The Lion and the Warrior

Wings of Love

After breakfast, James and Jaime went to the garden for a bit of a sparring session. 

"Your mom and I did this many, many times over the years," Jaime said drawing his sword.  "Whenever we were sad or feeling angry, this sometimes helped."  He stood ready for battle.  James made the first move.

"You and mom would get angry with one another?"  He said as his sword crashed into his father's.

"Not really. We've never had an argument. But when we lost Saphira, we were both so torn apart that we needed an outlet to get rid of anger because of that loss."  Jaime made contact with James' sword, close to his hands.  "Sometimes in a relationship, unexpected, bad things come up. But a husband and wife, even two knights, or a king and queen need to help each other get through it anyway they can."

James moved back and to the left, but Jaime stayed in place.  "Fight together."  Jaime waited for James to come to him, and continued, "Don't hide your feelings from each other. It makes it worse. You're in this life together and even if you think by hiding, you're protecting her..." James moved in with a lunge "you're not." Jaime brought his sword down hard in an attempt to disarm his son, but James's grip was stellar.  Jaime smiled at his son, "You can fight emotionally, and you can find an outlet to physically get it out."

"How do you get through losing something so special?" James bent backward as Jaime swung his sword at his head.

"You work together. We've never gotten over it. We never will. We think of Saphira every day, but we have learned to accept that she can't be with us and we just keep loving her."

"Should I be scared?"

"Of?"

"Being all in; deeply in love and being married and all that comes with it." James stated as his sword caught his father's and held it.

"So you're all in now?"

"You'd have to be a fool to think I wasn't," James answered matter-of-factly.

"Are you afraid?"

"Sometimes."

"Good." Jaime rounded his sword to the left and pushed downward, breaking James's hold.

"Good?" James charged forward swinging his sword at his father's side, but Jaime dodged.

"Think about it..." Jaime skipped forward into James, countering his swing with his golden hand and pointing his sword into his son's neck.

"Yield!" James laughed, "that was a good move dad," he said breathlessly.

"Always be ready for the unexpected, relax and enjoy your life but be ready to handle the bad mixed in with the good. Exactly like a sword fight, right? We love a good fight, it's what we live for; it's fun, exhilarating even. But never let your guard down. And when it's time for battle do whatever it takes to protect and save the ones you love.  You won't always have the answer to make things better, to make things right.  But as long she knows you are there for her and you want to try, you want to help, things will all fall into place.  Counter every move by your opponent, even when that opponent is invisible."

They sat on the bench in the garden to catch their breath and rest. Jaime said, "You would sit so still and quiet and watch every move your mother and I made carefully.  You would come out here for hours and mimic the movements you saw us make.  I used to love to watch you dance and swing that sword.  You were skilled, even at three.  With a wooden sword."

"All I ever wanted was to be like the two of you.  I wanted to be the greatest sword fighter and I wanted to be the best knight that ever lived."

"You are the greatest sword fighter.  You can top us both in a fight, I know you can."