You Are The Reason ( Prince x Reader )

Chapter 36: The Way of the Sword

You walked around the base and looked at all of the people around. Most people looked happy and enjoyed playing with the kids running around and each other's presence. Then, you spotted Jin talking with someone, and you ran towards them. The man talking with Jin had a small beard on his chin and a wide grin.

   " Hey, Jin. "

   " Hey, Y/n. Let me introduce you to my best pal here. This is Benjamin, he's from Chevalier. "

You turned towards the man and shook his hand.

   " It's nice to meet you little lady. "

   " You too. "

   " I'll leave you both to talk. "

Benjamin walked away and disappeared into the crowd of people. You brought your attention to Jin, who looked at you with a smile.

   " What's up? "

   " Can you teach me to fight? "

   " To fight? Why do you--You want to train for what specific reason. "

   " So I can defend myself. If something were to happen, I want to be able to use a sword or fight with my fists. It's just. . .precaution. "

Jin stared at you for a while, searching your eyes. Finally, he nodded his head and gestured for you to follow him. You followed closely behind him and made sure not to lose him in the crowd. You continued looking at all the people around you as you walked. You liked seeing the children running around, but your eyes mainly focused on those who looked glum. So many people were in the hideout, and it was clear who had done what. Some people smiled at the children and took rations from the stalls. Then, some people had a haunting look in their eyes. Those people looked like they had seen something horrible, but when you looked closer, you realized most of those people had worked in the palace. You understood those people after living in the castle for so long. 

   ' Living in the palace so long does something to you. You never feel comfortable or let your guard down, even if you leave the palace. '

You looked ahead of you at where Jin was walking and saw an open area where weapons had been hung on the walls, and there were small square areas made in the dirt. People would fight in these areas, knocking each other down and enjoying the sparring.

   " These, are the training grounds. We mostly spar but sometimes we use some flour sacks to be our dummies when we use swords. "

   " Okay. Where do I start? "

   " I want to see you hold a sword. I don't know if you've ever used a sword or not, so let's just start from the basics. I'll teach you when I can, but I'm very busy since it's officially a war now. "

   " Thanks, Jin. "

   " Anything for you Y/n. You and Quinn are my best friends. I want to help either you the best way possible, and I think this is a good idea. "

Jin walked towards the wall where swords had been hung up. There were spikes in the wall that the sword's hilt rested on, making them hang in the air. Jin took one sword and took it off the wall, walking back towards you. He handed you the sword and stood in front of you.

   " Okay, let's start in a full front stnace. Do you know what that is? "

   " No, I am very new to this. "

   " Okay, well. . .it's the most standard stance. It's sort of like a lunge. Face your shoulders forward, and bend your leading leg at the knee. Keep your back leg straight. "

You followed Jin's words, but your posture was still rocky. Jin made a few adjustments before walking back in front of you.

   " This allows you to be offensive. You can dominate your opponent no matter the area, you want to strike. You can also defend yourself with this stance. Keep the position you're in, but turn your blade, to be flat in front of you and me. Keep both of your hands on the hilt. "

You turned the blade in your hands and faced the flat part of both sides to be in front of you and Jin.

   " This way, you can use your hands to secure the hilt in your hands. Then your back leg can be used as a placeholder. Since your leg is straight, you can use that to push yourself forward, or hold your place. Your other leg is still bent at the knee, and will also act as a crutch, in case you need to duck down or stand your ground. "

   " Got it. "

   " Now lunge at me, with the standard position. "

   " But you don't have a sword. "

   " I can dodge. I just want to see you lunge toward me. "

You nodded and turned your sword to face the sharp end towards Jin. Then, you lunged forward, and Jin dodged the blade. Then, you turned around, and Jin nodded at you.

   " Not bad. You could still use some practice, but it's not that bad. Let's practice a little more, and then I have to go to a meeting. "

   " Okay. I'm ready. "

   " Alright. So a few of your flaws were. . . "

You practiced lunging forward correctly and using your back leg as a crutch. Jin, at some point, picked up a sword and started to help you defend yourself. You were getting better at using a blade, but you still had Jin knock you off your feet more than you could count. Finally, when your practice ended, Jin walked you back to where Mariella would be.

   " Who is in charge now, since Quintin is gone? " You asked Jin as you approached Mariella.

   " I'm afraid I can't tell you. Upon request, the new leader asked to remain hidden so that no one would know their identity. Only a few of the leaders know who they are. "

   " Do you? "

   " I do, and we're in good hands. Everyone will get to meet them, once the war is over. But until then, they are going to remain in secret, so no one will tell the king, or rat him out to others. "

You nodded and said goodbye to Jin. You sat beside Mariella, and she talked about the people she had met walking around today. You smiled and told her about your training, and Mariella's eyes sparkled. While you spoke with Mariella in the underground hideout, the castle was silent as the guards lined up in the throne room, as requested by King Francis. He yelled orders to them, spitting fire at the guards as he told them their duties. Finally, the guards agreed and went to their stations without any means to protest. While in Cell Hall, only one cell was occupied, and the person inside was praying for help.