Chapter 230: Just the two of us
Morning came quietly to the Cross estate, with the first rays of sunlight filtering through the tall windows and illuminating the corridors that had remained dark throughout the night.
A few servants were already moving about, preparing breakfast and attending to their usual duties, while most of the estate’s guests were still asleep.
William had been awake for nearly an hour.
Years of following a strict training routine had made sleeping late rather difficult for him, even when he had no pressing responsibilities.
After washing up and changing into something comfortable, he’d made his way to the estate’s training ground, where he could get some exercise before everyone else began waking.
The training facilities weren’t quite as impressive as those at the academy, although William had always preferred the familiar surroundings.
Several of the practice dummies were showing their age, and the stone flooring had accumulated enough scratches and cracks over the years to make it obvious how frequently the grounds were used.
None of that particularly bothered him.
He’d already been practicing for about twenty minutes when he heard the door leading into the courtyard open behind him.
William finished his current sequence before turning around, finding Seraphina approaching with two steaming cups in her hands.
"You’re up early," he remarked.
"I could say the same about you." Seraphina smiled as she approached, offering him one of the cups. "I stopped by the kitchen and found the staff already preparing breakfast. They seemed rather surprised when I mentioned you were out here training."
William accepted the drink with a quiet word of thanks.
"They shouldn’t be. I’ve been doing this for years."
"Perhaps they’re more accustomed to your mother’s routine than yours."
"That’s possible."
Seraphina took a sip from her own cup before glancing toward the practice dummy he’d been using.
"That one’s seen better days."
William followed her gaze. "Most of them have."
"The second dummy’s pivot is worn. You’re adjusting your movements to compensate for it."
"I noticed."
"Then why haven’t you corrected it?"
William looked at her for a moment before setting his cup on the nearby wall.
"Because I was going to finish the sequence first."
"Of course you were."
There was enough amusement in her voice to make him smile.
Seraphina settled on the low stone wall surrounding the training ground, resting her cup beside her as she watched him adjust the dummy.
For a moment, William was reminded of the countless mornings he’d spent training at the academy, particularly the occasions when Lyanna would sit nearby and offer unsolicited advice about his technique.
The memory brought a faint smile to his face.
"Something funny?" Seraphina asked.
"Not particularly. You just reminded me of someone."
"Should I be concerned?"
"That depends on whether you intend to criticize everything I do this morning."
Seraphina laughed softly.
"I’ll try to restrain myself."
"How generous."
William returned to his practice, testing the dummy’s adjusted position with a few controlled strikes. The difference was noticeable almost immediately, and he found himself wondering why he hadn’t bothered correcting it earlier.
For several minutes, Seraphina remained quiet, occasionally sipping her tea while he worked through another sequence.
Then she spoke.
"Isolde seems to be doing better."
William glanced toward her. "You’ve seen her this morning?"
"Briefly. I checked on her before coming down. She was still asleep, although she looked much more comfortable than she did yesterday."
"That’s good."
"She must have been exhausted. I don’t think she’s had a proper night’s rest in quite some time."
William nodded, remembering how tired Isolde had looked when she’d first arrived.
"At least she managed to relax a little last night."
"Liam certainly helped with that."
"He has a talent for making people forget their problems."
"Or making them realize they don’t have to spend every waking moment worrying about them," Seraphina replied. "He’s surprisingly perceptive when he wants to be."
William chuckled.
"Don’t tell him that. He’ll become unbearable."
"I suspect he already knows."
"Unfortunately, you’re probably right."
Seraphina smiled before taking another sip of her tea.
The conversation gradually turned toward more serious matters when she mentioned a message Sera had sent the previous evening.
"The inquiry is scheduled to reconvene on Thursday."
William slowed his movements slightly.
"Has anything changed?"
"Not significantly. The founding documents have been formally submitted, along with the financial ledgers. Sera’s team has finished organizing the evidence, so Thursday’s proceedings will focus on testimony from the individuals named in the investigation."
"My father included."
"Yes. Three other noble representatives have also been summoned, along with two financial intermediaries who’ve already agreed to cooperate."
William lowered his practice weapon.
"And my father?"
"He hasn’t offered any cooperation."
"That doesn’t surprise me."
Seraphina studied him for a moment.
"You expected that?"
"Of course. My father isn’t the sort of man who admits defeat simply because the evidence is against him." William walked over to retrieve his cup, taking a drink before continuing. "He’ll challenge every accusation, question the validity of the documents, and demand that the inquiry prove each allegation separately."
"Which would delay the proceedings."
"Exactly. He’ll try to drag things out until the political situation changes in his favor. If he can make the investigation inconvenient enough, he’ll hope someone eventually decides it isn’t worth pursuing."
Seraphina nodded thoughtfully.
"Sera anticipated that possibility. She’s arranged the evidence so that each finding can be examined independently. Even if your father manages to delay one part of the investigation, it shouldn’t prevent the others from proceeding."
"Good."
"That doesn’t mean he won’t cause problems."
"I know."
William set his cup aside and returned to the dummy, although his attention was no longer entirely on his training.
Seraphina watched him for a moment before continuing.
"There’s something else."
He turned toward her.
"Seraphine is still with your mother. The estate’s security has been reinforced, and Sera has already confirmed that there haven’t been any unusual movements around the property."
William remained silent.
"Your sister is safe, William."
He looked at her, appreciating that she’d addressed the concern before he needed to voice it.
"I know. I just don’t trust my father to leave her alone if he thinks he can use her against me."
"Neither do I. But your mother is well aware of that possibility, and she isn’t taking any chances."
William let out a quiet breath.
"Thank you."
Seraphina smiled reassuringly.
"You don’t need to thank me."
"Perhaps not, but I appreciate it."
She held his gaze for another moment before setting her cup aside and standing.
"Now, are you planning to spend the rest of the morning worrying, or would you prefer some company?"
William raised an eyebrow.
"Are you offering to train with me?"
"Unless you’d rather continue arguing with that poor dummy."
He laughed and reached for another practice weapon.
"Alright, then. Let’s see whether you’ve improved."
Seraphina accepted the weapon with an amused smile.
"Careful, William. You might regret saying that."