||𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗 𝕸𝖆𝖞 𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝕽𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖓||

⚜Something To Learn⚜

 "Welcome." He stood from his desk and walked right over to a plank of swords and torches nearby. "You know how to master these don't you?" He asked, raising a brow.

I nodded firmly. "Do you know how to master wood?"

"What?"

"I said," He picked up a wooden sword. The kind trainees would be taught with before they were ready to wield an actual sword. "Do you know how to master wood?"

The question was tricky, "I suppose I do." I answered, trying my best not to suffer. A memory of me practicing with my teacher popped up. When I was five and I began to train in the art of war.

"Why do you ask?"

He looked at me warily, it was hard to tell whether it was because of my question or general exhaustion. Just how long has he been doing this.

"Vampires can only be slaughtered by a wooden stake to the heart. Metal will not do as much damage." He said twirling the wooden handle in his hands. I knew what he was going to do.

Suddenly the wooden duplicate was launched at my head. My reaction time was quick and I caught the handle before it drove right through my skull.

I held it to my side, looking up I saw his reaction. An impressed smirk lay on his smooth lips. "Impressive."

"Excellent reflexes."

"Who taught you?" He asked. Pursing my lips, I relinquished the memory from before and looked at the wooden sword. Then at him. "The ladies in the convent."

He rose a brow, puzzled. "Religious women teach a princess how to fight?"

I gave an irritated look, "Women, religious or not cannot afford to not defend themselves." I said, tears threatening to spill at the intensity of my words and memory.

The bloody gashes on my back, and the forced tears from suppressing my screams. The trial of fire. To be initiated into the secret coven. Within a religious order or movement of strong women or witches. The perfect cover.

How everything has changed now. Even the free world has its dark secrets and being apart of it doesn't exile dark memories.

Prince Siddharth studied me, as if I was a problem he was trying to solve. "You are right. Women cannot afford to not protect themselves, it's one of the reasons why I do this."

"What. To hunt vampires down?"

"To rid of all blights in this land. Supernatural and men alike." He said coldly, gripping the edge of the table long and hard enough till his knuckles turned white.

"So what have you been planning?" I asked, playing with the corners of the map, laid perfectly on the table. It had the entire layout of Paurashpur drawn to perfection, the kingdom of Paurav just on the left. I noted the marked aisles in chalk on the outer reaches of Paurashpur. Almost like a plan of invasion. "As you may be aware our lands have been plighted with not only supernaturals, but rather plague and famine. There are more vampires in the forest nearby of this camp."

"You're all planning to invade the forests? It seems a risky plan."

"You may be right, but right now there are not as many options as their used to be. Now, I assume you know how to read a map."

"Why yes." I drew my hand over the map again, "Once you are my Queen, i expect you to be planning military procedures with me and fight in war alongside me and my knights. Not flittering around my palace doing nothing but staying still and looking pretty." He said with disgust in the end of his tone. 

 Admiring his wishes I flashed a genuine smile at him, "Rest assured, I will fight alongside you and rule with you as equals only." I said with a smile. However it quickly turned into a frown as I had more to say to be honest, "I am not a pathetic traditional Queen that would reign herself in the comfort of palace walls and my mother, my sister, the women in the convent trained me to be independent and strong."

"Very well, then I shall see you fighting against the vampires with me." He extended his hand, "Do you trust me?"

My lips pursed at his extended hand in friendship. Was he genuine? Reliable?

I do not know.

And still, I took his hand.

PUBLISED: 24/02/2023