The girls saw Roxy and smiled, but they couldn't hide the fact that they were confused. The girl on the bed abruptly asked Bert, "What's a kid doing here?"
Bert was almost jumping up and down with excitement. He said trying to keep his voice calm but failing miserably, "She's a new Trainee!"
The girls had the look of sheer shock on their faces. To add to the silence that was already turning deadly, he also added, "And since she's a female, you two are going to teach her!"
The girls looked at each other, then at Roxy. The girl by the window asked, "Dear, how old are you?"
"6" replied Roxanne.
The girl by the window shot daggers at Bert. Bert was obviously scared, seeing as he slightly pushed Roxy into the room and left closing the door making as little noise as he could.
The girl by the window closed the book she was reading and motioned to Roxy to sit by her. She asked if Roxy wanted a change of clothes and when Roxy replied with a polite "Yes" as usual, she got up and went to the closet, and got clothes that would fit. Roxy was surprised they had clothes her size, seeing that she didn't meet anyone her age coming.
The girl sat back down on the other end of the bed, and asked, "What's your name?"
"Roxanne"
Shock was splashed over their faces, but quickly covered up.
The girl who was on her phone said, "I'm Hannah. She-" she pointed to the other girl "-is Zaniya"
Roxanne simply nodded.
"Listen, Roxy-"
"Roxanne" interrupted Roxy. It was not like to talk back to adults or seniors, so even she wasn't aware of what came over her.
"I'm gonna call you Roxy, 'Roxanne' doesn't roll of the tongue that easily" She continued. "Anyway, what I was saying was, that you have to be sure you want to join us. This is will relatively hard, seeing as you have been raised in a family that believes women are things to be married off to somewhere and make deals" Zaniya made a scoff-like noise somewhere between a laugh and disgust.
"We fight for a living." continue Hannah, "If you want to be like us, you're gonna have to fight."
Roxy herself was surprised she didn't feel scared or shock. Coming into this place had given her this confidence that kept saying in her mind 'This is what you're meant for. Don't go back.'
Roxy replied frustratedly, "Brother Hanley has already asked me this question twice. I have agreed both times and I'm not backing out now."
Zaniya replied, not looking away from her phone, "Oooh, she's fiesty."
Hannah sighed and said, "Alright, let's get started."
That, was the most excited Roxy had ever been in her life. True, it was tremendously painful, but she liked it. She has had an active soul and body which she was forced to locked up in the palace. She could let her activeness roam and scream free.
This was the most vivid memory Roxy had of her childhood. The rest was almost a blur. In 10 short years, she became the top fighter in the junior division. She only remembers losing once.
The rest of her life was a blur. The only things she remembered were dying her hair light-pink at 14, and getting a rose tattoo on her waist at at her 16th birthday.
But tragedy always strikes someday. As it turns out, someone sold Roxy out, and before she was able to transmit the information properly to her brain, the royal guards were there to capture her.
As expected, she was caught and sent back to the castle, as 10 professionally trained men against a 16 year old girl is is not fair at all.
There she was greeted by the king.