Chapter 18

Ayda immediately ran away and refused to wait a second before putting her new plan into motion. She knew perfectly where Nifsara would be by then. There was only one place she would be really because it seemed she spent her entire day training. Just as planned, she ran into Nifsara on the training grounds and the latter bowed:

"How are you doing today, Lady Ayda? Did you need something?"

Ayda grabbed Nifsara's arm which seemed to surprise the latter. She didn't move however and continued looking at Ayda, waiting to see what would happen.

"I am feeling way better! Thank you so much, it is all thanks to you! I am so grateful!"

Nifsara blinked a few times and Ayda remembered that she also had to be slow. That would be the hardest part for her. It would have been way easier if Nifsara had hated fast people. She wouldn't have had to pretend at all.

Nifsara suddenly smiled gently:

"I am glad to hear that."

Ayda thought about what to say next to sound as clingy as possible:

"What are you doing today?

-I usually train around now."

She started hesitating:

"I... Hum... I was wondering if it's okay with you of course. Because I don't want to bother you but... What I mean is I wouldn't want to impose myself of course. You can tell me no, that's fine. Totally."

Even Ayda didn't remember what she wanted to say at that point and she needed a second to remember.

"Can I come with you?"

Ayda was sure that Nifsara would say no. If she hated people following her, then she probably would soon be starting to get annoyed. However against all odds, she just nodded:

"I would be honored."

It was Ayda's turn to be completely lost:

"What? I mean... That's very nice of you. But are you sure? I wouldn't want to bother you... I don't have anything to do on a training ground. I will just look at you while you train."

Please say no. Ayda didn't care at all about sparring. She couldn't imagine anything more boring than having to sit there and look at people moving sticks around.

"You never bother me, Ayda."

Ayda thought she would cry but she forced herself to smile. Or maybe she was grimacing. Who knew at that point? She couldn't feel her face muscles anymore.

"Thank you so much..."

Nifsara escorted Ayda to a chair and she had to sit there for the following three hours. At the end she couldn't feel her legs anymore and she promised herself never to ask Nifsara to watch her train anymore. She almost fell asleep three times but it was way too loud for that. Nifsara would come up to Ayda to check up on her and when she wasn't there, she would send other knights to keep her company.

Ayda therefore couldn't stop pretending for a second and she had to stare at Nifsara, pretending to be amazed by how strong she was. Despite how bored she was, Ayda did suddenly straighten up seeing Nifsara cut through a literal tree with her sword in one swing. Ayda didn't even notice that she opened her mouth and only realized when she felt drool touching her knee. She immediately flinched and tried to get back into her head but Nifsara was quicker.

It was exactly at that moment that she decided to look at Ayda and the latter was sure that she had seen her drooling. That turned her admiration into shame and she didn't like it. If that wasn't enough, Nifsara walked up to Ayda with a smile:

"What did you think?

-You are truly incredible. No wonder that you are the best knight ever seen."

Ayda didn't lie. Nifsara wasn't the hero of the story for nothing. She really looked very strong and that comforted Ayda in the idea that she could kill her.

"Do I look like a real knight now?"

Ayda smiled. It seemed Nifsara didn't forget about her words. Maybe she wasn't as nice as she was pretending:

"I am so sorry I said that... I couldn't be more ashamed. I take it all back."

Ayda always had to remind herself to talk slowly. However it didn't seem to annoy Nifsara because she waited for Ayda patiently:

"You are the best knight I ever saw.

-I am really flattered that you would say that."

Ayda didn't feel like anything she was doing was pissing Nifsara off and she started thinking that the knight had maybe lied to her. He said that Nifsara hated clingy people but she was just smiling.

Apart from having no problem with Ayda clinging to her, Nifsara was becoming the clingy one! After 3 terrible hours of training, Ayda thought that Nifsara would at least keep her distance from her at least for a few days but the very same evening she asked Ayda:

"Do you want to come watch me train again?"

Ayda forced herself to smile. She had to stay in character. She had to be happy hearing that proposition. But it just hurt so much to smile at that moment. Why was it so hard to be hated by someone? Ayda didn't have any problem being hated by her mother. She just had to breathe.

"I am so glad that you asked!

-I will wake you up tomorrow at five then."

Ayda couldn't help screaming:

"Five?"

Nifsara tilted her head:

"Of course. I train every morning and evening.

-That's..."

Ayda almost said boring but she stopped at the last second:

"Very admirable.

-I am touched that you would think so."

Ayda couldn't think of anything nice or even clingy to say. She was just exhausted and went back to her room. She went to sleep in a horrible mood thinking about having to wake up early the next day. If there was one thing Ayda hated, it was not getting enough sleep. However when she woke up the next day she noticed that it was already late in the morning.

She frowned looking outside the window and seeing her do so made the maid stare at her. She looked seconds from calling the doctor again and Ayda figured that she must have thought that she was having hallucinations. Seeing the maid so worried made Ayda roll her eyes:

"I am sick, not crazy. Can't I even look out the window anymore?"

The maid flinched and looked away. Ayda couldn't take everyone looking at her with pity anymore. If one more person looked at her as if she was a dying puppy, she was going to strangle them. It was coming from a good place but that didn't change anything.

She ignored the maid and got dressed on her own. The maid tried helping but when she saw Ayda's back she immediately stopped. Ayda continued changing while the maid just stood there, immobile. Ayda had time to get completely ready by the time the maid finally got back to herself. Turning around and seeing a pale maid made Ayda shrug:

"What? Never seen scars before?"

She realized that she was taking out her frustration on the maid and pinched her lips:

"Sorry, I'm in a bad mood. You would be better off avoiding me for a few hours."

And just like that, she left her room. When she saw Nifsara at lunch, she asked:

"Didn't you train today?"

Nifsara nodded:

"I am sorry. I didn't dare wake you up. You look way better lately but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't get proper sleep. You can join me once you'll be fully recovered."

Ayda couldn't hide her smile:

"That is so nice of you. I am disappointed but you are right. I still don't feel perfectly fine yet."

She grabbed Nifsara's hand, waiting for her to pull her hand away. However Nifsara only held her hand tighter. Ayda felt her entire body crawl and she did her best not to let go. After days of acting all nice and clingy, Ayda's mood was getting worse and worse. She thought that maybe Nifsara was acting so nicely because she still pitied her and Ayda had to quickly be "cured". As long as Nifsara pitied her, she couldn't be mad at her and hate her.