[Ridge]
"Sir Ridge, my man." The body connected to that cat-like grin wrapped its arm around my padded shoulder, causing the chainmail to clink and sway. How does he manage to look so angelic and scummy at the same time when he smiles? Makes me wanna punch him in the face to help balance it out.
"Lord Kadeeth." I nod, and he scowls, tightening his grip on my shoulder.
"Man shut up with that Lord crap." He shoves me toward the wall with his hip. The stone presses the chainmail into my body on contact, the feeling of small metal hoops digging into my skin spreading like tiny needles across my right side.
"Ow, what the hell, Kade!"
"That's more like it." His smirk is back. I shouldn't punch him. I'll probably get fired. Still...
I move like I'm about to body slam him and his stupid smile against the opposite wall. A flinch big enough to make him physically jump off the ground rakes through his entire body. I'm practically wheezing at his reaction, disapproval and embarrassment written into his sharp facial features.
He reached up to fix his wild hair. He's been gifted with an odd dark auburn color, a mix of his father's black hair, and his mother's red curls. It stands out against his pale skin and green eyes. If I had his looks I would've ditched my dream of becoming a Knight and started raking in the money with my face somehow. Hell, even the simplist paparazzi drawings of the Riddotha genes go for a good price on the streets.
"You're such a little shit." I manage to get out as the laughter dies down.
"I'm like a foot taller than you?" He scoffs.
"Whatever, man." I make a show of wiping an amused tear from my eye, "Help me out, will ya? I need to find the training hall."
His face switches in an instant. Two faced bastard. That smile is gonna be the death of someone, and it'll probably be me. He stops massaging his arm and moves back over to slip his uninjured one around my shoulders again.
"Ah, that is something I can assist you with. Your height on the other hand, I hate to tell you this, but you're on your own." He starts leading me back the way I came.
"Let it go, Kade." I narrow my eyes at him, mostly because I know there is absolutely no chance he's going to listen to me.
He indeed does not shut up until we finally arrive at two wooden doors with large iron hinges. I push open one side and confirm he lead me to the right spot. I wouldn't put it past him to drop me off in front of his parents' private chambers or something evil like that.
"This is where I leave you, my friend." he smirks, "Unless you want me to help you train-"
I shut the door in his face. The last time he saw me train was when he snuck into the Academy and posed as Phillip Senburg for a day. I still don't know how he got away with it for that long, it's not like Phillip wasn't in school.
I remember him sneaking onto the freshman training field and begging me to spar with him. Turns out, he either didn't know the rules to sparing or didn't care, because it really just consisted of him beating me with a wooden sword for half an hour. Never again.
I turn around to find a large room with an impossibly high ceiling. Several sparing arenas are set up in the middle of the room, and equipment lines every inch of bare wall. There are guys everywhere, in the arenas, by the practice dummies, and even working on stances while cramped in corners.
One younger guy I sort of recognise from the ceremony last night is beating a bag of sand hanging from a pole like his life depends on it. On the far side of the hall are another set of large double doors, except these are propped open. Through the open entryway is the second training zone, the field.
It's fully equipped with an archery range, track, and a decent sized grass training space in the middle. It's practically identical to the field from the Academy, just a bit smaller. However, like all things Riddotha, while it's less in size, it's more in quality. The equipment here is expensive and durable. I'll never have to worry about not being able to replace something if it breaks again.
I spend the next hour spotting other Knights and experimenting with the new, superior tools. Martina ends up coming in at some point, and I run a few cool down laps with him. Well, cool down for me, but a warm up for him. Then I grab a clean towel off the shelf, thank the Page restocking them, and leave the training hall.
It feels strange to have everything taken care of like this. It's part of why I was so determined to chase this career, I was sick of being dirt poor and on my own, but now that I'm here it feels wrong. Maybe I went for too long without receiving help from others, and now this toxic independence has built up and become even more difficult.
I suppose even though Kadeeth never offered me charity, that doesn't mean he didn't help me. He's the reason why even though I've been alone for years, I've never felt lonely. Besides his company, I've done everything myself. Which is why, now that I'm living in comfort like this, I have to keep reminding myself that I've earned it.
That doesn't seem to make this itchy feeling go away though.
Now that I know where the training hall is relative to the rest of the Manor, I can easily find my way back to my quarters. All I want right now is to collapse on my bed, feather stuffed mind you, and take a long nap before supper.
I open the door and begrudgingly shuffle my feet towards my bed, shutting the door behind me. When I turn back around, low and behold, who might greet me but a lopsided smile and tousled red hair.
If I punch him now, can I blame it on the fatigue? I feel like the Duke would understand.