Seraphina
The Academy bells rang before dawn, their bronze voices cutting through my restless sleep like sword strikes.
"Up!" Kieran's voice was sharp but not unkind. "First day of real training. Try not to embarrass yourself too badly."
I rolled out of bed, my muscles already aching from yesterday's tension. Around us, the dormitory came alive with groans and shuffling feet as dozens of cadets struggled toward consciousness.
"What's the rush?" I mumbled, pulling on my training clothes with careful movements. The binding around my chest felt like iron bands this morning.
"Master Aldwin likes to start with a five-mile run," Kieran said, lacing his boots with practiced efficiency. "Anyone who's late gets to run it twice. With full pack."
My stomach dropped. "Twice?"
"Welcome to the Academy, Seth." There was almost a smile in his voice. "Hope you've been keeping fit in that village of yours."
The training yard was organized chaos. Hundreds of cadets formed rough lines while instructors barked orders and assigned groups. I found myself swept along with the other new arrivals, trying to look confident while my heart hammered against my ribs.
"Listen up, maggots!" Master Aldwin's voice could have cracked stone. He was a mountain of a man with scars covering his arms and a beard that reached his chest. "For the next three months, your lives belong to me. I will break you down and build you back up. Some of you will wash out. Some of you will quit. The rest will become something resembling soldiers."
A cadet near me shifted nervously. Master Aldwin's eyes snapped to him like a hawk spotting prey.
"You have something to say, boy?"
"No, sir!"
"Good. Because talking is for after you've proven you can fight, think, and follow orders. Now move! Five miles, full pace. Anyone who falls behind runs it again!"
The run nearly killed me. My lungs burned and my legs screamed, but I kept pace with the main group. Beside me, other cadets panted and stumbled. Behind us, the instructors rode horses, calling out encouragement that sounded more like threats.
"Faster, you lazy dogs!"
"My grandmother could run quicker than that!"
"If the enemy were chasing you, you'd all be dead!"
When we finally staggered back to the Academy, sweat-soaked and exhausted, the real training began.
Sword work. Strategy lectures. Combat formations. Wrestling matches that left everyone bruised and sore. Through it all, I kept my head down and tried to blend in.
The hardest part was the bathhouse.
"Come on, Seth!" Elias called out as the other cadets stripped down for their evening wash. "The water's actually warm tonight."
I clutched my towel tighter. "I'll wait until later. When it's less crowded."
"Don't be shy, little bird." He grinned and splashed into the communal pool. "We're all men here."
That was exactly the problem.
I waited until the bathhouse was nearly empty before slipping in to wash quickly in a corner stall. The hot water felt wonderful, but every sound made me jump. Discovery would mean more than just embarrassment, it would mean death.
"You're the most modest person I've ever met," Elias said the next morning as we headed to the dining hall. "It's almost suspicious how shy you are."
My blood chilled. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing bad!" He laughed and threw an arm around my shoulders. "Just that most of us grew up wrestling with our brothers, swimming in rivers with our friends. You act like you've never been around other people before."
"My family values privacy," I said weakly.
"Well, your family sounds boring." Elias pulled a small package from his pocket. "Speaking of privacy, want to help me with a little project?"
I should have said no. Everything about his grin screamed trouble.
"What kind of project?"
"The kitchen stores the good meat in a locked pantry," he whispered as we walked. "I may have figured out how to get inside. But I need a lookout."
"Elias, that's stealing.."
"It's redistribution! The instructors eat like kings while we get gruel and stale bread. Where's the justice in that?"
Against my better judgment, I found myself standing guard while Elias picked the pantry lock with a bent fork. My palms sweated as I watched for patrol guards.
"Got it!" he whispered, disappearing inside. He emerged with an armload of dried meat and cheese wrapped in cloth. "Enough to last us a week!"
We made it halfway back to the dormitory before a guard rounded the corner.
"You two! What are you doing out after lights out?"
Elias stepped forward smoothly. "Just heading back from the latrines, sir. Seth here had some stomach troubles."
I tried to look sick, which wasn't hard with terror churning in my gut.
The guard studied us suspiciously. "What's that smell?"
My heart stopped. Elias had hidden the stolen food inside his shirt, but the smell of spiced meat was unmistakable.
"New soap, sir," Elias said without missing a beat. He pulled a small vial from his pocket. "My mother sent it. She says it'll help me... project confidence around the other cadets."
The guard leaned closer and immediately stepped back, his eyes watering. "Gods above, boy, what is that stench?"
"Concentrated musk oil, sir. With hints of pine and... masculine essence."
I bit my tongue to keep from laughing. The "perfume" smelled like wet dog mixed with rotten eggs.
"Get rid of it," the guard wheezed. "Before you poison someone. And get back to your rooms!"
We ran, not stopping until we reached the dormitory. Only then did I let the laughter escape.
"Masculine essence?" I gasped between giggles.
"My finest moment," Elias said proudly. "Though I think I may have overdone the scent. My eyes are still burning."
We shared the stolen food with our roommates, including Kieran, who accepted his portion with raised eyebrows but no questions. As we ate, I felt something I hadn't experienced in weeks, friendship. For a few moments, I could almost forget I was living a lie. The next morning brought our first real test.
"Sparring matches!" Master Aldwin announced after our morning run. "Time to see if any of you have potential beyond embarrassing your families."
My stomach twisted as he began calling out pairs. This was what I'd been dreading—actual combat where my smaller size and hidden gender would be obvious.
"Seth Thornbrook!" Master Aldwin's voice boomed across the yard.
I stepped forward on unsteady legs.
"You'll face Talon Redgrave."
The crowd of cadets parted to reveal my opponent, and my heart sank. Talon Redgrave was everything I wasn't tall, golden-haired, broad-shouldered, with the confident swagger of someone born to privilege. His amber eyes looked me up and down dismissively.
"This should be quick," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Try not to cry when I put you down, village boy."
The other cadets laughed. I felt heat rise in my cheeks but kept my expression neutral.
"Wooden practice swords," Master Aldwin called out. "First to three touches wins. No killing blows, no cheap shots. Begin!"
Talon rushed forward immediately, his sword cutting through the air where my head had been a heartbeat before. He was strong and fast, but he fought like someone who'd never faced real danger, all flash and no substance.
I ducked under his next swing and danced away, letting him chase me around the circle. The crowd began to mutter.
"Fight back, coward!" someone called.
"Stop running!"
But Elena had taught me that sometimes the best offense was patience. Let your opponent exhaust himself. Let him make mistakes.
Talon's attacks grew wilder, more desperate. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tried to land a solid hit.
"Stand still and fight!" he snarled, lunging forward with all his strength.
I stepped aside at the last second, and his momentum carried him past me. My wooden blade tapped his ribs as he stumbled.
"First touch to Thornbrook!" Master Aldwin called.
The crowd fell silent. Talon's face turned red with embarrassment and rage.
"Lucky shot," he spat, raising his sword again.
This time he was more careful, probing my defenses with quick strikes. But anger made him predictable. I could see each attack coming in his eyes, his shoulders, the tension in his stance.
When he committed to a high cut, I dropped low and swept his legs. As he fell, my sword touched his throat.
"Second touch to Thornbrook!"
Now the crowd was definitely interested. I could see money changing hands as cadets placed bets. In the front row, Kieran watched with those pale eyes, his expression unreadable.
Talon climbed to his feet, his golden hair disheveled and his perfect face twisted with fury.
"You little worm," he hissed quietly so only I could hear. "I don't know what tricks you're using, but this ends now."
He came at me with everything he had, a storm of steel that would have overwhelmed most opponents. But I'd been trained by someone who understood that survival mattered more than honor. Elena had taught me to fight dirty when necessary. I gave ground, deflecting what I could, dodging the rest. Talon pressed his attack, sure he had me cornered. That's when I saw my opening.
He overextended on a powerful downward strike. I side-stepped and brought my pommel up sharply, catching his wrist. His sword flew from nerveless fingers, clattering across the stone. Before he could recover, my blade was at his throat.
"Third touch to Thornbrook!" Master Aldwin's voice rang with surprise. "Winner of the match!"
The crowd exploded into cheers and groans. I stepped back, breathing hard, hardly believing what had just happened. Talon stood frozen, his amber eyes blazing with something dangerous, humiliation mixed with a predator's curiosity.
"Well fought," I said, extending my hand.
He stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at my face. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, deadly.
"I'll find out who you really are."