Lux knew Fiora's property was huge, but not quite this massive. Nera pointed out the empty hall dedicated to just training. On one side an array of weapons and protective gear hung off some racks and a few masks on another. Mats lined a majority of the floor while others remained wooden – probably for dueling practices. "Why are there so many different choices? I thought Fiora's a duelist?"

"You are correct, Lady Crownguard." Nera picked up a broadsword and tested its weight in her hand. "She is a duelist through and through, and honestly Demacia's finest and most elite. Has it ever occurred to you how she is able to win against so many opponents bearing various arms?"

Now that she thought about it, the arrangement made sense. "I am no duelist, but I can offer a better challenge than most others. I've yet to beat milady, but she has yet to defeat me with one thing."

Wait, really? "And what is that?"

Nera set down the broadsword and picked up a wooden buckler. Just the way it sat on her right arm looked perfect. "A shield is as much as a threat as any blade, and none have bested me. Don't tell milady I mentioned this. She would have my hide for embarrassing her."

Lux knew at some point that subject would come up, especially if they came around regularly enough.

Nera stole a quick look at the clock on the wall and hummed. "Milady should join us shortly."

"So she's actually going to teach us something?" Eyrin seemed a bit baffled by the notion, feeling like it was a ploy to trap them into something bigger and more threatening, but Nera's honest expression made that hard to believe.

"Milady will not be participating per say, but gauging your capabilities. She did express a desire in finding new persons worthy of a challenge, and I offered to test you both. If she finds you lacking, she will not propose again, but I would be more than happy to teach you on other matters." Nera tightened the wraps around her hands, testing their security. She dressed down into a simpler, cotton uniform similar to what Ionian soldiers wear during training. Lux rarely saw them but knew of their style. Eyrin had to borrow a set, but the blonde came prepared with her own training uniform from her days in the military.

Now that she looked at her own attire, she should have gone for something more neutral.

"Who would like to go first?" Nera stood there with hands on her hips, surveying both of them. Lux shot Eyrin an apologetic look and pointed to her. "Let her go first."

"Hey! Why are you calling me out-"

"Front and center then, miss." Nera's voice brokered no argument and Eyrin found herself following the command a little too quickly. She didn't know too much about hand-to-hand combat, but she had to try, right?

Nera shifted her feet, fists raised. Lux recognized the form immediately. "Begin."

It took less than three seconds before the raven-haired woman ended up on her stomach, pinned to the ground with her arm uncomfortably twisted in a way that threatened to snap if she tried to move it. Nera's smiled despite this and she released Eyrin from her hold. "Forgive me, I may have gone overboard." She did help the poor girl up and on her feet, earning a slap on her arm.

"You knew I wasn't capable of fighting back. You just wanted to show off, didn't you?" The snowy-haired woman had no reason to go full force on someone who lacked proper instruction on combat in general.

Nera shook her head, pointing over her shoulder. "Not at all. I did say I would be testing you both, since milady is watching you."

Lux's head whipped around so fast, she could hear a couple of joints popping. True to her word, the duelist sauntered over to their little area. She dressed in casual attire – a loose long-sleeve that gave a generous view of porcelain skin and skin-tight pants that made hills envious of those curves. Lux kept her eyes averted, lest she distract herself when Nera turned on her. "Are you ready, milady?"

The blonde fought the urge to smile, waiting for her partner to assume her stance to drop into a counter. When Lux held up a hand, palm faced up with her other arm tucked behind her, surprise flashed across her face. "You know that form?"

Lux smirked. "Try me."

She barely dodged the punch aimed for her head, dipping out of the way and spinning around as Nera flew by. Nera was deceptively fast – she recovered quickly from the miss and changed forms for the next bout. The blonde anticipated this and adjusted accordingly. "Fast - good. Smaller size means quicker reactions."

Nera came at her again, though her punches stopped short of reaching their marks. Lux had to bring her arms up to deflect the feinted blows and parry the other ones. This tested her agility and reactions, but more importantly her defenses. Lux stepped back every time her sparring partner came too close. Kahina taught her much, but having no one to practice with did nothing in comparison to someone with years of training under their belt. The blonde staggered backwards when Nera's palm connected with her shoulder painfully, hissing quietly as she tried to shake off the pins and needles.

Nera separated herself from Lux and returned to her original position. She would not attack again just yet.

The blonde spared a moment to glance at Fiora out of the corner of her eye. The duelist kept her face unreadable but she noticed the glint in those eyes. She's curious.

"Impressive. Not many have been able to take that kind of palm strike from me and on their feet." Nera brought up her fists and Lux gulped. She could count the number of times on one hand, of getting through Kahina's defenses with this form. Offense wasn't her forte. "Now, try getting past me."

Lux needed to play smarter. She fell into a preparatory stance and circled Nera. Her mind drifted back to the days of sparring with Kahina, and his voice echoed in her mind. Do not rush blindly, Lux. Test them, see what makes them tick.

The blonde threw a few punches and quick jabs but none of them fazed the snowy-haired woman. Agility had no use here, and she'd quickly tire out keeping this up. Introspection and reflection. Just focus, you've got this Lux.

Nera proved a formidable opponent if on the wrong side of her fists. She was as quick as she was strong and few things seemed to faze her. The blonde tested a few stronger blows, all of them about as effective as throwing a pillow at the woman.

Lux attempted a sweep of her legs. Nera shifted out of the way in time and that's when she saw it.

She's susceptible to lower body movements. Nera anticipated her next moves in the direction she threw them in, and while feints didn't work, a complex attack could possibly get through.

Lux bounded back a couple of feet and ran a few moves through her head. There was one in particular that could work, but it risked her opening up to the older woman.

She took a deep breath, charging forward with a roundhouse kick ready. Nera raised her arm to intercept it, but Lux used her momentum and dropped her leg forward. It hooked around her left leg and Lux used it to send her entire weight slamming into Nera's unguarded front, effectively toppling the both of them. Lux grunted when she hit the padding hard and rolled onto her back. That wasn't something she intended, but a quick glance to Nera on her back a short distance away confirmed her theory worked.

"Is zat all 'ou have? I'm razer disappointed in you." Lux frowned, thinking Fiora had come over to insult her but when she sat up, she saw the duelist standing over Nera. The snowy-haired woman hadn't gotten to her feet when Lux did and she wondered if she crossed a line somewhere.

"Give me a minute milady. I wasn't expecting Lady Crownguard to be proficient in the martial arts, let alone a few forms most experts do not master." Eventually Nera managed to push herself up and let out a deep breath. "And it's been even longer since I've had my ass handed to me. You do it on the daily with fencing, but not with hand-to-hand combat. Which, by the way-"

Lux stiffened when eyes landed on her. "Where the hell did you learn all of that?"

"Um... people?" she offered weakly, but clearly they didn't buy it. "Okay, so I was in the military for a while, and I've had mentors that taught me a thing or two about protecting myself. It's not like I have a posse of bodyguards all the time."

She wilted a little under Fiora's scrutiny, those robin eyes piercing her like her rapier. It didn't help any the woman was dressed so shamelessly, and Lux had to will herself not to stare.

Minutes passed, with Nera still collapsed on the ground, Eyrin glancing back and forth between the blonde and the duelist, and Fiora staring at Lux.

"Nera, clean 'ourself up. And meet me in ze office with zose two in tow."

Nera chuckled quietly. She accepted Lux's offer and pulled herself up off the ground. "Will do milady. You two? Come with me."

In an unexpected turn of events, Lux and Eyrin found themselves situated in the same room she witnessed in her orb of light some weeks ago. Every detail was exactly as her orb rendered, though this time she could discern foggier details like the plants scattered through the room and the stain-glass window offering a wide view of the road leading out to the countryside. They were situated on the couch while Fiora sat at her desk, pouring over some documents and murmuring quietly to herself in a foreign language. Lux couldn't identify it, but damn didn't it sound sexy as hell.

One of these days Lux, you're going to regret this... Fiora had no right to be so damn attractive, especially paired with her stuffy personality but she supposed that was part of her charm to begin with. And she did appear to have a softer layer underneath that shell, even as she did her best to mask it. Watching Fiora work with those glasses perched on the end of her nose, whispering to herself with a hand holding up her head had its own charm.

She's so.. human. Just like us all. And one Lux found increasingly attractive. Way too attractive.

"Um, Mistress Laurent?" Ugh. Way to break the mood Eyrin!

"Oui?" Fiora didn't bother looking up from her papers, but addressed her nonetheless. "Did 'ou say 'ou could speak?"

Eyrin opened her mouth to reply, but Lux slapped her hand over her face so hard, it startled Fiora enough to break her concentration. A perfectly arched eyebrow raised at the gesture and she set the documents down. "Is she not 'our friend?"

"She is."

"Zen why-"

"Isn't that was friends do?" With all of the rhetorical questions and honesty coming from Lux, Fiora couldn't quite manage a straight face. Thankfully her savior came in the form of Nera entered the room, a tray in hand. Tea, Lux figured, but the aroma differed from this morning's. "I apologize for my delay. I figured we could all use a bit of refreshment."

Fiora nodded once and resumed her work. Nera offered Lux and Eyrin each a smaller cup of tea, and a much stronger aroma filled her nose. It hit her taste buds a lot harder as well, but soothed her to the point she felt her muscles relax. "Any for you milady?"

The duelist soundlessly gestured to the side of her papers. Lux didn't understand this at all – if Nera was such a devoted woman to Fiora, why did she treat her like that?

Nera scanned the paper she seemed to be stuck on and pointed out a few things in the same language Fiora spoke. A small smile teased the corner of the duelist's lips. "Merci, mon cher."

"De rien." Lux looked away quickly when her eyes met Nera's, but the servant didn't call her out on it. "Now that everything is settled, I suppose you've settled your decision milady?"

The question hung in the thick silence that blanketed the room. Lux waited with bated breath, but Eyrin's nervous foot tapping made it that much harder to not grow anxious at what would be Fiora's response.

Nera seemed perfectly at ease with the silence.

"...I will not teach her friend, but I am more zan willing to make an exception for her." Fiora pointed at Lux with a pen in hand. "And I wish to speak with her. Privately."

"Are you certain milady?"

Fiora gave her a look, and Nera smiled apologetically to Eyrin. "If you would follow me, miss."

Fiora sat in the chair directly across from Lux. They said nothing, staring at each other instead.

The duelist's posture commanded respect and authority. Lux could only sit politely with hands folded together and in her lap.

They were gauging each other, sizing each other up without actually moving.

"'ou are strange," began Fiora, voice unusually light. "I will say zis once. Zis is my office. No secrets leave zis room, and none known of zem outside."

Lux strained her ear to catch quiet words. This was not the same Fiora she normally dealt with.

"Is zat clear?"

The blonde nodded, fearful her saying anything might break the atmosphere.

"Good." Fiora rose from the chair and began to pace the room. Slowly, methodically, timing it with the ticking hands of the clock. "I do not normally teach others ze way of ze rapier. It is a family tradition, almost a secret. But 'ou intrigue me." Lux averted her gaze when the duelist paused and looked in her direction. She could feel those eyes burning into her, trying to peel away at the layers protecting her most guarded secrets. "'ou are a puzzle to me. Demacians are stupid, narrow-minded, and very much like 'our brother."

Lux took a bit offense to that statement, seeing as Garen was family but Fiora had a point.

"But 'ou are not like zem. 'ou frustrate me, 'ou challenge my notions. And 'ou-" Lux nearly yelped when Fiora suddenly closed in on her, completely unaware of the fact that the duelist had even sauntered right into her personal space until too late. She leaned back in the couch when Fiora pressed so close, it rivaled their first accident. "-'ou impress me."

Her heart skipped a beat. In a way, Fiora saw her as someone worthy of her attention if not her equal. She struggled for air when the raven-haired woman withdrew, trying to keep her heart from bursting from her chest.

"'ou will come to me, four to five times a week." The duelist returned to her desk and plopped herself down in the chair with little regards for dignity. "Ze same time, mid-morning, for training. Consider zis my good grace to ze Crownguard family."

Lux nearly jumped up and cheered, but controlled herself as much as possible. That didn't help the smile that tugged at her lips however.

"No, zis is my good graces to 'ou. Not 'our family, but to 'ou. From a lady to another, zis is more a matter of pride." She picked up her pen and scribbled something on the paper in front of her before setting it aside. "Now go, before 'ou waste my good mood."

Lux didn't spare an extra second before scurrying out of the room. Fiora stared at the door closing quietly on her exit and sighed. Maybe Nera was right. Lux isn't as bad as she seems.

Eyrin's gaze remained permanently affixed to the ground, Nera surmised after leaving the office when Fiora sent them out. Uncertainty filled Nera with leaving her milady alone with the Crownguard, but she trusted in her mistress' decision in this matter.

That left her with another case on her hands and she offered a comforting squeeze to the woman's shoulder. Eyrin concerned her from the moment she met her. Away from lux, hesitation and doubt exuded from the young woman. "Do not worry about what she said to you."

The raven-haired woman frowned and tried to stave off the heavy disappointment lingering in the back of her mind. "It's just... Laurent carved a name in her own right, and you have your own little niche. Even I wasn't aware Lux had that kind of skill and knowledge. I figured all of her muscles came from running around so much, not from martial combat. I'm just here."

"We all must come from somewhere." Nera gently grabbed Eyrin's upper arm and coaxed her to walk with her. "Tell me, what is your name? I never did get it before."

"Eyrin. I have no last name."

Nera smiled. "Ah, so you're like me. I too, have no last name. Just adopted from milady when I swore oath to the house."

Eyrin's eyebrows raised in surprise at this. "You were an orphan?"

"Indeed." Nera slowed to a leisurely pace and tucked her hands behind her back. "Never knew my parents, but I did what I could to survive. I found the village of my own accord and they accepted me when I proved my worth. I had no skill, no money, no status to offer. I proved my worth by being determined.

"We all must come from somewhere, start from somewhere. I can tell you are a kindred spirit, and you are very close to Lady Crownguard as I am to milady. There are few in this world who would swear life and soul for another person." She stopped in front of the greenhouse and turned to Eyrin. "Nothing is ever achieved overnight, but with time you can bloom as wonderfully as the flowers or be as strong as a tree. You simply need a push in the right direction, and a guiding hand to lead you to who you want to be."

Eyrin stood there, her throat constricting. When their gazes met, she saw nothing but kindness and understanding deep in those brown orbs. "You will be under my wing. Not as a burden, but as a seed that needs nurture and care to bloom wonderfully. And in time, you too can stand at Lady Crownguard's side with pride."

The raven-haired woman teared up and rushed forward to wrap Nera in a tight hug. She sobbed into her shirt and squeezed her tightly, but none of it bothered the servant. Arms wrapped around her securely and for the first time, she felt belonged.

"What is it that you would like to do, Eyrin? Or should I say, Eyrin Crownguard, friend of Lux?"

Eyrin sniffed and whispered softly into the fabric of Nera's shirt. "I want to protect her from harm, to see her visions come true."

Nera didn't offer any other words.

The trip back to the capital was spent in contemplative silence. Lux had too many things running through her mind, and Eyrin was lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey Lux?"

"Mmm?" she responded distractedly. They spent most the day there, but it felt like ages since they saw the looming, white walls protecting the city.

"What do you think of them? Laurent and Nera?"

"We shall not speak of this when we are within the walls," Lux reminded as they got closer. "But I think they can be trusted. My mother shall not know of this, no matter what. If she asks, follow my lead."

For the both of them, going back to the Crownguard estate felt like entering the wolf's den.