Chapter 115: Does anyone else know?

"No, no. A second person?" Diana's mind went wild, thoughts whirling faster than she could follow them. "It's not even possible, is it?"

"I am quite aware of how it sounds." Hakimi returned the sword to its scabbard. "This is why I thought it best to inform you."

"Who is it?" Diana leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Tell me now. Who is it?"

"Lady Dune."

"Du—" The name stuck in her throat. She slumped back down into her seat, pressing a hand to her chest dramatically. "Of course. It has to be her." She sighed and stared up at the ceiling, as if it were somehow responsible for her misfortune. "She's the only girl around here that I like, and she goes and ruins everything by being her."

"She isn't ruining anything."

"But she is." Diana pouted and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair. "This sword has been mine my entire life. Mine! But now all of a sudden it just goes and says, Oh, by the way, there's another person too? And without even asking me first?"

"The sword doesn't ask anyone anything."

"Well, it should," she huffed, her cheeks puffed up. "I've had that sword my whole life and didn't get any choice about this. Don't you understand what that's like?"

"I think it must be rather aggravating."

"It's horrible." She buried her face in her hands and groaned. "And then you went off somewhere with her for an entire week, and you didn't even bother telling me where you were going or why. I've been sitting here worrying about all sorts of possibilities, and the whole time you've been off doing who-knows-what with her."

"She needed training." Hakimi's tone was calm. "Proper training, for the first time. Numen control, awareness, enhancement, all the things she'd never learned before. We stayed out near the eastern ridge, away from prying eyes, so I could also test the sword against her without anyone watching. I wanted to see if the sword would behave the same when we're actually fighting."

"You taught her," Diana said, lifting her head from her hands slowly. "A whole week. Only you two."

"Yes."

"Never once did it occur to you to tell me. Not a word of it. The training, the sword, none of it until now."

"I wanted to make sure I was right before telling you."

"Certain." Diana's voice was raised a little higher, something in her eyes becoming tight. "So you took your sweet time teaching her Numen control, watching her fight, observing how she moves. And now, an hour before I have to put on a smiling face in front of a bunch of nobles, you think to tell me any of it."

"Lady—"

"No, no. It's alright. It's alright. It's just part of your job. Testing the sword. Important stuff." Her fingers fidgeted with her sleeve while she avoided looking at him. "Just weird, that's all. To know that you've spent a whole week with her. Teaching her things. Seeing her progress. Talking the whole time, didn't you? About all kinds of things."

"We spoke, yes."

"Sure." A thin line formed on Diana's lips.

She remained there for a little while longer, still crossing her arms, throat tight about what she couldn't bring herself to say out loud yet. The sharp edge started to dull though, as her mind finally caught up with the reasons why he came to share this particular piece of news with her.

Dune. Still learning what any of this even meant, still figuring out how to be human at all. If anyone else in that hall today so much as suspected there was a second person tied to that sword, there'd be no gentle curiosity about it. Only questions Dune had no way to protect herself from.

Diana released a slow breath and shifted in her seat. "Does anyone else know?"

"You are the first person I have told. Though I suspect that Felix is aware as well."

"That Jerk. Why the hell would he ever have an idea like that?" She shook her head violently as she dispelled the possibility from her mind. "That's not the point. Don't you think he'll tell them? The man can't hold his tongue."

"Maybe. But I don't think he'll consider it important enough to blurt out. He's cleverer than he lets on, when to keep his mouth shut."

"You've grown quite confident in him lately." She examined his expression carefully. "He'll be here today, right?"

"I know enough of him to trust that much, at least." Hakimi nodded. "And yes. He and the lady Dune will both come here."

Diana turned towards the mirror again, seeing her own reflection staring back at her, dressed in her golden gown.

"Dune." Diana said the name softly.

Then she straightened up and looked at Hakimi through the mirror. "Keep this between the two of us," she said, her voice calm and serious. "I mean it, Hakimi. Whatever you still want to figure out about the sword, fine, do that. But don't let this get out. If people find out about her, it won't be me they come after."

"I understand." Hakimi bowed shortly. "And happy sixteenth birthday."

"Thank you very much." She smiled. "So, what about my gift?"

"This." Hakimi quickly cast his gaze around the room as if he was trying to find an answer there. "I will give it to you when the party starts."

"You didn't prepare anything, did you?"

"Yes, I did." He nodded confidently. "That's just a surprise."

"Then I'll be waiting," her smile softened as she faced the mirror again. "Now I have to go back to getting dressed."

Hakimi bowed his head and walked toward the door.

She turned her eyes from the mirror, then rested them upon a little carved figure of a winged girl sitting on her vanity beside the mirror, no bigger than the palm of her hand. She frowned a bit.

There was a single white feather lying next to it, where it had not been before.