It was one of the things that he was finding most difficult about his new role. He was a creature of habit more than anything, and over the years Achilleas had established himself a routine that worked both for his time in Euttica and his days in Vasiliadon. Recent events had thrown his whole life into chaos, including upsetting those well worn patterns.

Usually, he would carve out a few hours in the earliest part of the day to train. It was his quiet time, a time where he could switch off and run through his forms, muscle memory taking over and leaving him ready and focused for the rest of the day. Now though, there were councils he had to attend, requests for audiences...Not to mention a beautiful woman lying next to him when he woke every morning. It was a test of the man’s carefully honed discipline that he still made time in his day to practice his swordplay and put his body through the exercises that maintained his warrior’s physique even when war was a distant memory.

Rising later though, had its drawbacks. Such as the fact that sun was higher and hotter than it would have been pre-dawn, and Achilleas was glad that it was not the height of summer. Still, after a good hour wrestling and hefting fair sized rocks around it might as well have been, a sheen of perspiration slicking his skin. They’d moved onto staff fighting now, and the King was absorbed in trying to read his opponent, the muscles in his back flexing and releasing as he shifted his grip on the blunt tip spear. The guard who’d drawn the short straw this morning was one Achilleas had not faced before; the benefit of being less familiar with the palati staff than his own was a whole host of new opponents to test himself against. And they didnt all have that resigned expression upon their faces, they thought they might actually better him. It was almost a novelty.

This one was quick on his feet and it was enjoyable trying to anticipate the next strike, not knowing the soldier’s individual technique well enough to second guess his every move. The man had already managed to land a smart rap on the King’s elbow, and Achilleas bared his teeth in a grin as he squared off against the soldier. “ Good job. Try and land it again though” He was ready this time, ignoring the slight ache in his arm as he swivelled to parry the strike and then followed up with a thwack of the side of the spear against the man’s knee. He could have taken him down in the next as well, for the guard’s eyes did not stay upon his opponent but instead lifted his over his shoulder. Achilleas frowned and paused, seeing the other men milling about do the same, and so he turned to see what the distraction was.

He was somewhat less than pleased when he realised that it was his wife that they were all gawping at, and Achilleas send a narrowed gaze sweeping around the guardsman that had them scurrying to be busy elsewhere before he allowed himself to turn to Theodora with a curious expression upon his face.

Surprised but not displeased to see her, he handed the practice spear off to the servant who was at his side in a blink and accepted the damp cloth that he wiped over his face and hands as he wandered over towards his Queen. Smiling at her, he looked puzzled at the basket, flicking the cloth up over his shoulder as he drew near.

“Good morning to you too” he replied, tilting his head to see if he could see what she was hiding in there. His smile widened as she revealed her little gift, Achilleas’ eyes finding hers as he reached out to accept the basket. It would undo all of his hard work, but who was he to refuse a gift from his queen.

“Of course I don’t mind” he corrected, eyeing the kataifi for a moment before he relented and drew one of the nutty pastries out and popped it into his mouth, chewing even as his gaze shifted to take in the bow across her shoulder.

“Souns goof” he replied around a mouthful of honey sticky almonds and pastry, lifting an arm to signal to the others that he was done. He was intrigued by this side to Theodora that he did not know, and he raised his eyebrows at her as he spoke, gesturing towards his state of desahbille. “ Can you bear me like this, or will I go and make myself more presentable for your demonstration?” Clad in only some loose linen pants, it was certainly not how he would usually present himself. But then he supposed Theodora had seen him in a lot less now.