The day training began and I was dead nervous. Emphasis on the dead part. I mean, who wouldn’t be nervous? I was going to go up against a genius assassin!
What bothered me is the fact that he was already practicing his swings even though Terrence isn’t here yet.
“You know, you should follow his example and do some practice swings yourself.” Nate commented.
I nodded. “You know, I have thought about it.” I agreed.
“And?”
“That’s it. I just thought about it and I suddenly feel tired so I didn’t do it.” I looked at Nate and smiled proudly.
“I agree. I mean, Sir Terrence isn’t here yet so might as well take this time to relax. Worry about the consequences later.” Ren says and we both did a fist bump while snickering silently.
“What about the consequences?” Ren and I stiffened as we heard Sir Terrence approaching us. Ren dropped to the ground and did some push-ups while I swung my wooden sword up in the air and did a fake count.
“105! 106!” Ren and I counted immediately as Terrence arrived.
“Oh, Sir Terrence!” I pretended to gasp as I looked at him. “You’re here! Sorry, we didn’t see you. We were too busy doing our warmups seriously.”
Ren gasped as well as he got up and dusted his hands. “Good morning, sir Terrence! It is bright and early. Rose and I were just prepping ourselves in excitement!”
“Yes!” I agreed. “Very excited.” Ren and I grinned at Nate, Terrence, and Ace, who just finished his warmup.
“Ah. Really? That is great to hear.” Terrence smile at us while he crossed his arms over his chest. “I guess that means that you two no longer need any briefing and would like to start the training immediately?”
My eyes widened at his words. “Of course!” Ren replied earning a jab at the rib from me. The idiot!
Terrence grinned evilly and looked from Nate and then to Ace. “Alright. Free brawl for now. I’ll see up to what extent you guys are up to. But Princess, your familiars will not do the fighting for you. You may begin.”
“Free what?” I questioned. All of a sudden, Nate lunged for Ren. The two of them rolled on the ground before parting.
“What he means is that we can fight however we want.” I whipped my head back to Ace, who slowly making his advances.
“Right. However, we want. Sorry to tell you but this is an advantage for me.”
“Oh really?”
“Of course.” I grinned arrogantly. “You know why? Because I never fight. I RUN!” I screamed and turned the other way and bolted. Prince Ace ran and he was suddenly in front of me and swung his sword. I managed to block it with my own.
“I thought for once that you would be serious. I guess I was wrong.” He says.
“I seriously don’t want to fight especially when I am up against you. I am a coward, not a fighter. I got stabbed and that memory was enough to haunt me for a lifetime.” I yelled and pushed his sword back but he swung again. “Oh come on!” I complained.
“You asked for it.” He smirked and continued to swing his sword at me. “Where was that arrogance when you were possessed by an evil spirit?”
“You mean this?” As soon as our swords weren’t connecting, I swung my foot on the ground to trip him. Unfortunately, he managed to evade me as he charged again.
I brought my sword down to swung some dirt in his direction. When that didn’t work, I screamed and started running again.
“Rose?” I saw Ren looking at me through my peripheral view before he brought his attention back at Nate, who threw a punch at him.
“Worry about yourself, werewolf boy.” Nate yelled as they continued their fight.
I looked back to see that Ace was still chasing after me. At an incredible speed. I suddenly stopped as I moved to the side and did the floor sweep trick again. This time it worked. Ace tripped, but he did not face planted on the ground like I expected him to. Instead, he merely used his used to do a flip before looking at me again arrogantly.
I rolled my eyes. Must be nice to be perfect.
I was still on the ground and wasn’t able to escape on time when Ace moved towards me again and brought down his sword. I parried and pushed him back with my shoulder. He stepped aside and I fell.
Ace placed his arm under my stomach to stop my fall. “That bracelet. Why are you still wearing that?”
I ignored him as I finally found an opportunity as I kicked my legs back. My hands supported me as I did a flip. I felt my boot hitting Ace, and when I was finally down and crouching on the ground, I looked back smugly at him.
My smile faded as I saw Ace wiping the dirt off of his cheek and returned my grin. “I was trying to hold back and I was nice enough to even support you when you fell.”
I laughed nervously as I slowly took huge steps back. “Um...thank you? All hail PRINCE Ace…?” I cheered.
Ace continued to smile as he lunged towards me.
*****[KINGDOM OF TEREAU]*****
Prince Kellar was on the ground. His wooden sword falling at his side while his brother, Second Prince Lucas, continued to kick him in the gut while he was down. “Honestly, I would have expected that I am already better than you since I am older. But this?” He gestured at Kellar, who was wincing as he used his wooden sword to push himself up. “This is pathetic.”
“I’m sorry, brother.” He muttered and once again fell on the ground when his brother kicked him again.
“That’s why you are weak! You keep apologizing. It is disgusting!” Lucas spat in his direction in disgust. “Training is over. I barely broke a sweat.” The second prince turned his back from his younger brother and started heading back into the palace.
Kellar simply stood up and bowed respectfully at the retreating back of his older brother. “Thank you for your time!”
“Go somewhere where I can’t see you. At least until we forget that you ever existed.”
Kellar sighed. Even though he kept hearing though he has a lot of cuts and bruises, nothing still hurts compared to those awful words being thrown at him. Kellar waited for a few minutes before he headed back as well.
Along the way, a white blob of light fluttered around him. Kellar smiled at its warm presence. Kellar and his brothers were supposed to be Tamers, but because of the curse, they no longer have any essence to summon their spirits partners.
But Kellar was different. Although he doesn’t have a partner, he has a strong connection to them that he can even see them. And one was in front of him right now.
“Hi, Kaya. How is she?” Kellar asked the spirit. He wasn’t sure if that was the translation of this spirit’s name, but it was how he heard it. The white blob of light bounced from left to right rather slowly. Kellar’s eyes softened. It meant that she wasn’t doing good. “Really? Well, I guess I couldn’t blame her. Is she being treated well? What about her food?” Kellar was so concerned about the kid especially when he heard that she was a potential sacrifice to his father’s plans. That was why he asked his one and only spirit friend to watch over her while he’s away.
The spirit moved again. Its action going slower and slower as if it was depressing.
“Right. I figured as well. Who would even treat a prisoner that will become a sacrifice well?” He muttered. “Kaya, come on. Let’s head for the kitchen and bring her something to eat.” Kellar began to move but the spirit floated in front of him to block his path. “Relax. My family doesn’t want me eating with them anyway. It’s not like they will miss my presence.” He laughed before moving past Kaya and headed for the kitchen. The chefs and maid in there don’t pay him any attention. He can come and go as he pleases. He somehow suspected that they were feeling sorry for him enough that they would even put bread and cookies on the table for him to pick up whenever he came for a visit.
Of course, no one would admit to that because they were afraid that the other princes would find out. Still, he appreciates the gesture.
“Thank you.” He said to them as he picked up the bread and cookies on the table. They weren’t looking at him but he saw one of them smiling while working before he made his way out.
And so, he made his way back to the dungeon using the secret passage that only he knows of. The girl was still in her cell. Rocking back and forth as she hugged her knees to her chest. As soon as she heard his approach, she quickly his the cape that he had given her the other night. But when she saw him, she paused.
“Oh. It’s you, Leo.”
Kellar offered her a small smile and nodded. His eyes darted to the rotten and molded bread on the floor. Kellar’s stomach churned. He knows what it felt like to eat those and it didn’t sit well with him.
Is this what they are feeding her?
“I...brought you something to eat.” Kellar went closer to the cell and saw how Stella winced in disgust at the mention of food. “Don’t worry, it is clean.” He rummaged through the basket and brought out the bread and cookies. “Afer you eat, hand me the wrappers. They can’t know that someone is visiting you.”
Stella simply looked at the bread and cookies that were being offered to her. “You.” She said suspiciously. “You did not steal these, did you? Are you going to be in trouble?”
“Don’t worry. I can handle myself.” He promised.
Stella studied him for a bit before accepting the food that he gave her. He watched as she devoured the food that his stomach began to churn. He blushed in embarrassment while Stella paused. She broke the bread in half and offered the untouched part to him. “Here.”
“No, I-”
“Don’t tell me you’re full. I hate liars. Please, just take it.”
Kellar hesitantly accepted the bread guiltily. After all, he brought this for her and not for him. He’s still useless.
Stella saw his look and added, “If it makes you feel any better, I am not going to share the cookies.”
Kellar looked surprised, but could not help but laugh lightly. “Sure. It’s yours. Do what you want with it. By the way, tell me if you’re thirsty, I brought water with me.”
Stella paused mid-bite. “What are you doing?” She demanded.
“What?” Kellar looked at her confusedly and glanced at his spirit friend for help. Unfortunately, the spirit couldn’t figure out the young girl as well.
“Sit down properly. There’s plenty of room on the floor.” She says before heading back to eat.
Kellar did not know how to react because no one, not even his family, would bother to eat with him. His spirit friend nudged his cheek to wake him up out of his trance. “Oh um...right. Sorry. Excuse me for my intrusion.” He says before sitting on the floor along with her.
“Will you be back again tomorrow?” Stella mumbled.
“Do you want me to?”
“I don’t know. It’s scary in here.” She sniffed and he fears that she would cry again.
“W-well...of course, I’ll be back. You can’t eat this molded bread that they serve you anyway. I’ll have to bring them back with me though and dispose of them. Otherwise, they might suspect that you are eating something other than these.”
“Thanks, Leo.”
Again, this was the first time that Kellar has been thanked for that it felt awkward for him. “No problem, Stella.”