*Gabrielle watched the princess approach him, the soft rustle of her dress filling his ears*
*He couldn't help but feel a flutter of nervousness as she leaned over him, her closeness making his heart beat a little faster*
She said in a low voice
"I will teach you some words in Arabic, but for a price."
*Gabrielle's eyes widened slightly at her words*
"For a price… what kind of price?"
He asked curiously*
"In exchange for letting me roam outside, I've been locked in this room for a week feeling suffocated"
*Gabriel's expression softened a little as he realized what she was asking for*
He said in a gentle voice
"I see... I understand your need for fresh air and freedom"
*He paused for a moment as he considered the request. Allowing the princess to roam out of his sight was against the king's orders, but he also didn't like the idea of denying her a simple request*
*Gabriel thought about it for a moment and then sighed, knowing he was about to break the king's orders*
"Okay, I'll let you roam outside"
He said in a quiet voice as if he was afraid someone would hear him
"Really? Really really?"
She said excitedly
Gabriel couldn't help but laugh a little at her excitement
"Yes you heard right I will allow it"
He confirmed with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth
When Gabriel saw the excitement in the princess's eyes he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for keeping her isolated for so long
He put the pen and paper aside knowing that they would have to postpone their lesson for now
"Come on let's go"
He said standing up and motioning for her to follow him
Gabriel led the princess to the door of the room and glanced around the empty hallway to make sure no one was outside
After making sure the coast was clear he pushed the door open and motioned for her to go out
As the princess took her first steps into the hallway her face lit up with a mixture of excitement and relief
Layla took a deep breath of fresh air as she looked around her surroundings with its effects
Staying locked in a room for a week while doing nothing but reading books and eating was stifling for her
Not caring about Gabriel who was staring at her intently, she moved her feet to walk through the stone corridors of the palace while humming in a beautiful feminine voice.
Her waist was moving with the rhythm of the musical hum.
She looked at the stone castle and the green garden and the sun that was hitting her face freely like a caged bird that had been saved.
"You look happy, princess." Gabriel said while looking at her with shining eyes.
As she walked, the princess's figure was a vision of grace and elegance. Her slender waist moved gracefully like a dancer.
The sunlight that leaked through the windows fell on her face like a gentle hug, illuminating her features and making them more radiant.
Gabriel couldn't help but continue to admire her from afar, his eyes fixed on her every move and his heart beating in his chest like a drum.
"Of course I'll be happy. I've been locked in that stuffy room for a week." Laila said annoyedly while looking Curiously, he looked around
Gabriel felt a pang of guilt at her words, knowing that he was the one responsible for keeping her locked in that room
"I apologize," he said in his boyish, masculine voice
He continued, looking at her apologetically
"I was ordered to keep you safe, but I should have tried to find a less restrictive way to do so."
"It's not like you're the king here, of course you can't help it."
She said sarcastically as she looked at him with her big brown eyes
"Monk, guide me to the area where the knights train in this palace"
She suggested with bright eyes
Gabriel felt a slight pang of frustration at her mockery but chose to ignore it
He nodded in agreement with her request and replied
He said
"Okay, I'll take you to the training grounds"
He motioned for her to follow him as he led the way through the corridors
Hearing that, Laila happily followed him as she looked at the precious paintings hanging in the stone corridors of the palace
"Coming to think of it, you're the third son of the king, aren't you?"
Laila asked as she looked at his back curiously
She had been imprisoned here as a prisoner for a while so she could hear the rumors about the third prince from the chattering maids
The third prince was the son of a commoner concubine and the pious son of the king
He had two older brothers
Hearing her question, he felt Gabriel was uneasy
Despite being the third legitimate son of King Gunther, he was the son of a commoner's concubine, so he wasn't very popular among the nobles
He was aware of the rumors about him that the castle servants had started spreading ever since he was appointed to be the caretaker of the imprisoned princess
These rumors were definitely coming from the Queen Mother's followers
"Yes, I am the third and youngest son of King Gunther."
He said calmly
Gabriel's response was short and to the point, and his voice revealed a hint of annoyance. He didn't like discussing his humble birth, especially with someone who was supposed to protect him
"Let's not get into unpleasant topics."
He said gruffly as they continued walking
"We're here to enjoy the fresh air, remember?"
"....."
As the two continued walking, they suddenly heard distant sounds of swords clashing and men screaming
Gabriel immediately recognized the sounds as coming from the knights' training grounds and pointed towards the source of the noise
"This is where the knights train"
He said, pointing towards the open ground that could be seen through the passage at the end of the passage
As they approached the open grounds, the sounds of warriors training became louder and clearer. The sounds of swords clashing echoed through the air, accompanied by the voices and shouts of the men participating in the battle
Gabriel could see the knights wearing their armor, some training together while others dueling against each other
The silent princess suddenly spoke as she pointed to one of the knights who appeared to be young
"Who is that man?"
Gabrielle asked curiously
The man she pointed to had beautiful dark brown hair and bright green eyes with a handsome, heroic face and a towering height
His appearance was that of a typical knight, even standing out among a group of knights
"This is Sir Adrian, he is one of the king's powerful knights, he is very popular in the kingdom as he is the youngest swordsman in the entire kingdom and the first to receive a knighthood at the age of seventeen"
Gabriel watched the princess's eyes fixed on the young knight and a strange look in them
He couldn't help but notice her fascination with Adrian
He said with a hint of hurt and annoyance in his voice
"He is indeed impressive but he is also somewhat of a womanizer, some say he has a different woman in his bed every week"
Those words came out of his mouth unconsciously
How could a monk who dedicated his life to serving the Lord say such shameful words about a person!!!
Even if these rumors were true, he shouldn't have said those words.
When Gabriel saw the princess's surprised look at his rash words, he silently cursed himself in his mind.
He realized that he had slipped his tongue and said something unbecoming of a priest.
He quickly tried to correct himself, his cheeks slightly reddening with embarrassment.
He said in a calmer voice this time.
"Forgive me, it was foolish of me to say that. As a monk, I shouldn't talk about such things."
"..."
Layla was silent as she stared at the handsome boy dressed in monk's garb silently.
The look in her eyes was that of someone completely surprised.
In the week that this monk prince had been guarding and watching over her, Layla's impression of him was that of a young, shy, righteous priest.
She didn't expect to see a man like that talk about anyone in this way.
Gabriel avoided her gaze for a moment, feeling embarrassed by his words.
He admitted in a more serious tone now.
"I must admit that I have heard some rumors about his love life, but they are just rumors, I shouldn't have talked about them in such a casual way."
He added
"Sometimes even a clergyman is tempted by gossip."
Trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood.
"You are such a worldly monk."
Layla laughed sarcastically.
"I guess my years as a religious man haven't completely erased my human nature."
Gabriel said awkwardly as he tried to understand why he would even say such bad words about the knight?!!
"Anyway, that knight seems to be good with the sword."
Layla said in a soft feminine voice as she looked at the knight named Adrian from afar with admiration.
Seeing her looking at the knight with admiration, Gabriel tried to suppress his unjustified feeling of annoyance and said to her with a stiff smile
"Yes, what a skilled knight"
Without Gabriel starting to realize the situation, Layla ran towards the knights' arena to take one of the swords thrown on the ground and wave it in front of Adrien and the knight who was dueling him, which caused their duel to be interrupted.
Seeing the princess running towards the knights' arena with the sword, Gabriel quickly followed her while screaming in panic and worry.
"Princess, what are you doing!!!"
Layla stood in the field while pointing at Adrian with the sword and she said confidently
"Let's fight"
Seeing a young woman storming into the training field while waving her sword and saying to the strongest knight among them, fight me was something surreal in a heartbreaking way for the knights
Seeing a woman holding a sword was something unbelievable even in dreams in these medieval times where women were treated as inferior beings
"Princess, what are you doing in the training field?"
Gabriel approached the princess, feeling embarrassed that she caused a disturbance in the training field
The other knights around them were watching curiously and grumbling among themselves
About the situation
Sir Adrian approached the young woman with a smug smile on his face as he looked at her
Sir Adrian looked at the woman with a mixture of surprise and amusement. He took in her slender form and determined expression. His eyes lingered for a moment on the way her dress hugged her curves before he spoke.
He leaned on his sword, a smile on his face.
"Are you sure you want to fight me, young lady? Do you know what you are asking?"
Laila responded to the young knight's statement with an excited smile and eyes overflowing with a wild desire to fight.
"Yes, fight me. You will not get the honor of fighting the daughter of the Caliph of the World every day."
She said with confidence and arrogance while waving the heavy and large sword with her soft and delicate hand as if she was waving a leaf.
"You are the daughter of the Caliph who is being held captive then."
Adrian said sarcastically while watching her beautiful appearance with enjoyment.
"I will not be defeated by a spoiled princess no matter how beautiful she is."
Sir Adrian glanced at Gabriel before saying with disdain.
"I accept your fight, but do not blame me for being cruel. I will not have mercy on you just because you are a woman."
At that moment, Gabriel shouted trying to stop Adrian.
"Sir Adrian, what in God's name are you saying? Are you really going to fight the princess?"
*Hearing Gabriel's voice, Sir Adrian looked at him with a mixture of surprise and arrogance, his eyes narrowing as he replied.
"Why not? She's the one who challenged me. Are you afraid that I'll hurt her?"
Gabriel approached with a stern expression as he addressed the knight firmly.
"This is the princess, Sir Adrian. As a knight and an honorable man, you cannot accept her challenge."
Hearing that, Adrian said with disdain.
"Honorable? Don't tell me this nonsense. We're here to train and fight. She wanted to fight, so why don't we fulfill her request?"
Gabriel gritted his teeth and felt anger rising in his chest at the arrogant knight's response
"And you call yourself a knight by fighting a woman?"
Seeing the handsome monk trying to stop the knight from fighting her, Layla screamed in annoyance and anger
"Stay away you stupid monk and don't ruin my fun!"
Hearing that, Gabriel turned to look at her coldly
"Knight fighting is not a game for ladies so Sir Hadrian is getting serious and he's fighting you you might die why the princess just keeps acting stupid"
"What does it even have to do with you you stupid monk? Just stay away"
She said angrily while waving the huge cross sword in her hand skillfully causing the air to make scary cracking sounds
Gabriel clenched his fists in annoyance and felt his patience start to run out
He said through gritted teeth
"I'm your guard it's my job to protect you and that includes Protecting you from yourself, you are the daughter of the Caliph and your safety is my responsibility so stop acting like a foolish child and put that damn sword aside."
The knights watched from afar the dialogue taking place between the imprisoned Arab princess and the third prince who was supposed to be a gentle cleric.
As the knights watched the argument between Gabrielle and Laila, they whispered among themselves and their eyes flashed towards the third prince with surprise and confusion.
"This is the third prince? And he is yelling at the princess like that?"
"And she is waving the sword? What is going on here?"
Gabriel was oblivious to their grumbling and was only focused on trying to reason with the stubborn princess.
"Damn you, you stinking monk. Just get away before I stab you with this sword."
Layla said angrily.
This monk had already damaged her nerves and ruined her fun with his interference.
"What are you saying? Could she be speaking Arabic?"
"She is so beautiful. I can't believe that this beautiful woman is the daughter of that brutal and tyrannical Caliph."
"This is the first time in my life that I have seen a woman carrying a sword and asking a man to fight. Don't they usually only carry kitchen knives?"
"I can't believe the Third Prince can scream like that."
Gabriel could hear the murmurs of the knights and feel their gazes on him. He realized that he was drawing unnecessary attention, but his determination to protect the princess overcame his embarrassment.
He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure as he spoke to her again.
He said in a weaker voice this time.
"Layla, please listen to me. You're not thinking straight-"
"How dare you address me by my name like that without any honorific titles!!!"
Layla said excitedly as she ran very quickly towards Gabriel, waving her huge, gigantic sword at his face in anger.
Gabriel's eyes widened in shock as Layla ran towards him with the sword, waving it just inches from his face.
He instinctively backed away, his heart racing at the sight of the sharp blade so close to him.
"What are you doing, you crazy woman?!"
He shouted with a voice trembling with a mixture of anger and fear
"Are you trying to kill me?!"
"If you tried to ruin my fight, I will do it."
She said coldly while the blade of her sword was a few meters away from his neck
Gabriel looked at her in astonishment and anger, not believing what he was hearing
He said through gritted teeth
"You can't be serious, are you seriously going to kill me for trying to protect you? Have you lost your mind?"
"Yes."
She said coldly
Upon hearing her cold answer, Gabriel's anger flared up completely, so he grabbed Adrien's sword from his hand forcefully and waved the sword towards Laila's sword fiercely
"Damn foolish woman"
The shock and surprise intensified on the surrounding knights when they watched the scene unfold
Laila also looked stunned and her eyes widened as if she could not believe what he had done
Gabriel was breathing heavily and his hands gripped the sword handle tightly, his anger towards the princess finally overflowing
"Do you want to fight, princess?"
He said in a low voice, his turquoise eyes fixed on hers with intense intensity.
"Then let us fight."
Gabriel and Layla stood face to face, their swords held tightly in their hands, their eyes locked together like two lions ready to strike at any moment.
The tension in the air was palpable and the knights watching couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Ser Hadrian, who was still standing to the side, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of surprise and anticipation.
Layla and Gabriel stood there, neither making the first move. Both were equally stubborn and determined, each waiting for the other to strike first.
The tension in the air was suffocating and the knights watching grew increasingly anxious, awaiting the inevitable clash.
Suddenly, Layla rushed towards Gabriel, sword in hand, her face twisted in anger.
Gabriel responded quickly, raising his sword to defend himself.
The sound of the metallic clash echoed across the training ground as their swords met with a deafening sound.
The impact sent The clash sent shock waves through their arms as both Layla and Gabriel pushed against each other in an attempt to gain the upper hand
Their eyes were glued to each other filled with a mixture of determination and anger
The sound of swords clashing grew louder as the two warriors continued to push against each other, neither giving in.
Gabriel gritted his teeth and felt tension in his arms as he fought against the princess's unexpected strength
Gabriel and Layla continued to fight, their blades clashing and grinding against each other, each trying to find a weak spot in the other's defense
The muscles in their arms tensed and the expressions on their faces indicated extreme determination and stubbornness
"It turns out you're as good at sword fighting as a man, Prince Monk."
Layla said excitedly as she gasped slightly as she raised her hands and waved her sword high in a grandiosity pose
Gabriel couldn't help but roll his eyes at her words as he breathed heavily and lowered his sword to look at her with a mixture of exhaustion and annoyance
"First you tried to kill me and now Are you praising me? He said in a rough male voice
"You are a contradictory person, princess"
Hearing that, Layla laughed in amusement as she stood in a brutal fighting stance, bringing her leg forward to bring her other leg back while lowering her frame and raising her hand holding the heavy Crusader sword high while extending her other hand to him to say in a soft feminine tone
"Make me enjoy, monk"
As soon as she said those words, she rushed towards him with amazing speed, jumping high while pointing her sword at him
Gabriel was a little surprised by the sudden change in her behavior and quickly reorganized his ranks and narrowed his eyes as he prepared for her attack
When Layla rushed towards him, her speed and agility were impressive and Gabriel did not have enough time to react
Raising his sword in time to block her strike, he let out a pained male voice as the force of her attack sent shockwaves through his arm
Her strike caused him to lose feeling in His hand holding the sword
Layla's attack was relentless and she continued to attack, raining down a series of violent blows on Gabrielle, each one stronger than the last
Gabriel found himself on the defensive and struggled to block and dodge her attacks while also trying to find an opening
As he fought, his mind couldn't help but wonder how in the world did this woman become so skilled at using a sword!!!
However, despite Layla's relentless attack, a small spark of anger and determination ignited within Gabriel.
He gritted his teeth and dug deep, summoning all his remaining strength.
He knew that he could not allow the princess to push him back and overpower him. Not only did it conflict with his pride as a man, but it was also embarrassing to admit that a woman was superior to him in combat.
With a strong push, Gabriel was able to push Layla away for the first time, creating a small opening.
He took the opportunity and delivered a quick and precise strike with his sword, aiming at Layla's exposed waist.
At that moment, Layla blocked his strike, swinging her sword forcefully, causing Gabriel's arms to lose their strength, causing the sword to fly high. At that moment, Layla aimed her sword at his chin while gasping with a big smile, saying with bright eyes,
"I won."
Gabriel looked at Layla in disbelief, feeling the tip of her sword under his chin.
He could not believe that he had been struck by the woman's hand. Who he saw as nothing more than an annoying princess
His pride was hurting and he struggled to keep his voice steady as he spoke
He said through gritted teeth
"You won, princess, but that's only because I let you."
When Layla heard that, she laughed loudly.
The sound of her feminine laughter echoed in the training field.
"Just admit that you're just a pathetic loser, monk. I didn't know monks lied about their losses."
She said sarcastically.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed at her sarcastic tone, his jaw clenching in frustration.
He gritted his teeth as her words struck a nerve, but he refused to let her see how they affected him.
He exhaled heavily, trying to maintain his composure as he spoke through his teeth.
"You may have won this duel, princess, but it won't be easy to defeat me next time."
"You're planning on dueling me again? Are you going to retire from the monkhood and become a knight?"
Layla snorted sarcastically as she removed her sword from his neck.
Gabriel looked at her, annoyed by her continued mockery.
He said.
"Of course not. I'm a monk first and foremost. This was "Simply a matter of honor"
He paused for a moment and his gaze hardened as he looked at Layla
"But don't think for a moment that I'll go easy on you next time"
Layla pushed her long, soft black hair back as she looked at him with her large brown eyes in amusement
The sight of her hair being combed back was strangely captivating. A small part of Gabriel couldn't help but admire her beauty despite their last fight
But he quickly pushed the thought aside and focused on the matter at hand
He repeated
"You may have won this time, princess, but I won't let you defeat me again"
"Okay, okay, I'll wait for you to defeat me, you useless monk"
Layla said sarcastically as she tossed the massive Crusader sword to the dirt floor of the arena indifferently as her gaze turned towards Ser Adrian who had been watching their exchange and fight intently since the beginning
"Next time, you'll be my opponent, green-eyed one"
Layla pointed her finger at Adrian with a sideways smile Beautiful and charming on the corner of her lips
Gabriel watched as Layla threw her sword to the ground and her carelessness made him roll his eyes
He followed her gaze to Sir Adrian who had been watching the entire time with a look of disapproval on his face
Unable to contain his annoyance Gabriel turned his attention back to Layla and said
"You really have no discipline or manners, princess"
Gabriel could feel the looks and murmurs of the other knights and he knew they were still trying to process the fact that Layla had defeated him
He could see the mixture of shock and amusement on their faces and it made him even more determined to prove himself next time
He looked back at Layla and his gaze sharpened
"Just wait princess, the next time we fight I won't be as merciful as I was today"
"Merciful? Nonsense"
Layla mocked him with amusement