Internal: Viperpath (volume 1)

(8) Bloodline

Having placated her counterpart in style, and with her true brother still napping, Zal decided to visit the training grounds. Her sex did not bar her from taking a liking to anything martial, just like her father, the Pathfinder; and her confrontational nature served only to strengthen this.

Even so, thus far, the Little Viper had not yet mustered up enough courage to actually participate in real physical training. Rather, she loved observing aspiring recruits sharpening their prowess under the gentle but firm guidance of Elbar's current master-at-arms, Narvis Sadanastra.

Over time she had even learned some of their names: Raidan was especially adept with a spear; and the princess had looked on in awe as Sivardin shot away at five eggs perched on posts, each finding their mark.

On her way there this time, moreover, a new idea began to find traction with Zal.

Her eldest sibling, she recalled, had lost two maids in his defense; tragic, to be sure, but they must have been no ordinary maids to have been able to withstand the attacks of whatever number of Melviran catspaws there had been, all while affording young Mu and Rashid the chance to live on.

What, Zal currently mused, would it be like, were some of those other soft-spoken palace maids to be transformed into proper warriors?

Spurred on by this groundbreaking idea, the Little Viper began to feel a skip in her step.

***

A balding, stocky figure in his late forties, Narvis had nevertheless accrued enough renown to his name to have others pause to listen: he had, alongside a certain Ukara Velandis, father to one of Sergeant Idris's aides, been part of Urdin's first expeditionary force against the 'despot' King Tharion--young Azalea's maternal grandfather.

Narvis's platoon of spearmen had, besides, won the unenviable distinction of slugging it out with Tharion's personal guards, and had held them off long enough for then-General Urdin to be able to reach the king and, in Narvis's own words, "put his wicked reign to rest."

It was this same figure, then, that observed in silence as Zal slipped quietly to sit on one of the wooden benches intended for spectators.

Correctly fathoming that Zal was currently in no mood for the training in progress to be brought to a pause just so her own presence might be made known, Narvis went the extra mile by coming over to her, politely lowering his gaze in greeting when they were face to face. Zal, curtly, nodded back.

"Might I be of service today, Princess?"

"Just been thinkin' 'ere, Narv," came the reply, "surely ya've heard of that near-miss attempt 'gainst Akhi Mustafa and that dungbrain Rashid?"

"Why, yes. Most unfortunate, to think anyone would dare injure their royal persons..."

"Two maids fell in their defense, whom they held dear," Zal pressed on, "but at the very least, those nannies must've given as much as they bloody took. I was wondering... how'd ya like the idea of training more o' such female wasps?"

Narvis gasped. "More, Your Highness?"

"Heard me the first time, didn't ya?"

"With due respect, females already have their assigned roles-"

"So why not battle-related ones, eh? Ain't females part o' the citizenry? They've the same rights as those with cocks to try to be of better aid to the realm."

The master-at-arms winced at the choice of words, but was not prepared to give up his case. "Princess Azalea! With luck, we shall have no lack of brave men to fill our ranks. The females, in such instances, could content themselves with patching the wounded back up, and had-"