Marked: Part 2; The Wronged

Chapter 78

Amilia walked through the hallway of the castle. She was looking at a piece of paper while eating a buttered roll. She had spent the night at the castle because what she was doing went late into the night. Oglm actually had to use the workshop at the castle for Amilia's class. Causing her to pause for a moment before going back to the more busy side of her life as the princess.

"Your majesty," She heard. "Which one do you like more?" Amilia looked up for a moment and looked from one color to the other.

"The purple."

"Alrighty, can you take a look at these color splotches as well?"

"What is this for, again? Didn't you say it was some sort of gala?"

"Yes, it is for the peace gala, the kingdoms that we have relationships with are celebrating their peaceful relations, plus it gives the king and Queen time to mingle with the new leaders since they have last held the power, anyhow, could you initial them as well? Remember, choose your favorites, your majesty." Amilia looked at all the different colors for the different things and then gave the clipboard back to the man. He quickly looked it over and bowed. "Thank you, your majesty." Amilia went back to looking at the sheet of paper and walking, eventually making her way to the outside corridor.

"You are late." She heard from in front of her. Akxfo was standing in front of her with his arms crossed. "You can benefit from being punctual." Amilia looked up from the paper and to his face before she went back to looking at the parchment. Akxfo turned around and began to walk, motioning her on. They reached the locker rooms and Akxfo swiped her pages from her. He opened his locker and tossed them in, proceeding to lock it.

"What the heck?"

"You can have them back after practice. Now suit up, so I can attempt to teach you." Akxfo turned away from her and walked out of the locker rooms. Amilia sighed and then walked over to the side of the lockers. She put on her sparring gear. She had a helmet and a chest plate, along with forearms and shin pads. She clicked on her belt, which held a scabbard and a saber. She walked herself over to the hallway that led to the corridor and then opened the door at the end. She stopped in the middle of it after she didn't see him.

"Alright, Akxfo, come on, I don't have all day." Then suddenly she could hear him behind her, where she drew her saber and turned around, blocking his almost sure blow.

"Good start." Akxfo said, continuing. Amilia was easily able to keep up with his strategic moves, everything from his swordsmanship to his martial arts. "Look at you keeping up with me, you've been practicing." Then suddenly he tipped her over and held his two sabers to her chest, and yes, he was double wielding. Akxfo extended his hand and helped her up. "Let's be unconventional today. Honing your skills on how to predict the unpredictable is key to knowing how to deal with unruly assassins and bounty hunters. I also want to work on your abilities, using your powers to better fight your opponent." He turned around and paused. "Now, twenty." He said moving his finger in a circle. Amilia went to the side of the corridor and ran the perimeter, he wanted her to run it twenty times. During her elongated run, Jasvinder and Leo entered into the corridor. It looked like it was his first day of practice, as a squire of Catalin. It seemed that Leo was teaching him the more thinking side of being a knight, you could call it the basics. Things like how to walk, how to tell what rank people are at, and what to do in the presence of royalty. Even the right name to call a knight like sir or lady. Finally, minutes later, Amilia finished her laps and came back in front of Akxfo. "You need to work on that, it should take you no longer than three minutes to run twenty laps around the yard. Stand next to me." He said pointing. "I am going to do random moves, now watch." Akxfo did a series of nonsensical moves, both away from Amilia and towards her. "Now, do it with me, but not the same moves I do. And I suppose I should tell you just to do it, not think about it." They began and practiced. All the while Amilia watched Jasvinder, he bowed and walked, and Leo constantly slapped him for doing it wrong. After some time she could tell they were saying something, and could tell it was wrong or mispronounced at least. She got throped around too, Akxfo turned her around and then lightly slapped her cheek. "Come on now, do not get distracted. He is but a squire, you are higher than him, to tell you the truth, you are closer to knighthood than him, dramatically closer. Now, let us move on, use your energy to enhance your performance. You can pour it into an object such as your sword or your hand, even your armor to make it stronger." Akxfo demonstrated, as his saber began to glow blue. Then he moved it around like he normally did, not letting the blue tint ever decrease. "Your turn." He said standing up and turning to her. "Stance." He said to her. She went into her stance, with her saber drawn. Ever so slowly did it start to glow orange, just as her mark did on her arm. "That's good." Akxfo said, walking around her. He moved her left foot, and fixed her left arm, moved her head so it was perfectly straight. "Now keep that concentration and perry." The glow stayed, but not at the same brightness, it dimmed as she moved. "Focus, Amilia." She was only able to do it once. "Twirl your saber around, in a circle." She did as he said and the glow had disappeared, but returned when the saber was still. "Alright, Alright." He said. "You need to work on your focus more." He motioned his hand and Amilia stood up. "That is enough for today, I am not allowed to overwork you, seeing from previous incidents and that your father would most certainly chop my head off if something happens to you on my account." They started to walk to the door of the locker rooms. "You did well today, you're good at making up moves that don't piece together well, but you need to work on your concentration when you are doing more than one thing. We will have to work on that." As they passed by Leo and Jasvinder bowed to her. Amilia stopped a minute and turned around, she put her finger in the air.