Late in the night, when the villa had grown quiet and the candles had burned low, Elreth found herself pulled from her peaceful rest.
Her mother stood at the foot of the bed, already dressed in fitted training gear. A sword hung at her hip. Her green eyes blazed with an intensity that made Elreth's heart skip—not from fear, but from sudden, electric alertness.
"Get up," Seren said simply. Her voice was calm, but there was no room for argument. "It's time."
Elreth didn't ask what time it was. She knew. She had known this moment would come eventually. Mother and daughter had shared their evening of peace and quiet. Now, the Empress would check her daughter's progress.
She rose without a word, pulling on her own training clothes. Her spear materialized from her spatial ring, the familiar weight of it settling into her palm. By the time she turned around, her mother was already gone, a trail of disturbed air marking her path.
Elreth followed.
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