The Eagle Princess

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The blunt end of the heavy wooden sword hit Kaz directly against his abdomen. The follow through of the strike threw him backwards and he fell to the ground. The blow took away his breath, preventing even a grunt of pain from escaping when his back slammed against the hard packed dirt of the training room. He coughed, trying to drag in a breath around the spasming of his abdominal muscles.

Above him, Indigo put the 'point' of the wooden sword to his throat. "That's the third time I've killed you today. You're distracted."

Kaz had never known Indigo to pull his punches, even when training. The blow to his gut did not hurt any less for being nonlethal. The pain of it echoed dully in time with his heart beat and the other bruises that he had earned to his back, limbs, and chest today.

"So, I am," Kaz admitted, pushing himself up painfully. He rotated his sore shoulder as he continued to sit in the dirt. "Can I ask you something?"

"You may." Indigo leaned his wooden sword to his shoulder. "Is it about the princess?"

"How did you guess?" Kaz groaned, getting to his feet. He winced when doing so pulled painfully on his abdomen. "I've finally managed to convince her to give me another chance."

"Congratulations," Indigo said dully.

"But I've got a time limit on it. Well, not so much a time limit as... Never mind. The point is, she is watching me to see if I'm obsessed with her beauty or not."

"Well, are you?"

"Of course, I am." Kaz ran his hand through his hair desperately. "She's the most beautiful person that has ever breathed air in this world. Who wouldn't be attracted to her? But it's not the only thing that I'm attracted to! How am I supposed to prove that to her?"

"You're asking me?" Indigo gave him a look as he set his sword down onto the rack. "What part of my history ever made you think I was qualified to give relationship advice? I taught you how to hold a sword, not a woman."

Kaz joined him, putting away his training sword as well. "I know that, but you're the only one that I can ask. If I even tried to bring this up to father... Well, you know how he is."

"Indeed, I do. I've no qualms in admitting that I'm glad that you received the bulk of your training from me and not him. Your father is a heartless man."

"He says that's what makes him a good king."

"It makes him a good judge. He can be impartial and understanding of everyone, even if that understanding is cold and distant." Indigo turned to his ward, frowning at him. "Kaz, you truly want this girl to be your queen?"

"You know that I do."

"Why?"

"What?" Kaz looked confused at the question. "What do you mean, why?"

"I mean, why do you want her to be your queen? What quality does she possess that makes you certain that she would be a good ruler? Or, are you simply stating that you want her as a wife? It's not the same thing to want a wife as it is to want a queen."

"The two concepts are rather exclusive when it comes to royalty."

"Emotions are hardly so understanding." Indigo gestured with his head for Kaz to follow him. He led the way from the training hall. "Kaz, do you know why you're my second-in-command? The one that will succeed me as leader of the Santeri when I become too enfeebled to do so?"

Kaz shrugged. "Because I'm the crown prince?"

"No. Actually, that was one of the many reasons I gave myself that you shouldn't be the next leader. Historically, the kings and queens of Methone have always been separate from the Ale Santeri. We've always been linked, but never intertwined. The title of commander will not pass automatically to your first born as the title of king will. That is most definitely not the reason."