Their swords were locked together and she strained to meet the force of his strength.
"Why don't you use your magic?" The question caught her off guard and for a moment her strength slipped and he gained an inch.
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" She didn't want to show him, didn't want to see the pity, or worse in his face.
"I just can't, okay, no one here can use magic."
"I can."
"Well yes but you came here for Queen Aine, the rest of us.." she paused, considering what she could deal with him knowing. "The rest of us get an iron tattoo to keep our magic at bay." he flinches for a moment.
"Why?"
"Because the king is afraid."
"Of you?"
"No he has other assurances where I'm concerned, he's afraid the magic wielders will rise up." She tries not to give any indication that she doesn't want to talk about those other assurances and he seems to get it because the conversation stops and they keep training.
She faints right and slashes left but he catches it and meets her blow with a forceful defense. The lock swords for a moment and she glares at him before he shoves her off and she stumbles backwards before quickly regaining her composure. The ducks the blow he aims at her head but doesn't see the second to her ribs coming. She lets out a huff of breath at the pain in her side and lunges forward at him slashing with her sword but he blocks it again and again and again.
She goes to visit Lanora later that afternoon after a long day of training with Aspen. The Princess is kind as always and asks her about the lost princess, but Cinis has no answers to give her. When it was nearing the girl's bed time she waved to Suzette where she was seated in her rocking chair and gave Lanora a hug and a swift kiss on the forehead,
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"At the tree!"
"At the tree." she affirmed nodding before opening the door and walking out with one last look at Lanora who was now playing with two of her dolls.The tree was a place Lanora often played near. It was an Oleander tree in the courtyard nearest her room. Once when the girl was small she would climb high into the branches and get stuck and Suzette would call Cinis to climb up and rescue her. Now Lanora was bigger and didn't get stuck but she often invited Cinis to play with her at the tree anyway.
She walks down the spiral stairs of the tower aiming to go back to her room but finds her way blocked at the spiral landing. Aspen was standing there, waiting at the base of the spire stairs.
"Why were you visiting the Princess of Galcinar?" she was too tired to put up with his bullshit right now. She rolled her eyes pushing past him and walking down the hall.
"Because she's my friend." he walked to her side, keeping pace.
"And why are you friends with the Princess of Galcinar?" She tried to speed up and out pace him but he kept up easily. She slowed down trying to duck down a hallway but he adjusted his speed and followed along right beside her. "You know it's rude to ignore people right?" she stopped turning to face him and he halted too.
"Why do you care!" she exclaimed, the exasperation in her voice obvious, she wasn't really looking for an answer and he didn't really look like he was about to give one either so she barreled on, "Why do you care that I can't use magic? Why do you care who I spend time with? And why do you care that I'm here in the first place?" He stayed silent and they stood there for a moment letting the words reverberate around them. He looked a little taken aback by her outburst but she just turned and walked down the hall turning the corner and when she didn't feel him following her she made her way to her room letting out a breath of pent up air as the lock clicked into place and she slumped into a nearby pile of cushions.