Rise of a Sultana

Chapter Seven ~ Jasmine

"I'm not teaching you to use a sword." Chandan angled himself to move his sword hilt away from the princess's searching hand.

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" Jasmine scoffed and followed the gleaming hilt. Her fingers grazed it before he swiveled away again moving it out of reach.

"No, because you are my princess and it's my hon to protect you. You'll never need to touch a sword while I, Reyansh or Vihaan live. To have you fight for yourself would be a question of my skill and honor." He caught her hand by the wrist after another failed attempt to grab the sword.

"I don't want to stand by and do nothing, I want to be useful, as more than a figurehead for our people." She pleaded and followed him out of their tent behind Shrahbad. They'd camped there the last three days while searching for possible allies. Tomorrow they'd set out to the east where a great army resided. A real army from a real place. But the road there would be new to all of them and Jasmine wasn't planning to make the trip defenseless.

"What's all this useless figurehead talk about?" Jasmine have her cousin the Prince of Shrahbad a long suffering look as he joined them. He would set out with them tomorrow as well and Jasmine would be even further surrounded by men who thought they knew better. Although she and Dalia had began to press their wills and thoughts on them there was something about a group of men that made them hover over women like they were glass. Even Rajah had started to hover.

"I am only asking to be taught to defend myself with a sword, nothing more. I don't have any fantasies about becoming some master swordsman....swordswoman." She crossed her arms like a petulant child.

"Good, because that would be impossible unless you'd been training all your life." Arush laughed. "But I see no reason why you can't learn to hold an attacker at bay and maybe give him a good scar to remember you by." Jasmine only knew her jaw had dropped because Arush pushed it closed with his forefinger.

"That's all I want. Will you teach me?" She clasped his hand between hers tightly.

"It will be hard work, you must obey me no matter what."

"Yes! I can do that."

"You will beg me to stop and I will not. Your hands will roughen and you will be sore more often than not." He warned.

"I will never stop." Jasmine squared her shoulders, tilting her chin up defiantly. Arush smiled widely but they both jumped, startled by the king's laughed as he approached.

"You get your spirit from your mother." He kissed her forehead affectionately. "She learned to use the sword you know."

"My mother? The Queen?" Jasmine shook her head trying to picture the graceful and demure woman she knew as her mother wielding a sword.

"Oh yes, and the bow as well. She'd take her lessons on the saraawati veena and then sneak away to practice her swordplay. She was never exceptionally skilled but the bow..." He sighed shaking his head. "She could shoot the tail off a mouse and it would never know it had been lost."

"I'd like to hear more about her, when this is over. When Jafar is dealt with and both Agrabah and Shrahbad restored to their full glory." She held his two hands as if making a vow.

"Jasmine, it is a nice thought." He pulled away. "But if it is not meant to be then it would be best to stay here and begin again."

"I will never stop." There was a steel edge to her voice sharper and stronger than any sword she could hold in her hand.

***

The sun had barely risen when the small group set out, all on fresh and rested horses. As they rode Arush trained Jasmine. While on horseback he lectured her on how to maneuver and use her opponent's surprise to her advantage. "They'll expect you to cower and run, not to charge. But you'll only have a moment so you must be fast." At every stop he sparred with her till she yielded or till they were forced onwards by their companions.

Jasmine never yielded.

By the third day she was sore in places she'd never thought to be sore. Even her smallest toe was in agony. When she slept she dreaded waking up to the stiff muscles and training. Arush was as relentless as he'd warmed her and never gave a word of praise. If she hadn't been so stubborn she'd have given up already.  Maybe that was his plan.

"Now of course your backswing is still wobbly so you'll want to fix that." Arush lectured as they rode and Jasmine nodded absently. The next thing she knew she was on the ground with a throbbing in both shoulders. "And when fighting on horseback hold the horse with your knees."

"You knocked me off!" She shouted and jumped to her feet.

"You weren't listening." He helped her up and back into her saddle. "If you can't keep alert you'll never-" He shouted as a wooden club knocked him to the ground. Jasmine had a moment to enjoy the indirect justice before a group of bandits was on them. Jasmine and her guards raised their swords to fight back and never got a chance.

Before they could be reached a flurry of arrows rained down, dropping the bandits in their tracks. Jasmine turned her horse to face where the arrows had come from and held her sword up questioningly at the young woman slinging her bow over her back. "Who are you?"

"I am princess Jasmine of Agrabah. I've come looking for allies in a coming war." Jasmine dismounted and sheathed her sword. "Are you in charge here? A princess?"

The woman laughed sharing Jasmine's question with her companion who joined her. He laughed as well but not as much. "In charge isn't much of a stretch."

"You're the General Shang, I'm just a soldier."

"Everyone knows where all of my plans really come from Mulan." He squeezed her hand affectionately and Jasmine had to clear her throat awkwardly to regain their attention.

"Oh, yes, you're looking for an army." Mulan sighed and shook her head. "There I cannot help you. Our borders are being plagued by bandits and our men are stretched thin protecting the provinces." Jasmine hugged her middle feeling the panic rise in her throat. "But I think they can spare five soldiers."

"What can five soldiers do?" Jasmine shook her head but looked up at the thin but strong hand on her arm.

"Save China for one, maybe even your home."