[Fantasy novel, completed ✓]
In a world filled with magic, dragons, witches, demons, deadly creatures and other magical beings, the life of the king's daughter Victorine changes with a single blow when her kingdom is attacked.
She loses not only he...
Mama bore a girl with a gun for a mouth, teeth dripping lead, and lips bleeding red, lashes curled for war, onyx armour for my eyes, tongue waxing lyrical of both beauty and battle cries. -i.g.p.
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- Victorine -
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My blade cut quickly and sharply through the air as I parried my opponent's attacks and lunged for lethally wounding moves myself. When the gleaming iron was inches away from his neck, I stopped abruptly and looked my opponent in the wide-open eyes.
For a few seconds, we remained in this position and my opponent dropped his shoulders. "Not bad, Victorine." He looked into my eyes, then at the menacingly close blade near his carotid artery, which I then slowly lowered and stowed in the sword sheath.
"And you really didn't use your skills?" my combat instructor asked with a piercing gaze, putting away his own weapon.
"Of course I haven't. Do you think I'm a fraud?" I wanted to know with a bitter undertone.
"No. Your fighting talent just amazes me again. I probably don't want to realize that you're much better than me by now either," he said, muttering the last sentence a bit more quietly.
Amused, I looked at the tall, strong man and wondered if he was also a little proud secretly. After all, he had been training me for many years, so this achievement was partly due to him.
"Royal Highness Victorine," I suddenly heard someone say behind me. I turned around and caught sight of a bowing royal staff member. "Your presence is expected shortly in the dining room."
So early? Dusk was probably not imminent anytime soon, and I had hoped to stretch out a bit before dinner and make a brief stop by Deidamia in the mountains. Suppressing a sigh, I glanced at the clerk. "Thank you very much, I will be on my way immediately."
The young man in uniform nodded, bowed once more, and then disappeared as quickly as he had come.
"Now then, Victorine, same time tomorrow?" my instructor inquired as he cleaned his weapons and paraphernalia and packed them into bags.
"An hour earlier would probably be better," I reasoned aloud. If they came for me that early again tomorrow, I'd have some time to run before then.
"Deal," he smiled, tossing his luggage around. "See you tomorrow then."
Lost in thought, I looked after him, then turned and left the combat training field. Fresh wind came up and cooled the sweat on my forehead, a chill ran through me and goosebumps formed on my arms. I took my time walking back and showering afterwards, but not by putting on my hated evening dress.
On the way to the dining room, I looked at the huge portraits of the previous throne couples and felt almost small looking up at the large paintings. My footsteps echoed through the room, breaking the icy silence. It was an awfully long hallway.
