I yawned deeply and tried to blink away the blurriness from my vision, almost tripping on the pathway down to the gate. The knight leaning against the gatehouse had a faint smile on his lips after watching my near embarrassment.

The walls blocked the view of the rising sun, but soft morning light had started to bathe the clouds above. I’d told Sam it wouldn’t be a problem to be up this early, and it shouldn’t have been, but I had not considered staying up through most of the night trying to finish a book.

Every other thought I had was trying to work out who had killed the poor luggage boy.

I hadn’t yet got to the other string-bound stacks of paper we had collected from the library after our shopping at Clem’s, I was too enthralled with the one I first picked up.

I still managed to be up before first light. A lack of sleep being something I was used to by now.

There wasn’t any activity out in the lower bailey until I walked around the bastion, the knight’s headquarters, where I was supposed to meet Sam.

The lush grass came to an abrupt stop, with only small tufts surviving the trampling of the crowd in front of me. It wasn’t the entire knight force since I knew from Sam they didn’t all come every day, but there was a lot more than he made it sound like there would be.

Behind them was a mulch covered paddock—without any horses—and the grove of fruit trees past that.

Most of those present had on something similar to what I was wearing: shorts, a dark green long-sleeved top, and shoes made from fabrics instead of leather, which were meant to be more comfortable to run in.

Some had short sleeves while others had no shirts at all, the woman only wearing the same kind of snug brassiere as I.

Sam was off to the side, away from the main group of knights, in a dark green shirt. The group he was talking to looked comfortable together and were stretching out their limbs in different ways while talking with each other.

“Valeria!”

I turned to Commander Faraya standing with a man wearing a captain’s beret. It might have slid off his bald head at any moment. He had a long fuzzy moustache that must have made eating and drinking difficult. Both wore the full dress uniform, not taking part in the exercise.

I trotted over to the two of them. “Good morning.”

“Morning, this is Instructor Daniels, he oversees the knight’s morning drills. A few of us in the palace wanted to find a way to provide you some structure in your life while you’re here. As such, I was quite glad when Samuel said you would be joining us. I hope you’ll consider keeping at it.”

“Remember what I said, Daniels,” she added before leaving.

He watched her leave before turning to look down at me. “The commander seems to be under the impression you’re some kind of dry twig, liable to snap at the slightest pressure. Is that true?”

“Ummm, no?”

“Good, if you’re going to make the effort to be here, you’re going to get something out of it. From now on when you’re told to be here at sunrise, it means be here and be ready at sunrise,” he said, with his tone getting colder as he went on.

I nodded, losing all thoughts of this being as simple as walking up some steps.

“And when I speak you will respond with a crisp and clear, yes sir. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, go join the Manafold boy.”

“Yes, sir.” I wasn’t sure if that warranted the response, but something about him made me take the safer option.

I escaped to Sam, who was watching along with the younger group.

“I thought if I said something about Instructor Daniels you wouldn’t have come,” he said with hands raised. He must have read something on my expression that made it obvious I was about to ask exactly that.

He gestured to the tall blonde in a brassiere and shorts, then to the boy with very short black hair. “This is Clair and Isaac. You’re joining us since we’re down a member from the apprentices leaving this morning. Guys, this is Valeria, she’ll be our fourth for a while.”

Clair and Isaac were closer to the chiselled statues we’d walked past the day before. I stared at her abdomen which was only skin and muscle. Isaac was stuffed into his shirt and I was sure I could wear the thing as a dress.

Sam's arms were almost as defined, now that he was wearing less layers, but not nearly as large. The rest of the group that had been stretching were all somewhere between him and Isaac.

I was starting to feel very out of place.

“Great,” Clair said, drawing out the word. “I get why I have to put up with you, Manafold, but don’t make me deal with your girlfriend. Some of us need this recommendation. And having her makes us look bad for finishing after them,”—she gestured to the other three groups of four—“or worse for ditching her.”

I preferred accepting Isaac’s outstretched fist than trying to understand what Clair meant.

“C’mon Clair, she’s not—”

A loud whistle came from the direction of Instructor Daniels.

“You sorry bunch better not need me to tell you how to warm up by now,” he said to the knights and turned to us. “You’ll take two laps around the perimeter of the bailey.”

Everyone immediately turned and bolted towards the wall, Sam telling me to follow. We ran through the grove behind the bastion with our group sticking together. Most of the trees were doing fine in the colder weather despite others losing their leaves elsewhere in the castle.

We made it to the outer gate before my legs started to hurt.

We ran behind the staff village, around sheets hanging on laundry lines.

I was breathing deeply after getting back to the inner gate. The others had slowed down from their blistering pace, also breathing harder.

It was strangely easier on the second time around while I was concentrating on keeping the same rhythm with Sam’s legs and breathing.

We didn’t get a moment of rest upon our return. “Thirty each of the usual rotations, Twig I’ll let you off with twenty since it’s your first session, but don’t expect that the next time. And if I catch any of you using mana enhancement again, I’ll throw you from the ramparts.”

Instructor Daniels aimed the last part at one of the boys in the other groups.

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, slightly delayed with the rest.

The knights were lifting wooden slabs in different ways that would help muscle growth. The wood felt like it was enchanted with different levels of mana to increase the weight.

The mana enhancement must have been what the knights were doing when moving mana to specific muscles. It was the only explanation for some of the feats they were accomplishing with the already heavy wood.

Sam laid down on his back, knees bent, and asked me to hold his legs. I knelt down and did so without asking why since I was watching Isaac and Clair get in a similar position.

He proceeded to sit up and explain what a sit-up was to me, so when it was my turn I knew what to do. He finished and I took his place, confused about how sitting up was difficult.

“Five more, you got this.”

My abdomen screamed at me not to do another, but I did. And then another four after resting in between each.

I wanted to stay laid back on the ground, but we were already behind the others who were on their next exercise, which was push-ups. Sam quickly showed me how to do one while I got down into the position next to him.

“Butt down, Twig. Butt down,” Instructor Daniels said from behind me. “Bend those elbows inwards. All the way to the ground. Good, now give me twenty more proper ones like that.”

“Of course, the little princess is getting special attention,” Clair said. “Why is she here when she doesn’t even know what a fucking push-up is.”

“Shut up, Clair,” Sam said with a strained voice, nearing his last push-up.

I understood Clair was annoyed at my presence, and that I was holding her back from something. I felt indifferent to her words, but it annoyed me that she was talking to Sam about it instead of me.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

I was also too busy trying to breathe to worry about responding.

By the last few push-ups, I was holding myself up on wobbly arms to try to get a break before going down again. I almost got stuck on the last one after rushing into it, but forced my body away from the ground.

Other groups were lining up in front of a steel bar arched into the ground with a flat top. They each tried to pull their chins up to the top bar, with some not managing it and others doing a dozen at most before dropping.

Sam didn’t need to explain what was obviously called a pull-up, so Clair was silent as we joined the line behind her.

“This one’s called a cliff-crest, don’t worry if you can’t do it, these don’t count for the thirty requirement.”

Isaac came over from his push-ups to tower behind us and snorted. “I’ll give you a boost if you can’t reach the bar.”

Sam moved to join the line behind me, placing me closer to Clair. She moved off to the bar without turning around during our wait. Clair jumped up slightly to clamp her hands over the metal and smoothly pulled herself up. She managed to get to fifteen that way and struggled up a few more times before letting go.

I walked out after her and created a step in the dirt to reach the bar without jumping before either boy could think of lifting me.

My arms protested at the thought of trying to pull up my weight. It was obvious then, when I did make it up, that mana had played a part. I hadn’t meant to and looked over at Instructor Daniels for an admonishment when I went back down to hang.

He gestured for me to continue, so he either didn’t care or I was working with an amount of mana he couldn’t sense.

I tried again after hanging for a moment and strained my arms until my chin cleared the bar. I managed to do it several more times before my arms cramped up and forced me to drop down.

My landing wasn’t graceful and I stumbled around feeling like I used too much mana too quickly. I plopped myself on the ground to watch Sam grab onto the bar and do his cliff-crests. He didn’t manage as many as Clair, but more than Isaac who followed him.

I was leaning on my arm to try to get my legs under me when Instructor Daniels put a hand on my shoulder. “Sit out the next set, you’ll only hurt yourself.”

“Yes, sir.”

He nodded and moved to kick someone's ankles together during their push-ups. I sat and watched the creative ways he used to mould each person into the specific form he wanted. Clair agitated Sam with a comment I assumed was about me, but I was too tired to care. I felt like I had given as much as I had, but it wasn’t enough for her or the instructor’s liking.

I had a fading ache in my limbs and muscles to prove it. Jumping into the pond sounded like a good idea as I wiped sweat from my brow.

Sam came to sit next to me, along with the other groups of four, after their set of pull-ups.

“Are we done?” I asked.

Clair scoffed from behind us and Sam turned to glare at her before speaking. “No, we watch the knights grapple and spar. We do the same and then a relay, the best group in both of those gets to try out riding the destriers.”

“Horses?”

“Warhorses specially bred for knights, even apprentices only get their own in year four.”

Most of the knights had paired off with some crouching low and circling each other. They flung out their arms and tried to grab at the others' limbs or clothing. One pair only took a single moment for them to end up on the ground, one with an arm around the other’s neck.

There was a range of different weapons used by those that were armed. Most used what I would call a normal sword, with others wielding things like Barick’s large slab of metal or daggers with prongs on the side.

None were using spells, unless enhancements counted as one, which was unfortunate since I wanted to see what other combat magic was capable of.

From a safe distance.

Those not paired off were pulling back bows taller than I was and lunching iron-tipped arrows at hay targets. According to Sam they had more power than a normal crossbow and took a thorough grasp of mana enhancement to draw.

I nodded along to his explanation while leaning against my knees.

Instructor Daniels had me sit out again for our sparring. Clair dominated with grappling, Isaac spent the whole time smacking wooden swords together with others, and Sam danced around his opponent with a blunt spear.

I grimaced every time someone hit the ground or got whacked with the full strength of a swing. Being a knight didn’t seem like the thing for me. I was only here to exercise and apparently gain structure in my life.

We came fourth in the relay, much to Clair’s displeasure. She held off on her insult until it was announced we came third overall in the groups and wouldn’t get to enter the manege with the destriers.

Five horses came down with stable hands leading all but Polem, who came trotting along at his own pace without any reins around his face. He was very happy with himself for kicking up enough fuss to not have them, especially the bit inside his mouth.

Everyone crowded around the wooden fence to watch the winning group try to climb up a chosen horse.

A tall boy managed to get his foot in Polem’s stirrup after slowly approaching the horse with an apple.

But was bumped to the ground as Polem turned. Polem didn’t let him close again, so he went for the remaining one who stood still as he pulled himself up into the saddle.

A girl dug the stirrups into an otherwise very gentle white horse. The crowd groaned as she was flung off when they reared up in offence.

She was escorted out while limping by some people in similar garments to Morris.

Polem threw his head about and whinnied while the remaining three cantered around the area. The horses thought their riders were a pain in the back who didn’t sit properly, put too much weight on the stirrups, yanked the reins too hard and didn’t move with them as they moved.

They were too well-trained to throw their riders off for what they thought were minor issues. Instructor Daniels was shouting directions from the side which helped lessen the mistakes.

“Same time tomorrow, ready by sunrise,” he said after the group dismounted. He made sure I was looking at him and raised his eyebrows, I nodded. I’d been waiting for him to ask me to leave, but he still wanted me to come back.

We started to head back around to the front of the bastion.

“That could have been us if someone ran a bit faster,” Clair said, arms folded and glaring at Sam.

“Oh, give it a rest,” Sam said. “We still only came third even with Daral on our team.

“The two ahead of us were full of apprentices, moron.”

I’d gotten very good at ignoring insults, but I was tired and she was annoying Sam. Tired from a lack of sleep and abusing muscles I didn’t know existed. One was my own fault, but I felt good about the other and she was ruining it.

I didn’t have anything to say back since what she said was true, so I did something I thought would annoy her.

After begging, Polem turned from where he was trailing after the stable hands holding the reins of the four horses. He trotted over and interrupted Sam and Clair’s spat, which Isaac had joined in.

Polem agreed to lie down for me as long as I brought him a block of salt to lick.

A block of salt? Is it white? I thought to confirm if I understood what he meant.

He threw his head about with a soft whinny and lay down for me to step over the saddle and into the stirrups. I held onto the pommel as his powerful legs got him up as soon as I sat.

Everyone's eyes were on me as Polem trotted to catch up to the other horses.

I glanced back before going through the gate.

The seething resentment in Clair’s gaze helped improve my mood.

…

I had tried hiding in my room after showering instead of going to the morning meeting with Sam. The plan to sleep was thrown away as soon as I laid down and opened the murder mystery book.

I’d gotten through one paragraph before Haily came in.

“You like shopping, ma’am?” she asked.

“Hmmm? Oh.” I sat up from where I was lying back with the book open above me.

She was holding an open box while staff members dropped off other boxes in the sitting room.

“Thank you!” I shouted after them as the door shut, it was embarrassing having the clothes carried up for me. I had forgotten about collecting them after my eventful morning.

“Put this one on.” She lay a white dress with a long flowy skirt on my bed followed by a yellow wool sweater.

“Why?” I’d just changed into my regular pants and brown shirt after drying off.

“Chief Yanla said you’re expected at lunch with the duke, something about giving you structure. These as well.”

Haily had started flinging out the crumpled paper packaged with the clothing and brought out a pair of open black shoes that I didn’t remember seeing yesterday.

“Would it be rude to read at the table?”

She flipped her hair out of her face from where she was leaning over another box to give me a disappointed look. “Yes, ma’am. It would be. Please don’t.”

I didn’t like the way the shoes clip-clopped like horse's hooves as I walked across the uncarpeted foyer. I tried to pull up the sleeves of my sweater, but they fell back down to the end of my thumb again. Haily had insisted on letting her brush my hair and conceding on letting me do it myself, as long as she approved.

The dining room door was open and I peeked in to see the Manafolds, Linh and her mother, Jeremy, Faraya, and other chiefs and their children I hadn’t heard the names of.

Janette saw me so my plans of walking away were no longer viable. The only place left amongst the paper and pastries was next to her, where Annalise would have sat.

I made my way around the table and was glad for the carpet hiding my steps.

“You look nice,” Janette said once I sat down.

“I’m sorry for making other people bring up the clothes. I’ll make sure to get them next time” I said and found something else to worry about. “Was it okay for me to have them delivered?”

“You are fine, it is no problem,” the duke said. “Yanla paid using your reward so you have not cost us anything.”

Janette nodded, “Samuel was just telling us about your training this morning.”

“Oh.”

My cheeks heated at my poor performance and I wondered which parts Sam would have told and how. When I was told to sit out during the sparring or how I lost them the relay?

“I think it is good for you to have something to do each day."

“Which is why—” Jeremey said before getting his mouth covered by Faraya.

“—why you should continue the training,” she finished. “Daniels said you did well for your first session.”

“Really?” I could not imagine those words coming out of his mouth. She shrugged and let go of Jeremy, who slid me a note when she wasn’t looking.

The first plates were brought out, Janette’s salad had white meat while mine had piles of crushed almonds and chickpeas.

“Samuel asked me if it was okay for you to leave the palace with him and Linh to go to a gathering with his friends this evening,” Janette said.

“And I can go?”

“If you want to, I think it would be a nice experience.”