A/N:

Okay, okay. =D Since pretty much all of you like Darrin (I like Darrin too, but I like the prince as well, even though I haven't written about him yet), I'm going to be neutral about this. (Yay!) I'm not going to take sides, and I'll just wait for this story to progress and stuff, all right? We'll see… And more importantly, thank you for your reviews!

P.S. Please give the prince a chance. He'll be introduced after a few more chapters. (Soon, very soon…)

Chapter Ten

Tania and Kylee were at the marketplace, each with their own baskets. The day had started off to be rather gloomy, and in fact, it hadn't changed. It was about three hours after noon, and so far, the sun was still shy and hiding behind puffy, slightly grey clouds. It was still, however, hot and moist like any summer day, and people were in their lightest form of clothing.

Many were staring at Tania, but she was too sick of the situation to even glance at their direction. Besides, what could she do about it?

"Are there lessons today?" Kylee asked casually as she and Tania expertly weaved their way through a massive, sweaty crowd.

Tania sighed. "Unfortunately," she said. "I like fighting, but don't you think Darrin is a tad too…annoying? He ruins the mood, if you know what I mean."

Kylee shrugged. "I don't know…I learned a lot from him yesterday. He's very skilled."

Tania grinned. "You like him, don't you?"

Kylee's reaction surprised her. Not a hint of blushing crept up her friend's cheeks, nor did she fluster. She was rather calm, despite the fact that Tania just accused her. It was surprising.

"I don't like him," Kylee said smoothly. "Yes, I think he is handsome and nice, but I don't like him." She walked on calmly, her step not faltering.

Tania shrugged. "If you say so." She didn't doubt her friend's words. Kylee had no reason to lie. Even if she liked Darrin, she wouldn't have kept it a secret. Kylee was the type who was open to her close friends. If she liked Darrin, she would have talked about him and admired him all day long.

"Besides," Kylee went on, "I think you like him."

Tania tripped on a small crack on the street, which Kylee had missed without even looking down. "WHAT?!" she cried as she as she clumsily stood and dusted her dress, "I do not like him!" She looked at Kylee and saw that her friend's lips were twitching. She scowled. "Don't make fun. I know I'm not graceful." She paused. "Back to Darrin. I DON'T like that…that…fleabag."

Kylee rolled her eyes at her friend's immaturity. "Fine, fine, you don't," she said. "You don't have to act all childish about it."

"I don't like him," Tania said firmly. "I won't deny that I think he's handsome, for that would be plain stupid, but I don't like him. And I won't deny that he can be nice at times, very rare times, but I don't like him."

"I guess we're even." Kylee grinned at her friend. Then her eyes scanned the crowd. When she finally singled out the person she was searching for, she grabbed her friend's hand and pushed through the bustling people. "We're here, Mother," she said later on.

Sandra smiled at her daughter, her beautiful face lighting with warmth. When she turned to Tania, her expression dramatically changed. "Good afternoon, Lady," she said formally, her cold eyes boring into Tania.

Tania shifted from one foot to the other. "Good afternoon," she said hesitantly. Why is this woman so…cold? She wondered if it was because she was a noble while Kylee was…a servant. Come to think of it, it was sort of unfair.

"Here," Kylee said, giving her basket and Tania's to her Mother. "Will you give these to Georgia?"

Sandra nodded. "I will. Where are you two headed?"

"Lake Narlow," Kylee replied.

Tania tensed. Lake Narlow…the memory still haunted her. Yes, she realized now that she would have woken up five minutes later if she had drowned, but the whole experience still frightened her. The feel of the icy water, the grey looming clouds, and the laughing wind were…it was just not easy to forget everything.

Sandra smiled at her daughter. "I'll see you later." With a nod at Tania, she left the two girls and disappeared in the crowd.

"Well," Kylee said as she looked at Tania, "let's go then."

Tania nervously cleared her throat. She didn't want to go back there. "Why do you want to go to Lake Narlow?" she asked Kylee.

Kylee gave her a look. "What do you mean? We always go there."

"Well…I—I am tired of that place now," Tania said sheepishly. Way to go, Tania, she thought dryly. Good job at sounding conceited.

Kylee frowned. "All right…" she said slowly, "I guess we can go somewhere else."

Tania suddenly came up with an idea. "I know!" she said excitedly. "Let's go to the Stadium!"

Kylee grinned amusedly. "You have got to be kidding. No respectable lady goes to the Stadium, you dolt."

Tania snorted. "You forget that we're not exactly respectable ladies. Besides, wouldn't be fascinating to see all those duels? And the weapons that they sell there! We have to go." She tugged at her friend's short sleeve.

Kylee let out a sigh. "Tania," she said gently, "do you remember when you were fourteen and you promised your mother to control your unladylike urges after running around in manly clothes, insisting that they were too comfortable to take off?"

Tania frowned. Did she have to bring that up? "Yes, but this is different. I'm not going to do anything of that sort. We're just going to watch future warriors spar viciously with each other."

Kylee frowned. It was rather tempting. And it sounded really fun. Maybe just this once… "All right," she said, "let's go to the Stadium."

Tania grinned happily. "Great!" She tugged her friend's arm and led the way.

Kylee bit back her laughs as Tania excitedly pushed her way through the crowd. Going to the Stadium was wrong, she knew that, but who could resist an opportunity to watch big duels with real, dangerous weapons in use?

"Why are you suddenly excited about weapons and fighting?" she said in amusement.

"I've always been excited about weapons and fighting," Tania replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "But I've always kept it secret after Mother disapproved of it…" A sad silence suddenly took in, but Tania pushed that away. She forced a smile. "Besides, I'd rather die than be a damsel in distress."

Kylee grinned. "That's true. Well, if you're planning to join the army, let me know, and I'll join you," she joked.

"Sure," Tania replied laughingly.

A few minutes later, the girls reached the infamous arena. It was one of Geldrin's ten large stadiums where future warriors of the King's army were trained. The range of students was 14 to 20 years. And strictly males, which irritated—if not angered—Tania. The name also disappointed her as well. What kind of name was the "Stadium"? It sorely lacked creativity and the ability to intimidate.

The two eagerly entered through the metal gate. There was a short man with greying dark hair who saw them, but didn't stop them. He merely raised his eyebrows in surprise. After all, there was no rule that girls couldn't enter.

Once the two girls passed the gate and found themselves in a closed passageway, a disgusting scent of sweat lingered in the air.

"This is—er—disgusting," Kylee said, wrinkling her nose.

Tania shrugged. "Well, what did you expect? The smell of roses?"

Kylee chuckled. "I guess you're right."

The two walked on. A few seconds later, they heard the sounds of metal crashing against another. They heard angry shouts and cheers at the same time. They heard roaring laughter as well. Tania couldn't help but feel jealous as they walked through the passageway. It sounded as if training was really fun.

Finally, the two reached the massive clearing and the sight fascinated them. Sweaty lads and young men were all over the place, resting, duelling, or practising on their own. Some were doing archery, some were fighting with swords, some were fist fighting, and some were fighting with long knives. There were also some who were merely watching or giving out helpful tips to a fellow comrade.

It didn't take long for the trainees and trainers to notice the presence of two young ladies. Many stopped what they were doing. Curious eyes bore onto the two. It was unnatural to see sixteen-year-old girls in that place. Usually it was just the loving mothers of the trainees, bringing homemade meal and maternal support (which was considered embarrassing).

Tania and Kylee did not expect this kind of attention. Needless to say, they felt their cheeks burn with embarrassment. Kylee was sure that she was going to die on the spot. Tania felt the same.

A few seconds later, which seemed like centuries for Tania and Kylee, a middle-aged man with flaming red hair and an uncertain smile approached them.

"Are you two lost?" he asked.

Tania's blood froze. "Uh…no," she replied. "We came to…uh…watch."

The man would have fainted, except he was a trainer, and that wouldn't have been good for his reputation. "I-I see," he stammered.

"There is no rule about girls not being allowed here," Tania pointed out bravely.

The man nodded. "I know," he said. "Well…uh…welcome, I guess." He smiled hesitantly. He turned, about to walk away, but realization suddenly came to him. He turned and stared at Tania. "I know you…" he said slowly.

Here we go again, Tania thought dully.

"You're that fairy."

Tania flinched. "Unfortunately," she mumbled, avoiding his gaze. Her eyes travelled all around the Stadium. Interesting place…a bit sheltered from what's going on outside though. Hmmm…where do they train when it rains?

When she finally dared to meet his brown eyes, she was startled to see that he wore a grin on his face.

"Don't worry," he said lightly. "I assure you that nobody will care about that here. In this arena, we treat everyone in the same, respectful way. Sure, you may get stared at, but your gender and age are to be the cause of that." After a short nod and a cheerful smile, he left the two girls to themselves.

"So," a seventeen-year-old whispered, "what did they want, Master John?"

Master John, the man with the flaming red hair, gave his student a look. "They said that they wanted to watch."

There were murmurs from the archery section. Boys exchanged grins.

"Watch?" someone echoed.

Master John nodded. "Yes. Get back to—er—work."

The students grinned at each other once more and obeyed.

Tania nudged Kylee with her ribs. "Do you think it's a mistake coming here?" she whispered.

Kylee shrugged. "I don't know."

Tania crossed her arms. "Well," she said strongly, "I'm not leaving. Come on. Let's watch the archers."

Kylee shrugged and followed her friend towards the archery section. As they walked on, she found it impressive the way Tania was able to give the staring lads an I-dare-you-to-challenge-me look.

The archery section had five targets, and Tania was impressed to see that the archers were standing very far away from them. At least in her standards. She smiled encouragingly at the lads with bows over their shoulders and said, "Carry on. Pretend we're not here." To Kylee, she whispered, "Maybe we could learn by just watching them. That would be great."

A few seconds later, the girls found out that the archers were having a contest before they arrived. Therefore, only one target was used and the trainees were taking turns shooting arrows.

Whoosh. The arrow landed in the center ring, but not dead center. It was, however, still a good shot. The young archer who did this looked sheepish afterwards as Tania and Kylee applauded along with the other watchers.

The next archer stepped up, and he looked older than the last one. Tania believed him to be about Darrin's age. He was rather handsome, and he brought with him this certain charm. His eyes were emerald green and his chestnut brown hair was messy, as if he just woke up and didn't bother to brush his hair. Somehow, however, that added more to his good looks.

Before taking his shot, he gave the watchers a nice, honest grin. He met Tania's eyes for a brief moment, who stared back calmly. He gave her a short nod and turned to the target. Then he placed the arrow in the bow, lifted it confidently, and pulled the bowstring.

There was a watchful silence as the young man eyed his target carefully. Tania unconsciously held her breath. For some reason, she wanted him to do well, even though she did not know him.

Finally, a few short seconds later, he released the arrow. There was a whoosh sound and then the sound of the arrow hitting the target. Tania narrowed her eyes, straining to see where the arrow had landed. After her eyes had adjusted to the long distance, she saw that the arrow had landed at the very center of the target. Impressive. She maintained her aloofness, but inwardly cheered for the skilful archer.

"Thanks," he said casually to the cheering crowd, as if this whole thing of hitting the very center of the target was a regular routine. He stepped away from his spot to give way for the next archer.

The next archer looked to be about fourteen, but based on the confident way he carried himself, Tania knew that he was going to make an amazing warrior. Her theory was confirmed when the boy's arrow almost landed at the very center. It was a hair away from the previous archer's arrow. The cheers were deafening, and the young lad received a couple of pats on the back.

Tania couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. She was suddenly tempted to ask one of these trainees (or if she was lucky, trainers) to teach her something—anything—that involved weapons. It looked so…fun.

As if her prayer was heard, someone from beside her—whom she didn't notice—spoke up. "Want to know how?" that voice said.

Tania turned and was startled to see that it was the same person whose arrow had hit dead center of the target. He was looking at her with a charming grin on his face.

"I don't think anyone would approve, even though I am tempted," Tania said distantly. Her eyes weren't on him, but on the next archer.

"You surprise me," he said.

This time, Tania looked at him. "Pardon?"

"Most—if not all—young ladies wouldn't even think about touching a weapon. They deem it unladylike."

"It's rubbish," Tania retorted. "How are you supposed to protect yourself from criminals if you don't know how to fight? I think that's why there are too many damsels in distress these days. It's sad."

He laughed. "That's true," he said. "My offer stands. I wouldn't mind teaching you."

Tania sighed. Don't give in. Control yourself. Be a lady. "I would love to," she said, "but what would the others think of me? What would my friend think of me? I had to persuade her earlier to come here. I think she would faint if she saw me do anything…uh…unladylike."

To Tania's surprise, he burst out laughing at that. She just stood there frowning, confused at his reaction, while he let out loud chuckles. "What's so funny?" she demanded afterwards.

"Forgive me," he replied grinningly, "but…err…see for yourself." He waved his hand towards his left.

Tania turned. Her jaw dropped. There was Kylee, wielding a sword and gleefully swaying it around like an eager kid. Beside her was a lad around their age, possibly older, looking uncomfortable and amused at the same time. Tania could see that those around the pair were suppressing amused snorts. Kylee must have borrowed the sword from him.

So much for just coming to watch and controlling unladylike urges. Tania met her friend's eyes for a brief moment. Kylee flashed a guilty look. Tania smiled and shook her head, giving the message that she didn't mind.

"So…up for it?" the young man beside her asked.

Tania grinned at him. "Yes."

He smiled. "Good. My name is Ethan."

Tania liked his laid-back attitude. "Tania," she said.

"Nice to meet you. Now, let's go." He led the way towards the very spot he had stood on to take his shot. Tania eagerly followed.

"Now," he said a short moment later, "stand right here." He lightly tapped the ground with his foot.

Tania obeyed and stood there.

"Here," he said, handing her a bow, "you may use my bow."

She nodded and nervously took it from his grasp. It was a beautifully crafted wooden bow. It was smooth to the touch and had a graceful curve. The bowstring was securely tied on the opposite ends of the bow, looking tough and unbreakable.

Ethan seemed to have sensed her edginess, for he gave her short pat on the arm. "Don't worry. We all have to start somewhere," he said reassuringly.

Tania gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks. I—uh—think I'm ready now."

He nodded and began to teach her the basic stuff, such as how her stance should be, how to hold the bow correctly, and how high it should be from the ground.

After a relatively long time of lecturing, Ethan smiled at her and said, "I think you are ready for your first shot. Here's an arrow." He handed her an arrow with a sharp point and smooth feathers at the other end.

Tania slowly took it. "Uh…" She eyed it uncertainly. Then she looked up, and her eyes quickly travelled everywhere, observing the people around her, who were pretending not to notice her little lesson. But she knew better.

She sighed inwardly. She didn't want to take a shot. I'm going to humiliate myself in front of all these people. She turned to Ethan. "Perhaps another day?" she asked weakly.

Ethan gave her a small smile and shook his head. "Nope, but don't worry. Everyone makes mistakes. Just remember what I taught you."

No way getting out of this one.Tania sighed. "All right," she said in defeat. She placed the arrow in her bow, raised it, and pulled the string.

"Good. Keep that firm grip on your bow. Raise it a little higher and fire only when you feel ready to."

That would be never. Tania was tempted to retort that, but she bit her tongue. She merely gave a short nod and concentrated on the target.

Just keep an eye on it. You can do this. Concentrate. Remember to aim slightly higher than where your goal is. All right, here goes nothing…

Tania released her arrow.

Flop.

The arrow did some weird thing and landed right on her feet.

Tania felt her cheeks flame up. She just wanted to die right there. Or maybe dig a massive hole and hide in it for eternity. She stared at the arrow on the ground as if it was some mortal enemy. Was it just her, or did the air around her suddenly become burning hot?

It's just me, Tania thought. She could feel her blood boiling with embarrassment. They're all suppressing their laughter. They're trying hard not to snort. I can sense their stupid amusement.

After what seemed like eons, Ethan bent down and picked up the arrow. "Nice try," he said with an easy, understanding smile. "I did that as well on my first try."

Tania snorted. "Little liar."

"I did!" he replied. "Seriously."

"Sure, sure," Tania said wearily while avoiding the surrounding people's gazes. "I knew I wasn't going to get it!" she said, frustrated.

"You will," Ethan assured. "You just have to be patient."

"Unfortunately," Tania replied, "that's something I have trouble with."

He laughed lightly. "Well, here, we are taught to be patient. Would you like another shot at it?"

"Er…maybe some other time," Tania said, returning the bow back to its owner.

Ethan shrugged and took it. "Come back some other time."

Tania started. Then, for some reason, she felt proud. She was actually invited to return! Sure, she did make a sad attempt with a bow and arrow, but she could improve on that, right? Right?!

"I'll try," she replied.

Ethan grinned. "Hey," he said suddenly, "how are you with sword fighting?"

Tania almost burst out laughing, having remembered what Darrin had said to her yesterday. She managed to hold back that laughter after putting in effort. She grinned at Ethan, who just looked at her amusedly.

"Don't even go there," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"My—uh—teacher thinks that I am horrible at it."

"Well," Ethan said with a smile, "your teacher and I don't think the same way. Why don't we see? Follow me." He walked away from the archery section. Tania shrugged to herself and followed him.

They stopped in front of a very large rack that was full of weapons of all sorts…knives, daggers, swords, axes, bows, and many more. After scanning through the swords, Ethan took a fine-looking, double-handed handed one, swayed it around a couple of times, and then nodded to himself with satisfaction.

"Here," he said, giving the sword to Tania, "I think this is the best one for you."

Tania took it and swayed it around a couple of times while feeling very conscious at the same time. She was perfectly aware that a lot—if not all—the people around her were trying to watch her without making it seem obvious. She was, however, an alert person, which was why the audience's supposedly discreet glances were not so discreet.

"Let's head over to a ring," Ethan said. He led the way to one of the stadium's empty fighting rings. Tania followed close behind.

Tania stepped into the ring, feeling as if it was a battlefield that held ultimate death. Of course, she was exaggerating—her mind sometimes did things like that—but being in that closed ring wasn't comforting. Obviously her opponent was an expert in the sport, and her pride was most likely going to be stomped a couple—a lot—of times. Unless, of course, Ethan went really easy on her and fought at a turtle-slow pace.

"I'm really horrible at this," Tania said again, hoping that she could back out. She wasn't the type to do such a thing, but this case was a special exception. She was already humiliated once; she didn't want that to happen again.

"Don't worry," Ethan assured, "I'm not going to attack you as if my life depended on it. I'll go by your limits."

"Yes, but I don't think that will help," she answered. "Seriously. I always find a way to embarrass myself." She quickly glanced at the people (men and boys) around her, whose lips were curved into a small smile. When they saw her glance at them, however, they hastily looked away, pretending that they weren't interested in what was happening in her direction.

Tania sighed, a long release. This is going to be just lovely. One last attempt to get myself out of this…

"You should ask Kylee instead," she said to Ethan. "She's a way better fighter than me."

"Your friend is busy at the moment," Ethan replied.

Tania turned. Sure enough, Kylee was chatting merrily with the person she had borrowed her sword from, unaware of what was going on around her. Tania groaned inwardly. Just when I need her the most…

"Are you ready?" Ethan asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Uh…"

"GO!"

Ethan instantly lunged forward, and out of impulse, Tania shrieked as he began to attack her. However, after recovering from her little shock, she began to concentrate deeply on blocking his attacks. She shocked herself (and many others) at this. She was actually blocking her opponent's attacks! She found out that it was a lot like dancing. You had to follow a certain rhythm and not lose your footing.

Tania knitted her eyebrows. One, two, three…one, two, thr—why the hell am I counting?!?!

"It helps sometimes," Ethan said, grinning widely.

Tania reddened. The familiar hotness came rushing in her blood once more. She didn't realize that she was saying all that out loud. She was aware of a few sniggers in the background. I must be giving them a nice entertainment, she thought dryly.

In a split second, everything switched and Tania found herself attacking. She chanted the different targets in her head. This time, she made sure not to blurt them out loud like some idiot. Head—shoulder—leg—shoulder—stomach—head… The chanting went on. Why she was doing it in the first place, she wasn't sure.

Then, in the middle of the duel, there came a break. Tania and Ethan stood a couple of feet away from each other, still holding their sword in front of them and standing alertly in a fighting stance. They were staring at each other. Tania was sweating and panting, while Ethan, to her annoyance, did not break a sweat (he probably did, only she didn't see).

Then came the greatest interruption. Tania, being absorbed in her little duel with Ethan, was not aware of someone's presence close behind her, right outside the ring. She only became aware when that person spoke, and when he did, her whole body went rigid and she felt her heart plummet down to her stomach and bounce back up.

His voice was too familiar. "I must say I'm hurt," he said with a hint of smirk in his voice.

Tania slowly turned around. Then, taking a deep breath, she forced a smile. "Uh…hey, Darrin," she greeted.

A/N:

I love the name Ethan. And Darrin's cool. I'm going to have him and Tania interact more with each other, so don't worry. And I don't mean bickering and fighting… =D