[Lavinia's POV]
[Imperial Training Grounds—Early Morning, Way Too Early]
I was not ready.
I was not emotionally ready. I was not physically ready. I was definitely not spiritually ready.
And yet—there I was.
In full training gear. A sword in one hand. Sleep still clinging to my eyelashes like a stubborn ghost. And Papa was standing in front of me, looking like he'd already battled ten armies and written a report about it before breakfast.
"Are you awake?" he asked, his tone as flat as a scroll.
I blinked, still drowsy.
"I've been awake for exactly seventeen minutes and forty seconds," I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "My brain is still loading, Papa. I can barely remember which end of the sword is the stabby part."
"Good," he said calmly, completely ignoring the tragic state of my existence. "That's about as long as it takes for someone to ambush you in real life."
I groaned.
Seriously—who gave him the idea that early morning swordfights were character development?
