"Don't you think you should take a break?"
Liviana didn't answer and attacked again. Her aunt simply sidestepped the thrust. Once again, she moved to attack again, but her aunt was quicker. The sword was out of her hands before she even realised what had happened.
"You should really take a break." Valeria said with a concerned yet determined look on her face. "You haven't taken a break in hours and-"
"I *ha* am *haa* fine!" Liviana exclaimed between ragged breaths.
"It's only been a week since..." Valeria paused. "I mean after what happened anyone would need some time to process all this."
"This has nothing to do with it! Are you not glad that I am finally so enthusiastic about training?"
"This isn't training anymore. All you are doing is destroying you body. Anyway if you don't want to stop, I will. I won't train you until you've taken a break." With this she turned around and walked out of sight.
Valeria's first destination was the training grounds of the knights. Liviana wouldn't stop training, she suspected, and she had to make sure none of the knights sparred with her. After that she went and searched for Mary. Having her niece's personal maid on her side would make this a lot easier.
***
Liviana was frustrated. No, she was downright furious. She was angry at her aunt that refused to train her, angry at the knight who didn't have the guts to defy her aunt, and she was angry at Marie who betrayed her. Marie was supposed to be her personal maid! How dare she side with her aunt?!
A shudder went through her arm when she hit the training dummy again. Her hand went numb and she nearly dropped the training sword. Gritting her teeth, she struck the training dummy again. Her muscles were burning. Every time she hit the dummy, the burning would increase and her anger would flare again. Feeling angry... felt good. All thoughts swept away by the inferno.
A few times, servants would come to tell her something. Probably, that dinner was ready or that she should come inside, but she didn't care. She would just glare at them and return to hitting the dummy.
"Hey,... I heard you were crying and I wanted to be responsible brother for once and see if I could help."
The voice of her brother snapped her out of her trance.
"What?!... I'm not crying!!" She screamed. Tears ran down her cheeks. She hadn't even noticed them. Now they felt hot against her skin like streams of lava running down a volcano.
Her brother seemed to realize that that had been the wrong thing to say. He had absolutely no idea what to say. He couldn't imagine how she felt right now. He had been there when they retrieved the bodies of the fallen. The sight would haunt him for a while let alone his younger sister.
"Well, if you want to talk I'm always there." He said before slowly turning around and going way.
Liviana just stood there and watched her brother leave. The fire inside her had died down a bit. She was about to return to her 'training' when a raindrop hit her hand. It was only a light rain, so she hit the dummy again, relishing in the burning of her muscles. After a while though, she was utterly drenched. The cold extinguished her fire and only ash remained.
When she returned to the mansion, she went straight to her room. She gave Marie a cold look before changing out of her wet clothes. Liviana felt hollow like everything had just burned away while she had hit that dummy over and over again. Not caring about the time, she went to bed. Sleep didn't come easily even though she could barely keep her eyes open.
["What do you mean %$&%# cannot be my dancing instructor anymore?!"
"Not in this tone, $&%#§&%!" Her §$#% reprimanded §$%#&%.
$&%#§&% flinched. "Yes, §$#%. I'm sorry, §$#%."
"Good. If you really want to know, %$&%# has married §$$##& and now lives at his estate. A shame, really, she could have married someone of higher status."
"Oh... If you excuse me, I shall return to my room."
Without waiting for an answer, $&%#§&% turned around and stared into the eyes of the arch-lion. Blood dripped from its jaws down onto the ground were the human remains were scattered around. $&%#§&% wanted to run but her body didn't move. She couldn't run away. She could only watch as the lion approached.
"Get your shit together!" Her aunts words echoed in her head. In just a few seconds she wou-]
Liviana woke up with a start. It was night. Rain whipped against the windows. The room was dark. Someone, probably Marie, had turned off the lights. A figure sat curled up in an armchair that faced her bed. The armchair hadn't been there when she went to bed. Liviana pulled the blankets closer and hugged her knees. Her hearth hammered inside her chest.
'It is nothing. Probably just a doll that someone left as a present. It would have to be a very big doll though...'
The figure moved and she nearly jumped out of her bed. Her legs got tangled with the blanket and she fell barely missing the nightstand with her head. Instead, she landed on the floor. The carpet damped her fall a little but she still let out a shriek more out of fear and surprise than out of pain.
"Young Mistress? Young Mistress?!"
She recognised the panicked voice and let out a sigh of relief. It was just Marie.
"Never scare me like this again." Liviana said in the most threatening voice an eight-year-old could muster. It wasn't all that threatening.
"Should I turn on the lights?"
Liviana nodded before realising that Marie probably couldn't see it. "Yes, please." She nearly squeaked those words.
A few moments later and a light turned on. Marie moved to turn on the rest but Liviana interrupted.
"No, this is enough." Her voice was controlled once again. Her mask back on. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you needed company. You tossed and turned in your sleep and I expected you to wake up any moment, but then you didn't and then I... fell asleep. Everyone says you need space to think, but...-"
"You can go now." Liviana had crept back into her bed. "I do not need the company."
She had let her vulnerability show far too often in the last few days and she would not be vulnerable in front of her personal maid.
"Should I turn the lights off again?"
"No, I will do it later. Now go."
Hours went by and she still couldn't sleep. In her imagination unknown horrors dwelt in the shadows and a giant lion breathed down her neck. Finally, she got out of bed, picked up a book and retreated back into the safety of the covers. It was nearly morning when she fell asleep.
Thank you for the chapter, and take all the time you need.