Lady in the Iron Mask

Chapter 19

Evangeline stumbled, tripping over her own feet, somehow still appearing graceful even as she fell to the floor. Eve rushed over to her, glaring up at her trainer. He was the only man in the room she didn't know, but already she disliked him.

"Can't you go easier on her?!" She demanded, placing a hand to Evangeline's forehead. "She's burning up!"

It was now nighttime. They had been training nonstop for around nine hours, and Evangeline's body could not take the strain.

"As long as she's still breathing, she can fight!" The trainer growled.

Evangeline's eyelids fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes.

"It's okay...Eve..." She rasped, her face white. "I can do this. He's right; I'm the one who said she never wanted to be weak again."

"You're not weak!" Eve insisted, now cradling Evangeline's head in her lap. "We've been training nonstop all day, after all."

And in fact, no other trainers apart from Evangeline's and Eve's still kept them in the training room at this time. The others had long since come and gone, including Eden, who had managed to somehow seduce Sir Ben into giving her all of the latest gossip from other guards. As expected from a mercenary child.

"I can...do it!" She argued, trying to heave herself off the floor, thin arms shaking piteously with the strain.

This time, Kieran stopped her with a palm to the head and patted it in an unintentionally patronising way, like she was a dog. Not that she saw it like that, in fact, she gazed up at him in adoration.

"Stop, now." He softly told her, then turned on the other trainer. "Stand down, Eugene. This woman has had enough." He commanded, staring at the enraged man.

Eventually, Eugene backed off.

"Fine," he huffed, walking off and slamming the door of the training room behind him.

"He must have gotten out of the wrong side of bed this morning," Eve muttered. "Come on, Eva. I'll take you to my room to rest. Can I call you that?" She offered, hoisting her upright with Kieran's help.

"Yes, it's perfect," Evangeline sang, "But you know what? I think I need to go for a walk in the gardens instead, Eve. Fresh air always does me good when I get like this," Evangeline told her new friend, linking arms with her subtly.

"I will accompany you both," Kieran said when he saw that Evangeline had huddled next to Eve, like a chickling hoping for protection from its mother.

"No, no." Eve waved him off. "It's fine, Kieran." She avoided his gaze, a little shy now that they'd stopped training, and angry with herself for enjoying their little moment outside.

Somehow, the sword training had caused her to stop thinking, and her body to burn with renewed strength. It was invigorating, and the blank cavas of her mind rejoiced in the new-found activity, despite it being with a man who had seen her naked without consent.

"Well, if you need me, I'll be in the Great Hall. There's a congregation tonight; a Duke has visited us from afar." Kieran told them, and then strolled off, whistling.

It appeared he had benefitted from the exercise, too, Eve thought. Spoken like a true royal.

"Shall we go, then, my lady?" Eve mock-bowed to Evangeline, imitating Kieran, and she giggled as they walked down to the gardens and into the night, with Evangeline wearing Eve's special cloak, the hood pulled tightly around her face.

The main gardens were a place Eve often visited, as they had an abundance of greenery and benches, and flowers, arranged in large pockets around the five acre grounds, at the backside of the castle. Back where she used to live, there was only dust and disease. It was a refreshing and revitalising contrast, but none of that distracted her thoughts tonight.