She grins. "Here's hoping."
I take her to the outside training arena after breakfast and hand her a wooden sword. "We start with this."
She frowns at it. "Seriously? I'm not a child. This looks like a toy."
There are others out here training. Some are my soldiers staying in battle shape. Others are children just learning their sword. I whistle to one of the soldiers. "Mario, come."
Mario jogs over. He's about my height, with slightly less bulk, but he's strong and trained well. I trained him myself, so I should know. I toss him a wooden sword and take up one myself. "The Princess here thinks these are toys. Care to help me demonstrate what they can do?"
Mario grins. "Yes, sir."
I don't hold back. Much. If I put my full power into the fight I'd break both swords and probably Mario as well. He throws himself into the fight, though. Ari watches wide-eyed as we circle one another in the yard, parrying blows and attempting to strike each other. A few others stop to watch, so we put on a show. In the end, I disarm Mario and pin him to the ground with my sword. I look over at Ari. "If I was trying to hurt him, I could kill him with this thing you call a toy. It just wouldn't kill as easily or as fast as one made of metal, which is the point. Until you learn control and technique, I can't risk you using a sharpened steel sword. But once you're ready, we'll have one made for you."
Her eyes light up at that. "Okay, I get it. Teach me."
I nod to Mario. "Pick one of your best men. I'm putting you and him on guard duty for the moment, until the threat to the Princess's life passes."
Mario nods sharply, sparing a glance for Arianna, who is studying the practice swords. "Yes, sir. We won't let any harm come to the Princess."
A low growl forms in my throat. "See that you don't."
He is dismissed, and I begin training Ari.
We move through basic stance positions, strikes and defenses. I show her the proper way to hold a sword. She learns fast.
"Widen your stance," I say.
She does.
"Spin your torso when you strike. No. Like this." I stand behind her and lay my hands on her hips. I twist them back, then forward.
She smiles, her cheeks red. "I think I got it. How do you—"
"Your Highness," someone yells. A kid, no older than ten and four years. He can barely speak when he approaches me, so out of breath is he. "I... I have a message... I—"
"Calm yourself, boy. The words won't come if sharing space with so much air."
He nods, takes a few deep, slow breaths, and speaks again. "Sir, you're needed at the southern lumber mill. One of Prince Ace's contraptions malfunctioned. A man was injured. The rest are refusing to work."
"Bloody hell. Can't Henrick handle this?"
The boy shakes his head. "Henrick is the one who got hurt, Sir."
"All right. Tell the stable to ready my horse. I'll be there shortly."
"Two horses," Ari says from beside me. "Have the stable master ready two horses please, uh, I didn't catch your name?"
The boy looks at Arianna and his cheeks burn red. He stutters now more than before. "Um. My name? It's, uh. John. My name is John, Your, er, Majesty Highness."
Ari holds her hand out to him. "Hi John, I'm Ari. Thanks so much for rushing to get this message here. You did a good job. After you speak to the stable master, hop over to the kitchen and tell Olga I said you should have some tea and cookies before you're sent back, okay?"
I raise an eyebrow at Ari, but I don't contradict her, at least not in front of everyone who is watching.
John looks to me, uncertain how to proceed with such odd orders. I just nod. "Do as the Princess says, boy. And be quick about it."
He nods, his face breaking into a smile, and runs to the stables.
I turn to Ari. "What was that about?"
She puts a hand on my arm. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, Fen. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"
She's already walking towards the stables, and I jog to catch up, grumbling under my breath about flies. Who needs flies anyways?
Chapter 8
SEALED IN BLOOD
"You've never seen me fight."
—Fenris Vane
I can hear Fen mumbling his complaints. I ignore them. Olga had little to say about her master, but her silence told me enough. Fen's servants respect him, but they don't care for him. I see it in the way they stare at him when he's not looking, at the way they avert their gaze under his glare. Most of them are Fae. Slaves. It makes me want to hate Fen and his brothers. But, somehow, I don't.
I don't hate him. I find him frustrating and exasperating, but also... fascinating. There is a kind heart in there somewhere. I saw it last night when he let me sleep in his room, though I could tell he didn't want me to. I saw it the night he saved me back in my world, and then stayed all night watching movies with me. I see it in the way he treats Baron, and in the way he cares about his brothers.