The Warrior Princess

Prepare the Festivities

"What did I miss?" Akai says.

"You are late again! One more time and you will be forced to clean your clothes and plates for a week!" my father yells.

My brother is older than me by one year. He shares with me the same ocean eyes. He has hazel hair and I have light brown hair. While his falls straight, mine is a mess of soft curls. He is tall but I think I am catching up very slowly. He is the most annoying, irritable, sarcastic and most of all favorite and only brother of mine. I love him with all my heart and he loves me in the same way. He is my best friend and closest confidant.

"Yes... please calm down father. I only was late..." he says counting his fingers "about five times."

"Oh never mind, sit down! Remember that you are a prince not one of the villager's child! You should be more like your sister."

I smile at him smugly as I sip my tea. As soon as I finish I bow then hurry to my room to prepare my dress for later. When I am done I enter the garden again. I love nature, so serene and peaceful. Then my father walks by. My father and me have a strong bond, which was built by the practice of Lanzatai, our native martial arts. He usually only comes into the garden to find me. Normally a princess of Kanzia should not be even practicing this but my father says that I must at least know how to defend against an attacker.

"Hello Kalia, would you like to practice with me?" my father says with pleasure in his voice.

"Yes, I would like that" I say.

He bows then I, and then the fight begins. As his hand thrust to my side I dodge quickly. I try to hook my elbow in his attempting to do the move he taught me. The trick is to get full hold of the opponent then push him backward then throw him down giving you the advantage. I abandon idea and go on instinct I bend down and swing my leg meaning to trip him but he jumps up quickly. Then he sends me a flurry of punches, which I can only block with my arms. I bend lower and lower backwards until I am flat on my back on the ground. Thinking fast, I roll to the side then quickly stand up.

My father is starting to breathe hard so I say

"Father, you are getting tired you should stop."

"Yes, yes I should." He huffs as I help him to the stone bench.

"Maybe I should help you back to your bedroom."

"Yes...please."

We pass by a corridor with a big red door. It was always locked I even tried to break in many times with Akai but all attempts have failed. I have always wondered what was in there and never had a chance to ask...

"Father, what is in that door?"

"Ahh... That story is quite long. I will only tell you if you are willing to stay for quite sometime"

"Oh ye,s Father I am willing to wait."

My father is always happy, with the sparkle in his deep brown eyes and the smile lines near them. He has almost gone bald but he still has some blonde hair on his head. Akai looks like him and I look my mom, but I act more like my father and Akai is the same with my mother.

"Here it goes. Long ago, one of our ancestors said that when the sun's rays hit the water it blasts gold and blue light into our eyes, and the moon's light reflect off a single piece of metal it makes the color of silver light. This inspired our greatest ancestor Aton to create the Blade of Life. They said that his dragon was the slayer of evil and the guardian of light."

He saw my expression and knew what I was thinking. My ancestor was the tamer of Kanza just like me if only I could ask him the questions I have built up over the years. I am sure he knew our secret power but I still have not figured it out.

"Neither light nor darkness can exist with out each other. This blade is so powerful that once it is in the wrong hands it might be used to start a war that can last for 100 years. This blade has a power that is significant to our family. He spent years and years in the heat of the summer days, and the ice cold of the winter nights. If you let the blade soak in the light it will turn as hot as magma and it will burn anything it touches but the holder. If you soak it in darkness it will turn as cold as ice making anything it touches freeze. This is the greatest treasure in our family. In fact it is the greatest treasure in all of Kanzia."

I looked at his face the very moment he ended. There was something he wasn't telling me. But my Father is very stubborn so I decided not to pry.