Early the next morning, Daniel woke up before everyone else and made his way to the training grounds. The sun had not yet broken the horizon; an orange tint embellished the sky, showering the mountains in its grace. The cool air that swept through helped to wake him up, brushing his hair gently.
Once on the training grounds, he retrieved his wooden sword and began going back to his previous lessons of parrying and working on his stance, trying to master the different techniques before he could see Balisnor coming from the hallway. Somebody in a cloak was walking alongside him, keeping up with the Bodyguard’s pace at which he was walking.
When Balisnor and Daniel were within proximity to each other, Daniel bowed to show his respect. Balisnor, however, ignored him and moved past, bumping him in the arm as he did so.
“No time for morning greetings,” the Bodyguard said bluntly, firmly. “Today, you will put your skills to the test.” He nodded to the cloaked person.
The being in the cloak took off its head cover, revealing the princess. Daniel tried to keep a steady composure but the fact that Balisnor would even think about matching him up with the princess herself was ludicrous. Princess Anya, however, looked determined and ready to fight.
“Let’s see what you’ve learned,” Balisnor said with a smirk on his face. “Don’t let the good princess fool you. She can dance with a sword better than most men in my army.” Once his eyes met Anya’s and he nodded, she ran toward him full force.
What the— Daniel didn’t have enough time to react; his blade met hers, causing sparks to fly from their blades. He tried to remember what to do in what type of situation, but with how quick they were fighting, he was having a difficult time. With every swing of her blade, Daniel sidestepped, parried, blocked, or all three. His breathing became steady as he was able to read her movements, his training coming in clutch. She was quick, quicker than him in every regard, but he found himself being able to fend off her attacks. She spun to try to throw him off guard, but he grabbed her wrist and instinctively slapped her, making her lose her grip on her sword. She staggered, holding her nose, sniffling.
“Oh my goodness princess, I’m so sorry,” Daniel started as he threw down his sword and ran over to her.
When he had gotten within a couple meters, she reached around and hit him in the nose with her elbow, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his back. Before he could have time to react, the tip of her sword was against the throat. His vision blurry from the tears and warm blood beginning to come out of his nose, Daniel wiped his eyes as he struggled to get to his feet.
“You’re fast,” Princess Anya said as she lowered her sword, a crooked smile etched on her face.
“Not as fast as you, Your Grace.”
“Not yet, but you’re very close.” The Princess helped Daniel to his feet, brushing the dust off his back.
Balisnor came from behind the princess. “Congratulations, you have passed. Your sword fighting skills could sharpen up just a bit more, but you’re a good fighter nonetheless.”
“So, does that mean I’m one of you guys?” Daniel asked, hopeful.
Balisnor sneered as he took a couple of steps forward. “Don’t push your luck, traitor.” He looked Daniel down from head to toe. “You might have them fooled, but not from me. Step out of line again, and I’ll make sure my sword runs through your throat.”
The Bodyguard walked off, not bothering to look back as Daniel watched him exit out the gate.
“You alright?” Princess Anya asked from behind him.
“Wh—? Oh, yeah. Sure.” Daniel scratched the back of his neck, doing his best to not make eye contact.
“Let’s go to the lake tonight. Meet me here at sunset.”
“Is that even allowed?” Daniel asked, but the princess had already walked off.
If I didn’t know any better, I would say she likes me, Daniel thought as he traversed back to his room. The feeling of finally completing his training after so long was immensely satisfying. He was a part of something his parents were once, and to him he felt like he had honored their memory. But what about Balisnor? Would he ever come to terms that he was just trying to get what he needed? Only time would tell but, in this moment, not even Balisnor could take away this moment.
Later that night, Daniel walked out of the castle walls in the shadows of the night, making his way to the lake. What she wanted he had no idea, but he was looking forward to it. The crisp air gently blew in his direction as he ran to the lake, the moon full and illuminating with so much light. It was beautiful to say the least.
He found Princess Anya waiting at the shoreline, the water gently hitting her feet before retracting back in. Though it was a full moon and the light from it made it to where Daniel could see her without any conflict, he only saw that she was wearing a dress that showed off her shoulders. Her hair whipped slowly in the breeze, her beautiful eyes fixated on him and only him.
“Any reason as to why you wanted me to meet you here, My Lady?”
“Do I need one?”
“I-I guess not,” Daniel stammered, his cheeks getting hot. Thankfully, though, she could not see it.
“I wanted you to come down here to show you the beauty of Varin, not just inside the gate.”
“Won’t you get in trouble?’
Anya smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I can be quite persuasive. Sit.”
They sat next to each other on the shoreline, silent, the scent of her skin—the sweet smell of lavender— filling Daniel’s nose. He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to start a conversation, let alone the Princess of a kingdom. He cleared his throat and tried to break the awkward silence between them. “Varin is a lot bigger than what I thought.”
The princess laughed. “It might be big, but I think it’s small in my opinion. Though it may be because I’ve lived here my whole life and know basically there is to offer.” Silence fell between them until she too cleared her throat and continued. “I asked you down here to tell you something. I just don’t know how to say it.”
“Just say it, Your Grace.”
Princess Anya smiled as she looked down for a second. “I feel a type of chemistry with you that I have never felt with anyone before. Ever since you’ve walked through that gate, there’s just something that attracts me to you. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I wanted it to be us so I could feel it again without interruption.”
Daniel was taken aback, but the thought of Mary instantly reeled him back in. “I’m-I’m honored My Lady to have you feel this way, but I must kindly reject. Don’t get me wrong, I feel the same way about you, but right now isn’t a good time.” Daniel retrieved the necklace from inside his shirt, allowing the Princess to look at the ring. His heart, at once, felt heavy. “Before I knew of this place and of who I was, I was in love with this one woman. Her name was Mary. We had been together since we started high school, but I never once told her how I felt about her. The day she died, a part of me died too. I feel like I can’t let go of the one girl who had my heart so easily for another. I feel the same as you do me Princess, I really do, but my heart hasn’t yet healed and I have not let her go. I’m sorry Your Highness.”
The princess nodded, though she looked disappointed. “I understand. I’m sorry if I went too fast. I just wanted to let you know how I felt about you. When you’re ready, I will be too.”
Daniel got up and dusted his bottom off. “This place is beautiful and I will do everything in my power to protect it. I hope to build on the chemistry we have between us. Just please remember that since coming here, I haven’t been to her grave. I think I owe it to her to say goodbye one final time and maybe in the process get some closure to move on. Have a good night princess.” He bowed his head before departing, leaving her to herself.