Page 118 of The Fae Girl 1

I nodded. Arching my body. Was I shaking? Please say I wasn’t shaking. God I was being pathetic. Sure he had his hand on me but why the hell was I reacting like this?

He stepped back. Moved to stand beside Nela.

I didn’t drop my stance. Didn’t dare too. But the sword was heavy. Too heavy. Only I didn’t want to show it.

“You’ve been teaching her self-defence correct?” Fain murmured only just loud enough for me to hear.

“Yes Prince Fain.” Nela said.

I noted the formal tone. She was always more soldier-like when we came down here. But I swear I’d heard her call him without his title before. Heard her almost chastise him as though they were equals.

“The leathers she has are a little ill-fitting.”

I didn’t look down. But they sure as hell didn’t feel ill-fitting.

“They’re Indi’s. She was the closer in size.”

“I see. Well if she’s going to dress like you both we should have her own made.”

I bit my lip. Too nervous and excited to react. He was letting me do that? He wasn’t objecting?

As he stepped back up to me I knew my face was flushed. He took the sword from my hands and sheathed it. “This is too heavy. Too big for you.”

I nodded. Even though my pride wanted to disagree.

His lips curled like he knew it. Like he could read my mind.

“She should have a weapon too. A broad sword.” He said to Nela over his shoulder but he kept his gaze on me. Like he wanted to see my reaction.

My heart quickened but I kept my face as blank as I could.

His eyes dropped to my lips and back again. “You can thank me if you want.” He murmured.

“Thank you for what?” I replied.

He just grinned. Like he knew something I didn’t. Like all of this was some sort of game.

“You’ve done well Nela.” He said turning. “Very well. I’ll see that you’re rewarded for this.”

“I don’t want a reward. But thank you, it’s been fun training Alice.” Nela said.

“Well you deserve recognition anyway.” He said before leaving us to it.

We returned to my rooms, both of us were sweating and I’m sure stinking too. We’d spent another hour practising after the prince had left.

If I’m honest I was grateful for it. I needed to clear my head. Clear my thoughts. And Nela made sure I didn’t have a moment to think about it, about his hand on me, about his touch.

No.

Damn it. I wasn’t going to go there. There wasn’t anything in it. If I were a man he would have behaved the same. I was sure of it. It was just my headspace. Just a weird moment that I’d overthought and overimagined.

Ridley was there when we walked in.

He frowned, visibly reacting to me and Nela, like he hadn’t expected us and like he really didn’t want to be interrupted in this moment. Though I knew he’d been seeing Mira, knew she’d been sneaking off to spend time with him, this was the first time I’d seen them together, that is beyond their first meeting at the ball.

I glanced across at Mira. Her face was strewn with tears and looked red as though she’d been rubbing her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Clearly something had happened.

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