Nixiesocean: So, I'm totally sorry I haven't updated. My other story is rocking! Not that I'm biased… Oh, and I have a warning to post.
WARNING:
Dihydrogen Monoxide in a gaseous form may cause serve burns!
Whew! See bottom for more information.
Chapter 15: The Battle Rages
Fria snuggled closer to the warmth beside her. The warmth wrapped his arm around her, pulling her nearer to him. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Peaceful sleep overtook her.
Sunlight streamed through the opened window of their shared chambers. The pale peach color of the room simply glowed in the growing light. A single tender kiss made her open her eyes. Her husband, the prince of Auldn, was leaning over her, his face made soft by an expression of love. She wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling his face onto hers.
Kyne pulled back, the slipped out of bed. The princess leaned up, pulling the sheets around her. "What time is it?" She asked.
"A few hours past dawn, why?" At Fria's alarmed expression, the prince too grew alarmed. "What's wrong, love?"
"I was supposed to contact my mother!" She whispered. "She'll want to know-"
"That we're wed?" Kyne asked, confused. Her mother already knew. His parents were due back any day.
"No, about Brennin." She said, pulling on some loose-fitting clothes. Kyne pulled on some simple clothes, trying to follow the quick-moving princess.
"What about him?" Kyne asked, finally reaching her.
"If he arrived safely, et cetera." She replied, waving an arm around.
"How?" Kyne asked. Even his best messenger would take a few days…
"Gifting." Fria replied nonchalantly.
"Gif- oh." Kyne stopped. It took his brain a bit to get back to work. He remembered… the past few days… the lake…
"Yes." She rolled her eyes.
"Can't you do that from the bedroom?" He realized he didn't know where they were or where they were headed.
"No." She said.
"Why?" Kyne wrapped his hand in hers, holding it ever so lightly.
"Because my dear husband, I need to concentrate." He remembered where they were once the garish doors were in front of them.
The library.
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Brennin sat quietly while Lady Katharine pulled out her weapons and armor. She had barely been out of bed and already challenging a person claiming to be her long-lost uncle.
"Lance! Don't you start chiding me again. I'm perfectly fine, remember after Asnarinith-"
"Do you mean you cost Cyrun her Draconic powers?" He interrupted. His fiancée only glared. "I have every reason to chide you! You're my fiancée for heavens' sake. I want you to be one piece for our wedding!"
She narrowed her eyes. "You could at least try not to be my nanny for one day!"
"I'm not being a nanny!" He argued. "I'm only looking out for your health. Wait one week, only one."
"No." His wife-to-be replied. "I can't back down, when have I ever backed down?" They fought like they were married already…
He touched her face. "You need to learn to back down." With that, he brushed her lips lightly. "I'll not stop you this time, but I will the next." He dropped his hand and left the room without even saying goodbye.
Lady Katharine threw her stuff down, saying such words one would only hear in the slums of a capital. Brennin could've sworn she made up some of her own.
Brennin made his way out to the barracks, where he'd seen guards practicing. As he got out there, a still slightly weak Lady Katharine was stretching with a similar person, her supposed uncle, was doing something like yoga. Lady Katharine's toned muscles were too similar to this Eric man. Their body structures were identical and faces resembled another person. He could plainly see how this man would think they were related.
Lady Katharine's father was there too. He was watching, concerned still. When the pair donned their armor, Brennin drew close to the wooden fence that enclosed the practice ring.
The lady drew her sword. "Prove you are man enough to fight me!" Eric drew his slimmer sword, pointing it directly at her throat.
"Prove you can beat me," He prodded. "After all, you're only a woman!" She roared, charging. He had successfully provoked the fiery-tempered woman into a charge.
"Take it back, you lying bastard!" She swung recklessly, taking the sword she was famous for into a wild fury.
Eric easily blocked her rash attempts. He could see his muscles straining against the onslaught, but still held his ground. Katharine stuck out a foot, trying to trip the man. He jumped backward, trying not to fall.
Cyrun walked out next to the Guenian prince. He nodded in Katharine's direction.
"Gods! What's she thinking?" She was about to call out to her patient; Brennin stopped her.
"If you call her name, you'll only distract her. She needs all the concentration she can muster. She got herself into this one, she can get herself out."
"But-" Cyrun started.
"Shush." Brennin hissed.
They turned back to the battle. Katharine had lost some ground, Eric's stamina beating out her reckless loss of energy.
"You're a girl," Eric taunted. "Girls aren't fit for battle, they're good for bearing children! Nothing more!" Brennin saw, and heard, that Eric had some ulterior motive. He, if he really were from the Isle of Amazons, would know that those women could fight like any man. He was purposefully provoking Katharine into fighting!
Katharine narrowed her eyes, standing against the wobble of her knees and quickly raised her arms in a dangerous move. If they were really fighting, she'd be dead. She came down with the force of many angry women. The slimmer sword was knocked out of Eric's hand. It stuck nearby into the ground, point down. Katharine's glowing sword leveled at Eric's neck.
He put his hand up in a gesture of peace. "You are truly your mother's daughter."
"Shut up," Katharine hissed. "Take back all you said!"
"I knew you could win, niece. Only my sister's daughter could." He replied calmly. "I know women can fight. You need a better reign on your temper."
Katharine's eyes grew twice their normal size. "You- you tricked me!"
"I did indeed. Do you believe me now? I can beat anyone here, you name them."
"You only lost because you didn't want to fight a girl." She hissed angrily.
"Why? I've fought women my whole life. Why stop for you?" He replied nonchalantly. "I think there's another reason you fought so hard." He whispered. The crowd was listening intently. "You have another force driving you so hard, Blessed." Blessed? What did the lying man mean? Brennin wondered.
"Blessed?" Katharine momentarily dropped the sword a fraction of an inch. "Forget it, this is another trick." She raised the sword again. She attempted to look unchanged by the comment, but failed miserably.
"Don't you know?" Eric asked aloud. "You're blessed by the Goddess, how else could you beat a master swordsman?"
"Master! Ha! You're a self-trained ego-head!"
"Am I? Can a swordsman here fault my stances? My tricks?" He asked honestly.
Katharine gaped openly. Behind the man, she stared at the empty air.
Ha! So you actually had to look here? Bah!
Dihydrogen Monoxide H2O Water!
Whoo hoo!