Smokeless War - One Piece

(5)

Dressing in a heavier, turquoise gown to cover my shivers and the goosebumps on my arms from the chill in the air I rushed towards the parlor and found his back still facing me but with bare muscles rippling under the pale surface of his skin.

After staring for a moment too long, I fixed my attention to cleaning up the space left disturbed by the tea remains and his unfolded cape.

"There is no need." He stopped me as I turned to exit the room with the empty tea cup.

I now met his eyes again, and his bare skin had been covered with silent actions. How he moves that fast is a mystery to me.

"I wish to train you."

The only time it felt like this, this pin drop silence, was with myself. I'd never felt this with another human being before and been so unable to bring myself to do anything. As far as I'd ever known, it was unheard of for the greatest swordsman to train anyone much less a nobody like me. And a woman? Forget it, I was better off trying to swim in the river again.

"This only works both ways. You've shown yourself capable of great things, and you have something all swordsman require that not many have naturally. Discipline." He stepped forward with an expression different from his usual indifference and I blinked, trying to take in the information.

"I've never held a sword before." I felt myself flush at the sentence but his expression didn't diminish in the least.

"We all start from somewhere." He dismissed my weak excuse and waited for my actual answer.

"That was unexpectedly kind." I replied embarrassingly and then blurted out right after. "Okay, if you want please train me."

My cheeks were for the first time in his presence, oh so very red which I didn't require a mirror to see. He didn't seem to pay any mind to me after that and sat back down in an armchair near the fire to grab a book and thumb through its pages.

"I'll take my leave."

"We start tomorrow morning." He answered and I tried not to think of it as cliche but oh well, I'm sure nothing bad could come out of learning how to swing a sword on..wait.

The blood suddenly drained from my face an appalling thought came to mind. I was even more stupid than I showed today.

"Excuse me.." I had never felt this unintelligent in my life. He only answered by closing his book and eying me from across the room.

"Where..is this island located?" I almost hung my head in shame at remembering I didn't even know where I was. Everything I knew about the geography of Goa Kingdom would never allow for this weather, the pine trees and frequent rainfall.

"The Grand Line." I almost got whiplash from turning my head so fast whereas he for some reason looked surprised as well. "I never got your name."

I really and seriously tried not to gawk or do anything more stupid but my jaw was already open before I mustered up a response. "Maeve. Maeve Claudius."

After I stood there totally spaced out, I found myself leaning against a bookshelf for a moment before turning to leave.

"A moment." He stopped me before I completely exited the room and I struggled to calm my mind. "Are you injured?"

"It's but a scratch. Please excuse me."

If he said anything I didn't hear it because I realized something else. In my survival focused mind, I forgot who he was completely. Too powerful to look my way indeed. And much less to talk with him like a normal person? I rubbed my arms feeling a chill in the air once again, the sun dipping down as I walked back to my quarters.

Of course a warlord would have his own island, why not? I thought for a moment. How could I have been so naive?

"He's got to get tired of me eventually." I grit my teeth back at my room as one of the kittens, biscuit, bit down especially hard on my finger. "Ouch."

I've never even dreamed of the grand line and now I'm just suddenly here, with no recollection of the voyage. I mused and traced the edges of the thick warm comforter of the bed.

I leapt up after a moment, going to my open window and eyeing the small white figure climbing up the branch in the midst of the night. Moonlight streamed across the ground in some places but otherwise it was pitch dark. That also applied for the scary hallways of the castle, by the way. Making midnight snacks not at all fun.

Greeting Alice with a scratch between her ears, I grabbed and lit a lantern to lead myself down to the kitchen. I was at a loss as to what I should make as he never specified a food schedule and I only found the remnants of his cooking when I cleaned the kitchen each day.

I straightened and put away dishes as I went and then went about to prepare fish fillets as they were an easy meal for me and the kittens. But by the time I'd narrowly avoided a standing figure in the dim kitchen and grabbed a knife to chop side vegetables I processed much too late.

"Excuse me sir, could I interest you in.. dinner?" I offered after a moment or catching my breath, back turned to him as I chopped squash, onion, and garlic.

"Preferably, yes." He replied, and then of course vacated the room like a shadow.

I pan seared three fish worth of filets, hoping it would be enough and prepared more than I usually would. In the week I'd been here thus far he'd never ordered me to cook anything at all and I've not known anyone to say a kind word of my cooking so I'm praying I won't be six feet under if it isn't exactly to his tastes.

He wasn't incapable of cooking, so part of me wondered vaguely if he was putting me to the test every now and then.

By the time I headed to give him the plate of food though, I found him with something quite unusual for him. A transponder snail, which meant I could leave him respectfully and not be forced to an awkward dinner.

I may have to face him someday, but at least I should be prepared then. Maybe. I thought to myself whilst having a peaceful dinner in a different parlor room all to myself, before I remembered I should probably be in bed already because of the hellish training he'd probably put me through.