Clara jolted awake.

Sitting abruptly on Edwin's bed, she shook with shallow breaths, clutching the shirt covering her chest so tight her knuckles turned white. Her hair stuck to her forehead from all the sweat. She had no memory of her nightmare; all she knew was that it was bad.

She struggled with regaining her breath, trying to stay quiet to not wake her sisters in the other room. Her eyes drooped; closing slowly as she finally was able to take a deep breath. As soon as her eyes fluttered shut, her cruel mind decided to remind her of all she saw the previous day. Terrified, Clara bolts up once more, covering her mouth incase a sob escaped her lips.

Finding it impossible to go back to sleep, Clara gets up from the comfort of the bed and leaves the room. She stops by Lila's room, finding both her little sister and best friend peacefully sleeping. She smiled at the sight.

Clara was grateful that Hazel had moved in with her, since with her new job she often had to come home late or even leave early sometimes, and couldn't be there for her sister at all times. She hated the thought of being away from her sister, but she had no choice. Hazel had offered to help take care of the little girl, much to Clara's relief.

Clara often slept in Edwin's room; afraid that her nightmares would wake her sister and ruin her sleep.

She was so tired.

Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, Clara walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water to help with her suddenly dry mouth. She then got some water and splashed her own face with it to help her stay awake.

Staring out the window, she watched the sun begin to rise, followed by the sound of chirping birds. The cool morning breeze blew on her face and she breathed it in, finding comfort and peace in the beautiful scenery. Though her heart ached at the memories of her and Edwin waking up at this time to train, she still loved the sunrise.

Lost in thought as she stared at the hill she was trained in, she suddenly remembered her promise to Victor.

"Wha...I'm awak-" Victor grumbled, catching the pillow. "Clara, stop hitting me!"

"You weren't waking up." she smiled innocently, ignoring his glare.

"Maybe it's because the sun has barely even risen." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You wanted to train, didn't you?" she raised her eyebrows at him, throwing him his clothes, which he managed to catch in time. "If we want to be discreet, we have to train at this time every morning so you can be back in time for your own work."

"We're training?" all evidence of sleep left his face as he looked up at her excitedly, making her grin back at him as she nodded.

With newfound energy, Victor quickly got up and wore what Clara had tossed him. The clothes were comfortable, easy to move around in. When he walked out from behind his divider, he noticed Clara yawn and run her hand down her face before lightly slapping her cheeks. He furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak before she turned to him and spoke first.

"Eat this," she tossed him an apple with a smile. "you'll have a full breakfast after training. Follow me, and be quiet."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere special to me." she sent him a small smile before taking the lead on the walk, making sure no one saw them. Their cloaks helped conceal their faces on their way.

Arriving at the hill, the two take off their cloaks and put them aside. Victor looks around, smiling at the scenery around him. He always enjoyed getting out of the castle to take in all that Avelyn gave.

A few wisteria leaves flew with the cool morning wind, hitting Victor in the face. Clara, who had seen what happened, broke into a fit of giggles. Victor turned and glared at her playfully, biting back his own laugh. He couldn't hold it in much longer and joined the brunette girl in laughing as he ran his hand through his dark hair.

His eyes drifted to look at the maiden a few steps away from him, a content smile gracing his pink lips. His gaze caught onto a fleck of pinkish purple in her hair and he laughed.

"You laugh at me, but you also have a wisteria leaf in your hair." He pointed at her head.

"Wait, really?" Her laughter only grew as she tried to pick it from her hair, but she couldn't find it and the leaf went deeper into her long brown locks.

"God, you're making it worse, just stop!" he laughed, taking rushed steps towards her with his hand held out. "Just- Stop playing with it! I'll get it."

He gently took ahold of her hands and led them away from her head. He tried to ignore his heart hammering in his chest and unconsciously held his breath. Her hands were not smooth like the hands he had grown accustomed to holding, since all his past lovers were of nobility, but the electric sparks that were sent throughout his body were unlike any he'd ever felt.

The second his hands came in contact with her hair, he felt her tense under his touch. Not wanting to make her more uncomfortable, knowing she didn't like her hair being touched by many, he quickly got the leaf out of her hair. Had he left his hand there a moment longer, he would've felt her begin to relax under his touch.

He held the leaf in front of her, awkwardly smiling down at her, feeling his cheeks flush at her small laugh as she took it from him and blew it into the air, letting it fly away. As hard as he tried, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her as she stared off into the distance, watching the flecks of pink and purple disappear into the golden rays of the sunrise.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head, he stepped back and clapped his hands, which had grown a bit sweaty.

"So, where are our swords?" He asked.

"Oh, you're not getting a sword." She informed. "You're far from ready to work with weapons."

"Then what are we doing here?" He threw his arms up.

"Preparing you." She chuckled. "We're going to work on your stamina and balance today. Run ten laps, go."

"What?" His face paled.

"Eleven laps." She rose an eyebrow at him. "Don't make me make it twelve."

"I'm gone, I'm running!" He held his hands up in defense as he began to run.

It took two laps for the prince to run out of breath.

"Can I-" he heaved. "please have some- water?"

Victor was bent over, leaning his arms on his knees. His legs burned with exhaustion and he found it hard to breathe. Clara chuckled at his red face which had his dark brown hair stuck to it from all the sweat.

"You can have some water once you're halfway done." She shook the bottle with a smile. 

"You're cruel."

Clara threw her head back as she laughed. She always enjoyed annoying him beyond measure.

"Trust me; this is for your own sake." She smiled sympathetically at him. "If you drink too much water, running will hurt."

"I really don't like this." His breathing had yet to be steady.

"Come on, I'll run with you." She walked over to him, pushing his shoulders upwards so he stood straightly in front of her.

The prince gulped at their proximity and prayed to god that she would blame his fast beating heart on his exhaustion. She pat his shoulders twice and let go, motioning for him to run beside her.

"You can go slower if you need, but don't stop."

He nodded weakly, following her advice. Clara matched his speed so he wouldn't feel even more discouraged. Having her next to him made a switch flip in his mind and he felt a sudden need to impress her. Picking up his speed, Victor turned to look at her, seeing her smiling softly at his improvement.

"Focus on breathing, Vic." She said to him softly.

He tried to focus on his breathing, but his mind was filled with thoughts of her. There was something about the way her stray hairs blew with the breeze and the way her skin glistened under the morning sun.

She kept reminding him to breath, unaware that she was the very reason he had none in his lungs.

Eventually, Victor got through six laps before Clara stopped him, tossing him the bottle of water with a proud smile.

"Go easy on the water, you have five laps left." She chuckled. "But you did well for your first day."

"We're doing this every day?" His eyes widened and Clara grinned.

"Did you honestly think this would be easy?" She put a hand on her hip before running her other hand through her slightly tangled hair.

Victor felt ashamed to reveal his real answer.

"You just...made it look easy, I guess." He reworded his thoughts, not wanting to get into trouble with her again. He had so much more respect for her skills now that he discovered he couldn't do a pinch of what she does on a daily basis.

He would never doubt a woman's power ever again.

Clara then made him walk two laps before making him run again to finish his goal. After they were done running the laps, she led him to the old Wisteria tree which had a ladder leaning on it.

"Go up and down ten times." She instructed.

Victor sighed in relief, thinking it would be a simple task. As always, he thought wrong; his legs shook with his weight as he climbed the ladder. Seven climbs through and his arms were strained, barely having enough power to keep him from falling down.

"Now climb it five more times without using your legs." She told him after he came down his final descend and sat on the ground.

"How am I going to climb without my legs?" He breathed heavily.

"By using your arms." Clara chuckled, motioning for him to move away so she could show him what to do.

Placing her feet right in front of the tall ladder, she gripped one of the steps tightly and lifted herself off the ground, crossing her feet to keep her from flailing them around. She expertly moved one hand after the other to another step, her body moving upwards with each step. Once she reached the top, she held onto one of the tree branches and lifted herself up to sit on it.

Victor's jaw was slightly open, seeing how fast she had done what he thought to be an impossible task. He saw her grinning down at him from the tree and he rolled his eyes.

"Show off..." He mumbled loud enough for her to hear as he got up from the floor and walked to the ladder. He heard her laugh and cracked a smile at the sound.

It took him ten minutes to do what Clara did in seconds. 

As soon as he got to the top of the ladder, he hugged the beams of the ladder tightly, afraid that his grip might loosen from how tired his arms were. He faced Clara, who was grinning down at him while playing with a ladybug that had landed on her hand earlier.

"You did it!!" She grinned.

"I can't feel my arms." He said bluntly.

"You'll get used to it soon enough." She laughed. "I'll let you off easy today, just climb it twice more and we'll move on to our next exercise."

"This is how I die."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"I can see a light..."

"That's the sunlight coming through the branches, Victor."

"I can see angels..."

"Oh, that's just me." Clara held her head up high mockingly, posing with the back of her hand on her forehead as she stared off into the distance.

"Never mind, I'm in hell." He smiled teasingly. "I see demons, not angels."

"I can throw you off this ladder."

"But you won't."

"Is that a challenge?" She raised an eyebrow.

"You love me too much to do that." He smirked.

Clara brought a hand to the ladder, shaking it the tiniest bit, making Victor scream in a very manly way, definitely not like a little girl; or so he told Clara when she couldn't stop laughing.

"You tell no one." He pointed a stern finger at her.

"I'm telling Hazel." She replied with a teasing smile. "You will never hear the end of this."

"I hate you." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Love you too, Vic." She laughed before she turned to climb down the large tree, not noticing his face flushing red and him stumbling down the ladder.

"Now hurry, we still have a lot to do and not much time to do it." She clapped her hands to get him back into work.

Two hours passed with Clara instructing Victor through the same exercises Edwin had trained her in when she started out. It all felt bittersweet to her. She missed him dearly, but was glad that she no longer had to be on that hill all alone. She smiled at the thought of Edwin seeing the Prince stumble over himself as he trained and laughing.

She longed to hear his deep laugh again.

Victor was now sprawled out on the ground, breathing heavily. Clara shook her head and walked over to him, plopping herself on top of him as she watched the clouds pass over their heads. Victor popped his eyes open when he felt the weight on his torso and blushed.

"What are you doing?"

"Cloud watching." She answered. "What are you doing?"

"Dying." He breathed out dramatically, smiling when he felt the rumble of her laugh. "You're disturbing my death, Cleo."

"It's what I do, your royal ratness."

Victor laughed deeply, a grin still present on his face when he stopped. He watched the clouds too, taking in the peace it brought him. The golden rays of the sun were warm on his skin, and the grass underneath him was soft. He could feel the two of them breathing in sync. 

"This is harder than I thought it would be." He admit after a few moments of silence.

"I understand what you mean." She sighed. "It takes a lot of dedication, are you sure you're up for it?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to help protect my home."

Remembering Edwin's words, she smiled softly. All it takes to be a true warrior is the love you carry for your home. She saw that in Victor, and she would train him exactly as Edwin had done with her; secretly at first, but then letting him prove himself to his father, just as she had done.

"Good." She smiled.

A few more moments of silence passed before they heard footsteps approaching them.

"There you are!" Julian exclaimed.

"Julian, help!!" Victor called out to him. "She's killing me!"

"Why does she want to kill you this time?" He laughed lightly, reaching a hand down to Clara, pulling her up into his chest and kissing the top of her head.

Victor sat up, missing the warm, comforting weight of her. He felt a pang in his chest seeing them together, but he did not understand it. Ignoring the feeling, he stood up and faced them.

"I'm training him." Clara informed the blonde knight, taking his hand in hers.

"Is she just as harsh with you lot?" he asked.

"Worse." Julian nodded. "She's merciless, this one. Just like her father."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She shrugged.

"It's all downhill from here, buddy." Julian chuckled, patting the prince on his back. "Just wait until she makes you wear armor while training."

"I'm starting to regret this."

"Hey," she warned. "no backing out now."

"I won't." He promised sincerely.

"You better not." A teasing smile grew on her lips. "Otherwise I'd have to throw you into the lake."

"You were right," he looked at Julian. "she really is merciless."

The group laughed together for a while, conversing lightheartedly, taking their minds off of the day before and the upcoming days.

"I better go check on Lila." Clara smiled, unwrapping Julian's arms from around her. "Vic, you go have a proper breakfast and take a shower, you stink."

Julian laughed when Victor rolled his eyes and poked his tongue out at her. 

"Don't tell Hazel!"

Clara laughed as she walked away, not turning back to look at him.

"I'm definitely telling her!"

After a wonderful breakfast, Victor was at his desk reading through reports concerning the damages caused by the attack the previous day. He read through each paper carefully, not leaving a single word that went unread. He then tried his best to organize them into piles just as Clara always did for him.

It helped him focus.

A knock on the door broke him out of his said focus, and his manservant entered.

"Hello, Matthew." He greeted with a smile. 

"Victor." He smiled in return. "Your father has requested your presence for a council meeting."

"I'll be on my way now, thank you." He bid him goodbye before writing down a few notes so he wouldn't forget to work on them when he's done with the meeting.

Arriving at the council room, he greeted all those who were there already with a polite smile before he sat next to his father. He knew that his father was mad at him for the stunt he pulled the day before, but he didn't regret it one bit.

He wondered if his father would hate him for going behind his back to train with Clara.

"What's this about?" He asked the king, who shrugged.

"Rowan requested this." His eyes didn't leave his brother, trying to figure out his intentions.

Victor furrowed his eyebrows, he couldn't think of anything Rowan would need to have a council meeting for. Nevertheless, he sat up straight, awaiting him to start speaking.

"The council is all here, Rowan." Harry spoke. "State your business."

"I'm afraid we're still missing a member, dear brother." He smiled with a glint in his eyes, making Victor uncomfortable.

"Who-"

Just then, the doors opened and Clara walked in with her head held high, her posture demanding respect. She was wearing her usual uniform of armor with her trusted sword tied to her hip.

"You requested my presence?" She spoke calmly.

"Now, we're all here." Rowan clapped his hands together before standing up.

"I'm sure we're all devastated by yesterday's events, yes?" He left no room for anyone to answer. "What happened was truly awful. We lost people, resources...dignity."

"Where are you going with this?" Isabel asked, narrowing her eyes at him. She could tell he had something planned, and knowing him, it would only end in disaster.

"I'm just saying," he started. "what happened yesterday mustn't ever happen again."

"We are all hopeful it won't, Rowan." The king spoke. 

"How can we be sure when she's in charge?" He pointed at Clara.

The general was taken aback, but showed no signs of worry. She continued to stand her ground, her strong demeanor unwavering.

"I've already sent out scouts-"

"Your orders are what got us into this mess!" He exclaimed, turning to her. "You took off to Shuroo, leaving the castle open for attack."

"Was I supposed to let Shuroo burn, then?" She spoke calmly to him, her eyes burning into his. "Had we not been there, it would've been much more fatal."

"It was fatal." He stated. "You were tricked, general."

"I'm aware, sir." She said. "We're investigating it as we speak."

"How can we trust you again?" He questioned before turning back to the council. "A month of her being in charge and we already got attacked, who's to say she can prevent another?"

"Meaning?" Isabel grew angry. "What exactly are you implying, Rowan?"

"You can't possibly think she planned this, can you?" Victor backed her up. "Despite everything, she still managed to end the attack much faster than any of us would have thought, with the least amount of casualties."

"I'm not saying she planned it," he said. "I'm saying she's incapable of protecting Avelyn!"

"He is right, she didn't protect us that well." Another council member agreed.

"Because she was protecting the people as well!" Victor stood from his seat now. "While we were all hiding like cowards, she was out there fighting for her life just to keep us safe."

Clara stood silently, not knowing what to say when her own guilt began to eat at her.

"Other kingdoms think we're weak." Rowan said. "They see a woman as a general and they see an invitation to try to take over Avelyn!"

"I heard rumors that Crounia is already planning another attack." 

"Rumors?" Isabel seethed. "So we're listening to rumors now?"

"It's called caution, Isabel." The man spoke back to her, making her roll her eyes.

"I'm confident she'll be capable of protecting us should anyone try to attack again." The king finally spoke up, silencing everyone.

"Like she protected us so well-"

"Not another word, Rowan." He silenced him with a glare. "General Clara managed the incident perfectly; let's not forget that all of our greatest generals also had to undergo wars and fight off attacks."

"Clara, you said you sent out some scouts?" Victor already knew her plans, but he wanted the council to hear them too to see that she had everything under control.

Clara nodded at him before speaking up, clearing her throat when she felt that it would crack from all her negative thoughts clouding her mind.

"Yes, we uh-" She took a deep breath before regaining her composure. "I sent scouts all over Avelyn to look for anything suspicious; ask around to see if the people know anything. I've also sent out troops to all the smaller towns to make sure no harm comes to them."

"I still think she's unfit for general." Rowan huffed, sitting back down at his chair harshly. A few members voiced their agreement, their numbers higher than the last time they spoke of this matter.

"She remains general whether you like it or not." The king said. "Everyone dismissed, and if anyone has anything else to say about this matter, come to me directly."

Clara bid them goodbye before leaving the room first, her heart pounding in her chest. Victor hurried to follow her out, calling for her to slow down.

"I can't run anymore, you know." He nudged her shoulder with his, trying to cheer her up. It worked.

"Sometimes I think I was the wrong choice for general too."

Her voice was small and uncertain, a tone that didn't really fit her. It hurt Victor to see her so doubtful of herself. Had he not seen the way she handled everything, he might have had doubts too, but she always proved worthy to him. Everything she did was calculated and with purpose.

He knew no one better to protect their home.

"As always, you are completely wrong." He said playfully. "You handled everything perfectly yesterday; they don't know that because they were hiding away in their own safe rooms. They had no right to speak of you like that."

Clara looked down, finding it hard to believe his words when she felt guilt weighing her down.

"Besides, you're working to fix it." He said, leaning down to meet her eyes. "You're not giving up, and that is so important."

"You're right." She nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Victor."

"Also, I shouldn't be saying this but..." He sighed; looking around to make sure no one was there. "I have a feeling Rowan had something to do with everything."

"How come?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I...don't know." He frowned. "It's just a feeling, I can't shake it off. He's been acting weird lately."

Clara considered it. She saw the concern on his face and knew that he was being genuine and it wasn't just blind hatred talking.

"I'll keep an eye out." She patted his arm. "Let me know if he does anything."

"I will." He nodded with a smile.

He watched her leave for the second time that day before he went back to his room to continue his work. Sitting back on his desk, he noticed a new letter placed there and he smiled once he read who it was from.

Carmen.

He had missed her dearly, so why did the letter feel so heavy in his hands when it always made him feel like floating?

Shaking away the feeling, he opened the letter and read through it with a wide smile on his face, instantly getting out a paper to write her back.

Things are escalating, I wonder if you're ready for what will happen next.

Now for the question of the day:

Is there a song that reminds you of this book or its characters when you listen to it?
 If there is, please tell me so I give it a listen!!

I do have an Avelyn playlist, but idk if anyone is interested in it, so let me know if you want it!! Every song has been added for a reason...👀