"Please… rise," Nyella said gently with a soft voice, trying not to be commanding.
Varek still had his head bowed, and then, slowly, he lifted himself but still lowered his eyes in respect.
Behind him, Ronan, Aeron, and Yvarra stood there frozen. They couldn't believe that she would visit them after the war. Ronan took a half-step forward as his eyes were still wide. "Princess… Nyella," he said.
Nyella did not look at them then. She was still looking at Varek in shock at what she had just witnessed.
"There's only one person in all of Ivarion who's ever matched me that long in a sword fight," she said. "Only one who's ever withstood that final strike of mine, the high triple leap. That used to be a test… a challenge I gave during training. And only one man had dodged it just like you did."
She took a step closer.
"And now… That makes it two people. And you cannot call that a coincidence."
Varek didn't respond. He just stood there.
