I walk down the path toward the training rink, it was Monday, lunch had just happened.

  I pause when I see who's waiting at the training rink.

  Max.

  of course I expected Max, just not the one from the town.

  the one I kissed.

  I kissed the literal princess of Fellmor, what the actual hell.

  that's why they looked so alike.

  Max standing at the training rink was wearing an untucked bck dress shirt and loose pants, and combat boots.

  really, she looked exactly like she did at the town fair, just different clothes and more messy hair.

  I took a deep breath and entered the rink.

  "y-you were at the town st night" I told her.

  Did she know who I was the whole time?

  "yes, I do seem to remember dancing with you" Max grinned, she seems more confident now, less shy around me.

  then I process what she's saying.

  "O-oh . . . I . . ." I turn beat red. "w-we should . . . get started"

  "yeah, we should" she said "what are we gonna do?"

  I take a quick think back through my first lesson, I haven't taught beginners before.

  "so . . . before we start learning with actual weapons, we'll use these" I grab a wooden sword and pass it to Max, taking one of my own.

  she grabbed the sword with one hand and studied it, frowning.

  "why can't I use a real one?" she asked

  "because you're not even holding it right" I say "two hands, right on top, yes that's good"

  now she was holding the fake sword okay, I showed her the correct stance, bent knees in a snted position.

  "good, now, when your fighting be ready, never stand still, and try to keep your sword pointed at your enemies neck or chest" I say

  I was showing her different angles of attack when Rowan darted into the rink and started to take off into the armory.

  "what . . . was that" Max said staring in that direction.

  "that is our cue to knock Lieutenant Bradford out before a murder results" I sigh.

  it was going so well they went fifteen minutes this time.

  Bradford came sprinting into the rink, shouting about how he'd kill Rowan.

  "where'd he go!" Bradford asked "the little-"

  "Bradford" I said "go back to your rink"

  "but-"

  "I'll get Rowan, please don't kill him"

  Bradford grumbled something and left.

  "wait here, I'll get him and come back" I say and enter the Armory.

  After looking around I assume Rowan has left via the other entrance and went toward the kitchens.

  I walk down the hall and poke my head into the station for servants to leave into the dining room and find Rowan.

  no one else is in there, he's leaning over the tray of food left on the counter.

  "hey," I call and he jumps "what are you doing?"

  "I-I'm admiring the food" Rowan grins "I wasn't going to eat it"

  "of course not" I say looking at his closed fist "and you're holding what exactly?"

  I have one idea and it isn't bright or very Rowan-like at all.

  "are you going to tell anyone?" he whispers, also very not Rowan-like either.

  I think about it.

  "does Max know?" he shook his head "is she . . ."

  are going to add that to her food too.

  "I'll try not to" Rowan said "don't tell anyone?"

  "this never happened" I said "also I told Bradford not to kill you so lets hope he sticks to his word"

  Rowan nodded and dumped whatever was in his hand into each of the four identical cups.

  "come on" I say and lead him back to the training rink.

  Did I make a mistake?

  or maybe this was supposed to happen, I could never imagine being the guard of Cas.

  she won't die, she's too smart for that.