[Lavinia's POV ]
[Imperial Palace—Training Ground]
The sound of clashing metal echoed across the courtyard like thunder trapped in rhythm.
Clang. Slide. Step. Parry.
Then—Clang! again.
I gritted my teeth as Caelum's blade glanced off mine and barely missed my shoulder by a dragon's whisker. The wind that stirred tugged at my braid.
"You almost nicked me!" I gasped, stumbling back with all the theatrical flair I could muster. I planted one hand on my hip and narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you trying to assassinate the future empress? Or are you just showing off again, you idiot?"
Caelum flinched—only for a heartbeat—but there was no apology in his eyes.
Thirteen years old. A full three years older than me. Taller by a hand's width. Broader in the shoulders. Quieter than a prayer. Sharper than the blades we held.
He moved like silence incarnate. Still as a statue when resting—but when he moved?
