Training

Chapter Five — Training 

Octavia’s POV

A knock on the door woke me up.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before remembering where I was.

The mansion.

I had spent the night in a place I knew nothing about, belonging to a man whose name I didn’t even know.

Another knock came.

“Come in,” I called.

The door opened, and a neatly dressed man walked in. I recognized him as the assistant who had come to speak with his employer the previous day.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning.”

“The Commander is waiting for you at the field.”

I immediately sat up.

“The Commander?”

“Yes.”

“What—”

Before I could ask why he wanted to see me, he turned and walked out, leaving me staring at the door.

What did he want from me?

I had only arrived at the mansion yesterday, and I hadn’t done anything wrong. At least, I didn’t think I had.

Still, people feared the Commander. Even his guards treated him with great respect, and I had no idea what he was capable of.

I quickly got out of bed and changed into something suitable before stepping into the hallway.

I couldn’t afford to keep him waiting.

As I walked downstairs, I spotted a maid carrying a basket of clothes.

“Excuse me, please.”

She stopped and looked at me.

“Can you tell me how to get to the training field?”

“Go through the main hall and take the door on the left. Follow the stone path until you reach the open grounds. You won’t miss it.”

“Thank you.”

I followed her directions, passing through the main hall and stepping outside.

The moment I heard the sound of people shouting and the clash of weapons, I knew I was getting closer.

Soon, I arrived at the training field.

Several men were practicing with weapons, while others fought in pairs under the watchful eyes of their instructors. Everyone seemed focused on their training.

Then I saw him.

The Commander stood a short distance away, dressed in black training clothes. His sleeves were pushed up, and his expression was as cold as I remembered.

He noticed me approaching.

“You’re late.”

I glanced around, confused.

“But I—”

“Spare me the explanation”

I immediately closed my mouth.

He stared at me for another second before reaching for something on the nearby table. “I’m assigning you to a trainer. But first, I want to see what you’re capable of. Catch.”

He threw a pair of training gloves at me.

I caught them against my chest.

“Put them on,” he ordered.

I quickly slipped them on.

“Now, show me what you can do.”

I looked down at the gloves and quickly put them on. They felt strange around my fingers, but they were better than nothing.

The Commander stepped back and raised his hands. “Let’s see if you’re as determined as you claimed to be.”

I took a deep breath and raised my fists.

He stared at me. “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to fight.”

“Is that how you plan to defend yourself?”

I lowered my hands slightly. “How am I supposed to know? I’ve never done this before.”

“Then pay attention.” He moved closer and adjusted my arms. “Keep your hands up. Protect your face. Don’t leave your body open.”

I followed his instructions as best I could.

He moved around me, correcting my position whenever I made a mistake. His voice remained cold, and he didn’t seem interested in making things easy for me. “Your feet are too close.”

I moved them apart. 

“Not that far.”

I looked at him in frustration. “Can you stop complaining for one minute and show me what you want?”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you giving me orders?”

I immediately regretted my words. “No, Commander.”

“Then listen.”

I pressed my lips together.

Arrogant man.

He stepped in front of me and held out his hand. “When someone grabs you, don’t waste your strength trying to pull away. Watch what I do.”

He took my wrist and demonstrated how to turn my hand to escape his grip. “Again.”

I tried to copy him, but my movement was too slow.

He caught my wrist again. “Too slow. If that were a monster, you would be dead.”

“I’m trying!”

“Try harder.”

I glared at him.

For someone who had agreed to teach me, he certainly had a way of making me feel useless.

He released my wrist and stepped closer. “This time, when I grab you, turn your body and move to the side. Don’t fight against my strength. Use the movement to get away.”

I nodded.

He reached for my wrist again.

I twisted as he had shown me, but I moved too quickly and lost my balance.

“Wait—”

I grabbed his shirt to stop myself from falling.

Unfortunately, I only succeeded in pulling him down with me.

We hit the ground together.

A small cry escaped my lips as I landed on top of him.

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what had happened.

Then I realized how close our faces were, his  lips were touching mine, my  eyes widened.

Neither of us moved.

I could feel his hand resting against my waist, keeping me from falling completely onto the ground. His face was so close that I could see the small details I had never noticed before.

I should have moved away immediately, I knew that but  for some strange reason, I remained frozen.

Then my gaze dropped.

His training shirt had shifted slightly, revealing part of his broad chest. He looked different in these clothes. Stronger, somehow, and far more handsome than I had expected.

I stared at him.

Why is he so handsome?

The thought came so suddenly that I almost panicked.

This was the same arrogant man who spoke to me as if I were a troublesome child. The same man who seemed to have no patience for anyone.

Why was I noticing his appearance now?

His eyes moved over my face. “When will you stop staring?”

My heart jumped.

I quickly pushed myself up and scrambled to my feet. “I’m sorry!”

I stepped back, my face burning with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to pull you down. I lost my balance, and I—”

“Enough.”

I immediately stopped talking.

The Commander rose to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes. His expression was as cold as ever, but I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at him.

“Focus on your training,” he said. “You’re here to learn how to fight, not to stare at me.”

My mouth fell open. “I wasn’t staring at you!”

He raised an eyebrow.

I froze.

Then I looked away. “I’m sorry,” I muttered