Deadly Beautiful (SuperCorp Medieval AU)

Part 19

or the one where J'onn works Kara to death scolds her and pushes her to her limits also Kara and Lena have a moment

"You cannot be pulling stunts like that, Kara. He could have you killed for it. If my uncle hadn't covered for you..." Lena grabbed Kara's arm in a bruising hold and dragged her into an empty room, eyes burning with anger.

"I had to, Lena. He wouldn't have any respect for me otherwise." Kara said stubbornly. She stared Lena down evenly. "That knife he threw was less than an inch from your face. My job is to protect you even if it's your own brother I am having to protect you from."

"Your job is to not get your own dumbass killed." Lena hissed. In the back of her mind she was proud of Kara for fighting back; against her brother and against herself. She would never tell the other woman that, though.

"I'm pretty sure it's not." Kara scoffed.

"It is because I said so." Lena retorted. "You serve me and I'm the princess."

"Oh my gods, you are exactly like a ten-year-old." Kara said as she rolled her eyes.

"Says the girl who basically just used 'he started it' to excuse picking a fight with the ruler of this entire nation." Lena replied. She took a deep breath to attempt to steady herself again. Kara only then realized Lena was trembling. She softened some and pulled her in against her chest without thinking about it first.

"I'm sorry for having frightened you and I am sorry for losing my temper." Kara apologized as she waited for Lena to calm, ignoring the persistent ache in her arm. "I will do my best to keep your feelings in mind from now on. I'm not used to having people concerned about me, but that is no excuse."

"Thank you. I don't want anything to happen to you." Lena said as she relaxed against Kara, her arms making their away Kara's waist, her face resting on her good shoulder, Kara's chin resting softly on top of her head. She felt protected in those strong arms. "I really don't think I could cope with losing anyone else."

"I will do my best to make sure you don't ever have to. However, if anyone were to try and hurt you, I want you to know my first move will always be to put myself between you and the blade. First and foremost, I am your protector, your first line of defense." Kara's voice was soft but Lena loved the way she could hear it rumble inside of her chest.

"I think I can deal with that." Lena answered, pulling away from Kara after another squeeze. "Don't think that this means I'm not angry with you anymore. You have your first lesson with my uncle this morning. Meet him in the yard in half an hour. Try not to pick any other fights with the nobility until then."

Kara did her best to hide her grin but failed as Lena headed off to her lessons in the royal library. She straightened her shirt out where Lena had rumpled it, courted to ten, and headed out after her.

-----/////-----

Lord J'onn was even less of what Kara expected out of nobility than the princess had been. He laughed a lot, and loudly, though he could be stern. He smiled with his whole face and even when he was being firm with her, he was kind. Kara wished she had had someone like him in her life when she had first moved into the barracks at the stadium. Even now, he was exactly what she needed.

"No, no, imagine in here-" he pointed at Kara's head with one finger. "What your opponent will do next, then feel your next move in here-" he tapped squarely over Kara's heart with the tips of two fingers. "before you move. It all has to come from your heart."

"Yes, my lord." Kara answered, resetting to their original position. She and J'onn had been at this for the past hour and her shirt was soaked through with sweat. Her shoulder throbbed and exhaustion dragged at her arms.

They were sparring with practice swords in their non-dominant hands at half the speed of an actual fight. J'onn had told her he believed every fighter worth their salt ought to be able to fight with both hands equally well. She had never met anyone who delighted in a good fight like Lord J'onn J'onzz. He talked even as Kara threw everything she had at him, batting her away as though she were nothing. Kara had never fought or even practiced with someone who was this much better than her before. She did not know if she liked it yet. Finally, he disarmed her and knocked her back into the dirt for the fifth time in a row.

"You are doing well, better than I did when I first started to train my left hand. Mostly I would recommend you begin to specifically strengthen this arm, but you will have to do so without further harming your injured shoulder. That is most important." J'onn said defensively. "You are a wonderful warrior, Kara. I have not had this much fun in the yard in a long time."

"You know my lord, I have never met anyone quite like you before." Kara said nervously. "The way you fight... it is almost as though you are having fun." she said as she sat on the bench and took a long drink of water.

"I do have fun. When you are fighting, but not fighting for your life, it is more like a mental game of chess. You are trying to get three steps ahead in your mind at all times."

"I will keep all of this in mind, sir." Kara said with a grin.

"Be aware, even when you aren't in a fight, young miss. You cannot be pulling alpha female stunts like that with the king." J'onn said with a tone of respectful scolding. "I've discussed you with him and he filled me in on the situation beforehand. Your sister is in a precarious position and I know you don't want to make things worse for her. My nephew can be cruel and I know he will do whatever it takes to keep you and your princess under her thumb."

"I will do better." Kara said, seeming crestfallen. "Have you told Lena any of what you must now know about me?"

"Of course not. That isn't my story to tell. Did you get the present she had me deliver for you?" he asked.