"Fine, you may train with us…Your Grace." He said showing a small smile on his face.
Shocked I looked at Sol and Cat who are both surprised too. They didn't expect Ajax to agree cause the fact that he hates seeing me getting hurt.
"Wait! so now we have to train? I thought we were leaving after the Emperor ball. What happened to that plan." Sol complains.
"We are still going back home but not right after the ball. We will stay here for a few more days to train with the squad. If that's ok with you Count Ajax." I say.
"That is absolutely fine with me little flame. Besides if I had it my way you wouldn't be leaving."
"You mean 'wouldn't have to leave.' " Sol corrects.
"That's what I said." Ajax says, as he takes a sip of his tea then turns to look out the window into nothing. I roll my eye and turn to face the mirrors again cause everybody in this room knows exactly what he meant.
"If we are done here we can leave also I think Ajax is right I will wear the blue dress." I said as i was stepping out the room to change back into my clothes.
After getting dressed we left the store to sit down and have lunch while we wait for Sir Brandon and Lizzy to come back from they shopping. Since it's been a long time Lizzy been back at the Capital she wanted to buy some new stuff for her to take back home to RavenCrest.
"Dearest sister, why must you dress like a man. You have so many pretty dress I got for you-"
"Don't even start Ajax, I'm already sacrificing myself by wearing that suffocating monstrosity women call a dress on the night of the Emperor birthday ball. Thats all I'm willing to give up right now so don't please." I said cutting him off from his endless lecture of 'Why I must be a proper women.'
We all sitting in the cafe eating sandwiches and drinks as Ajax looks over my custom-made suit. Cat is also wearing a suit but not like mine hers is all black and gives off a 'If anything happens she can jump into action.' While mine shows more of the noble side with the dark green pants, with white dress shirt and black jacket. She was the one who got me into dressing like this, see that I hated dressing up everyday as a Duchess, she saw that I was never comfortable with myself and she convinced me in wearing more relaxed clothing . Since then I have been wearing suitable clothes that made me happy and comfortable also that can help me fight easily.
"Don't you like it when her Grace dresses like this?" Cat asked Ajax, we all stilled as he turns to face her. Cat kept her eyes on the plate.
Surprise on my face cause Cat never and I mean never speaks to Ajax. Every time Ajax decides to make a surprise visit to RavenCrest I made sure to ask Cat if she would like Sol to take over her guard duty so she won't be around him. She would agree sometime but on the days she has no choice but to be on guard duty
and Ajax was around she never looked nor spoke to him but some time I would catch Ajax looking at her from the corner of my eye and the way he looks at her is like he wants to devour her.
I don't know what happen between them exactly but from what she told me was that she had met Ajax on a journey one time years before I introduced her to him. She was working at under me then, I was about 16 years old and she was sent out by Aunt to accompany my Uncle to the northern Coast to another Kingdom for work that's where she saw him and since then they just never got along.
"No I don't, she is perfect I just want the rest of the world to see the same beauty I see." Ajax says
"That's nice and all but don't you think her Grace already feels beautiful? I mean you buy her all this dresses but have you ever asked her if she even likes those expensive dresses you get her or does she prefer the suits she has." She says as she wipes the crumbs from the sides of her mouth with the cloth then puts it back on her lap and leans back to looks at Ajax. He smirk at her while she glared.
I looked back and forth at Cat and Ajax while they were have a stare down then I look at Sol trying to see what is happening right now. He shrugged while I sigh.
"Ok children, I don't know what is happening between you two right now but leave me and Sol out of this. I'm fine wearing my suits but I'm also fine when Ajax buys me those ridiculously expensive nonsensical dresses that stop my blood flow. Ok." I said trying to stop what ever was about happen.
"Ajax?… Cat?"
"Yes, little flame you are right we shouldn't fight. We may end up saying some thing that we regret later."Ajax said in a threatening tone to Cat. Her eyes widen in shock then narrow at him while he just keeps smirking at her.
"Ok I don't know what is happening but I'm going to finish my food." Sol said as he take's another large bite from his sandwich. The crunch of his sandwich fill the silence on the table so I shrug and also eat my sandwich.
In my past life I don't know if Ajax and Cat ever meet since she and Sol worked for my husband as trained assassins back then. My husband pick them up from a slave auction and brought them back to the Dukes castle. Officially they didn't exist since they were assassins that did work for the Duke under the table. By the time i married into the Duke house hold they had been there for almost 4 years and were loyal to the bone since he was the one who save them but never treated them any better. The unspeakable inhumane things he made them do twisted they minds making them think that the Duke was they saviour.
When I came back one of the first things I did was to look for Sol and Cat before the Duke did since I already knew what his plans was for them the. I took them back to RavenCrest to give them an education and train them. At the end I gave them a choice to either stay in RavenCrest and work under me as the Duchess or help them make a living outside as free people. Well we know what they chose but this what I see with Cat and Ajax is new. Is this cause I changed everything? I need more answers and I will can only find them when I meet the Emperor.