The room was silent, filled only with the soft sound of steady breathing. The faint light of dawn slipped through the cracks of the curtain, bathing the bed in a delicate golden glow.
Arthur slowly opened his eyes, savoring the pleasant weight of the morning. As soon as he moved, he remembered he wasn't alone: on one side, Gwen was curled up, clinging to his arm as if it were a precious pillow; on the other, Jean rested peacefully, her hand resting on his chest, her fiery red hair spread across the sheets like a flame.
He couldn't help but smile. For a moment, he just watched them, feeling the warmth of their bodies against his.
'If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd be in this situation… I would've laughed in their face.'
Carefully, Arthur slipped away so as not to wake them. Gwen let out a soft protest, hugging his arm unconsciously before settling against the pillow. Jean only sighed, still lost in dreams.
Arthur stood, stretched his body, and went outside to begin his routine. Push-ups, sit-ups, breathing exercises—his morning training was a habit that kept his mind as sharp as his body. Sweat trickled down his forehead when he finished, but instead of going back to bed, he headed to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.
The smell of fresh coffee spread through the air, mingling with the aroma of eggs and warm bread. He worked with ease, as though cooking were simply another extension of himself, while little beings—resembling a cross between a tomato and a pearl onion, with arms and faces—floated at his side.
Then, something unexpected: a pair of delicate arms wrapped around his waist from behind. The soft touch made Arthur pause. Gwen rested her chin on his shoulder, her blond hair brushing lightly against his skin.
He let out a quiet laugh, amused by the scene.
"Awake already, huh?" Arthur murmured with a smile.
"And clinging to me like this first thing in the morning… what's wrong, Gwen?"
She tightened her embrace slightly, her voice muffled.
"I'm still waiting for you to keep a promise, you know?"
Arthur raised a brow, though she couldn't see it.
"A promise, huh? Hm… let me think." He touched his chin, pretending to reflect, though he already knew which promise she meant.
"If it's about marriage… well, I'd rather not get shot by your father when I ask for your hand."
Gwen's eyes went wide instantly, her face flushing crimson in seconds.
"M-Marriage?! Who said I was talking about that?!"
But Arthur was clearly enjoying her reaction. He continued speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Think about it, Gwen. If we were to make it official, I thought maybe by the end of the year. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? A new chapter in your life starting… and us, together, building something."
Her blush deepened with every word. Gwen was red to her ears, completely flustered.
"A-Arthur, I… I wasn't…!"
He only laughed, turning slightly to face her.
"What's wrong? Embarrassed? That doesn't suit you, Gwen."
That was the last straw. Unable to bear the teasing, Gwen suddenly pulled back and smacked the back of his neck.
"Idiot! That's not what I was talking about!"
Arthur rubbed his neck with a mock-offended expression.
"Ouch, domestic violence first thing in the morning? I'm starting to think you enjoy hitting me."
"Shut up!" she snapped, her eyes blazing, still bright red.
"I was talking about your promise to train me, you dummy! You said you'd help me, remember?!"
Arthur blinked a few times before laughing again.
"Ahhh, so that's it. You really got that worked up over just a bit of training?"
"Just training"?! Gwen crossed her arms, puffing up in indignation.
"You promised, Arthur. I've been waiting!"
Arthur raised his hands in surrender, still smiling.
"Alright, alright. After breakfast, I'll keep my promise."
She looked away, her face still flushed, but a stubborn little smile tugged at her lips.
"Hmph… you'd better."
Just then, Jean appeared in the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She watched the scene for a few seconds before chuckling softly.
"Already fighting like a married couple before breakfast? You two never change."
Arthur sighed dramatically, though still amused.
"Jean, don't start. I barely breathe and she's already hitting me."
Jean laughed harder, leaning against the doorframe.
"You love teasing her, Arthur. Don't play the victim now."
Gwen huffed, but couldn't quite hide the smile tugging at her lips.
---
Breakfast passed in relative peace, though Gwen muttered a few times about "forgotten promises." Arthur, of course, only smiled and teased her more.
Once the dishes were put away and Jean had gone back to her room to rest a little longer, Arthur turned to Gwen, who was standing with her arms crossed, trying to mask her anticipation with a serious expression.
"So, you really want to start today, huh?" he asked, already rolling his shoulders.
"Obviously!" Gwen replied firmly, though her heart was racing.
"I feel like I'm not fast or efficient enough when I fight out there." she admitted.
Arthur smiled and led her to a training room he had been preparing in secret.
It was a 10x10 space, with tatami mats on the floor, some weights, reinforced sandbags, and even a few wooden training dummies.
Gwen stopped at the doorway, eyes wide.
"Since when do we have this?!" she exclaimed, looking around as though she'd just stumbled into a secret base.
Arthur chuckled.
"I've been putting it together little by little."
"Great…" Gwen put her hands on her hips with a half-smile. "Just don't tell me the next room has an Olympic pool or a pet dragon, or I'll be mad you didn't mention it sooner."
After laughing, Gwen took a deep breath, stretching her arms as if she were already ready.
"Alright! Where do we start?"
Arthur looked at her, amused.
"With the basics. Always the basics."
"Basics?" She tilted her head.
"Like… standing?"
He chuckled, shaking his head.
"It's not just 'standing.' It's about how you distribute your weight, maintain balance, and react to sudden attacks." Arthur then shifted into a fluid stance—feet firm, knees slightly bent, arms relaxed yet ready.
"Without this, any strike you throw will be empty."
Gwen tried to imitate him, but her feet were a little misaligned, her shoulders too tense. Arthur stepped closer and gently adjusted her arms and legs.
"Like this. Don't force yourself to be rigid… think like water. If you're too hard, you break. If you're too weak, you vanish. But if you're steady… you can wear down even stone."
Gwen blinked in surprise.
"That sounds… poetic."
Arthur smiled.
"Let's just say that's the essence of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist. Fluidity, adaptation, reading the opponent. Every move has to flow into the next, like an unstoppable current."
She tried to move but tripped over her own foot, nearly falling forward. Arthur caught her by the waist before she hit the tatami. Gwen flushed instantly, their faces far too close.
"I-I was just testing it!" she blurted, trying to pull away.
She couldn't understand why her balance was suddenly so bad.
"Of course you were." Arthur chuckled before letting her go.
"But it shows how much you still need to learn to relax. Power without control is useless."
Determined not to embarrass herself further, Gwen straightened her posture and took a deep breath.
"Okay… show me the next step."
Arthur demonstrated a basic movement: smoothly turning his body to dodge an imaginary punch, then transforming the defense into a counterattack, using the enemy's energy against them. His motions were graceful, flowing like a river.
"See? It's not about blocking force… but redirecting it." He gestured for her to try.
"Your turn."
She inhaled deeply and copied him. The first move wasn't bad, but on the turn she lost her balance again.
"Ugh!" Gwen groaned.
"It looks so easy when you do it!"
"That's because I've done it for a long time." Arthur crossed his arms.
"But you'll get it, I'm sure of it."
He stepped behind her again, placing his hands gently on her shoulders and hips, guiding her movements slowly. Gwen felt his warmth so close she nearly forgot to breathe.
"Like this…" Arthur murmured.
"Feel the flow. Don't fight the motion, just go with it."
This time, Gwen moved more fluidly. Still clumsy, but clearly better.
"Yes…!" Arthur grinned.
"See? You're learning fast."
She smiled too, proud of herself.
"Ha! I knew it wasn't that hard!"
"Hold it, missy." Arthur raised a finger, serious.
"That was the basics of the basics. You've still got a long way to go."
Gwen puffed her cheeks.
"Then let's keep going! I won't stop until I get it right."
Arthur saw that determination shining in her eyes and couldn't help but think how incredible she was.
'God, I love this girl.' he thought with a grin.
The entire morning was filled with laughter, falls, successes, and mistakes. Gwen, despite her frustrations, never gave up. And Arthur, patiently correcting every detail, always mixed his serious explanations with teasing remarks that left her blushing.
When they finally paused, Gwen was sweaty and out of breath, but smiling.
"Hah… I can't believe it… I actually managed to pull off at least one move properly."
Arthur handed her a bottle of water, smiling back.
"It was more than that. You learned the first step to controlling the flow. The rest will come with practice."
Gwen drank, still breathing hard but satisfied.
"So… when's the next lesson, master?"
Arthur raised a brow, amused.
"Master, huh? I think I like the sound of that."
"Don't get cocky!" Gwen shot back, smacking his arm.
"It's just because you deserve it… a little."
Arthur laughed, looking at her warmly.
"Don't worry. I'll train you until you're unbeatable. That's a promise I won't break."
Gwen's face turned red again at his smile, but this time she didn't deny it. She only looked away and smiled faintly, her heart beating faster.
---
End of Chapter
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."