“You,” I said, giving her an apologetic look.“You’re the prettiest.”
“Thank you, I think.But if appearance is important to him, he’s just as likely to choose you.You’re far prettier than me.Than any of us.”
I took a wrong step and had to catch myself as my balance faltered.“No, I’m not.I’m far too tall—”
“For the men of Earsleh, who are largely idiots by any measure.But I hear the Zulenii people are giants.You will probably be short in comparison.”
“I will believe that when I see it.”
“The prince will take one look at you and fall in love.”
“Shut up.”
She smiled.“I’m only partly teasing, you know.Youarepretty.I know you hate your eyes, but they’re exotic.Then, of course, you have the royal forehead and cheekbones.But that mouth is all your mother’s.My mother always said it was that mouth that made our father fall in love—or at least lust—with Lady Aine.”
My lips tingled, and I pressed them together.I had a rather wide mouth with full lips.I never paid much attention to it, though I liked it on my mother because when she smiled it was a gesture that seemed to take up her entire face.
“If the prince is in any way intelligent, he will choose the princess he thinks he can most easily defeat.”I desperately wanted to change the subject.
“I suppose we will see,” Finnrey said.“Do you want to spar?”
“Sure.”I always liked sparring with Finnrey.Her moves weren’t predictable, like Broga’s, or tricky, like Morga’s.She came at me straight on, like the Hollows did.We moved away from the rocks at the edge of the field and found a spot where we had plenty of room.We began circling each other, looking for weaknesses or vulnerabilities.After years of fighting together, we already knew them.Finnrey’s left side was weaker, and I almost always attacked her from the left.My long legs were a good target for her.She could kick them out from under me and send me sprawling.
Thus, I anticipated it when she stuck out a foot and tried to trip me.I jumped right over it, executed a quick turn, and jabbed her left side with my fist.The blow landed, and she grunted, though I had pulled the punch.
I expected her to try and trip me again.Instead, she lunged and would have tackled me if I hadn’t cut to the side and executed a neat tumble out of the way.Finnrey spun around, smiling.“Show off,” she said.
I bowed, and when I came up, so did my leg.I swung it in a round kick, but she curved her body inward, so my boot barely grazed her tunic.Finnrey took her curve into a bend and charged me.The move was inelegant but effective.I couldn’t evade her.The most I could do was push her away, but she had momentum on her side.She plowed into me, and we both went down.I hit first, the jolt pushing the breath out of me.I immediately rolled to the side, lest Finnrey pin me to the ground.She tried anyway, but I was able to hook a leg around her middle.
This was the sort of move I would never employ in the outerlands.I might have immobilized Finnrey, but if she’d been a Hollow, she could have easily bitten me.Unfortunately, I was just as immobile.If I loosened my hold on her, she’d pounce and pin me down.
“Looks like a draw,” Broga said.I glanced up and noticed my sisters had gathered in a semicircle to watch our match.Normally, I wouldn’t have minded a draw, but something about the way Broga sneered made me want to prove to her that I could fight.
I swung my upper leg high, and when Finnrey moved to attack, I rolled and flipped to my feet.Finnrey brought her legs around, trying to lock them around my ankles.I quickstepped out of reach.If we’d been actual combatants, I would have kicked her in the gut.Instead, I dove down, ending up straddling her.Her fists came up, one of them connecting with my jaw.I caught the other and pinned it beneath one knee.She struggled, almost unseating me, but I used my leverage to push her free hand down to the ground.Faces just a few inches apart, I started counting.“One, two, three—”
“Oh, let me up.I concede.”
I immediately released her and stood, holding out a hand to help her rise.“Let’s hope this prince isn’t as quick as you,” she said.“That ankle lock usually works.”
“You still got a swipe in,” I said, rubbing my jaw.
“Sorry.I’ll get you a cold compress.”
“You’re both sorry,” Broga said.“If the prince chooses either one of you, it will certainly be the first time Earsleh loses the challenge in two hundred and nineteen years.”
“Then let’s hope he chooses you,” I said, then muttered under my breath, “And hopefully carries you back to Zulen with him.”
“I heard that,” she said.“How about a real match, Princess Spider?”
My other sisters gasped at her use of this nickname.I’d heard it whispered, of course, a reference to my long legs and arms.No one had ever said it to my face, though.
“Let’s go, Broga the Brick,” I countered, using the name people called her behind her back for the obvious reason that she was built like a brick.
Broga didn’t bother with outrage.She attacked.I was quick, but she wasn’t playing by the rules.I feinted, which usually saved me.This time, she caught my tunic and yanked me back.Her fist plowed into my belly, and the only reason I didn’t double over was because her stronger hand still gripped the fabric of my tunic.
Still, the pain slammed into me, and I was stunned long enough for her to release my clothing and shove me.I flew back, landing hard on my ass.This time my world went black for an instant before I shook my head to clear it.
Broga was charging toward me.I leaped to my feet and charged right back, crashing into her.We grappled for a moment, and her hand came up and connected with my jaw, exactly where Finnrey had hit me.It was a glancing blow that hurt more than it should have.She’d put enough power behind it to set herself slightly off balance.I used the advantage to put my hands around her neck.She tried to reach my neck, but my arms were longer than hers.Call me spider now,I thought.I held her at a distance, squeezing just hard enough to make her gasp.She kicked out, and I released her, shoving her back with both hands.This time she landed hard on the ground, and I jumped on top of her.
