Ellara(2)
It's been few months since I inherited the Codex, and my days were filled with peace.
My daily schedule just included lectures and combat lessons sometimes.
But I am spending most of my time in the library.The library is starting to feel like my second home to me.
Ellara's presence had a soothing effect on me. I just feel so calm in her presence. Her faint rustling of a book when in the library, Her stern but gentle words when teaching me swordsmanship just make me feel warm from inside.
'Ellara is not teaching me just swordsmanship; she is teaching me how to live.' A smile plastered itself on my face.
"If you have time to smile, why don't you practice more, Young Master?" A voice dripping with mockery came from my side.
It was my combat instructor, "Malrick."
'Malrick, this fucking bastard.' Alden couldn't help but curse at him.Malrick was part of Cedric's faction, and obviously a lackey of Cedric means a person finding trouble with me.'For the last two hours, this fucking bastard has been just trying to find faults with me,' Alden cursed again.
"I am trying my best, Malrick," I spoke politely without showing my internal thought."Are you Young Master? Because for the last two hours you couldn't even get your forms correct. You need to put more weight on your arms." He said smugly.
"You just need strength for swordsmanship."Every word he was saying was contradictory to what Ellara had taught me.
He didn't want to teach; he just wanted to find trouble with me. He just wants to get in Cedric's good books by humiliating me.
Well, I don't really care about him. Recently I have been getting better at keeping my emotions at bay. I don't feel any need to prove myself to anyone either. I am just enjoying my life as it is, just trying to get stronger.
"Young Master, you are still doing it wrong. Are you even listening to me?" Malrick continued with his cold voice.
But I didn't listen to him and just practiced what Ellara had taught me.Just as Malrick was giving up on teaching me well, more like criticising me, the door to the training ground swung open, and a bitchy-looking blonde boy walked in….
'If it isn't his majesty King Cedric,' Alden thought in a sarcastic way...Cedric came inside and scanned the training ground, his gaze stopping on me.
"Well, well, look who's here !!, If it isn't a bug, it is trying to crawl." Cedric said, his voice laced with mockery and a smirk plastered on his face.
"Young Master Cedric," Malrik said in an overly flattering tone, "I have been trying my best to teach him, but he isn't learning well; he is too slow."
If Malrick was a dog, he would probably be wagging his tail now, Alden thought as he couldn't control a smile thinking that.
Cedric looked at him as he said, " What are you laughing at you Rat ? " He sneered his voice laced with fury " Do you find me funny now,Huh?"
" No I was just surprised by your dog wagging his tail so much." My reply took Cedric by surprise not expecting me to reply.
"Wow... you can even reply to me now." His voice now shaking with uncontrollable anger, his face turning red as he started walking towards me.
"It seems you didn't learn your lesson the last time," Cedric said as he started walking closer and closer.
I prepared myself to fight back this time, thinking I was not the same weak person I was before...but damn, I was wrong.
Cedric threw a punch, his fist blurring as I felt impact on my left cheek. I couldn't even react to it as I was pushed back and fell on the ground.
"F*ck," I cursed as I tried getting up.Cedric started walking closer again.
"Where did all your bravado go?" He said with a smile on his face."Well, don't worry; I will teach you how to respect others."
Through all this exchange, Malrick wasn't even moving, just calmly observing.Cedric came in front and lifted his hand again to punch me again.
But suddenly a shadow near them trembled, and before anyone could even react, a figure teleported in between Cedric and Alden as she caught Cedric's raised hand.
"Enough" A voice sounded cold and icy.
Cedric's eyes widened; he couldn't even react to this woman. "Who the fuck are you? How dare you stop me.Get out of my way," Cedric spoke as if to say she can't do anything to him, the heir of the Draven family.
But contrary to Cedric's thought, the figure didn't even flinch and looked at him with her cold blue eyes.
The figure was Ellara.
Alden's eyes widened as he saw the figure of Ellara protecting him. It was the first time somebody tried to protect him in this life.
"Who the fuck are you?" Cedric asked again, his voice louder this time.
But this time Ellara replied, "Leave Alden alone don't try to test my patience. He's under my protection."
Cedric replied, not knowing who she was, "And why the fuck should I care? Who even are you?"
As Cedric was trying to lash out more, Malrick stepped up; he had cold sweat, and his body was slightly shaking with fear. "Young master, Please calm yourself; this is..."
"Quiet," Ellara said, her voice sharp.
Cedric's eyes darkened, but there was a bit of hesitation in his step now. After seeing Malrick's reaction, he knew she wasn't someone he could mess with.
"Do you think you can protect his forever?" He spat like a typical third-rate villain.
Alden watched in awe as Cedric, for the first time, seemed hesitant and somewhat scared. The young master of the Draven family, the one who always seemed to have control, was being challenged by someone he didn't even know.
"This isn't over, Alden," he hissed one last time before he turned around.
Ellara didn't even flinch as Cedric walked out with Malrick. His feet stomping heavily on the ground in anger. She looked at him until he left the training ground.
After she saw Cedric and Malrick vanish from her sights, she turned around to look at Alden, her expression a far cry from the cold expression she had before.
She saw his left cheek bruised and moved her hand as the bruise was healed in a matter of seconds.
Alden touched his cheek as the pain vanished. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked, her voice much gentler than before.
"I'm fine, Ellara," he said, his voice relaxed.
"Thank you, Ellara," he said with smile filled with genuine warmth. For the first time, he felt like he wasn't just a forgotten son, but someone who mattered...
Ellara offered him a hand, helping him to his feet. "Good, now let's go back and train more," she said simply. "So nobody will dare to trouble you even when I am not around." Alden didn't notice slight grief in her voice.
"You're talking like you plan to leave me someday," he said, laughing softly, unaware of how close that day might actually be.
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Author's Note:
Thanks for reading! I'm all for feedback, so drop a comment or review if you feel like it. Would love to hear your thoughts!