PeaceMaker

Kalmin gazed out the windows behind Dominic before nodding his head. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

Dominic chuckled lightly for a moment before nodding his head. "I'm sure he does."

Kalmin flinched slightly at Dominic's comment before continuing, "I'm sure it's not anything bad of course for the kingdom and his highness. After all your highness has gone through, his honor might just have wanted to lessen your-"

"Kalmin," Dominic cut in, his gaze turning to face Kalmin, golden eyes peering through the gap between his fingers. 

Kalmin sat up straight, his heart skipping a beat when he locked eyes with Dominic. "Yes, your highness."

"First thing," Dominic began, lowering his hand from his eyes and sitting up in his seat, "don't forget how to call me in private. You need to work on that a lot more than you think." He chortled as he stood up from his seat and patted Kalmin on the shoulder, "Makes me feel like I'm talking to the elders you know? A very stifling feeling seeing you've known me for most of my life."

"My apologies your-"

"Dominic,"

"- Dominic…"

"Great," Dominic grinned as he walked past Kalmin's seat and let out a long sigh. 

Kalmin stood up from his seat and turned to Dominic, watching him intently as he stood motionless for a few seconds. "Dominic? Is there something you'd like to-" 

"Was that all Kalmin?" Dominic cut in, turning to face Kalmin with a smile on his face, "was that all you had to inform me about?"

"Was that all-" Kalmin muttered lightly as he reran Dominic's words in his mind. He looked away for a second before looking back up at him. 

"Hm?" Dominic cocked his head to the side, his smile still on his face. 

Kalmin began, "I mean…" his twitched slightly in confusion, "Yes, it is but don't you have-"

"Then that's good," Dominic grinned, clapping his hands together, "we have to go back to the room for lunch don't you think? I was the one that invited them afterall." He swiveled on his heels, turning back to the back of the room, and started walking in the direction of the doors. 

"Ah... I suppose so…" Kalmin muttered lightly under his breath as he followed Dominic. 'That doesn't make sense,' he pondered to himself as he replayed Dominic's smile, looking for any abnormalities. There were none. It was a normal smile, nothing forced, natural. Except there was nothing natural about his smiling in that situation.

'Did I miss something?' Kalmin thought to himself, his eyes lowering to the ground and he tunneled into his thoughts, 'just a moment ago he was worried right? The look in his eyes was all directed at Boris… right?' 

He flinched, looking up at Dominic when a thought crossed his mind. 'Now that I think about it…'

Dominic stood in front of Kalmin, peering at him with a raised brow. "Hm?"

'None of his questions specifically mentioned Boris,'

They locked eyes for a moment, the confusion in Kalmin's eyes deepening as a shudder ran over him. Milliseconds became seconds as they stood in eye contact. 

"Hah…" Dominic sighed, a little chuckle leaving his lips as a little smile appeared on his face. "Don't give me that look, Kalmin. Afterall, aren't you the one who was getting worried about me caring too much for him? You think that it'll be a distraction to me, that it's worrisome."

Kalmin flinched, nearly taking a step back away from Dominic. He felt different. 'His attitude… the way he speaks..' his eyes squinted slightly, 'the way he looks into my eyes like he knows everything that's going on in my head… he's changed. How did I not notice before?' 

"Quite frankly, I agree. He is a distraction. Something that deters me from the work that I need to do, something that sucks up more of my attention than needed," Dominic muttered, "something I need to cut off." 

He couldn't get it. The longer he stared into Dominic's eyes, the more he felt confused. 

Dominic turned back around, continuing to the door and pulling the hands open. "After the meeting, and now this, I realized that there's a lot more pressing issues on the line right now than this. Besides he's fine now right?"

Kalmin nodded slowly as he followed Dominic out, a chill running down his spine when they made eye contact again. 'His words sound cold… Harsh and correct but cold… since when did this happen? I didn't feel this yesterday so when- ah... It's only been a day. Has he been like this since he came back?' He looked to his side at Dominic who walked straight forward, emerald eyes blank as if the conversation before never happened. 

'Has he been this way for a while now?' Facing forward, Kalmin gulped silently. 'What happened during the war?'

*

"Are you ok?" Litian asked, her eyebrows raising as her face scrunched up in confusion, "you stop my practice to say that?"

"Yes."

Litian turned back to her target immediately, raising her sword again as she prepared her next attack. "Step back."

Just as her sword was about to slash down into the target, a glint of light passed by Litian's eyes and she changed her stance, leaning back slightly and lowering the speed in which her sword swung. 

Clang

She peered down, past the sword that held hers up and to the body below it, holding it up. 

Adia grinned. 

Litian drew back her sword and took a step back from Adia, her head lowering as she spoke. "My apologies." 

Adia flinched, perplexed as she stood up straight, lowering her sword to her side. "Your apologies for what?"

"I attacked you," Litian responded as she walked away from Adia to the next target. "I should never attack a person who did not warrant nor anticipate it."

Adia peered at Litian for a few seconds, a light chortle leaving her lips, "Are you serious?" she giggled. 

Litian turned to her, eyes peering straight into Adia's. There was not a hint of lightness in them. She wasn't joking. Adia grinned, scoffing as Litian changed her gaze to the target again. 

"Of course you're not," she chuckled. Something told her that those eyes never joked. 

Adia watched for a few seconds as Litian fixed her posture once again, the smile on her face never diminishing as she watched Litian. A few seconds passed and just before Litian raised her sword again, she brought it down and tilted her head back, staring into the sky for a moment before turning her eyes to Adia.

"It would serve you good to return back into the palace," she stated, her head lowering to face Adia. "I'd hate to be keeping away someone without orders," her eyes stared straight through Adia, piercing through her, "especially those that needlessly stick to me." 

"Ouch-" Adia grimaced, stepping back as she pretended Litian's words struck through her. She hunched over panting before grinning as she looked back up at Litian, "Quite the harsh one aren't you?"

Litian ignored Adia's comment and turned back to her target, getting ready to fight again. 

Adia switched her position, leaning most of her weight onto her left leg, and tiled her head over as she watched Litian for a few seconds. "How about this…" she spoke up, just as Litian's first strike hit the target. A shiver ran down her spine.

Litian stopped and turned to Adia once again, slight annoyance showing in her eyes. "What is it?" 

"Fight me once and I'll leave immediately if I lose," Adia suggested, fixing her posture and swinging her sword in her hand. She grinned as she watched Litian's eyebrows subtly move in curiosity, "Immediately."

"What makes you think I'll even agree to fight you? I have no motivation to, except you watching my training," Lititan commented. 

"And I'm supposing it's enough, unless you want me to sit here and watch you for the entirety of you being out here?" Adia chuckled, "I mean, it's good practice for you too afterall. You get to fight a moving person even if they are on your level or not."

Litian turned to Adia, lowering her sword, its tip pointing to the ground. "You'd like to fight me. And will leave if you lose."

"Yes,"

She nodded her head and stepped back, creating some distance from the targets. She looked up at Adia and raised her sword at her. Adia grinned, "Fuck yeah."