Mina was thrilled to be cleared for regular activity within a week. She was greatly improved, and although her scar was a bit itchy, it no longer felt as though she might split in two at any moment. In fact, it hadn't for days, but the doctor was appropriately cautious. She dressed that morning in preparation for her first post-injury training and practically skipped down the stairs to breakfast.
"Look at who's feeling very herself this morning," Evander said after receiving a quick peck on the lips.
"I'm so ready for today. I've been so bored." Mina said as she piled meat, eggs, and bread onto her plate. "Besides, I've seen you these past two weeks. You're getting really good. Can't have you doing better than me."
"He is doing very well, little queen. You have some catching up to do. I doubt it'll take long." Egon assured her gently.
"When do we get our swords?" She asked between bites. She'd been wondering all morning. Having never commissioned a sword, she didn't know how long they took to make.
"In the next week or so, for Evander's. Yours might be a little longer with the ornate hilt, though Eisele has the best craftsmen she could find working on it." She pouted at him. She hadn't asked for the fancy hilt, he had. "Don't worry. I have one that I use for older children that you can borrow, but not until you're ready. We don't need any more injuries."
"Evander has started close combat for the dagger. I want to learn that too." She insisted.
"Anything you want, little queen."
She sat in watching him teach again that morning. She'd been doing it a lot. The boys were all very talented. She was sure that, as someone who hadn't been taught since she could walk, she could learn something from them. Even if all she learned was to have fun with it, it was worth the time.
"Watch the little one," Evander said as the youngest came up behind an older brother and smacked him on the behind with his wooden sword. Egon then had to break up the ensuing tiff.
"Sometimes Egon seems more like their nanny than their teacher." She laughed quietly.
"Sometimes he is." Evander laughed with her.
"I never wanted kids," she admitted quietly. "Not just because I die if I have a girl. It just seems like so much."
"Understandable," he responded, taking her hand in his.
"It's really pretty unavoidable, though, isn't it?" she mused.
"I don't know. Egon seems pretty creative," Van joked. "But to be honest, having seen him with these boys the past few weeks, Egon might want kids."
"Maybe we can adopt." She joked, but she knew she had to have children at some point. That was the only way to pass on the dagger and keep the kingdom safe. Or maybe she didn't want to pass on the dagger. Maybe that wasn't fair.
"Maybe." He squeezed her hand.
After their mid-day meal, they went to train. Mina was annoyed that she was already a bit rusty, but she picked it back up pretty quickly. More annoying was that her stamina wasn't what it had been. She found herself breathless more often than not, and her muscles quickly fatigued. It wasn't long before Egon asked her to sit the rest of the session out. She sat watching them work on close combat, trying not to pout or get upset. She wasn't a child. She wasn't going to cry over this. Some rehabilitation was to be expected after such an injury. Fortunately, she would continue to recover fast, and she had to look forward to that.
"Don't be so disappointed, little queen." Egon's words cut through her thoughts. "You did well today."
"I'm alright," she insisted.
"If it makes you feel any better, being cleared for full activities means you can have a real bath. Care to join us?" Egon offered.
"You think I want to spend my first real bath in weeks fending off you two?" She joked.
"I promise I'll be good. Evander's always good when he's not being influenced by me." He gave her a sly smile.
"Okay," She smiled back, getting up off the bench to head inside and to her room.
She changed out of her dress and into a robe before she took her hair down to brush it and prepare it to be washed. Once she was ready, she made her way down to the bathhouse. Both men were already in the bath when she entered. She took a deep, steadying breath before shedding her robe and hanging it on a peg. Then she turned around to both men watching her every move.
No pressure. She wasn't going to rush and show that she was nervous. She walked to the cabinet as gracefully as she could muster and pulled out her soap and body oil. She went over to set them where she planned to sit, which was across from where Egon and Evander sat. They continued to watch her as she made her final walk to the stairs into the bath. She swam to take her spot across from them and smiled at them.
"Satisfied?" she asked playfully.
"Not yet, but I plan to be," Egon responded.
"You might be an actual goddess." She couldn't tell if Evander was red from the hot water or if he was blushing.
"You could learn a few things from Evander," she told Egon. "His response was much nicer."
"I am who I am, little queen. If I were more like Evander, I would have never been inside either of you." He was probably not wrong. Evander always let her take the lead, and Egon always took the lead. She liked them both the way they were.
"I look forward to revisiting that." She said, lathering up her sponge so she could wash. It hadn't escaped her that with being released for normal activity came new opportunities for them.
"Whenever you're ready."