A Princess's Sword

Chapter 7

A/N This is a picture of the nameless prince.

Nine months later...

Sweat dripped from my forehead as I blocked a thrust from a sword. I whirled and ducked. Then, with a deliberate twist of my sword, I yanked the sword out of the hand of the young man who was standing in front of me. His face filled with embarrassment as he picked up his sword and shoved it back into its sheath.

"An excellent show of sword handling, Princess Arilina. I suppose, since I, um, lost, I will leave for my kingdom tomorrow." he bowed and left.

"Safe travels," I called as I turned toward Father. I waited till the prince was gone before starting. "Father, I wish that you had made a different agreement with Mother about my suitors."

"And why is that? So far the arrangement has worked perfectly. When I told your mother that all marriage candidates must win a sword fight with you, she quickly agreed. You bested every single one of those so-called swordsmen so far," he exclaimed.

"So far! That is the thing, Father, what if someone does beat me? I do not want to be married. Why, that man from Enlider almost beat me, Father!"

"Almost, but he did not. Arilina, I still do not understand what you are upset about. I think it is time for you to go now, I have matters to attend to."

"Yes, Father," I answered obediently, but inwardly, I seethed. He acted like I was a young girl, but my eighteenth birthday was only two weeks away. Still, there was an advantage to this arrangement. Now, at last, I could have all my weapons in plain view. The first time I had been around the village with my weaponry showing, there had been a few murmurings but now everyone had grown accustomed to it. 

I entered my room, closing the door behind me. I removed all my weapons. I wanted them polished and sharpened. Wearing all my weapons had been hard on them. My bowstring was beginning to fray as well. I told a servant what I wanted to have done with them, and left. 

After I had taken a couple of steps,  I stopped. What was that? Walking again, I realized someone was following me. Cautiously, I stepped three times, whirling when I stopped. I spied the edge of someone's cloak disappearing behind a stone pillar. I crossed the hallway to the pillar and found a man behind it. He was wearing royal clothes and was almost a head taller than me.

"What are you doing in this hallway?" I inquired. "This is the royal family's private chambers!"

"Forgive me," he said, his hazel eyes apologetic. "I was looking for the throne room to talk to the king about the princess, but somehow I got lost along the way." He flashed me a smile that I am sure charmed girls from his kingdom. But, unfortunately for him, I was not charmed.

"Well, the throne room is that way, but the king will meet you in the courtyard." I threw him an irritated glare as I led him toward the courtyard. He barged into my castle and wandering through it to find my father to talk to him about me! Who did this man think he was? Another thought flashed through my head. What if he did not know I was the princess? It seemed possible. I was not wearing an expensive dress and he had not bowed. He had seemed bewildered when I had told him that Father would meet him in the courtyard. After all, servants did not usually know what the king did. I smiled, I could use this to my advantage to embarrass this arrogant man. Father was still in the courtyard, talking to a guard about who knows what.

I called to Father, "This man is here to meet you, Father. He said it had something to do with me." I grinned when I observed the man's shocked expression.

He gained control of his features and swept into a grand bow before me. "My lady, I had no idea that you were the princess. Pray, forgive me." Turning to Father he continued, "Your majesty, rumors have come to my kingdom saying that your daughter is now accepting suitors. I have traveled from Brinderia to see if those rumors are true." He looked up hopefully at Father when he had concluded. I rolled my eyes behind his back.