CHAPTER THREE

ADELE’s POV.

This man has to be fucking kidding me, how did he expect me to win him in a dagger fight? I can barely even hold his gaze and he wants me to spar with him?

“You have got to be kidding me” I mutter under my breath.

“I will have a match with you,” Bastain announces, stepping in front of me.

“I saw you before I chose her, Bastian” the general retorts, “are you scared that she may have all of you going back home” he tilts his head and his gaze meets mine. I hate that arrogance on his face

“Step back” I whisper to Bastian. The rate at which he is going, the general might send all of us back before we even get a chance to prove ourselves or in the worst case scenario, he might kill all of us and dump the body where we will never be found.

“But…

“I can handle it” I tell him, “I promise”

He lets out a sigh and steps back, his gaze darkening. He looks like he is about to reap the general into a million pieces.

“Fine” I say out loud, “I will spar with you”

“I like the ones who jump to their deaths”

With a wicked look on his face, he pulls his body from the chair and starts walking towards me yet again. My breath quickens as I unsheath one of my daggers.

“Use the one I gave you” Bastian tells me, “it is much easier to hold and make sure to watch out for his every move. For a man like him, try as much as possible to defend yourself from him. He goes for kill”

“Do you know him personally?” Lance whispers to him but he ignores Lance and has his attention on me.

“I am right here, I won't let anything happen to you”

The general scoffs as he also pulls out his dagger.

The others move back leaving he and I at the center. Yes, I know I am fucking good with my daggers but I have never gone against a man like him before. Compared to him, I am even less than a novice. Maybe mother was right, I should have stayed back but right now, I do not want to prove her words to be true in any way.

I start to round him, trying to decipher what is going on In his mind but his stoic expression gives nothing away.

“You can do this” I mutter to myself before lunging at him, he grabs my hand midair and pushes me off, making me stagger a few feet away from him.

I don’t wait and rush towards him again, aiming for his side but he dodges and lodges his dagger to my lower abdomen, his smirk intensifies. With this position, he can push the dagger through my corset and pierce me to death but from the look on his face, he wants to tease me, he wants to push me to the verge of losing my fucking mind.

Swerving to the side, I go down on one knee, a move he doesn’t expect and I slash at his leather pants but it’s impenetrable, he yanks me by the neck and shoves towards the wall.

I immediately feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

“Adele!!” Bastain rushes to me, crouching in front of me,

“Are you okay?”

“I will leave,” I mutter.

Now, the general is standing behind him, his gaze darkening with each passing moment.

“Did I win?” I ask.

“We haven’t even started”

“Why don’t you fight me?” Bastion abruptly stands up, unsheathing his own dagger.

“I can do this myself Bastain”

“Or fight me” Lance chips in.

“I can stand in for her” Greta too.

“Are you all here to train as soldiers or to protect her?” He sounds irritated

“We came as a group” Bastian growls, “and I am

responsible for her, I won’t let you hurt her”

Fear grips me, what if he kills Bastian? He can kill him and no one will question him.

“I can do this” I stand to my feet, “please, Bastian”

“Adele, he is messing with you”

“I said step aside, Bastian”

“Fuck this” he rakes his hand through his hair.

“If you hurt her one more time, I will….

The general immediately throws his dagger and it lunches towards Bastian’s face but he doesn’t even move. Just a few inches away from his face, the dagger stops mid air and I let out a sigh.

“One more word from you and I will send your dead body back to Drakeworth, Bastian” the general’s frown deepens and he doesn’t look like he is joking about it.

“I will…

“Throw the lot of them in the dungeon” he orders again, “until they learn what it’s like to be a soldier”

Just as he turns around and walks back to his chair, some of the men standing around seize us and lead us out of the tent.

****

As soon as they throw us into the dungeon and slam it shut, Carolina immediately comes at me, pushing at my chest.

“You almost got us killed back there” she spits in anger, “how can you not even wield a sword?”

“What rubbish” Bastain comes between us, “back off, Carolina” he growls.

“He was just trying to make a mess of Adele” zen chips in.

“Do you guys think coming here was a bad idea”

All of us are silent, I genuinely do not know what to say.

“What’s your deal with him anyways?” Carolina asks Bastian, “you were hell bent on provoking him, why?”

“It’s none of your business” he spits, “and don’t you dare come at Adele like that again”

He is being so overprotective and I can understand it but almost got himself killed on the first day.

“Oh, Ra!” I can’t help but call on the gods to all gods to help us right now.

I plop down on the ground and bury my head in my palms. What’s the general’s deal anyways?

“Are you okay?” Bastain kneels beside me, “are you hurt anywhere?”

“I am fine” I tell him, “don’t jump in to save me next time”

“Your mother will kill me if I let anything happen to you”

“She doesn’t even know that you are here” I roll my eyes, “but I am serious, I can take care of myself”

He doesn’t say anything but I know that look very well, the one that means he is not going to listen to a word I say.

The whole dungeon is quiet, everyone with his or her own thoughts and I can’t help but heave a sigh. Are we in here because of me?

“How do you know the general though?” I ask Bastain after a while, In a whisper.

“It’s nothing serious” he replies, “he showed up when my father died and there has been bad blood between us since”

I wait for more explanation but none comes so I leave it. I have a feeling he is not telling me everything but I am sure he will when the time is right.

“Listen everyone” Bastain stands up, his huge frame casting a shadow over the walls of the dungeon. I am really proud of the man he has become, sincerely.

“Cahir is not going to kill us”

“And how would you know that?” Agatha retorts.

“He would have killed us on the spot if he wanted to, we are pretty much plebes already so let’s just wait for the confirmation”

“What makes you so sure?” Lance asks him.

“Let’s wait and see”

As the dungeon falls silent again, the image of his face winds its way into my mind and I clench my jaw together. If by any means we become plebes, I am going to make it my life’s mission to hate him for all eternity.