Erin (book 1 of Erin Series)

forty-three

I block his first blow with ease, and I can see he's going easy for now. The slight smirk on his face tells me he won't be playing nice for long.
I pull my sword back, swinging it down low from the left to the right and up. He blocks my blow, I knew he would. The music seems to speed up, as do we. Keir unexpectedly takes his foot, and kicks me in the stomach with enough force to push me back. I stumble, landing on my behind, and he brings the sword down. I quickly roll out of the way, stand up fast and jump to Keir's side. He pushes his sword toward me, turning his body to face me, but I block it, in a rotating motion. Some how I feel myself stepping with the music. I step forward until the hills of out weapons are pressed against each other. I push as hard as I can, forcing Keir to take a step back. I quickly fasten my grip on my sword, take a step toward him. He brings his sword up, and swings it down, but I spin out of the way, bringing my sword from the bottom up. They cling together once more, perfectly in beat with the music.
I begin to feel out of breath, as sweat drips down the side of my face. Keir doesn't look bothered at all. I continue to dance with him, our blows coming together with the music and the music continues to speed up. I spin, swing, block, and at one point, use Keir's momentum against him. I grab his arm with my free hand, using that to pull him toward me. But instead of running into him, I push him out of the way, and step behind him, quickly turning around to block my back. He turns around at the same time as me, but his sword comes faster than I was expecting and slices against my arm. I grunt at the stinging sensation, and run toward him. Our swords meet, and I use my momentum to bring his down so both of them point toward the ground. I step closer to him, our noses almost touching. I can finally see his forehead accumulating sweat. I bring my leg out, kicking behind his knee, causing him to lose his footing. As he loses his balance, I twist the swords, in a way that he either has to let go to catch his landing, or land hard.
His sword goes flying across the floor, and I press a foot on his chest, the sword to his neck. The room has gone quiet except for high pitched strings, waiting for my next move. Keir quickly grabs my foot, and tosses me to the side, and I fall with a hard thump on the floor. I land on my injured arm, and feel pain rush through it. Grunting I get up, seeing the stain of blood on the floor and quickly turn to face Keir, who has already crawled toward me, straddles me, and twists my hand with the sword. I let go of the sword, with force so the sword skids on the floor. Even as a mercenary I know it is not right to fight someone unarmed, when armed. I quickly block his choke hold, using my elbows to move his hands out of the way. I grab the collar of the back of his shirt, pulling him close to me, in a choke hold myself, and kick a leg out, using that leg to force me to roll over. Keir's weight lifts off me and I roll on top of him, he wraps his legs around my waist. I dig my elbow into his bicep, pushing his arm up so he can't use it, and he takes his other arm to push my face away with his hand. I try to release myself from his hold, but his legs are too strong.
Before anything else could happen, I hear the doors to the room and someone barging in.
"What in the world is going on in here!?" Mothers voice echos through the now silent room. Even the instrumentalists stopped playing. "Biff, you are supposed to be teaching her how to dance! Not brawl like a man!" She walks over to me before Biff can even respond to him.
"Get up! Now!"
I stand up, Keir letting me go instantly, and stands up with me.
"My god, child. You're bleeding! Someone get a nurse!"
"Mother, it's just blood. It's no big deal. It happens all the time." I say, Keir glares at me.
"A princess does not bleed!" She steps close enough to examine it.
"Uh, are you sure about that?" I ask raising an eye brow.
Her eyes glance up to mine, and a slight blush flushes her face, and her jaw drops. She knows exactly what I mean and I shrug.
She grabs my chin, forcing me to look at her. "Young lady, you do not talk of these things in front of men." She hisses soft enough that only I can hear.
I can hear someone else cough, as if to refrain himself from laughing at my remark.
"Mother, it's blood. It happens often, I grew up a mercenary."
"You are not a mercenary anymore." She snaps.
"I am a mercenary at heart! I am a fighter! You can not take-"
I feel a sharp slap across my cheek, and the force causes my face to turn.
"Do not talk to your queen like that." She scolds. Before I can even respond I am pulled into an embrace, as she pulls my face into her chest. "You are my daughter, and I love you. But you will learn to respect me as your queen." She says in a softer voice.
I don't even try to pull away. Some how the embrace reduced the anger I felt when she slapped me.
"Now, will someone explain to me why the ensemble is in here? Along with you when you're supposed to be dancing?" She let's go of me and I stand up straight.
Biff walks up to her, with Godrik at his side.
"Your highness, she can not dance. My patience was growing slim. Godrik brought up a good point, of how everyone learns their own way, and I figured, if she can learn to fight with a sword along with the music, that would be a good start to feeling the beat. We would then work with that."
"And did it work?" Mothers asks confused by it all.
"Well did it, my lady?" Biff asks, looking at me.
I look at him and then mother. "Uh, well, I... yes. I could begin to feel the rhythm and the beat with the music."
"It looked like a dance in itself, your grace." Godrik butts in.
Mother looks at me for a long moment, unsure if she wants to accept this. "Get cleaned up. Dinner will be soon, and I won't be having your blood on the table. Make sure your cut is hidden." She starts to walk off, but waits for me.
I grab my sword, sheathing it and walk at her side. We walk down the hall, and I hear Dakota trot close behind us.
I don't want to hear it. I snap at her before she can even say anything.
Of course. She replies simply.
After a moment of silence, mother finally speaks. "Does it hurt? Sting?"
My eyes meet hers, and I slowly bring my hand up to touch the cut that opened my skin.
She hisses under her breath. "Don't touch it!"
I chuckle. "No, it doesn't hurt. It stings a little, but it's something I am used to. I grew up that if I let it bother me in battle, it could cost me my life."
We ascend the staircase in silence. When we reach my room, she finally speaks again. "It will take me a while to get used to the fact that you were raised a warrior. I can't bare to think of my only daughter getting hurt." Her eyes become glassy from tears developing in them.
"All I ask of you, is that you don't take that away from me. It is who I am." I say in a soft voice.
She cups my cheek. "Only for you, my daughter."