Chapter 92 Fear of pain
The sun sneaked out of the sheets of clouds, spreading its rays across the entire castle. Melissa was already up and she was already halfway done with her paperwork. The Council wanted to pass the bill to improve some construction in certain areas. Melissa had to check and double check all the files they sent before issuing out the money.
She'd called the head of the task forces on phone and had threatened the poor guy to put all his efforts and make sure none of their money is missing by a cent or else there will be hell to pay. The man who had never had to speak to any leader before complied, then Melissa sent him a tip as bonus for his hard work. She knew she had him by the reins.
By the time she finished all her paperwork, about three hours had passed. Richard on the other hand wasn't around, he'd resumed his old work but this time he'd been replaced as the head. Before the death of their family, Richard was initially a sentinel, and he watched over activities of royals and made sure they were always protected. He had an outstanding record with them that when he'd quit, he had been given a medal of honour.
But it seems something happened and he got called back to replace the head of the sentinels. This means, he still could be with her twenty four seven but might have to do paperworks like her. Naturally he'd wanted to decline the offer because it was Richard. He doesn't really listen to anybody, and he'd made the excuse that protecting her wasn't a job he took lightly. She'd assured him that she would be safe for the thirty minute initiation ceremony. He'd left her side last night and had slept in his house, though he slipped out through the window.
Today he arrived very early, expecting to find her on the bed, but she wasn't, she was already up too, nightmares wouldn't let her sleep. He'd just smiled and then pecked her and left. The ceremony had probably taken longer than he'd expected. He has been gone for two hours and it was time for her training. Due to her very tight schedule, Melissa was working in perfect sync with her alarms. She can't just do things without timing anymore, because the moment she falls off her schedule, time just slips away.
She changed from her normal attire to her combat attire and headed for the training room, planning to get in some light training before Richard arrived, but to her surprise, he was in the room waiting for her.
"Oh, you are back?" She jerked in surprise.
"Of course I am, It was a thirty minute initiation ceremony," he said. "I have been back since an hour and a half ago." he replied, fixing a small metal ring into a rack.
"Where have you been then?" She asked, walking towards him when she stepped on something that seemed like an out of place wooden board and a metal rod came flying from the wall on her left. She stopped and tilted her back and the metal rod collided with the wall on her right.
She bulged her eyes in surprise. "What the hell was that?" She asked in surprise.
"Good move!" Richard clapped. "You ask what I have been doing?" he spread his arms wide. "Well, it is this. I have been setting traps. In fact, last night, I didn't slip away because of that initiation. I have been here fixing pressure plates and all. I hope you get hit a lot, because they were expensive."
Melissa realised that this was what he'd been doing since two days ago. He'd been making excuses and leaving her side. "Why are you even doing this?"
"Everyone has something they relate to easily, and yours seems to be your speed and reaction, I would like to train that to the peak." He said. "Your ability to be able to sense danger before it occurs and react to it in a timely fashion would be a great help to you. Though I certainly hope you never need to use it," he said.
Melissa nodded. "Alright, I just want you to know that I am very tired," she said. "My head is all muddled up," she complained and tried to plead with him. But Richard was a psychopath, he only smiled in reply.
"Perfect, the enemy will most likely strike when you are tired," he said. "Now walk to me," he gestured for her to come forward.
Melissa panicked immediately she darted her eyes around as she took the first step, nothing happened, she exhaled, and she checked the floor very well, before taking the next step, once again nothing happened, she took the second step and the floorboard sunk, a metal ball stuck her right in the side and she yelled. "Richard, stop this!" she commanded.
"Shut up and listen," he began another round of lecture. "You dodged the first one with your senses and danger awareness, the same way you are aware of emotions around you, it seems an extension of that ability is that you can sense danger too, before it happens to you, just at the right moment. Stop using your eyes and stop tiptoeing, use your senses instead," he said.
"You don't understand, I don't know how I am dodging it," she said. "It just kind of happens," she replied angrily.
"Well, make it happen again," he countered immediately.
She shook her head and took another step, this time she slipped as the floor was slippery and she fell right on a dubious floorboard and a metal ball hit her square in the face. "Huuck," she groaned. "By the gods, when I get there, I will rip your head from your neck!" she said.
"To do that, you'd have to be able to dodge some measly traps," Richard rotated, enjoying himself.
She took steps and got hit all round, she was on the floor groaning and Richard walked to her and handed her a water bottle. She snatched it while her other hand was still clutching her broken ribs.
Then he sighed. "Don't run from the projectiles, instead, face them. Do not be ruled by your fear of pain. Pain exists and pain hurts but if you let it rule you, you will be an abject servant to fear and fear is a terrible master." He said. "Get up, and do what comes natural to you without fear," every single word he said went straight into her soul, it was like he was telling her many things at once.
She nodded and stood up, ready to go again.