Chapter 5
1217 Words
-Laelia-
“You still sure you want this?” Rathilion asked.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t, would I?”
He gave a small smile as he swung the sword in his hand. “You’ll die.”
“Maybe I won’t.”
“It’s a trap, Laelia,” he warned.
“What else can I do? Wait?”
He shook his head, his expression growing more serious. “No, you can be smart. Their king has been captured, but their queen is still standing. You can be an inspiration,” he said.
“I told you!” I snapped, charging at him with my sword raised. He easily blocked my attack. “I don’t want a war!”
He pushed back, causing me to stumble until I found my balance again. I went for him once more, but my sword cut through empty air where he had been standing. Already panting and exhausted, I turned to face him, and there he stood, calm and composed, the sword effortlessly balanced in his hand.
He smiled almost cruelly at me, clearly seeing the state I was in. “You’re using too much fire,” he said.
“What does that even mean?” I inquired.
“It means you’re not using it properly.”
“Am I not supposed to use the fire?” I questioned.
“You are, but you can’t let it burn you. You need to keep it under control.”
“How do I do that?”
“Think. Be smart. Watch your opponent. Figure them out. Know where they’ll move before you strike.”
“How can I know what they’re going to do?”
He smiled and shook his head slightly. “I thought a princess would be good at reading people. Isn’t that what you’ve been trained to do your whole life, at those parties you had to attend?”
He had a point. I had been taught to read people, but that was to decipher their lies and fake smiles, not to predict what they would do in a fight.
“Again,” he said.
I took a deep breath before attacking him again and again. Each time, I failed. Rathilion might have told me to try to read him, but every time I thought I had him figured out, he did something different, constantly confusing and distracting me.
“You’re impossible to read!” I exclaimed.
He laughed, and for some reason, it made me smile. “You’re too easy to read,” he replied. “Concentrate.”
“It’s easy for you to say!”
“Want to stop?”
I looked at him for a few seconds before shaking my head firmly. “Never. I’m saving my husband and brothers!”
“There’s that fire,” he murmured.
I lunged at him again, only for him to knock the sword out of my hands and hold his blade to my throat. I locked eyes with him, unafraid of the sharp edge against my skin. That cruel smile appeared on his face again before he slowly lowered his sword.
“I still think you should reconsider. You have more power than you realize. Use it wisely.”
“I just want Ashes and my brothers back,” I replied, picking up the sword.
He clearly didn’t agree with me, but I didn’t need him to. I knew what I wanted to do, and he wouldn’t stop me. I was determined to save them all.
“Again,” I demanded.
He readied himself for my attack, and as I charged, I noticed something. He stepped back, as if preparing to evade me. I quickly altered my attack, swinging my sword to the other side. He wasn’t prepared, but he was faster than me and quickly blocked, throwing me off balance.
I landed hard on the ground, groaning as my back hit the marble surface. We were just outside the palace, overlooking the beautiful river and forest.
“Ouch!” I exclaimed.
“Laelia!”
A powerful voice boomed across the grounds. I sat up, seeing Liam approaching, looking furious. It was strange—Liam was never angry.
“I’m fine,” I assured him.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
I glanced at Rathilion, then back at my brother. “Training.”
“Training for what?”
I slowly got up from the ground, picked up the sword, and finally turned to face Liam again.
“I’m going to save them.”
“Who? What are you talking about?”
“Ashes… Tylon… Mayla and Sivanna… Ladon… Our brothers. I’m going to save them all.”
He shook his head, clearly unhappy with what I was saying. “You must have hit your head on the ground or something,” he said.
I shook my head. “No. I’m serious. Rathilion is teaching me to use a sword.”
Liam glared at the prince, but Rathilion remained calm, unfazed by the deadly look my brother gave him.
“You’re teaching her to use a sword?” Liam shouted.
“She asked me to,” Rathilion replied calmly.
Liam turned back to me, his eyes blazing. “Laelia, it takes more than a day to become skilled with a sword,” he said.
“I know. That’s why I’ll be out here every day, training until I’m ready.”
“Ready to die?”
“Ready to save them all,” I replied, crossing my arms.
“You can’t just charge in there with a sword in hand and think you’ll save them all!”
“I know. I’ll take the same way we left, then go down to the dungeons and get them out.”
My brother groaned, throwing his arms in the air and cursing as he began to pace. He clearly hated everything I had just said.
“Laelia,” he sighed, “you can’t do this.”
“Will you try to stop me?” I inquired.
“If I have to.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, silently warning him not to. “You can’t stop me,” I said in a dark tone.
“Laelia, this isn’t a joke. This is your life we’re talking about.”
“You don’t think I know that? But our brothers are still in their hands. I refuse to let them die just because you’re scared.”
“I’m not scared. I just want you to be safe!”
“When have I ever been safe, ever since the dragons took over? My life has always been in danger. And when I thought you were all dead, I was the only one protecting myself! I am not your weak little sister. I’ve already survived so much. I will survive this as well!” I yelled.
Liam slowly shook his head. “This is different.”
“No. It’s not. I’m different.”
My brother kept shaking his head but didn’t say anything else. Then he slowly turned away, leaving me and the prince alone.
“And you say you aren’t a queen anymore. Tell me, Laelia, was that a queen speaking or just a normal girl?” Rathilion asked.
I sighed. Now was not the time for riddles. Now was the time for training.
- Writer
