The Spoiled Prince || WooSanSang

Sparring + Blackmail

Yeosang thought he'd put it off long enough. He was going to lose the little strength he'd gained if he stopped training altogether so, for the first time in a while, he agreed to go with Seonghwa to the training room before their politics lesson.

After getting changed into more appropriate clothes in his private changing room, Yeosang walked into the large training room. There were different sections of the room dedicated to different forms of training, the sparring area right in the middle. Many figures occupied the space but it was easy for Yeosang to spot Seonghwa. The only familiar face in the room.

Accepting the sword Seonghwa held out to him, Yeosang got into position. For a few minutes, the two went over the moves they'd been working on last time. It was clear that Seonghwa was very skilled, and Yeosang was a fast learner.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw somebody else practising their sword work. Instead of having a partner, they only used a mannequin, attacking with a ferocity Yeosang had never seen. Distracted, Yeosang realized that Seonghwa's sword was resting on his shoulder. A kill, if they were on the battlefield.

"What happened, Your Highness?" Seonghwa asked, probably wondering why Yeosang had stopped in the middle of their match.

At the trainer's words, the other figure turned around. Choi San. Yeosang was not expecting to see him here. Servants were not forbidden from using the training room in their limited free time, but few actually did.

Yeosang abandoned Seonghwa and walked up to the servant. "You will not get any better by practising on an inanimate object."

San looked Yeosang up and down. "Is that your attempt at inviting me to spar with you?"

Yes, Yeosang supposed that was what he was doing. He wasn't the most skilled with a sword, but surely he could best a servant. Nothing would make him happier than seeing San's face when he lost.

"Indeed," Yeosang said, backing up until he was back on the sparring mat.

"Fine." San took Seonghwa's place across from Yeosang. He didn't seem nervous, but neither was Yeosang.

Seonghwa didn't look happy. "Do not hurt the prince," he warned San. "He is under my watch."

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," San said, though the words didn't sound genuine to Yeosang. Still, Yeosang wasn't scared. He was confident in his abilities.

Yeosang attacked first, though San was quick to defend. Then, it was Yeosang doing the defending. He was barely able to keep up with San's strikes as they came one after the other in quick succession.

Their swords clashed. Yeosang strained from the effort of keeping his sword up while San pushed it down with his own. It felt like he was using every fibre in his muscles to try to overtake San, but it wasn't enough. San twisted his sword, and then Yeosang's hands were empty. His sword fell to the ground with an embarrassing crash.

Breathing hard, Yeosang looked at San. "You do not fight like a servant."

"Care for another match?"

Yeosang's pride prevented him from refusing. He ordered Seonghwa to pick up his sword and hand it to him. This time, he prepared himself for a more skilled fighter, but it made no difference. In less than a minute, Yeosang's sword had once again clattered to the floor.

"A decent effort," San said patronizingly. "But perhaps you are not as skilled as you thought."

"Seonghwa is known to be very good with a sword and I best him quite often..." Yeosang said, trying to convince San that he wasn't completely useless. Then, the realization hit.