Leon spent the first part of his morning in a meeting about the investigation into the artifact theft. The team assigned to the case now included him and Al. Captain Holloway, the head of his brother's guards, had been the leader of the investigation before Leon took charge.

Their meeting took place in the Royal Guards commanding center, where Holloway briefed him on every relevant detail to the case.

After going through everything, all members of the investigation team filed out of the room.

"Your highness," Holloway said as they walked out, "may I have a word?"

Leon nodded. Holloway fell in step beside him. Al a couple of steps behind.

"It's about the suspect."

"What suspect?" Leon asked, knowing full well who Holloway was speaking of.

The captain glanced at him. "I understand that you have given her your protection. I would, however, ask for a chance to interrogate her."

Leon stopped in the hallway leading to the main entrance of the building. Light spilled in, pouring the spring warmth into the austere building. He turned to face Holloway.

"Interrogate? You might want to reconsider your choice of word, Captain. She's not a suspect, and she's a person to whom I owe my life."

Holloway looked doubtful. Understandably so. No one who saw Summer would ever know the extent of her skills. No one would believe she was the sole reason he survived in the woods with a fatal wound and a gang looking for him. She would be underestimated more than once. But that was an advantage he was willing to exploit in the future, if need be.

Holloway amended, "I would like to have a few words with her, with your permission."

Leon rubbed his jaw. Holloway's reaction to Summer would certainly be interesting. The captain was often too austere. And Summer was just... Summer. It would be entertaining.

"Permission granted," Leon said. "It would happen in my presence however."

"Yes, your highness." Holloway bowed his head. Then they stepped out of the building, only to stop at the scene in the training rings of the academy nearby.

"Is that who I think it is?" Al asked.

"I believe so." Leon's lips curved. "Captain Holloway, why don't you come along?"

It was as he suspected.

Leon had been thinking of ways to shake the stubborn set of beliefs some students had as to their female colleagues' skills. Using Summer had been a spur of the moment decision. She had declined the day before, vehemently so, but it appeared Ida had found a way to convince her.

Leon's presence might divert attention from the fight, so he chose a vantage point out of sight. The shadow of a tree on a raised patch of land behind the crowd surrounding the ring. Holloway and Al joined him.

General Bordrick's son, Blake, was the person Summer chose for the lesson. The perfect target.

Unbelievably fast and light on her feet, Summer evaded his attacks like he was a blundering child. Her movements were fluid. Hypnotizing. Not a motion wasted. Her body moved with the ease of a seasoned fighter.

"She's good," Holloway said. Leon stayed quiet. The captain would soon discover that she wasn't good. She was the best fighter he'd ever seen. And that was not an exaggeration.

Every single student and instructor seemed to be watching the fight. Even those inside the buildings had wandered outside or peeked out of the windows after hearing the noise of the crowd.

The instructors wouldn't intervene. During physical training, students were allowed to challenge each other. The instructors put a stop to a fight only if one of the parties was in serious danger.

On the heels of Holloway's comment, Summer launched her first offense after Blake's movements slowed from exhaustion.

The boy's fist swung too wide, too slow. Summer ducked down leisurely, punched his stomach and his side in quick succession.

Blake crouched, guarding his stomach, his grunt audible over the excited crowd's cheers and jeers. Summer zipped behind Blake before he knew she was gone, her body moving too fast for an untrained eye to follow.

"what-" Holloway whispered right as Summer kicked the back of Blake's knees, making him kneel on the ground, then her hand blurred, a sharp strike to the back of Blake's neck that Leon was sure not everyone in the crowd caught. And Blake fell limp.

A deafening silence ensued. Then a couple of instructors who'd been watching the fight snapped out of their shock and hurried over to check on Blake.

Summer stepped back, rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms. Ida separated from the crowd, said a few words to the instructors and left the ring alongside Summer. The crowd parted to let them through, whispers and exclamations following them.

"Who is she?" Holloway asked, more than a hint of suspicion in his tone.

"She's The Blade's pupil," Leon replied, watching the man's shock play on his face. "You will keep this information under wraps for now."

Holloway nodded mutely, his gaze returning to Summer. Ida had led her around the crowd to where they were standing.

"How can she move that way?" Holloway asked. "She's not just fast, she's..."

"Speechless, Holloway?" Al asked with a smile. Leon could read the same thought on Al's face; Holloway hadn't even met her yet.

Holloway cleared his throat, regaining his composure between one second and the next. "She is ... unexpected."

Right then, Ida and Summer stopped before them. "Your highness," Ida said.

A wicked glint in Summer's eyes. Leon almost groaned. Summer bowed with an exaggerated flourish of her arm. "Your royal highness," she said, dragging the words slowly.

Ida and Al looked suspiciously close to bursting into laughter. They knew how he hated the protocols and the theatrics that came with being a prince. And now, apparently, so did Summer.

"Knock it off," he grumbled, turning to Holloway as Summer straightened with a grin. "Ask your questions, Holloway."

Summer turned her unusual eyes to the captain. He narrowed his gaze on her for a moment before beginning his line of questioning.

To Summer's credit, she didn't ask why she was being interrogated, but simply answered his questions about the attacks on their journey to the capital, about the artifact and how it got to her hands.

"Floating?" Holloway asked when Summer told him how she got her hands on the artifact.

She nodded, pushing a wayward curl off her face. "Yes."

Leon understood Holloway's suspicion. The artifact was made of heavy metal. It would not float. However, Leon believed Summer's words now.

He knew Summer, knew she was smart enough to come up with a better lie had she been lying. She wasn't.

Summer rolled her eyes when Holloway regarded her with a frown.

"Yes, I am aware that such a heavy metallic piece shouldn't float. But that's the truth." She spread her hands. "It was floating."

The artifact wasn't active, as far as Leon knew. But maybe its special constitution made it challenge laws of nature. It was a valid possibility.

"I see," Holloway said. "That's very intriguing, don't you think?"

Summer smiled brightly. "I'm going to assume that's a rhetorical question."

Holloway frowned. "We'll be in touch, lady Summer."

"I'm aflutter with anticipation," Summer drawled.

Holloway blinked at her. After a moment, he bowed his head to Leon with his fist on his chest, "your highness." Then stalked off.

Summer looked at his back, crinkling her nose. "He's got an even bigger stick up his behind compared to Al."

Ida burst out laughing. Al glared at them both.

"So you decided for vengeance after all?" Al asked Summer.

Summer lifted her chin with a small smile, then looked at Leon, "no, but I understood the reason for your request. You know, if only you explained yourself instead of issuing orders, I would've been happy to offer my assistance."

Leon cocked his head to the side, then acquiesced with a nod, "you're right. That would have made things more clear."

He wasn't used to explaining himself to anyone other than his brother. He never realized that fact until now. Everyone around him would execute his order without a question, except for Al and Ida. But his two friends had been by his side for so long, they knew the motivation behind most of his decisions.

Summer was a novelty in his life. He wasn't sure how he would deal with her in the future, but he should remember that she wouldn't be ordered around. And she certainly wouldn't be tripping on her feet to do as he pleased. Leon wanted to smile at the thought.

He looked at Ida. "We're meeting tonight for the investigation. We will be assigning new teams to work."

"Holloway is fine with that?" Ida asked.

Leon didn't much care if Holloway was okay with it or not. "We have more new information, so it makes sense to revise the investigation plan."

Leon happened to glance at Summer. There was no mistaking the curious gleam in her eyes.

He should have known she wouldn't want to stay in the dark, especially considering the investigation was something that concerned her future. But Leon had other matters on his mind.

He left the two women and Al behind then rode back up to the castle. He was having lunch with his son.

According to his tutors and valet, Ari had been acting odd since Leon's return.

The first sign of trouble was when he decided he was too sick for his lessons one morning. Or that was what his valet thought, until he discovered that the lump under the covers was in fact pillows and not a sleeping Ari.

His disappearance would have sent the castle into an uproar, except that Ari had sneaked back into his room that very moment.

Ari didn't say where he'd been. Not even Leon had an answer out of him. The kid knew Leon too much to realize he wouldn't be punished for such incidents.

Leon knew he was being too soft on him. But he couldn't help himself. Every time he saw his son, he remembered the fear and agony that had gripped him when news of the accident reached him.

"Your highness." Logan bowed as Leon entered his wing.

"Is Ari finished with his morning lessons?"

"Yes, your highness," Logan said, following Leon slightly behind to the balcony of the dining room where they would be having lunch. "He has just been shown to the balcony."

His son's dark hair was shot through with streaks of light brown, the color of Ria's hair. Ari had inherited his mother's bright blue eyes and pale complexion. Leon felt a stab of guilt at the thought of his wife's face. He no longer remembered it with enough clarity. Her features were too blurred in his memory for his liking. Seeing Ari's face, however, always brought her image back clearer and sharper.

Their marriage had been arranged, as was the case for most royal marriages. But he had come to love her, and after giving him Ari, the two of them had settled themselves in his heart. Losing her had been painful, but the pain was faint now. A dull throb of grief beneath the layers of guilt.

"Ari." Leon ruffled his son's hair as he passed him by to his own chair. The small table was enough for two people to have an intimate meal. The chairs faced each other, the spread of food had all of Leon and Ari's favorites.

Leon noted Ari's sunburnt cheeks and nose. "You've been in the sun?"

Ari's gaze flickered away. He gave one sharp nod and looked at the food a second before his stomach growled out loud.

Leon allowed a smile. A nod was better than nothing at all, which was exactly what Leon had been getting before he went on the journey to find the artifact.

Ari ate like he had been running a soldier's drill the entire morning.

"How are your swordsmanship's lessons?" Leon asked midway through their meal. Ari twisted his lips to the side and shrugged.

"Is Carlson too harsh on you?"

No reply, but Leon read the hesitation on Ari's face. "What is it, son? You know you can tell me anything."

Ari looked at him for a long time before reaching for the chalk and small board at his elbow.

He's treating me like I'm four.

Leon arched his brow at the angry face, hope a painful fist around his heart. Anger was better, much better than indifference. The boy before him now reminded Leon of what Ari had been like before the incident. Vivacious. Spirited.

"Are his lessons boring?"

Ari nodded with wide, eager eyes, his soft hair sliding across his forehead.

"I see," Leon said. He was partly responsible for that. He was clear in his warning to the instructor; his son was to be safe under all circumstances.

Leon knew, from his own experience, that learning how to wield a sword posed more than a few risks. His warning would have only served to limit the instructor's lessons.

For the life of him, however, he couldn't bring himself to put his son at risk of even a paper cut.

"You're still only seven. You will have more elaborate lessons as you grow older," he said, seeing the impact of his words crush the spirit in his son's eyes. Ari put his writing board down and looked back at his food, his face shuttering.

Panic gripped Leon. He didn't want to lose his son again. Not now that he was beginning to open up. Leon thought quickly and said, "however, you and I can have sparring sessions a few times a week."

Ari's head snapped up. His brows furrowed in suspicion, but he reached for the writing board again.

What if you're busy?

"Our sessions will be a priority," Leon said, growing increasingly confident in the solution that would allow him to keep an eye on his son, spend more time with him and teach him more swordsmanship safely. "However, if I'm ever indisposed, Al and Ida can replace me. I know you like Ida. Is that alright with you?"

Ari nodded vigorously. And for the first time in many years, Leon was rewarded with a bright smile on his son's face. It thawed the burning ice around his heart and eased the claws of guilt for a blissful moment.

--- ---- ---

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