The weeks passed quietly.
Long before the capital awoke each morning, the palace training grounds echoed with the rhythmic sounds of steel meeting steel.
Atheline stood in the center of the courtyard with his sword resting comfortably in his hand. Across from him, Lilith slowly lowered into her stance, her dark blade reflecting the first rays of dawn.
The instant their eyes met, they moved. Steel collided with a sharp clang that echoed throughout the empty courtyard. Their movements flowed naturally.
Every strike tested the other's guard, searching for even the smallest opening before immediately being answered by another precise counter.
Atheline stepped forward with a diagonal slash before seamlessly transitioning into a thrust.
Lilith caught the first strike and twisted her wrist, redirecting the second just enough for the blade to pass harmlessly beside her shoulder.
