The Kingdoms Arrangement [H.S]

I

6 years later

"Art! Wake up," I hear coming from the end of my bed, "Artsy come on girl, Leah has already been waiting outside for your lesson for twenty minutes!" My eyes shoot open, looking at the person talking to me. Louise, my handmaiden, looked flustered and sweaty.

"How fast did you run up here to tell me that?" I question, chuckling while getting out of my bed.

"No time for jokes Artemis, you know how your Father is about you being late." she scowled at me, I rolled my eyes and made a gesture that said 'okay fine' at her and walked into my bathroom to start getting ready for the day.

Once I am ready in my sword fight training gear, I run downstairs to meet Leah. Leah is in her normal training attire, all silver armor with our kingdom's crest on the front, her leather black hair tied up into a high ponytail with braids incorporated.

"Well finally!" Leah lets her hands slap her thighs as she lets out a sigh,

"I'm sorry Leah, I didn't sleep so well last night." I said with a puff as I jogged over to her, she smiled at me with her perfect smile,

"Oh don't worry I'm not going to say any to King Reagan". I pick up my silver encrusted sword, and playfully nudge her on the shoulder as we walk into our preferred "dueling" corners.

"Okay, so last week we learned how to do your combat stance, your rescue signal, and your safety zone" she demonstrated each one after she said it, I remembered each one. "Today we'll be learning how to do Forte, advancing which is moving towards your opponent," she swiftly moves towards me,
"Retreat, which is basically 'dodging' " she moves quickly backward rolling backwards over her body, she stands up and walks over to me,
"Act like you're going to hit me with your sword", I shrug my shoulders and do as I was told, she immediate blocks my sword from hitting her, "And pulling" Leah says with a big smile, her ocean blue eyes piercing right through me. "Ready?" I nodded in response and we began.

After 20 minutes of us training I am a sweaty mess. I grab my cantine of water and chug some of it down before Leah walks over to me. "So, unfortunately I won't be able to do our training next week, The King is sending me to do some work on the other side of the kingdom, will you be able to survive without me?" Leah chuckles as she takes a drink of water out of her cantine,

"I guess I'll be able to sleep in those days, so yeah I will!" I smile while packing up my training supplies.

"No sleeping in for the next few weeks from what I just heard," Josephine my cousin hollered from an oriel window.

Leah and I both look over at her with puzzled eyes, "What do you mean?" I yell,

"Come speak to your father immediately." Josephine yells once more, before disappearing into our castle. I shrug at Leah and run with my parcel over my shoulder,

"See you in two weeks!" Leah yells, waving goodbye at me.
I walk into our thrownroom, the detail couldn't be more immaculate in here. The walls are a beautiful stone that our family found, hundreds of years ago from several kingdoms away. There are silver sculptures planted on every pillar, angels and eagles, and the flooring is my favorite part white and gray marbled stone, with a big marigold that is painted in silver paint right in the middle. As I look at the flower I remember my Mother. She nicknamed me Mari since my middle name is Marigold just like her favorite flower, it makes me remember her and that she'll always be with me every day.

I walk up to my fathers corridor and knock on the large silver door, "Father?" I question as I step in.

"Artemis! Do come in!", he moves his hand at his servants saying 'leave us' silently. I curtsy at him, which he hates.