The midday sun bathed the palace gardens in golden light, casting soft shadows across the elegant stonework and luscious greenery. I sat opposite Aeris at a low wooden table, a spread of dishes before us. Delicate petals of a flower I didn’t recognise floated in a crystal pitcher of water, and the air was intoxicating with faint smells of honey and spice. The Fey cuisine was really starting to grow on me - it was lighter than the meals back in Briar’s Hollow. Every bite carried an unknown and magical depth of flavour that made my mouth water.


    Aeris picked at a bowl of shimmering fruit, her usual grin slightly subdued. It had been a long morning. The Autumn Court’s trial had left ripples I didn’t fully understand. Lady Valha, despite her composure, had seemed wary - even afraid. That was the part that lingered most in my thoughts. The Queen and Lady Valha seemed to suspect something about me, yet they were keeping it from me.


    “You’re doing that brooding thing again,” Aeris said, tilting her head slightly. “You always do that when you’re overthinking.”


    I huffed in response. “That’s because I know I have you here to distract me by teasing me.”


    She smirked but didn’t deny it. “It works, doesn’t it?”


    I shook my head, chuckling before taking a tip of the floral water. “It’s just… this power. I don’t know where it came from, what it means. Lady Valha’s reaction wasn’t exactly comforting.”


    Aeris played with a strand of her silver hair around her finger. “Magic has rules - old ones. For whatever reason you don’t fit into those rules, people like Valha don’t know what to think and see it as an omen. That’s all it is.” She paused, then gave me a searching look. “What do you think? About your magic I mean.”


    I hesitated. I hadn’t put much thought into the world of magic before this week. I suppose I was under the impression it was something that came with discipline and years of studying. But what I had was different, it defied convention and apparently isn’t affected by the same limitations as everyone else. That unsettled me, what made my magic so different?


    “I feel like I’m holding something I don’t understand,” I admitted. “I don’t want my life, or your life to rely on something we don’t understand.”


    Aeris smiled at first, nodding her head. Then she let out a sigh and propped her chin in her hand. “I get it.”


    She was quiet for a moment, staring at the table without really looking at it. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer. “I’ve never left the forest before, not once.”


    That caught me off guard. “Really?”


    She nodded. “I mean, obviously I could have, if I wanted to. No one would have stopped me.” She exhaled through her nose, a wry smile on her lips. “I love my home. I don’t just mean the palace - I love the Feywilds. The way the magic thrums in the air, the way the trees whisper to each other. It’s alive. It feels like it’s where I belong.”


    I watched her carefully, Aeris was always so confident, so sure of herself. But right now, her fingers were fidgeting, she was showing an uncertainty I hadn’t seen in her so far.


    “But I thought you dreamed of a great adventure?” I asked.


    Aeris looked up at me, her golden eyes steady. “I do. I want to see the world for myself. But I know the second I step outside of Veilwood Forest, I’ll be longing for the Feywilds. At the same time, I know that I’ll never understand the world outside if I don’t see it for myself.”


    It felt like she was running around in circles, but I knew what she meant. She loved her home because it was all she knew, but at the same time she wanted to know what else was out there. We were both walking into the unknown together.


    I gave her a small, knowing smile. “Well, if it’s of any help, I’m just as unprepared for the journey as you are.”


    She laughed, almost choking on her water. “That’s not comforting at all, but thank you.”


    A thought suddenly struck her, and her eyes brightened. “Speaking of being unprepared - you don’t know how to fight, if it’s not with a pitchfork, do you?”


    I frowned. “I once wrestled a stubborn goat, if that’s what you mean.”


    “Edrin doesn’t count.” She grinned. “Come on, let’s fix that. I know just the person.”


    The Winter Court’s training grounds were a stark contrast to the rest of the Fey Palace - practical, study and built for battle. A wide open field stretched before me, sectioned into sparring circles, dummies lined up against the sides. A few soldiers trained in the distance, from what I could see their movements were precise and disciplined.


    Aeris led me to a tall High Elf clad in dark armour, he appeared sharp and calculating. He was older, his long brown hair, braided at the sides, was streaked with silver, and he held himself with the stillness of someone who has spent a lifetime mastering the arts of war.


    “Caden, meet Commander Ceryndor,” Aeris said. “He’s the best swordsman on this side of the continent.”


    Ceryndor rose to his feet, bowing his head toward Aeris. Then he studied me with a raised brow. “Bricklayer or Farmer?”


    “Apprentice Magician, apparently,” I replied.


    His lips twitched in something almost like amusement. “How can I help you both?”


    “Caden and I are going on a bit of an adventure, but he needs to learn how to handle a sword before we leave.” Aeris replied.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    I don’t know if it was because of his respect for Aeris, or the crown. But Ceryndor seemed to drop all of his duties for that afternoon to help us.


    What followed was not what I would call gentle. Ceryndor put me through my paces. Assessing my stance, my reflexes, even throwing in a few surprise attacks to see how I would react.


    My instincts weren’t terrible, but they weren’t exactly good either. My experience lifting hay bales and fending off wild animals gave me a decent foundation, but Ceryndor likened it to a primal response and not much else.


    When Ceryndor was finally satisfied he called for a break, nodding to himself. “Your movements are strong, but lack finesse. You rely on brute force and sheer will, when you should be using control and technique.” He gestured to a rack of weapons. “A bit unusual, but all things considered: a swordstaff.”


    I blinked. “A what?”


    Aeris smirked as she grabbed the weapon and tossed it to me. It was a staff, but with a single edged blade at one end. As I held it, I felt a strange familiarity in its balance - like holding a scythe, but this was a weapon not a tool.”


    Ceryndor watched how I handled the weapon and measured the weight. “Farmer.” Nodding in approval, “A weapon with reach. momentum and precision. It suits a farming apprentice magician well.”


    Aeris clapped her hands together excitedly. “Great! Now let’s see if you can use it.”


    Ceryndor seemingly agreed, leading us to a vacant sparring circle. “Don’t hurt the princess,” he warned before turning to look at me with a blank expression, he nodded his head to me. “Princess.”


    Aeros twirled a practice rapier she had picked up along the way, smirking at Ceryndor’s warning. I could already tell she wasn’t going to take this seriously.


    “Alright farm boy,” she teased. “Show me what you’ve got.”


    Ceryndor stood between us. “You will fight until I call a halt. Don’t hold back. Begin.” His voice was cool and authoritative, like he had said those words a thousand times.


    Aeris moved first - blindingly fast.


    I just barely raised my swordstaff before she was upon me, her rapier darting toward my shoulder. I managed to deflect the strike, but the force of her attack sent a vibration down the length of my weapon.


    She smirked. “Not bad.”


    I didn’t have time to reply - she was already circling, probing at my defences with quick, precise jabs. I could tell she wasn’t going full speed, but even still I was struggling to keep up.


    I countered, swinging the swordstaff in a sweeping arc to force some distance between us. She dodged effortlessly, slipping just out of range before lunging in again, aiming low this time. I barely managed to twist my body, the tip of her blade cutting the fabric of my tunic and only just avoiding my skin.


    Gritting my teeth, I pressed forward, stepping into her strike instead of retreating. I swung the staff upward, trying to catch her off guard. The blade whistled through the air, but Aeris had already turned to my left, her feet moving with a dancer’s grace.


    “Better,” she admitted. “But still predictable.”


    She feinted right, then struck left. Again I barely reacted in time, blocking with the handle of the staff, the impact jarring my forearms.


    I knew I needed to find an opening.


    Taking a risk, I shifted my grip on the swordstaff, stepping forward with a downward slash. Aeris parried, but instead of withdrawing, I used the momentum to spin, sweeping the hilt of the staff toward her legs.


    She jumped over it, landing lightly before thrusting forward.


    I pivoted on my foot just in time, her rapier slicing past my ribs just nicking my tunic.


    Ceryndor’s voice echoed. “Good. But Lady Aeris, stop playing with him. Show him what real combat looks like.”


    I adjusted my grip at the sight of her smirk widening, her knees bent slightly and her heels lifted from the ground, instead of her firm stance she adjusted to become more bouncy and energetic.


    The air shimmered, but for a brief second I had felt her mana before I saw it affect the air around her.


    A gust of wind enveloped Aeris, and before I could react, she was gone.


    A blur. A flicker of silver and gold.


    Then - pain.


    Her rapier slammed into my side, not cutting, but the hilt struck with enough force to send me stumbling. She had enhanced her speed using magic.


    I gasped and instinctively reacted, something inside me surging in response.


    My body tingled.


    A warmth blossomed in my chest.


    The next time Aeris lunged, I didn’t think - I simply moved. The world around me became sharper, I could briefly feel Aeris moving before she actually moved.


    A sensation like an unseen force guided my body, and suddenly I was not just dodging, but flowing. My swordstaff blurred as I counter her next strike, my movements sharper and more precise.


    Aeris’ eyes widened in disbelief. “What the-”


    I stepped in, my weapon humming with energy. I swung at a distance, my blade cutting through the air, a faint trail of light following its path.


    Aeris barely dodged, jumping backward to gain distance.


    She skidded against the ground, eyes locked onto me in a stunned realisation.


    “You used magic.”


    My breath was heaving, my body was tingling from channeling my mana through my entire body and then my sword. “You started it.”


    Ceryndor’s voice broke the silence. “Enough.”


    I looked down at my hands. The glow had faded, but my mind was already racing with possibilities. How to combine magic with the sword and my body. I had always associated magic with casting spells from a distance.


    Ceryndor studied me for a moment longer. “A magic swordsman.”


    He continued to watch me, his gaze almost mistakable for approval. “You learn quickly, you will train under me from now on.”


    I instinctively nodded my head, it sounded like I had just found a mentor to prepare for the journey to the Duskfang Mountains.