Chapter 6: The Princess Arrives with Steel
He woke before the bell.
His hands still hurt. Not sharp pain—just a constant throb under the bandages. He sat up slowly and reached for the flask by the cot. Water gone. No surprise. His throat was dry from breathing through clenched teeth in sleep.
He pulled on his boots and stood. His legs didn't shake this time.
That was new.
The barracks were still. The guards rotated out hours ago. The hearth near the corner had burned down to faint orange coals.
Leon stepped into the hallway and made for the courtyard.
The morning air was cold. Fog clung low over the grass, and dew wet his boots as he crossed toward the ring.
He didn't reach for a sword.
He walked to the well, pulled the rope once, and filled the basin at the trough again. No rush. No voices yet. No Yundar.
He dipped his hands in and started cleaning the blood from under his nails before it dried into the wraps.
The silence broke with clattering hooves.