The Rise of the Phoenix Queen

Chapter 1: Kindling the Flames, July 1333

"Alright, come at me again," David states. "And try not to trip over yourself again, will ya?"

David's pupil nodded, readying her sword in a low guard stance as she charged at the man. An upwards swing from the right. A horizontal swipe from the left. A thrust to the center. The girl tried in vain to even scratch the man's armor, only for him to easily sidestep every slash and swing the girl throws her way. 

"You're getting better, I'll give you that," David comments as he sidesteps a downwards strike. "Regardless, your swings are too slow and too wide. You're projecting what you're doing long before you actually commit."

"I know that!" The girl replies as she makes one final over-extended thrust, only for David to sidestep her advance with ease as the girl falls to the ground.

"Ya know, you're extremely lucky that Aurelia stepped in when she did, Ember," David says as he offers a hand to her. "With how pitiful your stamina is, you wouldn't have been able to last for ten seconds."

Ember reaches out for David's hand as he lifts her back to her feet. Though bruised from her seventh fall of the day, she walks a short distance out before assuming a fighting stance, sword hung low like before.

"Well, she wouldn't be standing if it wasn't for my efforts, right?" Ember responds as she charges forwards once again.

This time, as David continued to bob and weave, he noticed the hardened resolve of Ember. Though they have been training for a few weeks, he could see the fiery spirit within the girl, eager to improve with every strike. With every miss, her aim gets better. With every swing, her strikes grow faster. Eventually, David meets Ember's blade with a sword of his own, as the two lock blades in a bind. 

"Seems you're learning how to kindle that ember of yours," David comments as the two push off one another, backing up to gain some space between each other.

"Funny," Ember replies as the two re-engage. 

Though David was holding back, he could easily see the progress Ember was making within the few weeks he has taken her under his wing for private training, going from barely putting up a fight to being able to go toe-to-toe in a duel. Albeit, she has a long ways to go, but considering her pace, David wouldn't be surprised if she surpasses him in skill within a few years.

Minutes turn into hours as the two went back and forth before David ended the lesson for the day. By then, there were bruises from where David managed to get past Ember's guard with the practice sword, hitting her with the wooden "blade". Nevertheless, like a stubborn bull, Ember wouldn't back down, throwing herself at the challenge before her. 

As Ember tends to her bruises, David prepares for the night, setting up their camping gear for the night before walking over to the fire pit Ember started after attending to herself.

"I'm impressed with your tenacity for knowledge, Ember," David compliments as he piles wood into the fire pit. "Not many would've lasted as long as you did without throwing in the towel for the day."

"Well, I do have a long road ahead of me," Ember replies as she takes a seat on a fallen log by the unlit campfire. "I am destined to become the queen of Britain, after all."

"That you do, young Ember," David says as he ignites the fire, erupting into a bright rose, emitting heat to those within its reach. "Though, I do wonder, why do you wish to become the queen? I thought you wanted nothing to do with it?"

Ember ponders for a bit. For the longest time, Ember wanted nothing to do with her "destiny". Ever since she was born, all Ember knew was poverty and grief. Rot had taken ahold of the British Isles, leading to corruption and crime running rampant throughout the land. However, when people started to believe that Ember was the prophet Britain needed in her time of need, most began to treat her like an object more than anything, as if she was a messiah sent down from god to liberate everyone of their misery. However, it was this overeagerness to crown her queen that scared Ember, eventually leading to her flight across the channel, with no intent on looking back.

So, why would a girl who was trying to run away from her destiny choose to embark on it anyways?

"In all honesty, I don't really know," Ember answers. "I guess it's because I have nothing else to do?"

"Well, that's hardly a reason," David comments as he takes out a box with their rations and hands some off to Ember. "Especially for you, Ember. From what you've told me weeks ago, you wanted nothing to do with the crown of England. So why the change? I thought you only wanted to learn how to defend yourself?"

"That I did..." Ember responds, the fire's hue illuminating a face usually obscured by a large hood. "But after seeing what I could do, for both the people of Rome, for those far-off travelers I was told to guide, for the queen who took me in when I was at the lowest point I ever was at in my life..."

Ember takes a moment to collect her thoughts before proceeding. All David could do was watch as the embers before him begin to erupt into a bright flame.

"I've figure out what I wanted to do, though it is only now that I know how to put it into words," Ember continues, a crimson flame igniting within her as she continued. "I've seen the conditions of my homeland. Famine and poverty was felt by most, as everything was crumbling around them. People growing distant. Happiness draining from every nook and cranny of that island. If what I have seen at Berlin is testament to anything, as long as the people got someone to believe in, anything is possible. I wish to become that someone, to become a person others can look up to. I wish to unite the British Isles under one banner, not because someone told me to, but because I chose to."

Ember stands from her seat, as if she was giving a speech to a crowd of thousands. "The sword may have chosen me, but it was merely a suggestion of what I should do. This is my path, not anyone else's." 

"That's more like it," David says with a grin. "Seems you've nailed the charismatic aspect, Queen Pendragon."

Never before had David ever seen Ember be this upfront about her feelings before. Perhaps it was their training that inadvertently bolstered her confidence in herself? Regardless, David enjoyed watching as Ember hastily sat back down, pulling her hood back over her head. Seems the phoenix needed more time before it could spread its wings and fly.

Chuckling a bit, David comes over to Ember's side, sitting beside her as she slowly emerges from her shell. "At any rate, that's more than enough to convince me that you truly are the future Queen of Britain. Not because of some predetermined destiny, but because of the fiery passion you got stored within."

"You do?" Ember asks, poking her head out from her hood.

"I do," David reaffirms, giving off a warm smile. "I wish to see the phoenix before me rise from the ashes to take its rightful place atop its perch in its faraway kingdom."

"Sir David..." Ember mutters as she looks in awe at her mentor. 

"Well, we best not keep the food waiting?" David smirks. "It might try and run away."

Ember chuckles a little. "I suppose so, Sir David."

Image Source: https://twitter.com/cis05/status/1126091982198018048