Her Graceful War Song

The branches bent under the weight of frost, and the orchids bloomed again and again.

Elise had a rare gift for martial arts. It seemed she had inherited the best from both Rafael and Carissa. Adrian often said with pride that among all the apprentices at Meadow Ridge, she was the most talented of them all.

Even Everett couldn't deny it. When Elise asked him whether she or her father was more skilled, he only gave a vague reply: "You're about the same. Each of you has your own strengths."

The martial arts Elise had learned by then were not taught by the Pathfinders Guild alone. She had trained under many guilds at Meadow Ridge.

When she first arrived, she was just a little girl-fair-skinned and delicate as glass, with a sweet smile that made everyone fond of her. She loved to talk and made friends easily. With her kind and clever words, she charmed the heads of each guild into teaching her everything they knew.

Though she had once been wild by nature, the discipline of focused training and the study of inner force techniques had calmed her spirit over time. She grew more composed and steady with each passing year.

When she came of age at 15, she returned to the capital. A grand ceremony was held to celebrate the occasion. It was a fine affair, and countless gifts were sent to her.

When Carissa presented her own crimson whip, Elise was overjoyed. She had long coveted the whip, though her mother never allowed her to borrow it in the past, no matter how sweetly she asked. To now receive it as a gift was more than she had hoped for.

She flung her arms around her mother and gave her a loud kiss. "Now that it's mine, you can't take it back!"

Carissa laughed, half amused, half exasperated. "Since I've given it to you, of course it's yours. What did your Aunt Violet give you? Have you opened it yet?" "Not yet. They're all still in the courtyard," Elise said cheerfully. "Won't you come help me open my gifts? Aunt Lulu kept a list of who gave what."

Carissa smiled. "Very well. But why haven't you asked what your father's gift is?"

"Oh, the gold and ruby set, of course. I already saw it," Elise replied. "It's very fine -truly lovely-but I've no use for it. Besides, you've got one just like it, don't you? They look nearly the same."

"You lost interest the moment you saw it was jewelery?" Carissa teased. "Then, you must not have looked closely. There's a bracelet in that set, one your father had specially made for you, just like the one your late great-uncle gave me. It has a hidden mechanism inside."

"Truly?" Elise's eyes lit up. She turned and dashed back toward the courtyard. "I'll go see it right away, then go thank Dad properly!"

Laughing and shaking her head, Carissa sent someone to fetch her husband so he might receive his daughter's thanks.

When Rafael heard the reason, he could only smile wryly. "No wonder she barely glanced at my gift and muttered a half-hearted thank you. So, she hadn't looked properly at all."

"You know what our girl is like," Carissa said fondly. "She's a martial arts enthusiast. She doesn't care for powder and pearls, only clever little weapons and unusual tools."

"Well, better that she doesn't spend her days fussing over how she looks. She's already so beautiful. If she went around all dressed up as well, there's no telling how many rakes and scoundrels she might attract," Rafael replied.

"There were plenty of noble ladies trying to make enquiries for their sons today," Carissa added with a knowing took. "Elise is the only daughter of the Sanford family, and has such fine features. She also

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behaved with grace and composure today, without a hint of arrogance. She was dignified and elegant. It's no wonder the great families are already circling around." noveldrama

"What do you mean by that? Do you wish for her to marry early?" Rafael asked.

Carissa shook her head. "There's no

hurry. Truth be told, she still has a child's heart and longs for freedom. To shut her up in the inner

chambers so soon would be like clipping a bird's wings. Perhaps in time, she'll meet someone she chooses herself. That would at least

be better than forcing two strangers to live out their lives together."

Rafael couldn't help but think of how he and Carissa had been such strangers once, pushed together with no great understanding. Though they now knew one another's hearts well, it had been entirely one-sided at the start-he had loved her first.

"At the very least, the man must truly be fond of her, just as I was with you," he said softly, taking his wife's hand.

Carissa cast him a playful glance. "Why bring up the past out of nowhere?"

"Because I consider myself lucky," Rafael replied, pulling her into his arms. "That good fortune stayed with me all my life. I still remember how my heart leapt the day I saw you at the Southern Frontier And when I heard you were no longer married, I was so overjoyed I drank a whole bottle of wine that very night to celebrate."

Carissa laughed. "Nonsense! The Southern Frontier was bitter enough as it was. You even tricked Rod and the others out of their alcohol. What wine could you possibly have had to celebrate with?"

Rafael puffed up with pride. "That's beside the point. Even if it were only water, I drank it like wine and it still made me drunk."