The whole palace staff was busy preparing for the gathering of the Sancra, Tusaine and Tortall knights and ministers. Mia and other serving maid and boys were swamped with many lessons on proper etiquette and what to do and not to do during the dinner/gathering.
"I'm starting to re-think about taking this job. There are too many things to learn and to do. Stand straight, don't hunch you back and smile like some fake princess," Mia mimicked in a high pitch annoying voice which sound similarly like one of their instructors.
Sally and Jas laughed at this impressionism. The boys beside them just rolled their eyes. A snotty voice suddenly spoke out behind them.
"Well Mia, if you don't want it, you can give it to me. I can wow them with my impeccable manners compared to you," Sonia said with a smirk and flaunted off with her two cronies following her.
Jas glared after her. "You know what, scratch that. I don't regret taking this job. Anything to wipe that smirk off her face."
"Well said Mia. Now let us go to the royal Banquet Hall and learn how to serve the guest properly with Miss Mary and Miss Johanna. " Jas said as she pushed her towards the hall.
Mia groaned at this.
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After hours of endless practicing, Mia and the rest are finally dismissed late in the evening. As Mia, Jas and Sally walked towards their sleeping quaters, they heard squeals and shouts of excitement and encouragement coming from the practice hall for sword-figthing as they were walking past.
"What in the Goddess was that?" Mia asked, bewildered.
"Oh, it must be the squires and the knights practicing their fighting skills. Let's go see them in action!" Sally said as she pulled Mia and Jas along towards the doors of the practice hall.
As they walked inside, they saw many serving girls, pages, squires and knights crowded around one of the practice area. They pushed their way through the crowd and soon they were infront, watching the whole battle.
"Look, it's Alanna the Lioness! Wow, she is showing no mercy," Jas said excitedly as she pointed towards a copper-haired woman.
Mia looked at the woman in battle. There was no mistaking that she was Alanna the Lioness with her short copper hair and her brilliant purple eyes. She was shorter that expected but nethertheless she was a great with a sword as she claimed to be. She was fighting with a younger looking man but Mia couldn't see his face as his back was facing her.
It was a heated battle, metal on metal, clashing with one another as both fighters tried to find a weakness in their opponents. The younger man gave a series of chopping blows, trying to limit her defence. The Lioness deftly avoided his attacks and saw and opening in his attacks in the younger man's attacks. As he was lunging towards her, she side-stepped him, hooked the hilt of her opponent's sword, swung it up in the air and deftly catching it with her left hand.
She pointed her sword towards the younger man's neck, while the other remains in her left, behind her back. Knowing he was defeated, he took a step back and bowed his head slightly while saying, "I yield."
The Lioness grinned at the younger man and gave him back his sword while saying, "You have lost your touch. You have lacked practice young Tirragen. "
"I guess you're right, Lioness. But one day, I'll beat you so just wait!" the younger man said.
The younger man turned around towards the seats to get his water skin. Mia gasped as she looked at the man's face.
YOU ARE READING
The Warrior Inside
Fanfiction"You have something inside of you, something that hasn't been seen in a very long time Mia." Meet Mia Swift, the newest serving maid in the royal palace of Tortall or specifically Corus. As long as she could remember, she grew up in orphanage in Nax...
