Lea rubbed her wrists and prepared for another round. And the last round at that.
Three rounds plus the first making it four rounds had passed and Valdemar still defeated her.
She kept her gaze fixed on the person who had said a few moments ago that she had the spirit of equanimity and gnashed her teeth in anger, total anger.
She wore her helmet and looked at Valdemar who also stared at her. He had a bad conscience himself. Something told him that he had stepped on a red line, but he just said nothing.
Lea looked over at Marian who stood in preparation to give it her best shot.
"You can do it, Lea. Just breathe"
"Begin!"
Again, daggers went swinging at the male opponents but Lea didn't swing a thing. Both She and Valdemar stared at each other. If he don't swing, she won't.
"You want me to swing? That's totally fine" Valdemar said and his dagger and spear went in all directions.
Lea dodged, but he was too good.
Everywhere she turned to, one thing must be sent to her, either a dagger or a spear.
Only he has two weapons, which is so unfair.
But then, something came to her mind.
One saying that always escaped her father's mouth, which is:-
"Know that when fighting, the ribs are the men weaknesses. If you don't get the right, you will surely get the left"
Lea breathed as she remembered this and finally pulled out her dagger, using the handle, she jabbed the dagger's wooden handle on his right and left ribs once on each side but swiftly, and Valdemar fell down to the ground.
Before he knew what has happened, Lea pointed the daggers sharpest edge beneath his jaw, with one of her knees down.
She chuckled.
So... Cheap.
All eyes on them, all the soldiers defeated the ladies and it seemed like a real disgrace that a Prince couldn't defeat an old hag. One win, brought so much joy to Lea's heart.
She withdrew and looked down at Valdemar, the smirk on his face could be seen even through the helmet.
"Nice one. But don't just withdraw at the sight of a defeat"
With that, Valdemar swept his leg across the legs of Lea and Lea fell down with her back and squarely on her butt.
"Argh!" she yelled in pain and annoyance.
He chuckled.
Whatever. As far the dagger held his head high, she believed that she is the real winner.
Once again, the men helped the ladies up, most of them thanking them while some just helped them up and left without waiting to be thanked.
Valdemar helped Lea up and they both withdrew their weapons and removed their helmets.
"I expect more from you, Princess"
Before Lea said anything, Marian helped her out.
"Don't think that Lea's softness is being mature. She just don't want to hurt you, Prince. You don't even know her Father and of course, her mother... "
"Marian! That's enough! " Lea scolded.
She then turned to Valdemar and with a slight bow departed, dragging Marian along.
Marian turned to the surprised Prince and squinted her eyes. She did the "I am watching you" sign and looked straight forward, following Lea bumper to bumper.
"Who fought with that girl?" he asked a nearby guard.
"Edward, Sire" He replied.
Valdemar looked at Lea from the distance that she was scolding Marian. The little girl didn't seemed moved by the scolds.
Where the hell are these girls from? he thought.
"And then, I got him. But he still managed to get me down with that... That leg of his!" Lea explained everything to Lin while she washed her hair in the hot bathub.
Lea and the other ladies were made to go for a hot bath. The steam in the bathroom served as a cloth to cover Lea's body while Lin washed her hair dearly.
"I don't just understand why he is a bit cunning and a bit harsh when it comes to me" Lea said.
"That's how they are, Lea. Princes act like that when they like someone. Tormented, you should know that you are the one for him. The one that he loves and cares for" Lin said
Oops. This makes Lea hormones rise a bit.
Lea said nothing. Though her mouth already formed the perfect circle to start pouting and murmuring but none of that happened.
She felt a certain type of peace instead. A type of peace that made her want more of the teasing nature of Lin.
Lin noticed and smiled. Fortunately, the hot steam covered her face so Lea didn't seem to notice the smile.
"How about you tell me a little more about this Kingdom. What does it consists of?" Lea asked.
"What a Kingdom should contain is what this Kingdom contains. A King, Queen and warriors... "
Lea listened carefully.
"Legend says that:- Barenui was a deserted land that only had dry thorns and camels passed through it everyday of the week with its master on their backs... "
Lin paused as a tear fell off her eye.
"But when the Kingdom of Anastia saw that this land was a fertile place, they occupied it... "
Lin sniffed in deeply and Lea noticed her voice turned shaky when she continued.
"My husband and a few of his troops were sent to invade Anastia from a far away land. The leader was a woman. A woman with great skills that comes from Maneth. She had all it took to break six kingdoms down at once. But what killed her after many, many years... Was the spear of King Stephen"
"Who is Stephen?" Lea asked curiously.
"Stephen is a King that has been in war with this Kingdom for almost sixty years now. He is ruthless, always drunk, and didn't care if he had all the women in his kingdom. He killed my husband and his master with his barehands and cursed the land of Barenui." Lin said as she raised her palm to her face and used the back of it to wipe her tears away.
"But a prophecy came, that only the Queen of the seventh generation will stop this madness. Valdemar is the seventh King of Barenui, Lea. And that is why his parents are so persistent in making him to marry. But he doesn't know of the prophecy, nor about the war... " Lin explained.
So many emotions and questions going through the mind of Lea.
"Then... If the Royal blood don't know, how do you know?" Lea asked.
Lin chuckled.
"I was one of the Mistresses of the King then. But one of his soldiers captivated my heart, so why won't I know all these things?"
Lea swallowed her saliva hard.
"How old are you, Lin?" The question slipped off her tongue.
"Sixty five"
"What?!" Lea almost yelled and Lin laughed with tears dropping down her face.
"You look like you're in your mid thirties" Lea said and the both laughed happily.
The laughter died down when Lea and Lin stepped out of the bathroom.
"Get some rest, My lady. Another training section begins tommorow" Lin says and Lea smiles her best.
Lin helped in picking the dresses of Lea and she dismissed herself with a goodnight kiss on Lea's head.
Lea wore the dress and soon pounces on her bed, the pain in her muscles subsiding a little.
She laid on her bed in the darkness and accumulated everything Lin told her.
The warrior. Lin's husband.
The seventh King.
And of course, King Stephen.