The Elven Slayer Princess

The Underlying Truth

   Elias grabbed her ear and pulled it to him. "Oww!" She screamed. 

 He waved the sword in her face. They giggled as they flaunted in front of her. She rubbed the place where he grabbed her.

 "Come on! Fight me! I dare you. Get a good hit on my cheek. Let's see what the King's acclaimed next heir has in her!" exclaimed Elias. 

Liv saw this guy taking off his armor piece to have more mobility. All the while having him flaunt his taut muscle at her. His friend Tobias, stood back near an old oak tree with his arms folded, snickering.

 This upset Liv. Seeing their blatant attitude mirrored all the guys and girls she'd seen in the decadent Parisian schools, who thought she didn't matter. That didn't want to acknowledge her. But there was still this disconnect she didn't quite understand when she interacted with others. Like they were better, more adept than her. Rather more entitled and her relatives sure let her know it.

When she tried for volleyball and soccer tryouts in school, when she was younger, she was picked last. And sometimes as an afterthought and that bugged her. He took off his shoulder armor revealing his muscles through his plaid shirt. He had this smile that let her know that she wouldn't dare mark anything on his body, lest she would regret it. He then began to state right off his academic achievements to her.

 "You don't know this, but I've been schooled in the most pristine universities." And stated he had fought at the dutiful Westerion University. 

The Westerion University. The University that trained countless swordsmen of the Kingdom and in years past have put some of them on the battlefield. Westerion University is not a real university, it is an arena for combat. 

 "Whoa. Westerion University. That's the creme of the crop, you may have fought numerous combatants in that arena. But you haven't fought me!" She grabbed her sword nestled at her side and charges the swordsman.

The swords clinked loudly in protest. The sword that her friend Harry whittled in his farmhouse was long and sturdy. The battle honed blacksmith carved and blasted every little note on the sword. And it gave as good as it got. The two swords matched in fury as the two warriors circled each other.

 "This is what happens when you take us on, princess!" yelled Tobias near the tree. The sword clanked several times more before Elias made a sweeping motion with the sword at Liv's chest. She backed away from the swipe just narrowly. 

"Just face it, little one. Your attempt to ingratiate yourself inside the throne and daddy is short lived. And won't last."

He made another swipe at her with sword, and she moved several steps away. She then countered and steps around the area in which they sparred even though Liv hadn't had much experience in sword fighting she knew how to fight. This was due to the fights she got into school when she was younger because of what she was. 

She would frustrate her stepmother, Violet and the school parishioners with her obstinate will and passion. This will and passion would be on display right now. "Come on, young one, come at me! This stalling won't do you any good." "Tell me, Elias. Have you ever fought for anything that meant so much to you?" she asked.

 "What kind of question is that?" he asked. "For something that was out of reach, but so close you could feel it in your bones?" She took her sword and swung it and Elias dodged out of the way. 

"That what you felt was intrinsic to you as the cold wintry air?" Her warm breath coalesced as condensation in the frosty atmosphere.

Elias was dumbfounded. He didn't know where she was going with this line of questioning. Liv swung again close to Elias' face. And it almost nicked him on the nose. His sword caught up to Olivia's and it clinked close to him. He pushed the sword back.