My Reflections

Theodore

I twirled the wooden sword with one hand as I tossed the coat to my uniform to the side of the grass field. Marcel took off his coat as well and neatly folded it before leaving it alone. After swinging the weapon a few times, it became clear I would be at a disadvantage considering my dominant arm was injured from the fight earlier. 

"Are you sure its wise to be training with that wound?" Marcel asked while stretching. I shrugged my shoulders in response then swung the sword once more. 

"I could use the practice in case something should happen before it heals fully. Plus, I could beat you without any arms." I teased with an evident smile while glancing at him. The young prince let out a sigh as he shook his head with a frown. 

"You can't get better if you don't practice. Being able to defend yourself will come in handy, don't you think?" I questioned as I pointed the weapon at him. He walked towards me and held his sword against mine. 

"I think its more practice for you than for me. You're the knight here." Marcel argued as he positioned himself into his normal stance. I pouted a bit at his words as I stood wide open.

"I'm hurt. We've been friends for years and I'm only a knight in your eyes?" I asked. 

"No. I see you as more of a shield with a cocky smirk I can't remove," he commented as the corner of his mouth curved upwards. I scoffed.

"Go ahead and try," I replied as we both took a couple of steps back. Silence fell between us as I waited for him to make a move while my blade rested at my side. After many years of sparring with the prince, I felt I knew his fighting style well along with his thought process. He was probably trying to figure out how to attack my weak spot so I needed to be ready to counter. The silence continued on a few moments more before he made his move.

Marcel lunged forward with his sword in both hands and swung towards my injury. With just as much speed, I turned my injured side away from him while using my own weapon to block his.

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" I asked not expecting an answer. Marcel continued his onslaught with me blocking every attack. As he swung his sword up, I stepped to the side and watched as he fell forward through the space I was once standing in. I swung my own sword behind me and managed to hit him in the lower back causing him to take a few steps forward from the sudden attack.

Marcel turned to face me once more with his teeth grinding together and the grip on his sword tightening. I laughed a bit at how frustrated he became from one simple action. The prince pushed forward again and continued with a few more swings in hope to find an opening. 

"Do you ever let your guard down?" he asked between swings before swinging once more. He pushed as much force as he could muster, but I held my ground while using my own strength to keep him at bay. 

"Never," I answer with a toothy grin. Marcel clicked his tongue in annoyance while trying to push me down, but I could tell that he was losing strength. With one final shove, I forced his sword away leaving him wide open. I launched towards him and grabbed the collar of his shirt while swinging the weapon towards his exposed neck but stopping an inch before making contact. 

"I win," I commented. Marcel's eyes were wide before his face morphed into a smirk.

"I don't think so," he replied as I felt a tap against my chest. I looked down to see the wooden stick in his hand pointed against the spot where my heart was. A surprised laugh escaped my lips. 

"Alright, a draw then," I said while releasing him. He scoffed at the statement while holding his sword out with both hands. 

"Sorry, I won't accept that," he declared with confidence laced in his voice. I hummed in response with a smile. The sparring continued on for a few more rounds before Marcel fell to the ground out of breath. I was a bit tired myself so I moved to sit down next to him as I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.

"Well done. Your swordplay is improving." I commented. The prince only shook his head. 

"I'll accept that when I finally beat you without any splinters in my back." he retorted while tossing the wooden sword to the side. I patted his shoulder before leaning back against my elbows. 

"You'll get there. No need to rush." I said while lifting my head up to look at the sky. He sighed in response then decided to lay down with his hands behind his head. A peaceful silence fell between us before I heard a voice calling my name. I looked behind me to see one of the castle guards hurrying over. 

"Sir Glass, your presence is needed right away!" the man explained sounding very tired but also nervous. I nodded in understanding and quickly stood up.

"I'll be right there," I answered while watching the guard leave then turned to Marcel. He was standing now while dusting his pants off. I picked up both of our coats and handed him his. 

"Duty calls. Once I'm finished, I'll come find you." I said while buttoning up the jacket. He nodded in response. 

"Don't worry about me. Do what you have to." Marcel said with a soft grin. I returned it then began to ruffle his hair before taking off after the guard.

"If I find you in the library again, I'm locking you out!" I shouted over my shoulder.

"You don't have the authority!" was the response I heard.