(That's alright, I can take it from here, though, I think it might be nice to throw in some random characters at this point since not much is really happening.)

Sophie thought about seeking out Isabella Pimms again, though, she knew it would do no good. She already had her heart set on talking. As Sophie left Filius, she grabbed her sword, which she had leaning against the wall and swiftly headed towards the bed where the injured boy had been. Regretfully his wounds weren't as bad as Filius' and by now, Sophie's desire to make that reality untrue was completely winded out of her being. Instead, she approached the boy with a blank expression.

"You should be ashamed." She choked out. "I don't know if you truly desired me and that is your reasoning for picking on me or what... But whatever the reason, you should feel lower than the dirt on my shoes right now. I hope that you never forget this day and that from now on you'll treat me with respect instead of treating me like the animal you pretend you aren't. Be glad you only got away with scars..."

Sophie sighed as the boy only looked at her with an equally blank, if not a little bit fearful, stare. "I won't even ask you for an apology." Sophie added. She gripped her sword's hilt out of habit and the boy tensed, making Sophie snort with a mixture of pride and annoyance. "As for the rest of you..." She said, now speaking to the boy's posse... "You can all go to hell. From this point on if any of you dare to pester me again I will not hesitate to fight back on my own. Not to mention, Filius will destroy you and I won't be there to stop him this time." She turned on her heels after she finished and began to walk away when one of the boys spoke up,

"Why should we be scared of you?" The boy sneered. "You're still a woman and you're still clumsy as hell with that sword that's too big for you. You can't possibly harm us. You're all talk!"

Sophie wanted to turn around and smash the boy's head in with the blunt of her sword, but she felt all of the fight was drained from her. The boy kept talking,

"You're just hiding behind your big, bad boyfriend. So what if we whistle and call you a few names? He's probably doing the same thing behind your back. He doesn't care about you... He's gone to this school for a while now, you're new. You think he doesn't have other girls he cares about?"

This boy certainly knew how to push Sophie's buttons, but instead of fighting back or even yelling and saying something intelligent and brave, Sophie's eyes just welled up with tears instead and she hung her head and walked away. She expected to hear laughter and boasts of victory over her coming from the boys as she left, but instead her ears were only hearing silence. Almost as if no one wanted to agree or disagree with him.

Life was too hard. When did life get so hard? Why do I feel cursed because I'm a woman?! Sophie walked through the halls outside of the infirmary and sat down near a window, pulling her knees to her chest and allowing the tears to fall freely.

(Sorry, this ended up being really long!)

(the best we could do is go to the next day at this point. It's nearly nightfall by now. But with the scene that's coming, I am sure you know exactly what to do ^^)

The sun would break over the skies, ushering in the new day. Filius would open his eyes, and looked towards the sleeping figure of Sophie. He would remember vividly what he had said, and his face would light up like a fire. Feeling his muscles and wounds, Filius would jump to his feet, stretching. "Ah.....those healers sure know their stuff. "he said to himself, getting dressed. He would then looked towards Sophie.

"Gods Sophie, I am sorry.....I put you through hell yesterday, and what I said yesterday didn't help....not that none of it was true, by the gods, I would kill to be with you any day of the week......but you probably have bigger concerns, and dealing with a gung-ho type boyfriend probably isn't one of them."he said, before walking over, and brushing hair out of her face. He would then look around, as to make sure no-one was watching, and leaned in to kiss her, while she slept.

(I only hope I know what to do! LOL.)

Sophie stirred a little when Filius kissed her, but she didn't wake up right away. Only after a couple of seconds of twisting in her sleep did she wake up.

"Filius...?" Still half asleep, Sophie thought she was dreaming at first. She could feel his lips against hers, but it didn't register in her mind just yet. She pushed herself off the ground into a sitting position and looked around the room, wakefulness coming to her at last. "Filius! You are better!" Her first thought was always his wellbeing.

She blushed a little, wiping her eyes in a futile attempt to hide it. "... You kissed me." She whispered, but she wasn't talking to Filius, she was talking to herself. A little shocked that he actually kissed her. With her free hand she brought the tips of her fingers up to her lips and traced them. It still felt unreal. It was scary how easily Filius could make her come undone.

"Uhm.' Sophie scrambled to find the words, she could have chosen a million responses. She could have picked this time to declare her own feelings, which, she still wasn't sure about... She could have gotten upset with Filius for confusing her so much. She could have just blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl. A million responses, but she ended up picking the one she didn't think she'd actually say,

"Filius..." She whispered, "... I need to know. D-do you... Do you love me?" It was a simple question that Sophie immediately regret asking as soon as it came out of her mouth. She didn't want to know the answer. If Filius loved her it would be awkward, as much as she loved Filius herself, she didn't want to turn into the quiet, blushing bride and have to give up her weaponry classes to be a supportive girlfriend. On the other hand, if Filius told her he did not love her, she knew her soul would break.

"That was a stupid question..." She chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry I asked that."

Filius immediately fell back, face as red as a tomato at being caught. He started scrambling around for a response. "I, um, this is, I mean, I know that, uh....."he was at a loss for words. Seeing her blush, confused, and overwhelmed just made it worse. He almost covered his face, to keep his expression from making himself look stupid. "S-s...."He stammered for trying to say sorry, though what was he sorry about?

When he heard the question, it felt as if all time had stopped, and Filius briefly forgot about everything else. He then had a small flashback to every moment in his life, every happy moment. In the beginning, when he was still a child, alot of those happy memories, alot of those warm feelings.....they were with Sophie. From first to last. Since they started going to the academy here, he's had nothing, but a warm feeling following him.

When he heard her say it was a stupid question, he stood up from his spot on the ground, and walk towards her. Filius thought of only one thought after this: To hell with it all. Filius then helped Sophie up, grabbed her shoulders, and looked her directly in the eye. "I would be lying if I said I didn't. "he said to her, before leaning forward to kiss her. He then pulled back. "But I don't want......what 'I' want, to mess with what you want....do you want this?"he said, gesturing to himself.

Sophie's heart was pounding in her ears again. It felt so loud she almost couldn't hear what Filius was saying. The feeling was a pleasant, yet, scary experience. She reeled back a little, being so close to Filius made butterflies tickle the inside of her stomach and she felt so nervous she thought she'd throw up. But the vomit never came, instead her breath just left her lungs and she found she was breathing heavily through her nose as she stared at Filius' eyes.

"I do." She whispered, "I..." She was at a loss for words again and Sophie chewed in her bottom lip, trying to seal the ums and the uhs that she was sure would spill if she opened her mouth. "I want this, Filius. But... But I'm just a little scared. I've never been this close to someone before, I never thought about you this way until yesterday, it's all going so fast! Filius..."

Sophie felt embarrassed and stared at her feet for a moment, afraid to look Filius in the eye. "Filius, I think I can say that I love you. But I just need to know... If you love me?"

Filius took her hands in his, squeezing them gently, and he would look towards her. "I can say this, but only in a way another man can properly say it to another woman. "he said, before leaning towards her ear, and whispering. "I love you..."he said, before leaning down, and kissing her.

Isabelle chose this moment to walk in. "Hello, I just came here to check on our patient and-....oh my. "she said, a smile on her face. "Why am I not surprised to find you in this position?"

Sophie's legs turned to jelly when he kissed her. It felt... nice. And 'nice' was quite an understatement. It felt strange, scary even! This was happening so quickly, but it was a pleasant feeling that-

When Isabelle caught them, Sophie immediately broke the kiss and shoved Filius away from her. She turned beet red again and tried to make it seem as though they weren't doing anything. She loved Filius, truly she did, but she wasn't comfortable being so intimate in front of company. Sophie cleared her throat and nodded to Miss Pimms.

After some seconds of awkward fidgeting, Sophie turned her attention back to Filius and she slipped an arm behind his back, tipping her head up to whisper in his ear, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

Filius would rub his head, looking towards Sophie. "I know, but that still hurt...."he said, before looking over. "Auntie Isabelle!"He would say, before hugging Isabelle. The two had been as close as his sister had been to him, so it was obvious that he saw her as close as family. Filius would then turned towards Sophie, and held out his hand. "If I am right, today's a free period.....how about we get ahead of everyone in your class?"he asked.

Sophie took Filius' hand and smiled. It was certainly nice to have him back in her life. She didn't realize how much she'd missed him until he was gone and come back.

"Your aunt is a very lovely person, Filius." She said as she gently pulled him into her arms and gave him a big, tight, squeeze of a hug. Then, while still having his hand locked in hers, she turned towards the doorway of the infirmary. "Alright, Filius! Let's go!"

Sophie was now energized and ready to go. Almost as though Filius' love for her was fueling her movements and speech. She loved to love Filius and it was more exciting to know that he truly did love her in return.

Filius would take her to the training yard, where there was a few students, both weapon master and magic casters, catching up on their training. Filius let go of her hand, and started examining a stock weapon rack. "I've noticed that you have the basic skills needed to work around your weapon, which is good, but there are some things you need to take into account. "he said, as he held up a great sword. It was slimmer than the Zweihänder sword archetype, and obviously lighter. "I think you'll make a great swordsmen, but you need to start small- the sword you wield needs to have the hands of someone experienced in sword combat."he said to her.

Filius would walk over, and hold out the sword to her hand. "Use this. It's a stock weapon, not much good in a stand-up fight, but enough to suit our training purposes. As of right now, I am not your frie-.....boyfriend. "he said, with a slight smile at the words, but he quickly shook himself. "I am your instructor, and I expect you to follow to the letter. Understood?"he asked.

"Understood. Teach me, Mr. Imperii, I'm an open book." Sophie teased Filius, but she was still serious. She was desperate to become a fighter and who better to teach her than Filius? She gently took the sword from Filius' hand and positioned herself in a defensive stance, prepared to handle anything he might throw at her.

"You honestly think I'd make a good swordsman?" She asked, just out of curiosity. She relaxed her arms a little and lowered the sword. "... I'm sorry. Right. Focus, Sophie!" Immediately, Sophie brought the sword back up and stiffened again.

"First mistake- don't tighten yourself up. With your weapon, you'll need the most flexibility, so make sure your muscles are loose enough to block or strike. "He said, getting straight to the point. He would start attacking her, with quick, hard strikes. "The Greatsword is a very potent weapon on the battlefield, meant for frontline fighters and the like. You have the build able to become very strong, but you'll need to be prepared to deal with things outside of your expertise. Experiment with other weapons: bows, blades, hammers, axes, and even magic if it comes too it. "he said to her, schooling her the way he learned.

He would then aim a strike, intending to trip her. "Also, do not be fooled by the students here. While some will think of you as nothing more than a child playing war, once your renown spreads, they will attack without hesitation. You must always be prepared. "He said to her. "Also, take advantage of your surroundings. The sand on the ground? useful for rubbing it on sweat covered hands, gives you a good grip. Also, it is useful in blinding opponents, it will give you a few seconds. "he said, as he jumped up, and tried to strike the weapon out of her hand.

Though Sophie did her best to block each attack that Filius threw at her, she found she wasn't as quick as he was and she ended up being hit a couple of times. When Filius made a strike at her feet, she did, indeed, trip. She awkwardly stumbled back a little, trying to prevent herself from falling completely. She sighed when she stopped herself from falling, but the second she caught her footing, Filius made another strike at her hands.

It hurt. But she didn't drop the sword. Sophie took the chance to try attacking Filius in return, though she was a little hesitant, worried about hurting him. She wasn't quite sure of her own 'strength', if it could be called that, yet and she didn't want Filius' wounds being reopened. Still, she continued to attack and block in that order exactly.

Between strikes, Sophie tried to talk, while at the same time trying to keep her focus, "Do I need to be skilled in other areas to better my swordsmanship, or to better my-" She blocked another blow, er, tried to. "-better my fighting in general? This is a lot of information!"

"Better your fighting in general! "Filius would say, using the flat edge of the blade to deflect Sophie's attack. "It won't always be with a sword that you fight, it will be with whatever you can grab: a hunting bow, a cooking knife, your fists....things like that may be your most valuable asset, so you must be prepared. "he said, as he then stopped, and held up his hands. "Alright, I think that's enough for today. You got a fire in you, your balance is good, and your strength is about average, but you lack focus, and i saw in your eye: you saw me as Filius, not as an enemy."he said

By the time Filius put up his hands, Sophie was sweating. Her hair stuck to her face as she found she was a little, just a little, short of breath. She leaned her head back and wiped her sweaty forehead, still panting...

"I'm sorry, Filius..." She spoke between breaths. "I didn't want to hurt you." She couldn't explain how worried she was when Filius was first injured. The words couldn't find their way to her mind and she was too tired to try to explain it, anyway. "Can we try again another time..?"

She sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to catch hers, all the while loosening her grip on the sword's hilt. Sophie approached Filius, finally catching her own breath and held out the sword for him to take.

"We can, but it may be best if you spar with someone else. I seem to serve as a distraction, which is always bad on a battlefield. "he said, placing the sword back on the rack. "Alright, get yourself some water, and a shower. You've earned it. "he said to her. Sophie would hear clapping, as several first-year weaponmasters were impressed by Sophie's skill, despite being a first-year.

Sophie smiled when she heard the applause from the other first year students. She gave a weak and slightly embarrassed wave at them before pushing a wet strand of hair behind her ear. She quickly left the training yard, still panting a little. It was definitely time for a shower.

Sophie made her way to her room to gather fresh, new clothes to change into after her shower. She didn't think much of it, she simply opened her trunk and began to dig through it when something caught her eye. It was an envelope... Just a lonely envelope on the floor next to the door, as if someone slipped it underneath the door and let it slide across the floor.

Curiously, Sophie walked over to it, with her clothes in one hand and picked it up. It had nothing written on it, so she didn't know who it was from, or if it was even for her. Maybe someone got the wrong room? Still, she set her clothes down and began to pick at the seal to open the envelope.

Inside there was a long winded message that Sophie really didn't feel like reading. But one sentence did catch her attention:
"My deepest apologizes go towards you, Ms. Eire."

Sophie really, really wanted to know who sent this letter, and the more she read, the more she realized it was a message apologizing for Filius' injuries and whoever wrote it wished to meet Sophie in person to make up for their wrongdoings. It gave Sophie weird vibes. She set the letter down on her trunk and made her way to the showers.

Filius finally sat in his room, looking around at the ornate design. Taking the time given to him, he managed to jump in the shower for a bath. He would never admit it to her, but his wounds did hurt like a bitch. Stretching them like he did during training put hell on his muscles, but he managed to get through without revealing it too much. "Girl has more power behind her punches than she thinks....She'll be a Warlord by the time she's done with this school.....at least it will be someone with a brain. "he said, placing his gauntlets on his cabinet. He still couldn't get over it: He was dating his best friend.

Best thing he could do now is inform his family.

Going over to a mirror relay (Mirror relays are how entire groups of people manage to talk to each-other from long distances). Lightly saying the name of his parents, he would be greeted by two faces. "Hey mom....hey dad."

"Filius? Good to hear from you. "He said, with a strained smile. He may not have chosen the path they wanted (tradition and all) but he was still their son. "We heard that, on your first day, you were caught up in an honor duel-"

"What were you thinking?!" His mother would speak up. She was was a bit more....critical about his choices. "It's bad enough that you chose to go the route of a Magic-caster, but you publicly humiliated another student! We don't need this sort of publicity-"

"The man not only came off as a raving lunatic and bigotted bastard, but he also tried to flirt with, and insulted, my girlfriend, so you can shut the hell up. "Filius said, obvious passion in his voice.

The call was silent for a minute, before Filius's mother spoke up. "It's oly day three, and you're with someone?"

"That's great news. Who is the lucky woman?"His father asked, cutting the mother off.

"Sophie Eire, a weapon-master at this school, and someone I trust with my life. "Filius said.

" Eire.....Eire....where have I heard that name before?"His father asked.

"Hun, Our families used to live near eachother, back in the Huertan Fields. "His mother said. "But are you sure about this Filius? we don't know if this girl is a noble, or if she's just some random commoner after your money. We need time to discuss-"

"When you guys weren't there, it was either my sister, or Sophie that was there for me. "He said, standing up. "She gave me the strength to push towards my goal, and all I am doing is helping her get stronger. She's a better person than both of you. So, you can either accept her, or move on, because I am done explaining myself to you. "he said, before shutting the mirror off. He would then lift it up, and shatter it against a wall.

In the shower, Sophiewashed herself quickly, letting the water run through her hair and across her body. She let out a long sigh as the thought over that letter, she couldn't get the contents out of her mind. Who would send it? Well, the only way to find out would be to meet the person at the location they'd requested. She couldn't help but feel as though she may be walking into a trap, or maybe she was just being too cautious?

After a few minutes, Sophie turned off the water and made for her towel. She wrapped herself in it swiftly before walking back to her room and looking at the letter again, reading it over again, thinking she may have missed some important information there. But alas, it was still the same as it had been when she first read it through entirely. She chewed her bottom lip and stared at the space between the words. In the end, Sophie decided not to tell Filius about it. Whatever laid ahead of her now would be her own problem to deal with, and even if it was a trap, she could handle herself.

Sophie changed into a fresh change of clothes then made her way out of her room, looking for Filius. When she came closer to his room she heard the sound of... What was that? Glass breaking? Immediately she pounded on his door, her fear for his safety instantly rising up in her throat.

"Filius!" She called through the door, "Filius, are you okay?! Please open the door..."

"Shit, hold on...."he said, before opening the door. "Hey relax, okay?"he said, looking at her. He looked like he just recovered from being angry as hell, and his bandaged hand didn't help. "I'm fine, see? Still all fingers, still have all my toes. "he said, before walking to the side. "Don't stand out there like a dolt. Come in, come in. "He said.

Sophie's face was worried. Filius always did an excellent job at hiding his hurts, he was very convincing, but Sophie still worried for him. She walked into his room slowly, the first thing she noticed was the shattered mirror.

"Oh, Filius..." She sighed. "What happened?!"

Sophie was always worried for Filius ever since he had that honor duel and became horribly injured. The thought of losing him scared Sophie very much, especially since she'd only recently gotten him back into her life. To lose him now would be the end of her, she knew it and she hoped Filius knew it.

"Why is your mirror broken...?" She asked calmly, but quickly. As much as she loved Filius and wanted to make sure he was safe, she also wanted to meet this mysterious person at the location they'd requested on time. Which, would be sooner than later.

"Oh don't worry about that thing. "He said, disdain obvious in his voice. "It's a Relay mirror. I just got off the phone with my folks....We didn't agree about something, or well.....someone, and we fought about it. "he said to her. "I ended it by cutting off the call, and shattering it. I'll fix it later, don't worry, I just got alittle angry. "he said. It seemed that everyone and everything got Filius a 'little' angry. What caused him to be so outwardly hostile towards most everyone?

"Filius..." Sophie began. "A little angry would be punching a wall and getting a bruise... not smashing your mirror and completely butchering your hand!" Sophie didn't like the violent turns Filius was taking lately. It made her all the more curious about him, yet, also made her a little afraid of him at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Filius..." She gently placed a hand on his back and began to rub circles in between his shoulders. "I don't know what they said to upset you so much, but I just hope that you don't keep hurting yourself like this. It worries me." She kissed his cheek quickly before glancing at the clock, then remembering the time that she was supposed to meet the person who'd sent the letter.

"Filius, I'll be back in a while, okay?" She slipped her hands away from him and made towards the door as quickly as she could. "I won't be gone long!" She quickly swung open the door and took off down the hall.

Filius was about to speak about the subject of the relay mirror, before she stormed out. Curious, he began placing on a dark colored outfit. He would then take a small knife, placing it in a belt-sheath, and ran after her. Filius may not have any reason to worry, but he felt......well, he didn't know. Sophie was running off, in the evening hours, and not telling Filius? Of course he'd be worried, but Filius felt a clenching feeling in his chest. He'd keep out of sight, until necessary.

Sophie continuously looked behind her to make sure no one followed her. She pulled out the letter from a back pocket and reread the instructions again,

"Please meet me near the front entrance of the school, in the courtyard underneath the largest oak. I do not wish to share my shame with anyone else, bring no one with you."

Well, Sophie brought no one with her, still, she could only hope that whoever she was meeting had good intentions and wasn't going to ambush her. She brought her sword along just in case, feeling fueled and prepared for battle after her spar with Filius. She shoved the letter back into her pocket and hurried off to the courtyard.

It took her a while to find the "biggest" oak tree, as they all looked rather large, but she soon found a figure of someone standing beneath, what she could only assume was, the biggest oak tree in the courtyard. The figure was hooded. Sophie approached cautiously...

"I'm here? Are you the one who's been meaning to apologize...? About Filius?" Sophie asked in a soft voice, yet, still stern, hoping that if this person did intent to harm her, that her strong voice might persuade them to think again. She came a little closer, gripping the hilt of her sword. As she came closer, the hooded figure pulled back his hood and revealed his face...

It was her Weaponry instructor! The one who's been so horrid to her yesterday, telling her that a woman's place was not on the battlefield and such. She stopped where she was and glared at him, ready to not accept any apology he might give her. She waited for him to explain himself, she thought perhaps he'd beg her to not tell Mr. Verinius about how terrible he'd been to her. She thought maybe he'd try to convince her to accept his apology and that he'd try to get on her good side before the headmaster heard about it. Either way, Sophie wasn't going to give in. She wasn't expecting what he actually said...

"You are so naive." The instructor said. "You actually came by yourself..."

"Talk quickly, or I'll leave." Sophie growled.

"You aren't going anywhere... I've worked too hard to get this position, I've trained for too long to let a little bitch like you take it away from me."

Sophie drew her sword, she drew the line at being called a bitch. "You're going to wish you never said that, old man! I don't care how long you've done whatever, nobody talks to me like that!"

The Weapons Master instructor didn't pull out a weapon, he simply lunged at Sophie, which was another thing she wasn't expecting, knocked the sword from her hands and held them behind her back.

"You never should have come." He snarled. "And I'll make sure you wish you didn't."

Sophie wiggled in his grip, but the more she wiggled, the tighter he held her. She wasn't sure what his intentions were anymore. Did he plan to kill her? What did he want, exactly? Sophie still struggled against him, but refused to scream. Her pride kept her from wanting to be rescued, she'd rather rescue her own self. Though, she really did wish she had told Filius about it first.