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Kougyoku gasped as she practiced the move for the thousandth time. Her intricate hairstyle had fallen apart, but she didn't care, working through the pain. She couldn't waste a second to fix it, Kougyoku needed all the practice she could get if she wanted to ever fight like Kouha and Hakuei.
She was in the middle of thrusting her sword through an imaginary enemy when a voice threw her off.
"Well what do we have here, old hag?" Kougyoku threw Judal a glare.
"Shut up!" She hissed, afraid of others hearing her.
"What was that!?" He made sure to shout as loud as possible before flashing her a mocking grin. "What are you doing Gyoku that would make you come out pass curfew?" If there was a moment, Kougyoku wanted to stab, Judal, this was it.
"Will you be quiet if I tell you?" She sighed. The magi nodded before floating down so he was face-to-face with her. "I didn't know the prim and proper princess was into fighting." Curiosity filled those red eyes.
"Well, I haven't really told anyone I was…" Kougyoku knew what they would say. She wasn't strong and brave like Hakuei, all she was was the weak whore's daughter who got lucky. Her only job was to marry to strengthen the Kou Empire.
"Suppose that's all an ugly, stupid hag like you can do." Judal's teasing brought her out of her thoughts.
"No, I'm smart and gorgeous!" She retorted, but Judal just laughed. Guess it was true though. A whore's daughter was a whore's daughter, despite the fine clothing and jewels.
"So when are you going to capture your first dungeon?"
"What?" Kougyoku looked up in confusion.
"Idiot, how else are you supposed to become a fighter?" He whacked the side of her head with his wand.
"But…I'm not strong, it's pointless…" She moved to head back to her chambers, but she felt Judal tug her hair.
"Don't you fucking talk like that," He picked up the hairpin that had fallen out and put it back in place. "If anyone calls you weak, than kill them." His eyes held no mischief, only a deadly calm.
For a minute it felt like the old Judal was back. The demon child that had appeared before her, hair a mess and hope still in his eyes. The one who had tormented her, but allowed no one else but her to braid his hair. The one who played games with her, and stole her first kiss, just to tick her off, causing her not to talk to him for a month. She knew that boy was long gone, replaced with a man that only wanted to watch the world burn, but she could hope.
"If you think I'd stoop to your level you're wrong."
"Whatever, hag. I'm raising a dungeon, you want to come?" He held out his hand. It would be like then again, the whore's daughter and the demon child against the world.
"Of course," She took his hand.