Akira's eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light filtering through the curtains.
The first thing she noticed was the sound. A familiar and soft, yet rhythmic scraping of metal on stone.
She lifted her head up to see Melody sitting in the chair by the window, drawing a whetstone along the edge of her sword, sharpening it.
"Morning," Akira said, her voice still thick with sleep.
Melody glanced up with a small smile. "It's afternoon, actually."
Akira sat up immediately. "What?"
"You've been asleep since last night."
"I really slept that long?" She stared at Melody for a moment, genuinely surprised. "That's not normal for me."
She ran a hand through her hair, thinking about it. "Maybe it's because I'm finally sleeping with peace of mind for the first time in a long while."
Melody set the whetstone down, her voice curious. "So, how are you handling this whole situation? Choosing to come here and marry a man you've never met before last night?"
