Her eyes widen slightly as she glances over at Lutin, who’s watching with an amused grin.
“Go on,” he encourages. “Help our future queen become a warrior.”
Senka considers me for a moment, then inclines her head. “Alright.”
Lutin strides over to the weapons rack, picking out two straight, double-edged practice blades. He hands them to me, his grin widening. “Just focus on blocking. Nothing fancy.”
“Got it,” I say, dipping my head, but my stomach twists with nerves. I’ve been in a battle, and I’ve trained with Kian, yet something about sparring one-on-one with Senka feels intimidating.
I turn to face her, watching as she removes her jacket and readies her twin blades, gripping them with an ease that speaks to years of practice. Her stance is confident and balanced.
We begin circling each other, our eyes locked. There’s a flicker of challenge in her gaze, and I feel myself rising to meet it. With a quick, fluid motion, she steps forward, her arm slicing through the air. I instinctively raise my left arm, intercepting her blade just in time. The clang of metal rings out, and for a moment, I think I’ve managed to hold her off.
But Senka doesn’t retreat. She smoothly swings her other sword, stepping in closer, leaving me with no time to adjust. The second blade is arcing toward me from the side, and I realize I have to move fast.
I twist, angling my other sword to block her strike. The force of the blow vibrates up my arm, but I hold my ground. Senka smiles, her gaze sharp with approval. There’s no time to savor it; she’s already shifting, pressing forward with a series of rapid attacks, testing my reflexes and forcing me to move, to react without hesitating.
I try to mimic her fluidity, focusing on blocking each strike as she presses me backward. My eyes follow each movement.
“Try to predict where she is going to strike before she does,” Lutin calls out. “If you can read your opponent, you’ll have the advantage.”
But her movements are swift, relentless, and I feel my muscles burning as I adjust to her pace. I manage to deflect another hit, stepping to the side, and for a split second, I think I see an opening.
Taking a deep breath, I lunge forward, aiming a cautious strike toward her side. But she anticipates the move, twisting gracefullyout of reach and countering with a quick swing of her blade that I barely manage to parry.
“Not bad,” she remarks with a smirk, but there’s a hint of pride in her eyes.
My heart is pounding, and adrenaline courses through me as I continue to match her strikes. I can feel my confidence growing with each block and counter. Senka’s pace slows just a fraction, her movements a little more deliberate now, guiding rather than overwhelming. She’s pushing me to think, to adapt to her rhythm.
“Good,” she praises. “Stay focused. Don’t let your guard down, not even for a second.”
I nod, breathing hard, my senses sharper than ever. The thrill of wielding the blades, of holding my ground against someone as skilled as Senka thrums through me. We continue, the clash of steel filling the air, until finally, Senka steps back, lowering her swords.
“That was impressive,” she remarks, her tone genuine. “You’ve got potential.”
I can’t help but smile. The praise fills me with joy. “Potential?”
“Yes. You need to work on your footwork. It’s sloppy, but I’m surprised with how well you can handle a sword.”
“Thank you for sparring with me.”
Lutin claps from the sidelines. “You’re getting there, My Queen.”
I turn to smile at him, and a flash of red hair catches my eye as Gideon barrels into the arena, skillfully dodging around soldiers who are deep in their sparring. How have I not noticed the arena filling up?
Gideon’s face is flushed as he stops in front of me, bowing slightly before speaking.
“Your Majesty, the blacksmith is here to see you,” he pants, catching his breath as he straightens up.
“Me?” I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he confirms.
“Can you bring him over?”
Gideon nods and immediately hurries off, his red hair disappearing behind the edge of the training grounds as quickly as he’d appeared.
I walk over to the table and grab a glass of water, savoring the coolness as I take a long drink. The sun is high now, and the birds are singing, the garden calling to me, but I’m determined to get in as much training as possible.
