A Mouse's Tale

Chapter 19

As Mouse neared the Training Field, she could see the outline of two figures fighting in one of the training circles. Their movements were not smooth and flowing as practice moves should be, but were rather fast and hard as if they were in an actual to-the-death fight. As Mouse got closer, she could clearly see the long, flowing blonde hair of her love and the dark, wavy black hair of the man she despised.

Mouse shoved past the other Knights and Squires that just stood there watching the fight without making a single move to stop it until she finally reached the spot where to two men were fighting, oblivious to the world around them. She slowly began to draw out her hidden blades as the two men's swords locked together, but then stopped, instead turning to grab the sword from the man next to her's waist.

Darien was stronger than Vyron and had begun to use that feat against him as he forced Vyron backwards, his blade forcing Vyron's lower and lower. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Darien punched Vyron across the face, surprising him and causing him to lose his grip on his sword, which Darien knocked easily from his hands before kicking him to the ground. Victory flashed through Darien's eyes as he began to bring his sword down on the defenseless fallen Knight and where he had expected to be met with flesh he instead was met with the blade that Mouse now held in her hands. This caught him off guard and Mouse was able to push the blade away from Vyron easily.

"How dare you-" Darien started to say until he realized who was now standing before him.

"Mouse," he sounded surprised. "What are you-"

"Enough!" Mouse snapped at him, pointing her sword at him and giving him a glare before looking down over her shoulder at Vyron. "Are you okay?" Shock and embarrassment covered his face.

"I'm fine," he grumbled, his pride a little wounded to have been saved by a girl. Mouse watched as he slowly got to his feet and picked up his sword, forgetting momentarily about Darien until she felt a hard force knock the sword from her hands.

"This is our fight!" he snapped at her, pointing his sword at her. "Stay out of it!"

"Why are you even fighting?" she demanded, taking a slight step away from him and his sword, her eyes darting away for a second, trying to find her lost sword.

"Because he's been trying to make a move on you!" Vyron snapped from behind her. Mouse looked back at him and saw the anger in his eyes. "It was all over the Palace this morning about a late night rendezvous between the two of you in the library last night. Care to explain?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mouse cried out. "I couldn't sleep last night so I went to the library to read. He followed me there and yes he tried to woo me again, but he was unsuccessful. Don't let him tell you anything otherwise." She went over to him, putting her hands on his cheeks to lightly turn his attention to her. "Gossip is just gossip. Nothing happened, I promise. I have no feelings for him, only for you."

"Really?" Darien sneered. "That kiss we shared didn't feel like nothing!"

"What kiss?" Vyron snapped, taking a hostile step towards Darien, though Mouse was just barely able to hold him back. "What kiss?"

"What, your girlfriend didn't tell you?" Darien laughed. "She didn't tell you about our long, passionate kiss that we had... how long ago was it?" His eyes flickered over at her. "Too long ago, I think."

"Vyron, listen to me!" Mouse tried desperately to get his attention. "He forced himself on me! You know that I would never lie to you!"

"She has such soft, tender lips, doesn't she, Vyron?" Darien grinned wickedly. "Oh, but you haven't been able to touch those in while now, have you? Maybe she's saving herself for something better. Maybe she's saving herself for me! Maybe one of my kisses just wasn't enough for her. Don't worry, my sweet, you can have another when I win this fight."