The Blade Princess

---Trusting---

There was an extra lamp placed next to my head when I woke up the next day. It burned with a green fire that made the whole place warm.

For some reason, it warmed my heart as well. I told him my room was getting slightly chilly and now I had a lamp. I am not sure to be happy about this or suspicious.

Nevertheless, the books made my mood better.

And each day he started bringing me new books seeing the speed I can finish one book with. He was a little less cold towards me as our training proceeded and I started getting visibly better. I can actually spot the movement of his shadow, could count my heart beats with the time of his appearance and vanishing again.

Another month went by this week. And I realized killing him was not the first thing in my mind. He would sit down with me sometimes even after the sun would set and just look at the stars in silence or sometimes he would sit there and we would argue about our favorite character in the book.

And deep down in my heart, I started realizing that maybe just maybe he was not the one who destroyed my family and my life.

Still, the questions in my mind angered me and the pain of my father's death haunted me. Sometimes he would brutally turn into someone I cared for like my father and Gerald but then I realized it was to test my power of perception which he even slightly compliments.

"You can do better." He said which meant I did not do badly either and this was a compliment in itself.

He would sometimes say things that would let his reflect his mood which happened seldom. And some days he would be the passive cold Prince I met first I came here. And on the day with my worst luck, he would be the arrogant Prince I met in the forest for the first time when I got the map from him.

On that day he would show off his extraordinary skills with weapons and I would be one left with sore muscles and injuries.

But never once did he remove that mask from his face.

---

My personal maid chuckled as I stepped on Henley's leg again as he tried to make me dance. Plaintive music filled with halls as looked at me with a smile.

"On my shoulder, Lia." He said as my arms kept shifting as per my comfort because now they were paining slightly.

He was not aware that I spent my mornings' training with a heavy mace.

"Don't look at your feet, look in my eyes." He said but each time she did the warrior in her was replaced was a girl harboring a crush.

I did look into his eyes but that made me even more nervous.

Though I did struggle with keeping the coordination my desire to present myself as perfect in front of Henley took over and I gradually mastered waltz.

"Lia, don't trip over the dress." He teased me as we danced at the ball with numerous eyes on us.

"I have learned from the best," I said.

"You did." And with that, he spun me around gracefully causing both of us to laugh since I actually ended back in his arms perfectly for the first time.

---

"I need your help." He said in a reluctant tone one evening when our training session ended.

"Yes?" I asked not showing surprise in my tone.

"Do you know how to dance?"

I literally had to count my heart beats and slightly pinch myself to make me believe that this was indeed real and not one of those surreal dreams I was living since I got caught.