That night Nero crept into Kate’s room sneakier than a village thief. He made sure to double check his mother’s room was tightly shut and the lights were off, before opening Kate’s own. Her room was much smaller than his, and despite seeing it so many times it felt strange to creep to her room in the middle of the night.

He caught her sleeping figure on the low straw bed beside the open window. She had covered herself with a sheet, and was snoring softly. Nero watched her calm face for a moment, and realized if he could ever live simply as her. In her mother’s eyes Kate was probably the daughter she wished she had. Her dreams were simple - to pass the medical exams and become a priest of the Temple of Ales. No bigger goals to become a white-cloak, no dirty work by fighting in the rings, no other stray ambitions like Nero.

Nero shook her shoulders softly.

“Wake up,” he whispered.

She gave a slow groan, and her eyes snapped open the next moment. Before she could scream, Nero had his hand on her mouth. Her eyes widened, and Nero almost thought she would bite his hand off before she calmed down.

“I came here to tell something,” he removed his hand, and looked at her.

“In the middle of the night?” Kate hissed, pulling up the sheets and sitting on her bed. “I should be calling for your mother.”

“Kate please, it’s something serious,” he locked eyes with her which was a signal that he was about to talk something that was important.

Thanks to his great luck she gave a nod. “Fine, turn around.”

“So you can sneak behind my back or point a crossbow at me?”

“I’m in my nightdress you idiot! Turn around so I can wear something.”

“Oh.”

Nero turned around like an idiot, ignoring the awkwardness. He heard rustling of clothes behind and when Kate called him back she had wrapped a cloak around her.

“What’s it now?” she asked with a frown on her face.

“I’m running out of the house,” Nero stated as simply as he was taking a walk through the garden. And before Kate’s surprise could make her loud again he kept talking. “I’ve written a letter for my mother asking her to not come searching for me. If Abel is going to train me it’s going to take at least a month. And then I’ll challenge the imperials, I’ll win, and only then I’ll come back home.”

Kate made a face. “Why tell this to me?”

“Because you are more easy to convince than my mother.”

Her frown faded, replaced by a look of weariness. “It’s going to be lonely here without you for a month.”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“You have my mother.”

She gave a low growl. “That’s not what I meant.”

A silence preceded. And Nero looked at her face for any doubts. Then he was surprised.

“Wait, that’s it?”

Kate’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “I’m not your mother Nero. I knew you were going to do this one way or the other. I’ve said everything I could, I’ve told you how much your mother worries about you. That is all I can do.”

Nero nodded. “And I appreciate-”

“Under one condition.”

He should have seen it coming.

Kate grabbed his hand and inched her face close to him. “Tell me where you are going.”

“Why would I? So you can drag my mother in there?”

Her grip tightened. “I promise I won’t. You came here in the middle of the night because you trusted me to keep your secret. I won’t betray you, but only if you tell me where you’re going. I’m going to visit you once a week, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

Nero formed the words to argue against her, or he could probably swing her hand away and tell it’s too dangerous, but then he met the usual blue eyes of stubbornness. He realized he could argue all day and reach the same point they were before. Besides, Kate visting him every week gave him a chance to know more about his mother, how she was coping with the anger.

“It will be either the Lad Hills or the Detush Riverbank. Abel has training grounds in both places, and I don’t know which he will choose.”

“That better not be a lie.”

“I promise. Even if he chooses a different place I’ll find a way to write for you about it.”

Kate finally released the grip on her arm. “What am I supposed to say to your mother?”

“I’ve already put a letter beside her bed. I’ve said everything I need to say in the letter. Just pretend you never knew about this.”

Kate gave a slight nod. With her conversation done, Nero finally walked out of her room, and grabbed his backpack. He undid the locks slowly before letting himself out. When he looked back he heard footsteps. Kate approached him with a small bag.

“Medicinal herbs,” she said, handing them over to him. “You can grind the leaves to reduce the pain, and if you squeeze out the sap of the flowers that acts as a balm.”

Nero nodded. “Take care of my mother. She’s going to get angry with me-”

“A lot.”

“Yes, that is why I need you to care about her. You’re more of a child to her than me.”

“Don’t say that,” Kate snapped. “I’ve been with your mother, and she cares about you a lot more than you think.”

Nero gave a grim nod. He suddenly felt the guilt invading him, but he swallowed it down before it could get worse.

“Thanks for everything Kate.”

She nodded, and then paused. Nero was thinking she was going to walk back when she kept quick two feet beside him and kissed him on the cheek.

“Stay safe,” she said, a slight blush apparent in her soft face. And then she was gone faster than the night breeze.

Nero just stood there dumbstruck, touching his cheek as if someone painted gold over it. And then he smiled, suddenly everything was feeling brighter after Kate’s kiss. He turned back and walked to the fields. Halfway through he broke into a jog, and then into a run. He didn’t stop until he reached Abel’s cottage.

He knocked on the door, and kept knocking until he heard curses and mutterings from inside.

When Abel finally opened the door he was scratching his eyes. “What in the divine heavens-”

“I want to train,” Nero said. “Teach me everything you know. Everything!”

“It’s only an hour past midnight boy! When I told you to come, I meant in the bloody morning when the sun was shining and the chickens were croaking their shitty throats out.”

“Abel, I ran away from home. This is my chance.”

The man stopped rubbing his eyes and looked at Nero seriously for the first time. Nero looked back at him, clutching his backpack tight.

“Oh for the love of Tarlin,” he opened the door wide and motioned him in. “First you’ll sleep, and then we’ll start training tomorrow. And you better pray in your sleep your mother won’t kill me before tomorrow morning.”