The queen strokes Alice's knee, - Oh, Alice. Let the poor person have at least something! - she bites her lip and giggles, - So, as I already packed my sari and Madame Shrava suggested we study local dances and Terrant will be most glad to see everything that you ... took from here ...
Alice yawns. - You. Insidious!
“Did you just notice that now?”
- Apparently ...Mirana giggles. Alice is almost sorry for Prince Avendale. Nearly.
“Just promise me that everything will go fine today,” Alice pleads.
“No, no, not today, I'm afraid.” The Royal Pharmacist offered to share some local remedies with me.
“I see ... that I cannot protect you very well from the powdered extract of the flower of Himoch, will I be your experimental this morning?”
The queen hesitates, “Well ... actually, I thought you could appreciate another opportunity to ride in the mud with a few sharp objects while I'm busy.”
“Sand,” recalls Alice.
- Sorry. In sand.
Alice is thinking about it. On the one hand, she could stand in the musty kitchen, watching Mirana and the Royal Potions Creator discussing property blends and dynamic effects ... or she could spend several hours in the training arena with the borrowed scimitar and with her new friend, Avenleif, - Decisions, decisions - Alice muses.The queen shakes her head in laughter. “I should never have asked Terrant and others to show you how to hold a sword!”
“I'm afraid that I'm not following in the footsteps of real young ladies, I'm a little lost.”- Everything is fine. The Terrant has already found you, - Mirana radiates, - Everything could not turn out better than this!The only time Alice does not think about Terrant - the only moments when the bitter-sweet memories, and the gaping, aching lack of his presence are reduced at all - are times like these.“You keep him as an opener for letters!” Avenleif laughs.
Glancing around the seemingly abandoned training grounds, Alice hisses, - Keep your roar to yourself.
- Or what?
“Or I will open you!” She threatens with a smile.
Avenleif laughs again and, approaching her, demonstrates the correct possession of weapons.
And then, Alice ponders, sometimes - at such moments - she suddenly and bitterly receives memories of her lover that she almost cries out loud. For she remembers how Terrant taught her to hold a battle stick and sword. She remembers how he never hesitated, touch her hands, manipulate her fingers, even wrap her arms around her to correct her posture. He never hesitated to lay hands - she remembers the moment when she realized how strong his hands are! - on her hips or push her knee to fix her position. She remembers ...
- Alice? Miss Alice?
She blinks and looks at the protector of Prince Avendale, “What did you just call me?”
- It depends on what you heard! - he smirks.