The Son [ON HOLD]

Chapter 6

Over the next week, I sent home a decent amount of girls. Karissa, Gwendolyn, and Dayanna left after my date with the group. I overheard them complaining about how they hadn't been chosen to go and I was nowhere near wanting to deal with that level of maintenance. It was only the second date of the competition and if they couldn't handle not getting my attention immediately, it was their problem.

Rhodes, Tallulah, Braelynn, Maclean, Daisy, Cambria, and Paislee were sent home two days after the others because I just didn't feel attracted to them in the slightest. There was no need to waste time or resources on dead ends.

The final one to leave was Peony. She pulled me aside one night after dinner and asked to leave. Apparently, she was homesick. I sent her home without a fuss.

And then there were twenty-four.

There was one lady, though, that I definitely wanted to keep around for a while.

I'd sent a maid for Lady Verity over an hour ago and I expected she would be ready by now. I headed for her room.

I didn't know much about her except for the fact that she was an athlete and I'd tried to incorporate that one tidbit into the date. I had a feeling that a simple candlelit date over coffee wouldn't impress her.

I knocked on the door and, after a few seconds, Lady Verity opened it.

"Your Highness," she greeted, bowing her head slightly.

"Lady Verity, it's a pleasure to see you again."

"I'm sure it is."

I couldn't help but laugh as we linked arms. She waved goodbye to her maids before I started walking her in the right direction.

"So, are you going to tell me what we are doing today or why athletic gear is the proper attire?" she asked as we went on.

"It's a surprise," I answered. "But, I must say, I think you'll excel at today's plans."

The rest of our journey consisted of comfortable silence. I led her to one of the palace's many parlors. The furniture was gone and all that remained was a large plastic cushioned mat, some hand towels, and a water cooler. A young, strong-looking woman was standing in the middle of the room.

"Your Highness, Lady Verity," she said with a smile. "My name is Evania and I'll be your instructor today."

Verity turned to me. "Instructor? What exactly are we doing today?"

Evania walked toward us. "I think I'm better suited to answer that question. I'll be teaching the both of you some basic fighting and self-defense moves. Then, we'll put them to the test in a match." She motioned toward a pile of gear in the corner. "Go suit up and we'll begin."

The two of us walked to the gear.

"This is crazy. How did you come up with this?" Verity asked as she picked up a black piece of body armor to protect her chest.

"Well," I started as I picked up my own gear, "correct me if I'm wrong, Miss I'm-the-best-tennis-player-in-all-of-Paloma, but I took you as the competitive type. There isn't anything more competitive than hand-to-hand combat."

"Oh, you're not wrong. I definitely am. And that's why I have every intention of winning."

She smirked as she put on the last of her gear except for the head guard. I finished getting ready as Verity went over to chat with Evania.

I walked over to the two of them.

"Ready?" Evania asked us. We nodded, put on our head guards, and she led us to the center of the room. "Alright. We're going to start with the basics of offense. When you're throwing a punch, keep your thumb under the rest of your fingers unless you're trying to break it. Keep your knees bent. Start with your hand by your face and your fingers facing you. As your extend your arm, turn your hand so your fingers are facing the ground."