ELIA

The next morning was worse.

She'd already been up late because everything had taken longer because she'd had to hobble through the day. When she sat down for dinner, she almost fell asleep in her plate. Then when she stood, Reth had to catch her arm because the muscles in her thighs gave such a stab of pain, her knee gave out.

When Reth woke her before dawn again, she almost threw the furs at him and told him where to stuff his training. She'd slept poorly—both because of pain, and her worry for the festival. But she bit back the urge and got out of bed, groaning and swearing, while Reth darted around getting dressed, and sniggering at her.

She'd only made it halfway up the ladder before she fell and Reth caught her and it shocked her so badly, she almost gave up again. But he got her to the top and they started the workout again—she was even slower. They only made it as far as the punches and jumping jacks before Dawn because she was hobbling so badly. But Reth ignored the fact that she did less, and simply kept her working for the full two hours.

Then he became her husband again, lowered her down the ladder and soaked with her. She was late meeting her Cohorts, but she was in so much pain, Aymora gave her a tincture to help her make it through the day.

She didn't tell Reth.

The third day was the worst, but she just accepted that she was 'weak as a day old kitten,' as Reth put it and did what she could, stumbling through the run and the rest of the workout until she could let herself fall on the ground at the end. Reth laughed at her and promised the next day would be easier.

"Why? Are we doing a different workout?

" she asked hopefully, holding her head up so she could watch his face in the early dawn light.

He snorted.

"We aren't doing anything else until the day you can climb the ladder, do all the exercises, and get yourself back down under your own steam,

" he said. He didn't smile, but his lips twitched when she pretended to cry.

Mostly pretended.

"The reason tomorrow will be better is because your body will have shifted to accommodate the new requirements placed on it,

" he said, more gently than he usually did while she was still calling him, Sir.

"And while you'll still be sore and miserable, you'll gain strength and begin to see your body respond differently to what's happening.

"

"Why aren't you sore? You get tired, surely? You get shaky? There must be a point at which your muscles feel like jelly?

"

"Yes, it's true. But my body heals far faster than yours. Generally I am recovered from this kind of strain within hours.

" And he smiled!

"Bloody sadist!

" she'd muttered, then hurriedly added,

"Sir.

"

Reth frowned.

"What is a sadist?

"

"Someone who gets pleasure out of the pain of others.

"

He grinned.

"Oh, well—

"

"Sexual pleasure,

" she added and he snapped his mouth shut.

"Humans are **ing strange,

" he muttered, stalking to the other end of the clearing to pick up a large rock in one hand and bring it back to hand it to her.

She was about to make a joke about alpha males when the rock hit her palms and she almost dropped it on her own foot.

"Oof! What the hell?

" Reth raised an eyebrow and she muttered,

"What the hell… Sir?

"

"Squats. Twenty with the rock in one hand, twenty with it in the other.

"

"One handed? I can barely hold it with two!

"

He stared.

"Sir,

" she grumbled.

"Find a way,

" he said.

"We're working on balance. You need to be strong in your core,

" he slapped his own stomach,

" to give your body a solid foundation.

"

She moved the rock awkwardly until she was able to hold it to her chest on one side with one arm, then began the squats. Reth wandered off to find something else to torture her with and she muttered,

"Sadist,

" under her breath.

"I heard that. Twenty push-ups, then you'll start the lunges again,

" he called without turning to look at her.

Groaning, she dropped the rock and got to the ground for the push ups. Then sighed when she was able to get to her feet and pick up the rock to start the squats again.

*****

He was right that the fourth day was easier. Whatever it was that was magical about Anima, she felt her body suddenly get stronger. And, with only two more days until the Festival, Elia was grateful to be able walk without hobbling. Gahrye had laughed himself into tears when she'd tried to walk up Candace's stairs two days earlier. She'd growled like a true Leonine.

The downside though, was that she and Reth had barely touched each other. She had been so sore, and so tired, that she'd crawled into bed as soon as her duties were done each night, falling asleep immediately, though sleeping fitfully because pain often drove her awake.

So the day before the Festival, the first day she woke up naturally, rather than from pain, it was a relief to know at least she'd walk on stage the following night without embarrassing herself. She opened her eyes and smiled.

Then she sat bolt upright.

The lanterns were on.

It was morning, and she hadn't woken up.

"Shit!

" She leaped out of the furs and ran to the closet, throwing on her leathers, twisting her hair into a bun and running through the cave towards the bathing pools. She threw the door open and ran into the cavern.

"I'm here! I'm here! I just… why didn't you wake me up?

" she called, her voice echoing through the cavern.

Reth, who'd been standing under the ladder turned and smiled.

"You're fine. Today's going to be a little different. I was going to wake you after I was done here.

"

"What are you doing?

" she asked, sliding to a stop next to him. He had knelt down the base of the ladder and was tying something to it. When he stood she could see two large rocks he'd obviously gathered from above and brought down here to pin the ladder. Then he stepped back and folded his arms.

"You're going up alone,

" he said.

"Without the safety net.

"

Elia blinked.

"Wait… what?

"

He stepped right up to her, smiling, very much in husband mode, not Sir, and he rubbed her arms, then leaned into her ear.

"You've done good work this week. So now, you're going up the ladder, by yourself, because you can, and I'm going to be at the top to meet you and… reward you,

" he whispered, then licked the shell of her ear, raising goosebumps on her neck and side.

She smiled.

"That doesn't sound like Warrior training, Reth, unless there's a side of you I really don't know.

"

He just winked and opened a hand towards the ladder.

****

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