Chapter 258

Brightblade looked longingly at a grilled leg of lamb that was sitting just out of her arm’s reach, one among several dozens of meticulously prepared dishes that sat before her on the table .

“Could you get that for me?” she said . “My body is still weak from that terrible fight I fought for you . And with my injuries, I just don’t have the strength . ” She sighed woefully as she looked at Arran .

He gave her a brief glare, but he stood up all the same, then walked over to the piece of meat and carefully deposited it on Brightblade’s plate . He owed her that much, at least .

“Could you carve it up, as well?” she asked . This time, she was unable to keep a smile from flashing across her face .

Arran sighed, but he did not complain . Although Brightblade was taking full advantage of the situation, she had earned the right to do so . Even if she had no real need for Arran’s assistance anymore .

Just two weeks had passed since the duel, but Brightblade’s recovery in that time had been nothing short of miraculous .

Right after the battle, her injuries had been grievous — deep wounds, broken bones, and bruises that covered her body from head to toe . It had taken a full day before she even regained consciousness, and when she finally came to, she was in a pitiful state .

During the first few days, the Valley’s best healers had cared for her day and night, using every shred of Essence they had to mend her broken body . And their ceaseless efforts had paid off . Barely three days after the duel, she was already back on her feet, albeit unsteadily .

After that, with the help of Arran’s dragon meat and Snowcloud’s pills, her progress had been dramatic . It only took half a week before she insisted on resuming Arran’s training, and by now, a stranger would be unable to see that she had suffered serious injuries just weeks earlier .

Still, her recovery had a long way to go yet, and Arran knew that months would pass before she fully regained her strength . But even this was far beyond anything he could have expected, and he would do whatever he could to help her further along the way to a full recovery .

As Brightblade finished the grilled leg of lamb — her third that morning — she stood up from the table . “We should spar for a bit,” she said . “You could do with a bit of practice . “

Arran gave her a flat stare . “Weren’t you feeling too weak to get your food just a moment ago?”

“The meal helped,” she replied cheerfully . “And some light exercise will help me recover faster . “

With a sigh, Arran followed her to the training fields in his mansion’s gardens . There was no point in objecting — once Brightblade’s mind was set, there was little he could do to change it . Especially when it came to training .

Just a moment after they arrived at the training fields, however, Jovan approached at a jog .

He greeted Brightblade with a bow — one noticeably deeper than the ones he had given her before the duel — then turned to Arran .

“Lord Ghostblade,” he said . “Gifts have arrived from the House of Fists and the House of Leaves, and their Elders would like to know when you could meet them . ” Somewhat uncomfortably, he added, “Their messengers are currently waiting at the gate, in anticipation of your reply . “

Arran frowned . “Put the gifts with the others, and tell the messengers what I said before: that I will send word when I am ready to meet the Elders . “

“Of course, Lord Ghostblade . ” Jovan gave Arran a nod and Brightblade another bow, then hurried off again .

As his steward departed, Arran sighed in frustration . Over the past two weeks, he had received gifts and invitations from dozens of different Houses, some of which he hadn’t even known existed until they contacted him .

“You’ll have to meet with them sooner or later,” Brightblade said as she unsheathed her sword . Not waiting for a reply, she immediately launched a quick attack at Arran .

Arran barely managed to draw his sword and fend off the attack, then quickly took several steps back, dropping into a defensive stance . “Is it really necessary for me to meet them?”

Brightblade darted forward, then struck a deceptively powerful blow that opened a gap in Arran’s defense . A quick flick of her sword brought the blade against Arran’s throat, and she calmly stepped back .

“My win . And yes, it’s necessary . Given your new position, all the Houses will want to forge ties with you . Rejecting them will earn you no small number of enemies in the Valley . “

Before he replied, Arran launched a rapid series of blows at Brightblade, though she deflected them all with ease . Without pause, she responded with several quick counter-strokes, the last of which struck Arran in the chest .

Arran stepped back, then let out another sigh . “I don’t even know what my position is . “

“Of course you do,” Brightblade said . With a few swings of her blade, she drove Arran back several paces . “You are the heir apparent to the Ninth Valley’s Matriarch . “

Hearing the words said so openly caused Arran a brief moment of distraction, which Brightblade exploited to strike another blow to his chest .

“My win again,” she said . “And there’s no escaping it now . The Matriarch’s position has been strengthened by the death of her strongest detractors, and with you her apprentice, the same goes for your own position . “

She didn’t mention her own role, but then, there was no need to say it out loud . Brightblade had slain three of the Valley’s strongest Elders, and as her apprentice, Arran’s status had skyrocketed as well .

In fact, it almost seemed like the Houses were more interested in him than in Brightblade — perhaps, Arran thought, because the awe they felt for Brightblade included more than a little fear . To the Houses’ leaders, attempting to win over her apprentice might seem the safest approach in appeasing her .

All of this left Arran in a position that was as enviable to others as it was unwelcome to him .

Rather than being able to train quietly, he now stood at the center of attention, with no end to the number of powerful strangers trying to win his favor .

He glanced at Brightblade and launched another series of attacks, slower and more deliberate this time . They crossed swords for several minutes before she inevitably got the better of him again .

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“So what should I do?” he asked, rubbing his shoulder where she had struck him with the flat of her blade .

“Practice your swordplay more, for a start,” she replied with a grin . But her expression turned serious a moment later, and she continued, “Give them what they want . Meet with them, then accept the gifts and training they will offer you . Your training will benefit from their help, and you might even gain some allies . “

She attacked again before Arran could reply, and for the next half hour, they sparred in silence . Despite her injuries, Brightblade was more than a match for her student, and Arran’s forehead was covered in sweat when they finally ended the training .

He quickly changed into a clean robe, and as they headed back to the mansion, he gave Brightblade a curious look . “How did you do it?”

She responded with an innocent smile . “Do what?”

“Win the duel,” Arran replied, knowing that she understood exactly what he meant — he had asked the question nearly every day over the previous week, with Brightblade deflecting it as deftly as she deflected his sword . “That defense of yours, and your final attack… I still don’t understand how either of those things is possible . “

He half-expected Brightblade to dodge the question once more, but instead, she gave him an appraising look .

Yet the answer he hoped for didn’t come . Instead, she said, “I will explain it to you once you become an adept . By then, your knowledge of magic should barely be enough to understand the answer . “

It was more of an answer than she had given him previously, and though it did nothing to satisfy his curiosity, he nodded in acknowledgment . Even if he had to wait for an answer — and longer than he would have liked, at that — he knew that it was more than she offered the Ninth Valley’s Elders .

“Let’s eat a quick meal,” she continued . “After that, we’ll pay Rhea a visit . “

“We’re seeing the Matriarch tonight?” Arran asked . While the Matriarch had visited several times to check on Brightblade in the days after the duel, there had been little sign of the woman over the past week .

“We are,” Brightblade said . “It’s time for you to resume your training in earnest, and I’ll need to discuss with her how we’ll involve the other Houses . ” Then, with a slight grin, she added, “And there’s still the matter of the amulet — a debt I expect her to repay with interest . ”