Heir of Deception

Chapter 15

Several weeks had gone by training with Rowan and his court in the mornings. After about the 3rd week they had stopped flying out to the meadow on the outskirts of the city and instead practiced in the arena with everyone else.

Turns out, Della wasn't as hopeless as she believed herself to be. She was now able to send out her magic in controlled bursts through the room that enabled her to 'feel' where people where in the room and when they moved.

Now, her and Rowan or sometimes Aelin practiced making shields of both air and ice. While progress was slow with Della they never made her feel like a fool. That was not to say that they did not expect near perfection from her they just didn't rush her in the process to reach it. Which, she supposed, given who they were and what they were capable of was a healthy compromise.

While Rowan and his friends were welcoming to Della, she was an outcast of sorts among the rest of the castle. No one was rude or cruel to her but seeing as she did not hold any power in Terrasen and it was unlikely she held any in Doranelle people did not seek to ingratiate themselves with her. People also seemed to have the sense that cozying up to her with intentions that were less than pure, was more likely to put her father in a sour mood rather than curry favor with him. So people remained polite and cordial but nothing more. She speculated that they gossiped behind her back but she worked to heed Dorian's words and allow them to adjust around her. But in spite of that (or likely because of all that) Lysandra had reached out with a genuine hand of friendship that Della had tentatively accepted.

Lysandra was also a bit of an oddity at court. Formerly enslaved as a courtesan and now appointed as Lady of Carraverre, the other Lords and Ladies (excluding Elide, Darrow and Murtagh) were reluctant to welcome her into their circles.

The two often trained together in the mornings after the others had left. They would join in the with palace knights lessons, since their friends were unable to train them. It had been slightly awkward at first but the guards had warmed up to her and a couple had dared to even be friendly and though she was unsure that she had earned the title of friends with them she certainly hoped she would.

Della's typical schedule was magic training in the morning with Rowan, Aelin and occasionally Fenrys. Vaughn despite also being Fae rarely engaged with Della in training or otherwise, she would have taken offense except that he seemed reserved towards everyone around them. (Though Fenrys had made it known that his sullenness did not hinder him from having plenty of late night lovers.) Most of the court would then leave to attend to their work but Lysandra had made a point to set aside extra time in the mornings so that she could master the blade and she had invited Della to join her. Rowan had been quietly elated by this. Afterwards, Della would bathe, eat lunch then head to the library for tutoring in both court etiquette and the history of Doranelle and Terrasen. Then she would join Rowan and Aelin for dinner, if the two had some free time she would spend the whole evening with them laughing and sharing stories. Aelin even was showing Della how to play the pianoforte; which she was throughly enjoying. On the evenings that they were busy (which was most evenings) Della would retire to her room to read. She still had not yet been able to brave the erotic novels that Fenrys had recommend for fear that he would notice that it was gone and tease her publicly.

Life in Terrasen was lovely. Those who mattered had welcomed her warmly with open arms.

                                        •••

Della gulped down water greedily. Training with the knights had just finished and Della was undecided on whether shielding magically or physically was worse; her entire body ached.

"Why do shields have to be so heavy" Lysandra panted from beside her.

Della could only shrug unable to summon the air need to form words to agree with the beautiful woman.