The Rebel & The Guard

Introductions

The room drowns in flavorful scents. The table filled with different teas in pots along with sugar cubes, and milk. Each tea pot labeled with a small sign naming each tea.

My left arm is still in a white sling that went perfectly with the lavender colored cropped blazer and skirt set, with a white top; along with high-heel ankle length white velvet boots.

A set of fingers appeared in front of my face snapping together, "Princess Sloan, I will not continue repeating myself." Anika, my royal tutor teaching me the duties of a princess and queen; said firmly. "Sorry, I am a bit out of it today. What was the question?" I asked.

She responded with a sigh, "What tea goes best with strawberries."

I looked towards the tea supply sitting on the table, "Chamomile Tea." I responded dryly knowing I was right. "Great, last question before we move on to the tea serving." She announced, picking another index card. "What tea goes best with Cheesecake."

Without taking another glance at the tea supply I responded, "Black tea." I said before taking a seat at the round table.

"Good. Now look at the food displayed on the table, choose the tea that would fit better and serve."

I sat looking through the food options laid on the table, and started heading towards the tea supply. "A good princess is meant to be a good host, meaning she knows which tea goes best with each meal." Anika lectured as I took the Earl Grey tea pot walking back towards the table. Holding the handle with my right hand, and gently laying my left hand over the top without making too much movement. I tilted the pot pouring the tea on a white tea cup with different pink shades of flowers painted on.

I did the same with another cup placed on the opposite side of the table; placing the tea pot down. I sat back down feeling light headed due to the pain medication I was still being given. "Excellent job," Anika said sitting down opposite from me, taking a sip of the tea placed in front of her.

Shutting my eyes leaning back against the chair, as my head started pounding and my arm began aching.

I just have to hold it together for a few more minutes.

I thought as I held my breath, adding sugar and lemon to the tea placed in my cup and drinking from it. The lemon bitterness was decorated with the sugar, all the flavors mixing creating a pleasant taste of the tea.

***

The daily lesson with Anika soon finished allowing me to retreat myself back to my suite.

I stumbled into the room, sitting on the edge of my bed removing my boots tossing them on the floor; flopping down on the bed with my right arm over my eyes. I lazily reached towards the medicine bottle placed on my nightstand, popping two pills on my mouth allowing them to dissolve on my tongue. I sat up reaching towards the glass of water on the nightstand chugging it trying to delete the bitter taste of the pills from my tongue.

I walked out towards the window looking down at the training center, where so much was going on. I wanted so badly to be down there-inside, training. Learning new skills, doing what i loved the most with the people who made me feel the most welcome and confident.

The training center had this energy that made you feel like you were able to do whatever you could possibly dreamed of. The people inside that building encouraged each other, treating each other like sisters and brothers.

In that room I was not Princess Sloan, a glass ballerina who needed protection, or a princess whose thoughts were just filled with ball gowns, jewelry, and suitors. In that room I was seen as an equal who wanted to fight for what they believed in, who wanted to protect the place they called home.