Amongst Thieves

CHAPTER THIRTEEN- Upriver

The blow landed heavily but she back-stepped, using the distance to push the sword away from her. Her opponent's momentum carried him forward as her own sword flicked downwards, the blunted tip finishing pressed against her father's stomach.

He laughed deeply, smiling at her as he stepped away, accepting the loss. 'Really El, you shouldn't be beating me yet. Why not just let me win, save my pride?'

She smiled back, 'Because now we will practice again tomorrow so you can make sure it wasn't just luck.'

'Your mother won't like that, you know she wants to spend more time with you. Why not just spend the day with her and we can practice the day after?'

'Why? I will see her tonight, I'll see her tomorrow night. She's my mother, I'll see her no matter how much we practice. You know she just wants to lecture me on being a lady again.'

He hugged her before turning towards the house. 'You are a lady. You just need to learn to act like one. And unfortunately for you ladies don't usually use swords.'

'Well those ladies are missing out, swords are great,' she smiled back, reluctantly following him back across the yard.

As a member of the king's inner circle her farther rarely had time to spare for family so she relished any chance she could get.

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'Honestly Elinore, when will you stop acting like a child and take your responsibilities seriously?'

Her mother looked much like her, tall and slim with pale skin and blonde hair that fell in loose curls down her back, though Elinore had inherited her father's green eyes and not the vibrant blue of her mother's.

'Thirteen is a child,' she drawled. 'Why do my responsibilities have to be sewing, cooking and history? They are boring and pointless and I will never need to know about them anyway. Why can't I learn about fighting or wars? Interesting stuff!'

Her mother sighed, a familiar response to a familiar argument.

'Because like it or not you are a lady of the king's court, those things won't be useful to you. What I am teaching you will be and you just need to accept that.' She let out a heavy sigh before continuing. 'I know you like to pretend otherwise but in a few years you will marry a nobleman and take on the roles of a wife, which we both know doesn't include wars. Honestly, you should be glad I've let you fool around with your father's swords and horses for so long.'

'Well the fighting might come in handy when you have children,' her father added quietly as he continued to eat. They both glared at him until her mother continued.

'What you seem to forget is that your father is a busy man. He hardly has time to entertain you every day, let alone teach you how to stab people.'

Elinore resisted the urge to groan. 'Then why not let me help him work? I'm sure I could do something to help.'

Her mother gave a slight smile, 'I don't see why not. Why not help him all day tomorrow?'

Elinore beamed, nodding enthusiastically as she desperately tried to figure out why her mother seemed so happy with the idea.

'Why do I never get a say in these things,' her father mumbled into his plate.

Her chambermaid was working silently in the corner when she returned to her room soon after. Three years her senior with raven hair and fine features, the girl was one of the few people she could call a friend.