Chapter 101 Again Lila
She was forcing Sydney into Keal's space. Making it impossible for the woman to hide behind pillars and watch from a distance. If Sydney was going to pine for someone, she deserved the chance to be seen.
Even if Lila's own life was falling apart, maybe she could do this one good thing.
"That's not how this works." Keal's voice was flat. "Warriors train without special accommodations. If you need medical care, you'll receive it when the session ends like everyone else."
"Then I suppose I'll bleed out on your training mat." Lila met his eyes steadily. "And you'll explain to His Majesty why you let his sentenced prisoner die before her time was properly served. I'm sure he'll appreciate that."
It was a gamble. A massive one. Keal could simply accept her death and move on.
But she'd noticed something during council meetings. Keal seemed to have his own agenda regarding her survival. His own reasons for wanting her alive and aware. He'd saved her twice already when he had no obligation to do so.
Keal's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed. For a long moment, he said nothing, clearly weighing his options.
Sydney stood frozen beside Lila, her face pale. "My lady, please don't—you don't have to—"
"Fine." Keal's voice cut through Sydney's protest. "Sydney will attend as medical support. But she follows my commands, not yours. If I say leave someone bleeding, she leaves them. Understood?"
Sydney's breath caught audibly. Her eyes went wide, staring at Keal with an expression that was half terror and half something much more complicated.
"Understood," Lila said quickly before Sydney could refuse.
"Then get in formation." Keal pointed to the training mat with his bloody sword. "You've wasted enough time. Every minute of delay adds another lap to your warmup. You're currently at fifty."
Fifty laps. Lila looked at the training ground's perimeter. It had to be at least a quarter mile around.
She was going to die here. She knew it with sudden certainty.
But at least Sydney would be nearby. At least the woman who loved Keal with such quiet desperation would have a reason to be in his presence. To be noticed.
It was a small victory. Maybe the only one Lila would achieve before this training killed her.
She walked toward the formation of warriors, all of whom were staring at her with expressions ranging from contempt to curiosity. The only woman among fifty hardened soldiers. The cursed princess who'd killed their families with plague.
She was going to suffer here. Going to be broken down and destroyed.
But somewhere in that destruction, maybe she'd find the truth her fractured memories were hiding.
Sydney remained frozen where she stood, watching Lila walk away with a mixture of gratitude, terror, and complete confusion about what had just happened.
Keal's voice snapped her from her daze. "Medical kit. Now. Set up near the water station and stay out of the way unless I call for you."
He still didn't look at her directly. Still treated her as just another servant following orders.
But she was here. In his space. In his domain.
And despite the fear coursing through her, Sydney felt something else too. A small desperate spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, being invisible was better than being completely unknown.
Keal watched Lila walk toward the formation with calculating eyes. He didn't know exactly what game she was playing by demanding Sydney's presence, but he understood one thing clearly: she was going to get injured. Badly. Whether from exhaustion, failed techniques, or the sheer brutality of warrior training, blood would be spilled.
Having a medic on hand wasn't kindness. It was practical necessity if he wanted to keep her alive long enough to serve his purposes.
"Begin warmup!" His voice cracked across the training ground. "Fifty laps, then equipment rotation. Move!"
The warriors took off running. Lila followed, her legs already shaking from exhaustion she couldn't explain. Her body felt heavy, as if she'd already trained for hours despite having just arrived.
The laps blurred together. By the twentieth, her lungs burned. By the thirtieth, her vision swam. By the fortieth, she was stumbling, her coordination failing.
But she finished. Somehow. She crossed the final marker and bent double, gasping for air that wouldn't come fast enough.
"Equipment rotation!" Keal's voice showed no mercy. "Balance beams, climbing walls, rope work. You have thirty seconds to reach your station."
Lila stumbled toward the balance beams. Modern training equipment designed to build core strength and coordination. Warriors were already moving across them with practiced ease, their bodies perfectly controlled.
Lila stepped onto the narrow beam and immediately lost her balance. She fell hard onto the mat below, the impact knocking the wind from her lungs.
"Again." Keal's voice came cold.
She climbed back up. Made it three steps before falling.
"Again."
Up. Four steps. Fall.
"Again."
Her body was screaming. Her muscles trembled with fatigue. Sweat poured down her face despite the cold morning air.
"Again!"
She couldn't do it. Her legs wouldn't obey. She stepped onto the beam and collapsed immediately, her strength completely depleted.
"Pathetic." Keal walked closer, his shadow falling over her. "You can't even manage a basic balance drill. How do you expect to survive combat?"
"I can't." Lila's voice came out broken. "I can't do this. My body won't…"
"Your body will do what I command it to do." Keal's voice turned brutal. "Get up. Now. Or I'll have the warriors drag you through the course."
Lila tried to push herself up. Her arms gave out. She collapsed back onto the mat, her chest heaving.
"I said get up!" Keal's boot pressed against her shoulder, not hard enough to injure but enough to make his point. "Warriors don't quit. They push through pain and exhaustion until their bodies break. If you want mercy, you're in the wrong place."
Tears burned Lila's eyes but she refused to let them fall. She pushed against the ground with trembling arms, forcing herself onto her hands and knees.
"Lord Keal." Sydney's voice cut through the training yard, clear and urgent. "She needs water and a moment to recover or she'll collapse completely."
Every eye turned to Sydney. She stood near the water station, holding a cup, her face flushed but determined.
"I didn't ask for your input," Keal said flatly.
"You didn't have to." Sydney moved forward, carrying the water directly to where Lila knelt. "She's showing signs of severe dehydration and exhaustion. Pushing her further in this state risks permanent damage."
She knelt beside Lila and held the cup to her lips before Keal's attendant had even processed the need. Before anyone could object or question her authority to act.
Lila drank gratefully, the cold water shocking her system back toward awareness.
Keal's jaw tightened. He should reprimand Sydney for overstepping. Should remind her that she followed his commands, not her own judgment.
But she was right. Lila was on the verge of collapse. Killing her on the first day served no purpose.
"Five minutes," Keal said tersely, his stern face never softening. "Then we continue."
The other warriors looked at Sydney like she'd grown a second head. No one interrupted Keal's training. No one dared question his methods.
But Lila, despite her exhaustion, managed a small smile. She'd seen it. The way Keal had paused for just a fraction of a second. The way his eyes had flicked to Sydney's face before looking away. The way he'd actually agreed to her suggestion without argument.
He'd noticed her. Maybe not consciously. Maybe not in any way he'd acknowledge. But some part of him had responded to Sydney's presence and voice.
It was a tiny crack in his armor. But cracks could widen.
Sydney helped Lila to her feet, supporting her weight. "Slowly. Don't gulp the water."
"Thank you," Lila whispered. "For everything."
Sydney's expression flickered with confusion. "I'm just doing what you requested. Medical support."
"You're doing more than that." Lila's smile widened slightly despite her exhaustion. "And I think he noticed."
Before Sydney could ask what she meant, heavy footsteps announced a new arrival.
Adrian strode into the training yard dressed in combat gear. Simple but high-quality, designed for movement rather than display. His presence immediately commanded attention from every warrior present.
"Your Majesty." Keal bowed his head in respect but didn't stop the training. "We weren't expecting you today."
"Combat training day." Adrian's voice was clipped. His eyes locked on Lila with an intensity that made the air feel heavy. "I train with the warriors every week. I won't break that schedule for anyone."
His gaze swept over Lila's exhausted, sweat-soaked form. Then moved to where Keal stood close to her, one hand steadying her arm as she tried to maintain balance.
Fury flashed across Adrian's face. "You're being too soft with her, Delta. Step aside. I'll show you how to properly train someone who needs breaking."