's a bad thing, but if it never happened I would have never met the bastard on the throne."

"Are you sure you want to talk about Aries like that?"

"Positive," Cass smiled "After my eye was taken out Aries was the only person who didn't treat me differently. He helped me steal a leather eyepatch since a piece of cloth wasn't cutting it and he's the one who taught me how to shoot even if he was a pain in the ass."

"Still is," Mae murmured and Cass laughed at her.

"Aries isn't as bad as he seems."

"Everyone keeps saying that I don't see it."

"He has good intentions it's just that he doesn't follow through with them in an honorable way or kind way or humane, but he would never kill an innocent."