>>5709491SIDESTORY
There were three knocks on her door and the door opened slightly. Then she heard the now familiar call by Maura for her to wake up as she placed a candle on a small table next to it and closed the door again.
Rise and shine Malevus, rise and shine.
Malevus groaned and pulled the blanket tighter over her. She still hadn't gotten used to waking up this early, why did Alric have to wake up so early?
Half-asleep she threw the blanket off her and sat upright on the bed, carefully rubbing the sleep off her eyes before opening them. Maura had brought some light into the room with the candle as there was only darkness outside the window. It was still that early.
Malevus yawned and stretched her arms above her head before she carefully slapped herself on her cheeks to help with the progress of waking up. She looked at her arms before pinching them. Has she gained weight? No, her arms were just more firmer than before from all the sparring and training. One hour every morning with Alric and then more sparring every afternoon with the footmen or with Raleigh had done its job. She just hadn't really thought about in how good shape she was nowadays compared to when she arrived to Alterac.
Malevus looked down and cupped her breasts before slapping her stomach and thighs a couple of times. She was firmer there as well. Job well done!
She chuckled, her siblings would find everything she has already done strange and the good shape she was in something not worth pursuing compared to trying to break the limits of fashion. Still she would be reminded of the gap existing between her and Alric in just a couple moments. She still hadn't managed to beat him during a sparring session.
Malevus yawned again before taking a cup and filling it with water from a bowl. She drank the water and then washed her hands in the bowl and started to recite her morning prayers as she started to put on her clothes.
Just like every morning, her clothes were waiting in a neat tidy pile. She pulled on her braies and then put on the shirt, one of the shirts she had gotten from Alric during Winter Veil. Socks and trousers followed before she threw on her long blue robe that she tightened around her waist with a simple belt. Then just to put on her boots and pull on the gambeson she had learned to wear under her armour. With a similar ease she lifted her elven half-plate over her head and on her shoulders before tightening the leather straps. Finally she threw her new orange cloak around her shoulders.
Done, she was finished and probably in record time.
"Malevus, are you ready or do I have to wait for you as usual?" Came the shout from Alric.
"I am ready, just a moment!" Malevus shouted back. Blasted, he was earlier than usual today.
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