Chapter 24: The Dance

Azrel

“Good morning, Prince Azrel.” Anaya was already in the practice room when he arrived. It was early in the morning and yet he had not had any trouble making his way to the almost forgotten room of the castle undetected.

Anaya bowed low when he entered. Her left foot was wrongly placed behind her right.

Azrel tsked. “Right foot behind your left when you bow.”

Anaya scowled up at him. The bags under her eyes had grown bigger since he had last seen her.

“That is how the counselor taught me,” she all but hissed.

Azrel cocked his head to the side. “Who taught you this?”

“The deserter Counselor Hethper.”

Azrel was shocked. “Hethper supposedly had died in a rebel raid years ago when the war had just begun. It makes sense now why the tide had turned so quickly.” He muttered under his breath not realizing he said his thoughts out loud. He cleared his throat. “I see why you make mistakes now,” Azrel said, changing the subject.