Page 101 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

Looking like he was picking his words with care, Brannal said, “One of the things you said yesterday was that you didn’t have any tools to defend yourself. You weren’t wrong. We did one defense lesson, and while it seems to have been useful in ways I definitely did not anticipate”—Perian snorted with laughter—“that isn’t exactly a great foundation. We talked about having more lessons, but it’s true I have duties that sometimes interfere with my desire to spend more time with you. And if I’m being honest, if I get to have more time with you, teaching defense is not my priority.”

Perian smiled outright, and Brannal smiled back, looking a little relieved, as he continued.

“Onadal has a much bigger team, which means he is always going through Warriors and training novices. You absolutely do not have to do this if you don’t want to, and I’m not imagining that you would actually train to become a Warrior, just that it would enable you to pick up some basic skills more quickly. I haven’t spoken to Onadal about it yet. I only thought of it this morning and also remembered that bit about us actually talking, so I thought I’d suggest it to you first, see what you think, and then look to implement if you were all right with it.”

Perian laughed. “That seems like a very wise, well-reasoned way of doing things. And given everything that’s happened to me recently, I think it’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?” Brannal asked.

Perian nodded. “Yes, please do talk to Onadal. And, uh, while I appreciate that this would be him agreeing to take me on and teach me when I wouldn’t be turning into a Warrior at the end of it, I wouldn’t want to be locked down into a rigid schedule or have completely unreasonable demands put on me or my days. If he doesn’t think he can work like that, then I’d rather not start anything.”

Brannal nodded. “That seems reasonable. I do manage an entire castle of Mage Warriors. If we can’t make it work with the Warriors, I’m certain we can figure out lessons properly.”

It was Perian’s turn to nod. Brannal’s suggestion made a lot of sense, because the Warriors would be learning how to do everything without magic, just like Perian needed to. Mage Warriors would always be learning how to use their magic as well.

“Thank you,” Perian told him. “I definitely don’t want to become a Warrior, but I would appreciate a better schooling in defense. Even if nothing ever happens to me again, I’d much rather be ready.”

Brannal nodded, looking as though he agreed fervently with that assessment.

“I’ll talk to Onadal today. Or have Delana talk to him. They’re the main point of liaison between the Warriors and Mage Warriors.”

“Right,” Perian said, smirking a little.

“They are.”

“That’s not all they are.”

Brannal raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think so?”

“I saw them together,” Perian responded.

Another eyebrow rose. “We’veallseen them together. It is a main point of gossip. They will neither confirm nor deny, and no one has actually seen anything definitive. What makes you so sure?”

Perian frowned as he thought back to the moment.

“I guess I’m notsure,” he admitted. Well, he had been, for some reason, until Brannal had questioned him. “I can’t point to anything specific. And I certainly didn’t see them for very long. Maybe it was body language or something. Or wishful thinking on my part?” He smiled with a sweetness that Brannal apparently—rightly—found suspicious because he squinted at him. “You were being an ass and ignoring me because you thought I was having sex with someone else without telling you.”

Brannal sighed. “Ah, yes. I was sort of hoping we were never going to bring that up again.”

“You were hoping in vain,” Perian informed him with a grin.

“I can see that. Changing the topic.”

“Ha!” Perian laughed.

“To our upcoming schedule.”

Perian conceded, “I do want to know when I’m going to get to see you again. Work in the morning and early afternoon, since I keep derailing your attempts to leave?”

Brannal laughed. “Yes. You’ll have your picnic with the Princess.”

“Definitely. Oh, and I really should go for a ride again soon before Prince Horsey decides he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. He’s too good a horse not to get out there and race if he’s willing to do it.”

“Ride in the late afternoon, then a late dinner with Molun and Arvus?”

“That sounds perfect,” Perian agreed.

They grinned at one another like idiots. It wasn’t like they hadn’t come up with a schedule before this. But it felt more… collaborative, maybe, like they were actually planning a day together rather than both just letting the other know when they would be apart. They’d planned, and they were going to be spending time with Brannal’s friends, and they’d shared their opinions and not totally agreed on everything, but that had turned out all right.

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