The Princess of Light and The Knight of Shadow

Year 1: Third Month, Part 1

Spring was nearly over, and while the prospect of vacation was any student's dream, summer was the least of Estella's favorite seasons.

It meant taking a two-week break, and that meant no progress in her studies. Of course, the amount of homework the teachers would leave them was enough to last the whole two weeks. But Estella could do it for only a few days, and the rest would be her free time.

There was also the problem of where she would go, though that was never really a problem for her; she could stay at the school if she liked, just like some of the students who didn't want to go home.

Incidentally, Nox was one of those.

It made her curious. Didn't he say he missed his home? But when she asked him about it, he simply told her that there was not much to do at his home town anyway, and he would rather spend studying in the library and preparing for the Assessment Exam.

A part of her wished that he had said that he wanted to spend more time with her as well, but it was just wishful thinking on her part.

So the days passed. Training and studying were all that was in her mind; she didn't even have the time to research more about her squire's ability. Still, summer vacation would be the best way for her to do that while preparing Nox for the exam.

The first week came, and by the time Estella was finished with her homework, there were still nine days left before classes resumed. She woke up the next day, exhausted from an all-nighter, but eager for the rest of her vacation.

After breakfast in an almost empty cafeteria, Estella went to search for Nox. Her footsteps echoed in the silent hallways, but there was no sign of her squire. It was already past nine, so he was probably resting in his room or studying in the library.

As she reached the school's central garden, she spotted him.

Face masked in sheer concentration, Erebos in grasped tightly in both hands, Nox swung at an imaginary foe, cleaving its head in two. He whirled around and slashed to his left, then ducked to avoid an illusionary blow and stabbed at his enemy. Pulling his Animarta, he pivoted to the right, Erebos cutting through the air in a horizontal arc that would behead groups of enemy.

Estella leaned on a pillar, watching him practice, a smile dancing on her lips. Even though he should be taking a break, Nox decided to train even without her. And that part of him was what she liked. That determination, that resolve to be better and improve.

In some ways, they were alike. It was probably what drawn her to him, aside from their Resonance. And she couldn't have asked for a better Squire.

Soon his training came to a close. After performing a complex series of patterns, Nox ended it with a mighty swing, Erebos pointed to his right. He held that pose for a moment, his chest heaving.

Estella clapped her hands, and he straightened immediately, looking at her in surprise.

"Master." He bowed, dismissing Erebos.

She smiled at him. "Impressive as always, Nox. How long have you been practicing?"

"Since after breakfast. You were still asleep, so I thought to do it alone." He shrugged.

Estella hummed. Midday was still a few hours away, but her squire had just finished his morning training. She couldn't ask him to spar with her, and neither did she feel like studying; not after all that history homework she had completed last night.

An idea occurred to her. "What's your plan for today?" she asked Nox. Now that she thought about it, she didn't really know much about him despite being his master. She planned to remedy that during their summer vacation.