Davina took deep breaths, mustering up the courage to ask him a question. "May I know your name before we start?.. Sir," It took all the strength in her to ask that one question.
The man seemed surprised to see her gain the courage to ask him his name, although he didn't show it on his frozen face. Considering how half their interaction consisted of her shaking in her boots like a scared rabbit, he wasn't expecting that. "I didn't think you'd ask."
"I-I wasn't sure if you'd answer me." Davina rubbed her sweaty palms together.
"I'll always answer, provided you ask me the questions."
Davina nodded awkwardly, unsure of what to say in reply to him. She was already regretting her decision to visit the court that night.
Noticing her discomfort, the man cleared his throat. "Caspian, call me Caspian."
"Lord Caspian!" Davina unconsciously clasped her mouth shut with her hands. She had heard of him before; the infamous Lord Caspian, the king's second in command, the man rumored to be the actual brains behind the kingdom.
"Your reaction is rather amusing," Caspian smirked as he enjoyed the turmoil he was causing Davina.
"I was just caught by surprise, my Lord." Davina tried to act composed despite feeling overwhelmed by being in the presence of a man who held more power than the king himself.
'I really shouldn't have come here.' She cried.
"Call me Caspian." He repeated, "Now, Dimitri, there are three ways to hold a dagger." Caspian resumed their training, flat-out ignoring the awkward tension they were caught up in.
"Considering your small stature, I'll teach the easiest of the three." He continued, "The moment you got hold of a dagger for combat, grip it with your thumbs facing away from the blade just below the hilt."
Davina quickly did as she was told, focusing solely on the training at hand and not the man before her.
"Now make sure your blade is pointed at a slightly raised handle, not toward the ground; that gets you ready for combat."
Caspian gave a nod of approval once Davina did as he instructed without any complications before he moved on to the next segment.
"To guard yourself with a dagger, there are several ways to go about it. First, oberhut, raise the blade to point at the opponent's head, the pattern is similar to the shape of a boar's tooth. Second, unterhut, hold the dagger in your right hand, and cross the blade to your left hip with the point facing your opponent.
Third, middenhut, with the dagger in your right hand, lower the hand so it's by your side, around the hip. Keep the tip of the blade pointed out. Lastly, Kreutzhut, keep your left foot forward and hold the blade with both hands slightly above your chest toward the left side of your body, make sure the blade is pointed outward toward your opponent.
With practice, you should be able to seamlessly transition between the four moves for combat."
With each explanation, Davina moved her hands and the blade accordingly, making sure to do exactly as he instructed while memorizing the key points.
The two went over the same moves over and over again until Davina got it perfectly. Although it took time, she was glad Caspian was patient enough with her until she finally got it right.
"You mastered the moves relatively quickly," Caspian spoke up as the two sat down to catch their breaths.
"I couldn't have done it without your help, my Lord."
"Trust me, that was all you, Dimitri. You know your onions."
Davina looked away, feeling painfully shy as a teenager at the compliment. "Thank you." She managed to whisper. "You're not what I expected you to be"
"How so?"
"I've heard stories about you and none of them are what you can call pleasant, but seeing you in person is a different experience."
Caspian let out a throaty laughter, one that made a level of fear creep into Davina's body. "Don't be mistaken, little one. I'm not like the stories you've heard, I'm worse than that, far worse than you could imagine."
The look on Caspian's face as he said those words made a chill run down Davina's spine. She gulped, feeling her throat dry up from the lack of words to say.
"Looks like that's it for today." Caspian stood up, taking the daggers with him. "I'll see you around Dimitri." He walked away, taking the dark suffocating energy with him.
With Caspian gone, Davina felt like she could finally catch her breath.
"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, slumping onto the floor like a sack of maize. "First the duel with Ryan, and now this... I'm exhausted!" She cried out to no one in particular.
The aftermath of the stress her body went through that day was finally sinking in. Every inch of her body was on fire, hurting like hell.
After taking a few minutes to relax, Davina at last stood up from where she lay and walked back to the dorms. Her body was in dire need of a warm bath but the cold one would have to suffice.
Luckily for her, all the other guys were already asleep so it wasn't much of a hassle for her to get her things and rush off to the shower room.
As she carefully removed her bandages, the haunting image of Caspian persisted in her mind. His vacant and lifeless expression remained etched in her memory. She couldn't help but reflect on how some individuals seem to lose the spark in their eyes following a traumatic experience. However, in Caspian's case, it wasn't just the loss of light - it was as if he had never possessed it to begin with.
In a strange clash of emotions, she found herself feeling sorry for him. Despite the lack of justification from the stories she had heard and his own words, she couldn't shake the feeling of pity towards him. There was something about his demeanor that exuded a sense of solitude and desolation, making her empathize with his apparent loneliness.
Pushing all thoughts of Caspian out of her mind, Davina quickly finished dressing up and rushed back to the dorms. She had to get some rest no matter how little time she had left before the sun rose.