Page 122 of Of Storm and Emerald
The game keepers were outside preparing the various meats that would be served. They stripped the birds of their feathers, and relieved the boars of their hides, then cleaned the flesh before submerging them in different brines so that the flavors would permeate the meat.
The kitchens became more crowded as midday approached and the two women took that as their opportunity to escape.
They were halfway to the stables, when a deep rumbling voice called from behind, causing them to stop in their tracks and cringe.
They would recognize that voice anywhere. It could be soothing one moment and haunting your nightmares the next.
“Princess Auraelia, Lady Piper. Training pitch,now.”
Their shoulders dropped as their heads fell back in exasperation, both muttering an annoyed, “Yes, Ser Aeron,” before they quickly headed in the direction of the pitch.
Auraelia and Piper were curled over, their hands resting on their knees as they tried to catch their breath.
They had been training for hours.
The sun had already started its descent in the sky, but still continued to pelt them with waves of heat. And even though her muscles cried for a break, she still managed to pull a breeze through the yard in an attempt to cool them.
“That form is going to get you killed, you know.” A voice as sweet and smooth as honey traveled across the yard, jolting Auraelia upright.
She turned in the direction that it had come from and a large smile pulled across her face.
“Lady Aesira!” Auraelia jogged across the field and launched herself at the women, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Lady Aesira–along with Lord Arlo–was head of the Court of Opal, and she was as beautiful as she was deadly.
She had gorgeous, deep mahogany skin that was enviably perfect and full lips that were kissed with pink. She kept her hair shaved close to her scalp, and when Auraelia asked her why when she was little, she explained that it kept her cool, but she also liked the ease of it. She didn’t have to worry about it getting pulled during training or battle or keeping it in protective styles like Ser Aeron and his locs.
Her eyes were a deeper shade of amber than Ser Aeron’s, and pulled more tones of red than gold, but they held the same warmth.
Lady Aesira made frequent trips to Lyndaria throughout Auraelia’s youth. Checking in on Ser Aeron and making sure that everything was coming along as it should be with her training. She even stepped in on many occasions to train Auraelia herself. Teaching her different ways that a woman could move, that would be difficult for a man to react to–let alone teach.
She taught her how to handle a staff, and about different pressure points and their purposes–both for combat and in healing.
She was like a second mother to Auraelia.
“You’re early,” she said when she finally released Lady Aesira and stepped back, giving Piper room to embrace her as well.
“Yes, well, it seems I was not early enough, since both of your stances were abysmal.” Her tone was reprimanding, but her eyes were lit with joy and laughter.
The three women chuckled as Ser Aeron approached and bowed. “Lady Aesira. It’s good to see you again.”
“Oh, brother. Why so formal?” Lady Aesira winked, before pulling him in for a hug.
Auraelia and Piper exchanged a confused look before turning back to the two warriors.
“Brother?” They asked in unison. As long as they had known Aeron and Aesira, their relationship had never been a topic.
“Am I not allowed to have family?” Ser Aeron asked, one quizzical brow raised in their direction.
Both Piper and Auraelia’s mouths opened and closed like a fish out of water as they tried to come up with something to respond with. Thankfully, Lady Aesira broke the tension with her laugh.
“Ser Aeron is my older brother. But, like Emerald, Opal follows the matriarchal line, so I took over once our parents passed. He was my right hand until he came here, and he is definitely missed.” Her eyes softened as she looked at her brother, and Ser Aeron’s softened in return.
“Now.” Lady Aesira clasped her hands together and directed her attention back to Auraelia and Piper. “Shall we get back to your training?”
The moon was high in the sky by the time she made it back to her rooms. Her muscles screamed in protest as she slowly shuffled across her sitting room and into her bed chamber.
The hours of training with Ser Aeron alone were enough to make her not want to move for a few days. But with Lady Aesira’s additional training regimen, she didn’t think she would be able to function at all. Piper had gone off to her own rooms, leaving Auraelia to fend for herself.
