บท 69: Tournament

At long last, the week came to a close, and the heroes began preparing for the tournament. With my usual training spot taken over in preparation for the tournament, I knocked on Soltair's door, hoping he would keep me company.

"Ah, Xiviyah. I was hoping you'd come by," he said as I entered, "would you help me with these straps?"

I nodded, slipping behind his muscled frame to tighten the stiff leather straps of his armor. "The maids must have been busy. You're shining brighter than the sun."

He chuckled, lifting an arm to allow me better access to a particularly difficult strap. "They certainly work hard. But what about you? It's been a few days since you joined us for lunch."

My fingers slowed, but I forced them to keep moving. "I-I just got busy," I said, trying to sound casual. "Besides, you and Alex seemed to have plenty of fun together without me."