Chapter 29 - A bet

Heinrick glared at me as I crossed the field meeting him for our morning training. "I hear you're not finishing your meals." I gave him an incredulous look.

"Do you honestly expect me to be able to eat that much after only two days?"

"Any one of my squires eats double what you do." We began jogging together. He set the pace at something more manageable than before.

"Of course I wouldn't eat as much as them." Normally, within seconds I would be panting. Now, it wasn't until a quarter of the way around that my breathing became laboured. "What did you put in my food anyways." There was no way I'd have improved this much after only exercising for three days.

"Feeling better already?" By the first lap, my legs didn't drop me, they were only threatening too. My lungs burned but it didn't feel like I was about to pass out either.

"Yeah. I'm not dying." I panted heavily between words. It looked like he smiled, but when I glanced at him his face was serious.

We started on the second lap and made slightly faster time around the course compared to my previous laps in the past. By the end of the three laps, I did die. My legs gave out just as we reached the end, and it took me twenty minutes to fully recover again. When we moved onto sets, it felt like I had more control of my body and the movements were easier to perform. My arms and legs were still like jelly at the end, and I could feel my heart pounding in my head, but it was better than before. If only slightly. "Is this the power of the food here? There's no way I should be improving this fast."

"You have the benefit of wealth your highness." Our training was over, so he reverted to our normal titles.

"Honestly, just call me Jasmine at this point. It's going to get confusing if we keep switching all the time." He smiled.

"Then do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" I shook my head. "How is it that you came to want to be an adventurer Jasmine." Heinrick didn't know that I wasn't from this world, nor did he know anything about my past. No one here did.

"I don't know how to answer that right now." He nodded but didn't press me further. "When can we move on to practical skills?"

He chuckled, "When I'm confident you can hold a weapon for ten minutes." I glared at him.

"I can hold a sword for more than ten minutes." A grin appeared on his face.

"Prove it." From his hip he pulled his weapon, a long black bladed sword with a slight curve in its center. It had an edge on both sides. Seeing it in Heinricks grasp it fit perfectly with his size, but it was huge compared to me. I didn't pay attention too it until now but Heinrick truly did tower over everyone in the palace. Even Eclis looked short in his presence.

"A small sword." His laugh belted across the field. "That sword is probably as long as I am tall, that isn't a fair test." My cheeks flushed and I finally rose from the ground to my feet. Looking up at him while talking about this was embarrassing enough. My knees shook slightly.

"Then why don't we get you a small sword to prove it lass." He looked far to amused with this.

"Tomorrow. I'm so beat." His grin looked sadistic.

"You're already beat? But we're not even finished yet Jasmine." The blood must have drained from my face because he belted his laugh out again. "This way." We walked towards my doom in silence. Since I had started my training, the knights had finally stopped trying to look at me. In fact, they completely avoided looking my way at all and I vaguely wondered what Heirnrick had done to them for them to pretend we didn't exist.

He led me into the barracks to an exercise equipment room overlooking the field. It smelled freshly cleaned and was currently empty. "Now, lets get serious about building up your strength Lass." His eyes leveled with mine, "I want to warn you though. When I'm through with you, your body will visibly change-"

"Will I look strong?" I flexed my biceps posing in front of him. Surprise flashed across his face and he burst out laughing again.

"That is what I am warning you against Lass." His eyes grew serious again, "Is that ok with you?"

"Of course. This is what I want to do," A devilish grin shone on my face, "And I'll have you know I think strong women are sexy." He chuckled again before beginning to show me how to use the equipment. The equipment I used were similar to what you'd see in a typical gym at home, which made sense since many of the knights here had humanoid forms as well. Everything had to be adjusted to its weakest setting.

"Do your knights have to train their bodies often?" He had me pulling down two wires and kept having to adjust my posture.

"Of course. House Dumont boasts one of the most highly trained armies in the Empire, each individual must keep themselves in top condition to achieve this." Pride filled his voice.

"Aren't vampires naturally strong though?" My arms burned and shook as I finished the last set. He answered while I drank.

"We don't have vampires in our army, though even for me I use this room to maintain my physique. Think of it as taking care of a weapon. You hone it, you sharpen it, you polish it. It's the same for one's body. This is why we focus on your strength training first. That and you can't hold a sword yet." He said the last sentence dryly, obviously to tease me.

"I can too!" It worked.

I'm looking forward to you proving that tomorrow." He stretched himself and cords of muscle rippled under his uniform.

"I would've thought your army was made up of vampires." The more he talked, the longer my break would be so I planned to milk it as much as I could.

"No. Contrary to the propaganda they spout in Tyrra, there are very few vampires in truth. The only way to become one is by becoming the personal knight of a rose. Our army is instead made up of Ba'alings, Beastmen, and elves."

"Elves? Don't Elves keep to their forests?" In the story Elves were introduced only after Julia had been sent to their kingdom to marry their king. Otherwise, it was rare to find them anywhere on the continent.

"Normally they do, but the Duke has a long-standing relationship with the Elven King of Ilsimar. While the Rose contracted between them is no longer with us, the King has been honoring the agreement by keeping his warriors here." Without Eclis, the Empire did not actually have the support of the Elves. It was yet another reason they hadn't attempted another war over the slavery currently ongoing in Tyrra. We finished the final set.

My body hurt in places I didn't know could hurt. It was already becoming stiff, so I was rushing to go take a bath. Before I left Heinrick turned back to me. "When you can answer my question Jasmine, you'll tell me, won't you?"

"Why I want to adventure? Yeah, of course. Least I could do for your help."

Back at the palace Alphonse was waiting in my parlor after my bath instead of my history's professor. He bowed politely.

"You're looking stronger than ever Madam."

"Thank you, Alphonse, I feel weaker than I ever have before." He smiled at me kindly.

"Master Duke wishes to see you today in his study if you are willing."

"If I'm willing? Of course, I'm always willing to see the Duke." Alphonse led me across the hall to the door of Eclis' study. It was kind of funny being escorted such a short distance. He bowed after opening the door indicating that he would not be joining us inside. A thought occurred to me. He wouldn't force me onto his lap again, right? Nah. He invited me here this time.

I waltzed in. Eclis was at his desk, surrounded once again by blue screens and paper documents scattered his desk. The afternoon sun cast a halo of light around his head sparkling in his deep black hair. It was styled back today with a few strands that broke loose, dancing along the sides of his face. His beauty struck me for a second and a blush immediately appeared on my face. Keep it together Jazz.

"Good morning Duke. Long time no see." Even now, he was busy with paperwork, but his eyes at least briefly broke away from the document in front of him to acknowledge me. The crimson in them sparkled when they connected with mine.

"Jazz. How has training been going?"

"Painful. You know, I'm positive Heinrick is secretly a closeted sadist." The corner of his lips raised, and I felt a pump of dopamine seeing it.

"Secretly? It's advertised across his face Jazz. Children run when they see him." My laugh pulled his eyes away from the screen again.

"Yeah, I can imagine they do." The image of tiny children screaming and running away in the presence of Heinrick played in my mind.

"Has Michael made any progress on your mana problem? How are you feeling?" The coffee table in his room had ice water waiting for me which I gladly drank, plopping myself in one of the leather chairs.

"I haven't had any of those episodes recently. Michael says my condition has stabilized, and he's found at least one way to… Correct it." Michael likely had already reported on this with Eclis, so I wondered why he was asking me.

"Is that so? If it ends up being the only way, will you go through with it?"

"The Awakening?" I considered the ice cubes floating in my drink for a time while I thought. "I'm willing to try. I'm just worried I won't be strong enough to see it through and I'll have to try again." I lived my life relatively pain free. The most 'danger' I'd ever experienced was at a theme park. Now I had to choose to be subjected to torture in order to use magic.

"You can become an adventurer without magic Jazz." The tone he used held concern, rather than doubt which I was grateful for. I had enough doubt for the both of us.

"It's not even about becoming an adventurer. There is magic here Duke." My eyes twinkled, "I want to use magic, even if it means I have to go through hell to achieve it."

"And what plan to do with it once you can use it?" He stopped what he was doing to look at me directly.

"What do you mean?"

"There must be a spell you have in mind if you're willing to put yourself through an awakening for this. What is it? I can do it for you." His concern was touching, and I felt my heart begin to pound.

"No… No there's genuinely nothing I want to do with it… I just want to be able to do it. Just for the fun of it." I shrugged while he studied me.

"If it comes down to you doing an awakening, I will be there."

"No. I'd rather do it alone." Whenever I cried, whenever I hurt, I always needed to be alone. There was no way I wanted to be in the most pain of my lifetime with someone else there. Anger flashed in his eyes, but just as quickly as it came it left.

"I'll ask again when the time comes." It's going to be the same answer though. "I'm leaving for the palace today."

"You are?" My mood turned. Suddenly I was feeling down. Why?

"If I delay any further it may appear as though I favor the idea of a civil war." He sighed, "For now we must appear to have a good relationship with the imperial family." In the original timeline movements towards a civil war had already begun by the time Eclis finally went to the palace. His first return to the palace was when he'd give up his right to the throne.

"You know. It was never explained why the kingdoms here would jump at the thought of a civil war." His eyes hardened.

"People tend to remember the past more favourably than it actually was."

"So, people are unhappy with how things are currently done, and hope you'll be more favourable to them?" He nodded. Eclis was the beloved hero of Ganimede, on top of this it was well known that he treated each race in his palace equally. It made sense why there'd be forces wanting him in power over the crown prince. "How long will you be gone then?"

"Not long. Perhaps a week, at most a month." My disappointment must've shown on my face because he smiled, "I won't let it get that long then." Truly, I tried to fight the smile that tugged at my lips. I did.

"Good. Is it selfish of me if I say I'm at least happy I don't have to go myself?"

"No…" The screens surrounding him blipped out of existence and he moved to join me at the leather chairs. "Why is it you don't care for the imperial family?"

"You'd know if you'd take my knowledge of the novel." I gave him a cheeky smile while internally struggling. Seeing him close like this wasn't good for the heart.

"You don't give up do you?" While he spoke, he marveled at me.

"Nope. It really is the best course of action and I can't understand why you're so hesitant." I shrugged, "So what if some of the things Julia was told was incorrect. You can filter it through your own knowledge of the world, right?"

"We'll discuss it when you're fit enough to feed again." Eclis was wearing almost all black again, a silk white shirt peaking under a long-sleeved suite jacket. If only he were just wearing a shirt… Wait, why am I even looking?

"Aren't I already fit enough?" I tugged the sleeve of my dress up revealing the crook of my elbow where he'd bitten me last time. "You know, I can do three pull ups. Three and a half in truth, no exaggeration." He smiled again and I immediately had to abort eye contact. "Had I gone straight to pull ups I probably could do even more too." Just thinking about it reminded me how sore I was. For added effect, I flexed my arm revealing no muscles.

"You should show me when I get back then." It was just pull ups. Why was my heart so excited?

"Ok. Then come back in a week and I'll show you." It sounded like a great deal to me.

"If you impress me, I should award you, shouldn't I?" The look on his face grew sultry and he flashed me a tantalizing grin. Eclis wasn't supposed to be a man who knew how to use his looks. Ahhh! I hopped back up, my face flushed red.

"See… See you then!" I swear I wasn't running away. I just had to be somewhere really fast. Truly.