"Goodwork. Keep working on your speed. Your Èpèe and Foil are up to par, but you're little slow with the Sabre." Albert, my father's old valet told me and I grimaced with displeasure.
I looked to where my father was. He always came to watch this kind of things. Right before he insisted that I spar with him and he knocked me flat on my rounded rump.
"I noticed that as well. What do you suggest we do?" My father asked directing his question to my uncle Emmerret, whom I had yet to notice until now.
"Human Kinetics?" My uncle smiled and I furrowed my brows in confusion.
"Strength exercises." He continued, "After that we can work on her stance and I am sure the rest will slowly follow."
"What is human kinetics?" I chanced a question.
"As you can tell the word is made of two words, human and kinetics." Uncle Em responded and I scowled at him in response.
"I can tell that there are two words, but what do they have to do with me?" I challenged.
"Wait for it little princess. I like to be thorough and that was just a little introduction."
"Fine, go on." I huffed. I did not understand why everyone had to keep on calling me little, but I knew that if I pursued that line of questioning right now, it would take forever to have my questions answered and I was not feeling very patient at the moment.
"As I was saying, where the word human reffers to our bodies, kinetics or kinesiology for that matter is the scientific study of the movements associated with that body. The human body." Uncle Emmerret told me and I furrowed my brows in deep thought.
"So you are telling me that if I can work on my strength, then, my power will increase as well?"
"Undoubtedly." He responded before adding. "But you also need to work on your footwork to make sure that you are light and nimble and also well balanced. Infact, swordplay is more like a dance. You just need to find your rythm and keep it."
Somehow his words seemed to make sense and as I planted my feet on the ground, ready for Albert's next round of assaults, I hoped that I could pull off putting that fresh insight into some sort of use. That would surely surprise them and then, maybe, I could earn my own genius title just as Thomas had at my age. At my age? Who was I kidding? By the time he was five he had already debuted as an academic genius. It was wishful thinking to imagine that I could beat even with intensive training.
"Not now princess. I believe that our time is over and your father is waiting to spar with you." Albert told me and grudgingly, I bowed before him, mostly out of respect more than anything, while still formulating a plan of attack for my dear old daddy.
"What are we learning today?" I asked as I turned to the other two gentlemen. They appeared awfully complacent and even now as I looked, I realised that my father was not wearing his training gear.
"We are not learning." he confirmed my fears as a scowl wormed its way to my face. If Grandma Lena could see me now, she would rightly be disgusted. After all, she was a firm believer that too much frowning could cause one wrinkles, which was very unacceptable for me as the crown princess.
It was a ridiculous notion obviously, but sometimes I was very much tempted to believe her. Take auntie Minerva for example, she was way younger than my mother, but because she was constantly scowling, comparing two of them, you would think that she was the elder.
"Rabecca!" My father called me to attention and for a moment, I worried that in my reflections I may have missed something quite important. I did not voice it but he gathered as much and began explaining again.
"Concentrate!" He scolded and I mumbled my apologies.
"As I had already said," he began again, "just like I had already said, your uncle and I need to talk to you about something and we hope that you can keep an open mind about it."
An open mind? I was immediately suspicious. What were they planning now? Those two were never short of new plans and ideas and more often than not, I ended up as their guinea pig. Still, I could not deny that I was curious. What new plan was so important that they had to cut my training short?
"Anything for you dada!" I replied with a smile plastered on my face. Giddy with excitement at the prospects that were yet to be presented to me.
"How did you get so lucky?" Uncle Em nudged dada and I raised an eyebrow up in confusion. What was he talking about? It's not like he had children to speak of, but with auntie Mishpa as the potential mother, one could guess why he would be feeling this way.
"She's not yet a teenager." my father told him. "there are plenty of opportunities in the near future for that happen. For now, I am just grateful that she is is this receptive."
Uh? I was receptive? The frown found its way back to my face and edged deeper. He expected me to become problematic. Was that it? My lips pouted at the words that had just tumbled out of my father's mouth.
"You know that I am right here, right?" I directed the question to the two of them. Uncle Em smiled back at me before reaching out a hand to ruffle my mop of dark curly locks.
"You're so adorable!" He gushed as his hand moves lower to pinch my still chubby cheeks. I swatted the hand away in frustration, incensed at being found adorable despite my obvious displeasure.
"You're worse than Grandma Sally. You know that?"
"No. I didn't know my little Regina." He replied with yet another laugh.
"Will people stop calling me that! I am not little! Soon, I am going to turn thirteen, and you will all run around me scared because of my raging hormones!"
My father and uncle stared at each other before bursting out in loud laughter.
"Okay Okay princess, we hear you." My father tried to pacify me. "Infact, that is what we wanted to talk to you about."
"My raging hormones?" he gave me a look and I conceded.
"Okay..." I drawled out, my curiosity piqued and already eating away at me.
"You know that my father had me start my training at fifteen, right?" My father started and I bopped my head in excitement. Training, that was what this was about!
"Well, we were hoping that you could start earlier. It is going to be a little different for you of course, but that is because you are really great . Way better than I could manage at your age."
"I am going to start learning governance?"
"No. not precisely" he stuttered as he watched my excitement wane and I was left eyeing him in apprehension.
"We wanted you to go to school for the next three years or so. Up to now you've been home schooled, but it isalso good that you learn how to interact with other people..." his voice droned out as I was lost in my shocked, but rather excited thoughts.
"Where will I go? To Prime? Veterum Principle?" I gushed out, too excited to keep on listening.
"That's the other thing. We are thinking of sending you abroad. To Ueteribus. Your brother, your uncle and auntie will accompany you or rather you will be accompanying them."
A plus one? Even better! My heart did a somersault in my chest. I had always wanted to measure my standards with those of my ordinary age mates but had never had a chance. And being a plus one meant that I was not going as the Regina, therefore I had a fair chance at a normal school life! I thought as my hands shook with excitement. No bodyguards, no attendant and the best part, no Society or Auntie Minerva for that matter!
"Great!" I finally screamed out in excitement and the two men look at each other in surprise.
"To be sincere, I had thought that it would go terribly bad." My uncle said, clapping a hand on my father's left shoulder.
"I as well. I was prepared for a screaming match, but who am I to stare a gift horse in the mouth." My father mumbled as his lips twisting up with barely restrained amusement.
"Should I get packing? Should I? Should I ?"
They both nod and I dashed off to find my Auntie Mishpa, my partner in crime, as this was definitely the greatest form of goodnews that I had received in a while.