Chapter 115: One Last Day

William woke to find his mother waiting in the sitting room adjacent to his chambers, which had become her habit over the past few days, appearing at odd hours with additional warnings or some advice.

"Change of plans," Duchess Arabella announced. "You’re staying one more day."

"Why?"

"Because your sister has been asking repeatedly, and because..." she paused, choosing words carefully, "because after what happened with the kidnapping, she needs reassurance that you’re actually alive and well. The girl barely sleeps."

William thought about Seraphine and the trauma from being kidnapped was still fresh.

"One more day it is," he agreed.

His mother nodded with visible satisfaction. "Good. Spend it with her. Let her see you’re fine. It’ll help her recovery." She moved toward the door, then paused. "And William? Try to actually relax for once. You’ve been on edge too much recently."

After she left, William changed into casual clothes and went looking for Seraphine. He found her in the library, curled up in an oversized chair with a book about essence theory that was clearly too advanced for her current level.

"Hey," he said quietly.

Seraphine looked up, and her face immediately brightened. "You’re still here! Mother said you were leaving this morning."

"Plans changed. I have one more day."

She set the book aside so fast it nearly fell. "Really? The whole day?"

"The whole day. What do you want to do?"

Seraphine’s expression shifted through several emotions—excitement, uncertainty, then something more complicated. "Can we just... spend time together? Not training or formal things. Just be normal for once?"

"Sure."

"Promise you won’t leave without saying goodbye?"

The question hurt more than it should have. "I promise."

She relaxed slightly, then grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the library exit. "Come on. I want to show you something."

Seraphine led him through the manor’s corridors to a section of the estate William had rarely visited,the eastern gardens that their mother maintained but few others used. The space was beautifully designed, with carefully cultivated essence-reactive flowers that changed colors based on ambient essence concentration.

"I come here when things get overwhelming," Seraphine explained, settling onto a stone bench beneath a flowering tree. "It’s quiet and no one bothers me."

William sat beside her, noting how she immediately moved closer until their shoulders touched. She wasn’t quite leaning on him, but rather she was seeking proximity.

"How are you really doing?" he asked. "After everything that happened?"

"I have nightmares." She said it matter-of-factly, like reporting the weather. "I wake up and have to check that I’m actually in my room and not..." she trailed off.

"That’s normal after trauma."

"I know. Mother hired a mind healer who visits twice a week." Seraphine picked at a thread on her dress. "She says I’m processing appropriately and the nightmares will fade with time. But they feel very real when I’m in them."

William wanted to say something comforting but wasn’t sure what would actually help. Instead, he just stayed beside her, solid and present.

"Thank you for coming after me," Seraphine said quietly. "Even though Mother told you not to. Even though it was dangerous. You came anyway."

"You’re my sister."

"I know, but..." she struggled for words. "You could have been killed. Those mercenaries were professionals. Mother said one of them was probably B-rank at minimum. And you still fought them to get me back."

"The alternative was leaving you with kidnappers. That wasn’t acceptable."

Seraphine turned to look at him directly, her young face unusually serious. "I heard the servants talking. They said you fought really well, Is that true?"

William considered how to answer. "I’ve had good training."

"That’s a non-answer."

"It’s the answer you’re getting."

She smiled slightly at that. "You’re so secretive. It drives people crazy, you know. Everyone wants to figure you out."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching essence-reactive flowers shift through colors as wind patterns changed the ambient essence concentration. Blue to purple to green and back again in slow cycles.

"Can I ask you something?" Seraphine said eventually.

"Sure."

"Are you scared? About the competition and the people trying to kill you?"

William thought about it honestly. "Sometimes. But being scared doesn’t change what I need to do."

"That’s very brave."

"It’s just simple."

"No, it’s brave." She leaned her head against his shoulder fully now. "Simple would be withdrawing like they wanted. Going somewhere safe. What you’re doing is choosing to face danger because you think it’s right. That’s literally what bravery is."

William had never thought of it that way. To him, competing was just the logical choice given the circumstances. But maybe Seraphine had a point.

"Mother’s going to worry constantly while you’re gone," Seraphine continued. "She won’t show it, but I can tell. She checks the message crystals every few hours to see if the academy has sent updates."

"She has intelligence networks tracking half the kingdom. She’ll know if something happens before I do."

"That doesn’t make it less worrying." Seraphine shifted slightly. "I’m going to worry too. Every day until you come back."

"I’ll write letters to let you know I’m alive."

"You better." She was quiet for a moment. "Will you tell me about the competition when it’s over?"

"If you want."

"I do. I want to know everything." She sat up and looked at him seriously. "And when I’m old enough to attend the academy, I’m going to make the Inter-Academy team too. Just like you."

"That’s ambitious."

"I’ve been practicing in secret, remember? By the time I’m your age, I’ll be ready." Her determination was visible in the set of her jaw. "I want to be strong enough that people can’t just take me. That I can protect myself."

William understood that completely. The kidnapping had changed something fundamental in how Seraphine saw the world.

"I can help with that," he offered. "When you start at the academy."

Her face lit up. "Really? You’d do that?"

"Of course."

Seraphine hugged him suddenly a little fiercely. "Thank you for everything. For saving me and spending today with me, also for not treating me like I’m fragile."

William returned the hug awkwardly, still not entirely comfortable with physical affection but trying anyway. "You’re not fragile. You’re tougher than most people realize."

They spent the rest of the morning in the gardens, Seraphine showing him her favorite spots and telling stories about the various plants their mother had cultivated. William found it surprisingly relaxing.

Lunch was informal, just the two of them eating in one of the smaller dining rooms. Seraphine chatted about her studies, her friends among the minor nobility, and her frustrations with etiquette lessons.

"Mother says I need to be more ladylike," she complained while stabbing at her food. "But I don’t see why I can’t study combat theory and still be proper. It’s not like they’re mutually exclusive."

"They’re not. Mother’s one of the most dangerous people I know and she’s perfectly proper when she wants to be."

"Exactly! But when I point that out, she says I’m being difficult." Seraphine rolled her eyes. "Adults are confusing."

"Wait until you are one."

"Can’t wait," she said sarcastically.

After lunch, Seraphine dragged William to the manor’s music room—another space he rarely visited. She sat at the piano and began playing with surprising skill.

"I didn’t know you played," William said.

"Mother insists. She says every noble daughter needs musical accomplishment." Seraphine’s fingers moved across the keys with practiced ease. "But I actually enjoy it. It helps me think."

She played for a while, transitioning between pieces with fluid ease. William sat listening, noting how her entire demeanor changed when she was focused on the music, she seemed more relaxed and more like herself.

"Play something with me," Seraphine said suddenly.

"I don’t play piano."

"You studied when you were younger. I found the old lesson records in the library." She gestured to the bench. "Come on. I’ll teach you something simple."

William joined her at the piano, and Seraphine walked him through a basic duet. He was rusty and made mistakes, but she laughed and corrected him patiently until they managed a passable performance.

"See? You’re not terrible," she declared. "You just need practice."

"I’ll stick to sword work."

"You can do both. That’s what makes you interesting—you’re good at fighting but you’re not just a fighter. You think about things." She started another piece, slower this time. "The nobles who came for the gathering, they all thought you were one thing. Then you proved you were something else entirely. I liked watching their faces change."

Evening arrived gradually. They had dinner with their mother, who seemed pleased to see Seraphine more animated than she’d been in days. The conversation was light, carefully avoiding topics like assassination attempts and political conspiracies.

After dinner, William and Seraphine returned to the gardens as the sun set, watching the essence-reactive flowers shift through colors in the fading light.

"I don’t want you to go tomorrow," Seraphine said quietly.

"I know."

"But I understand why you have to." She took a deep breath. "Just... promise me you’ll be careful. Really careful."

William smiled slightly at the callback to his usual phrasing. "I promise I’ll be really careful."

"And you’ll write letters?"

"At least once a week."

"And you’ll come back for the next break?"

"If I can."

Seraphine nodded, accepting these promises as the best she would get. "When you’re at the competition and things get dangerous, remember you have people who want you to come back. Me, Mother, your friends at the academy. You’re not alone even if you sometimes act like you are."

"I’ll remember."

They sat together as darkness fell and servants began lighting the garden lanterns. The essence-reactive flowers glowed softly in the artificial light, creating a gentle ambiance.

Eventually, their mother appeared to remind Seraphine it was past her bedtime. Seraphine hugged William one more time before leaving.

"I’ll see you in the morning before you go," she insisted.

"I’ll make sure of it."

After she left, Duchess Arabella remained behind.

"Thank you for giving her today," she said. "She needed it more than I realized."

"She’s dealing with a lot."

"We all are." His mother looked toward where Seraphine had disappeared into the manor. "She’s stronger than she knows. The kidnapping was traumatic, but she’ll recover. Especially knowing you care enough to stay an extra day just for her."

"It wasn’t a hardship."

"I know. But it mattered to her." Arabella turned to face him directly. "Tomorrow you’re returning to the academy. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be."

"Good."