Day 1: Verbal Affirmation

They met in the courtyard after lunch.

The sun was bright. Students milled about, discussing magic theory and weekend plans.

"Okay," Marcus said. "Let's try a compliment. remember, keep it natural."

Iris nodded. She stiffened her spine. She looked like she was preparing for a duel.

She marched up to him. She stopped six inches from his face.

"Marcus," she said loudly. "Your skeletal structure is adequate."

A passing student dropped his books.

Marcus winced.

"Okay," he said. "Good volume. Bad content. 'Adequate' is not romantic. It sounds like a performance review."

"But your skeleton is adequate," Iris argued. "It supports your flesh efficiently."

"Try to focus on something less... internal," Marcus suggested. "Look at my face. Find something you like."

Iris looked at his face.

She really looked at it.

She saw the laugh lines around his eyes. She saw the intelligent grey of his irises.

She saw the way his hair fell messily over his forehead.

She felt a warmth spread through her chest.

"Your eyes," she said softly.

"What about them?" Marcus asked.

"They are kind," Iris said.

Her voice lost its robotic edge.

"They see things others miss. When you look at me, I do not feel like a specimen. I feel... real."

The courtyard went quiet.

Marcus felt his face heat up.

That was... effective.

"That was good," he said. His voice was a little higher than usual. "Very good. Authentic."

"Did it induce biological attachment?" Iris asked.

"It induced... something," Marcus admitted. He cleared his throat. "Okay. Great. Now, when you see Theo, say exactly that."

Iris frowned.

"But Theodore's eyes are not like yours," she said. "They are vacant. Like a cow's."

"Improvise!" Marcus said quickly. "Tell him his eyes are... intense. Warriors love being called intense."

Iris wrote in her notebook.

Target A (Theo): Cow eyes. Use adjective 'intense'.

Target B (Marcus): Kind eyes. Induces warmth.

"Next lesson," Marcus said. He sounded eager to move on.

✧✧✧

Day 2: Physical Escalation

They sat on a bench near the fountain.

"The key to physical touch is plausible deniability," Marcus explained. "It should look accidental, but feel intentional."

He demonstrated.

He reached out and brushed a piece of lint off her shoulder.

"See? I'm just cleaning your cloak. But I'm also breaking the touch barrier."

Iris nodded. She analyzed the data.

"I understand," she said. "I will attempt a maneuver."

She waited for a moment.

Then, she reached out.

She placed her hand flat against his chest, directly over his heart.

She didn't brush. She held it there.

"Iris?" Marcus squeaked.

"I am checking your vitals," she said. Her face was inches from his. "Your heart rate has accelerated. From seventy beats per minute to one hundred and ten."

"That's because you surprised me," Marcus said. He didn't pull away.

"Your skin temperature has also risen," she noted.

She moved her hand up. She traced the line of his jaw with her cool fingers.

It wasn't accidental. It wasn't subtle.

It was intimate.

Marcus stopped breathing for a second.

He looked into her violet eyes. He saw curiosity, yes. But he also saw something softer.

For a moment, the coaching persona vanished. He was just a man with a beautiful woman touching his face.

Then, his brain rebooted.

"Okay!" he said. He gently took her wrist and lowered her hand. "That was... bold. A bit advanced."

"Did it work?" Iris asked.

"It definitely got a reaction," Marcus said. He adjusted his collar. "But with Theo, maybe start with a hand on the arm. You don't want to give the poor kid a heart attack."

"Theodore is physically robust," Iris said. "He could withstand the palpitation."

"Let's not test that theory just yet."

From the bushes behind the fountain, a figure watched them.

Damien Blackthorn lowered his binoculars.

He took a bite of an apple.

"Unbelievable," Damien muttered. "He's coaching her on how to seduce him. He's literally giving her the manual."

He shook his head.

"This man is a genius or an idiot. I can't decide."

He took another bite.

"This is better than cable TV."

✧✧✧

Day 3: Shared Activity

"The date," Marcus announced. "This is the final exam."

They were walking through the botanical gardens.

It was a popular spot for couples.

"The goal of a date is conversation," Marcus said. "You want to find common ground."

"Theodore likes swords," Iris said dully. "He likes training. He likes whetstones."

"Right," Marcus said. "So, you ask him about his favorite sword. You ask him why he fights."

"Why do you fight?" Iris asked. She turned the question on him.

"I don't," Marcus laughed. "I run away. Or I talk people out of fighting."

"That is wiser," Iris said. "War is inefficient. It destroys resources and knowledge."

"Exactly!" Marcus said. He looked delighted. "See? We're bonding. That's how it works."

They walked in silence for a while.

It was a comfortable silence.

Iris watched the wind move through the trees. She felt the gravel under her boots.

Usually, she found humans exhausting. Their minds were chaotic. Their lives were frantic.

But with Marcus, it was quiet.

She felt... settled.

She looked at him. He was admiring a bed of fire-lilies.

"Marcus," she said.

"Hmm?"

"If I were to court you," she said, "hypothetically. What activity would you choose?"

Marcus looked at her.

"Me?" he asked. "I'm simple. I like good food. I like reading. I like quiet places."

He smiled self-deprecatingly.

"I'm boring, Iris. I'm not a hero like Theo."

"You are not boring," Iris said fiercely.

Marcus looked surprised by her tone.

"You are complex," she said. "You are layers of thought and feeling. Exploring your mind is like exploring a new forest. It is... fascinating."

She stepped closer to him.

"I would choose this," she said. "Walking. Talking. Just... existing in proximity."

Marcus stared at her.

The wind blew a strand of silver hair across her face.

Without thinking, he reached out and tucked it behind her ear.

It was the exact move he had told her to practice.

"That sounds nice," he whispered.

They stood there for a long moment. The air between them was charged with static.

Then, Marcus clapped his hands together.

"So!" he said, his voice loud and brittle. "That's the vibe! Perfect execution. Theo won't know what hit him."

Iris felt a sharp pang in her chest.

It wasn't indigestion.

It was disappointment.

"Yes," she said quietly. "Theodore."

She looked away.

"The simulation is complete," she said. Her voice was back to being robotic. "I have sufficient data."

"You did great," Marcus said. He patted her shoulder. "You're a natural, Iris. Really."

"Thank you, Instructor."

She turned and walked away. She walked fast.

She needed to be alone.

Marcus watched her go.

He felt a strange hollowness in his stomach.

Why do I feel like I just lost something? he wondered.

He shook his head.

Don't be stupid, Marcus. You're helping the plot. You're saving the world.

He sighed.

Saving the world sucks.

✧✧✧

Iris sat in her room.

Her notebook was open on her lap.

She had pages of notes.

Subject A (Theodore):

Reaction to name: Indifference.

Reaction to proximity: Mild annoyance.

Conversation topics: Metallurgy, violence.

Emotional response: Boredom. Pity.

She turned the page.

Subject B (Marcus):

Reaction to name: Accelerated heartbeat.

Reaction to proximity: Desire for contact.

Conversation topics: Philosophy, emotion, life.

Emotional response: Warmth. Longing. Fear.

She picked up her charcoal pencil.

She didn't write words. She started to draw.

She didn't draw Theo.

She drew a face with glasses and a crooked smile.

She drew hands that were gentle.

She drew eyes that saw her.

She looked at the sketch.

It was the best drawing she had done in a century.

It was full of life. It was full of... affection.

Iris dropped the pencil.

She stared at her hands.

"This is incorrect," she whispered.

Her orders were clear. Seduce the Child of Destiny. Secure the alliance.

She was an Elder of the Silverleaf. She was a master of logic.

But looking at the drawing, logic failed her.

She imagined using her new skills on Theo.

She imagined touching his arm.

She imagined walking in the garden with him.

She felt nothing but cold duty.

Then she imagined doing it all again with Marcus.

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh no," she said.

The realization hit her like a physical blow.

She wasn't practicing.

She hadn't been acting.

Every compliment, every touch, every look... it had been real.

She had successfully learned how to fall in love.

But she had fallen for the wrong brother.

She looked at the silver basin in the corner.

The Elder was waiting for her report.

She looked at the sketch of Marcus.

"This is... a significant complication," she murmured.

She touched the paper face.

"I am in trouble."

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