My Fiancé Is The Duke's Disgraced Daughter

Punctuality was a vital skill for the nobility. Not just having it, but knowing when to wield it. Arriving late, or early, or on time, to an event all sent different messages, and this lesson had been taught to Elizabeth Filangris a long time ago.

Kenric Wulf was someone you always arrived on time for, which was why she was on the sparring ground at seven the next morning, just as he had instructed. Kenric was waiting there, a frown on his face.

"Good morning, is something wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

"Gerard has reminded me that I have been unreasonable in my excitement," Kenric said, "Would you like to eat something first before we begin?"

It was strange. For how severe Kenric was, he was also just as willing to accept responsibility when he felt he had done something wrong. Elizabeth was beginning to understand that he was just as strict with himself as he was with everyone else.

She shook her head, smiling slightly despite herself, "I don't need any breakfast right now. I don't feel very hungry this early."

"We'll be out here for at least an hour," Kenric warned, "And I've heard using magic takes physical stamina of sorts."

"It does," Elizabeth confirmed, "It's like using a group of muscles. You can't touch them, but the tire the body all the same when used."

"And that stasis spell of yours?" Kenric asked, "Is it difficult to cast?"

Elizabeth gave it some thought, "It's… difficult to learn to cast. Once you get enough practice, casting it is a simple matter. Maintaining it too."

"And how long can you maintain it?" This wasn't idle curiosity or polite conversation. Kenric was gathering information about his new resource, identifying where and when he could put it to use. Elizabeth could tell.

"At least two hours, I'd say," Elizabeth calculated. She thought of more information he might find useful, "I need you in my line of sight to cast the spell, but then after, as long as my wand is pointed at your general direction I can keep maintaining it, even if I can't see you."

"I see," Kenric said, "We will discuss your other spells later then. For now, please cast that stasis spell on me."

Elizabeth pulled out her wand and engaged the invisible function within her. She clearly imagined the formula in her head and guided down the energy down the required path. The spell took shape within her, and like a magnet, the wand pulled it into itself. Then, slowly and carefully, she expelled the spell upon her target: Kenric's left leg.

A band of blue with deeper blue arcane sigils appeared around it. Those same sigils had been part of what she had had to clearly picture in her mind while casting the spell. Kenric flexed it experimentally, and even though Elizabeth knew she had cast the spell perfectly, she felt a flash of nervousness.

"Yes," Kenric smiled slightly, "Well done."

Elizabeth bit the insides of her cheeks to hide just how weirdly happy that small amount of praise made her feel. He picked up a wooden sword from a basket nearby—the first time she had seen him with an actual weapon aside from his cane—and swung it a few times. After getting the feel for it, he settled into a disciplined stance and repeated the same few motions again and again.

It was strangely hypnotic watching him train. He never deviated, and never did his expression shift. If it wasn't for the slowly brightening sky, it would have almost been like watching the world caught in a loop.

Kenric glanced at the sky, "Approximately an hour has passed. That is enough for now." His expression was still the same, impassive, and yet he seemed refreshed somehow. He closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again, "Tomorrow we will try more intensive movements." He paused, "Does this stop you from your own training?"

Elizabeth shook her head, stopping the flow of energy into her wand, "This is also a sort of training for me. I said using magic is like engaging a group of muscles, and growing it is the same. The more magic I use, the more my capacity increases for next time."

Kenric nodded, "Good.

*

Elizabeth and Kenric's early morning training sessions became a daily thing, and as Elizabeth grew more comfortable, she began making conversation. She learned quickly that it was better to be direct with him rather than engage in the artful dance of hinting, and giving, and taking that most nobles revelled in.

It was in these conversations that she learned about some of Kenric's vassals.

"You called Edward a knight."

"Yes."

"You have knighted him then?"

"Yes."

"Does he know what becoming a knight means?" Elizabeth asked.

"You mean, does he know that he can never serve another lord unless I strip him of his rank?" Kenric said, "Yes. I warned him of it. He wanted to become one nonetheless."

"He must be skilled then."

"He is, he makes an excellent knight," Kenric said, "Aida is his equal, but she rejected my offer to knight her, she claims that she cannot stand being called a knight."

"Why not?"

"That is her story to tell."

As the second week since her arrival here approached, Elizabeth found that she had grown increasingly close to Kenric's butler, Gerard. He spoke like some of the servants back home, and talking with him reminded her of simpler times.

"Gerard speaks well. Has he served a noble closer to the capital before?" Elizabeth asked Kenric during one of their morning training sessions.

"Yes, he used to be a servant of the Ravenstar family," Kenric said, performing a powerful series of moves.

"The Ravenstar Rebellion…" Elizabeth remembered.

"Yes," Kenric said, "After it failed, Gerard apparently wandered the Kingdom until my father took him into his service. He has served our family faithfully ever since."

"Everyone in your service has some sort of story, huh?" Elizabeth mused.

"Including you," Kenric reminded her, "And besides, even elsewhere, I doubt there are any people with absolutely no story to tell of their lives."

Elizabeth found there was nothing she could say to that.