“I don’t understand,” Luka said, making his voice as icy as he could. He’d seen the tone work for his father, who terrifies his court with the same voice. “The lady was defending herself.”
“Yes, and for their actions, Master Putyatin and Master Panin have been suspended from the academy.” Lord Utkin’s eyebrows went up as he looked at them. “And foryouractions, you two will have to clean the training grounds at the end of class, each day for two weeks.”
“So, it was a mistake to defend myself?” Maya said, her voice shaking with anger. It was clear to Luka that she wass trying to keep a check on her rage so that she didn’t snap at their instructor, but it was a near thing. Luka had no such compunctions, and he’s never been happier for his higher rank.
“Explain yourself, Lord Utkin. Please,” he added belatedly, when the older man’s glinted dangerously at the disrespect.
“Defending yourself was not wrong,” their instructor said mildly. “Extractingrevengeis.”
“How was that revenge?” Rakhmonova’s voice grew higher, and Lord Utkin looked at her incredulously.
“Bruises inverypainful places—” Lord Utkin looked significantly at Rakhmonova, and Luka remembered her lightning quick kicks the night before, but Lord Utkin was still talking, “—broken ribs, and concussions. If that wasn’t the result of anger, what was it?”
Rakhmonova snapped her mouth closed, glaring mutinously at the man. Her eyes darted to Luka, but she said nothing. Despite himself, Luka squirmed. He hadn’t expected his little excursion with Volkov last night to have such dire consequences.
Still, it served the little bastards right.
Luka understood why Lord Utkin was punishing them. In his eyes, Rakhmonova and Luka had lost their tempers and revenged themselves on her attackers.
There was no way Luka would admit that Volkov had been a part of this, though.
“Sir,” he said stiffly, “I must tell you the trut—”
“Regardless ofwhocaused the injuries or why,” Lord Utkin cut in, and Luka feels sure the older man knew the truth, “the fact remains that it was revenge, and not self defence.”
Suddenly, Luka understood, even though he wished he didn’t.
“Anger has no place on the battlefield,” Lord Utkin said, as if quoting someone else.
It was what his father had told him, whenever he’d bothered to visit Luka at his studies.
“Keeping a cool head in battle is half the battle won, ditya.”
And then his father would chuckle at his own witticism. But Luka had understood what the Tsar of Drakazov was trying to say.Control your emotions. Think clearly. Choose wisely.
His father was famous for the ice water that ran in his veins, being equally unflappable in battle and in court. It was the reason why the Kingdom was in the position of strength and stability they now enjoyed.
“Alright.”
Rakhmonova stared at him as Luka capitulated, her gaze betrayed and hurt.
“Excellent,” Lord Utkin said. He looked down at the papers on his desk, shuffling them around until he found his pocket watch. “I believe your first extra swordsmanship practice is…right now.” He snapped his watch shut with a click. “I’d suggest you hurry.”
As they stalked through the halls to the training grounds, Rakhmonova was a silent shadow at his side, radiating fury. They ignored the shortcut, taking the long way around this time and by the time they reached the grounds, Rakhmonova spun on him, her eyes blazing.
“I can’t believe you just backed down like that!”
Luka shrugged. “He was right.”
Rakhmonova scoffed. “You are a coward!” She rushed him, her eyes blazing with her anger.
Her anger made her attack sloppy, and Luka got the upper hand easily, pushing her back a few paces without much effort.
“And you are anidiot!” Luka snarled, goaded into anger himself. “Why did you drag it out so long with those upperclassmen? It would’ve been so simple to get the better of those idiots last night, all you had to do was—” He snapped his finger, whispering a single word incantation, and a hole opened up in the ground below Rakhmonova before closing up again, encasing her in solid earth up to the ankle. She glared at him, immobile.
“Let go of me,” she gritted out. Her eyes looked slightly wild, and Luka released his magic with a huff.
“If you had simply kept your head and reacted with your magic, none of this would’ve happened,” he grumbled. “Instead, you had to worry aboutpride, and prove that you can best them in swordsmanship—”
