When I first arrived here I was alone. Landing in front of the gates of Toukil, seaport to the east. With cracked stone underneath my feet and dangling worn-out signs from shop overhangs, it all made me grimace at the thought of the future to come. I was not familiar with the untrimmed bearded men dragging their nets, bulging full of seafood while they crossed the road to the market stalls.

The smell of salt mixed with rotting meat filled the air, a stench that grew in intensity with every breeze that blew. This unknown place was frightening.

Why am I not needed? Why was I thrown out? Why am I isolated in such a place, thousands of miles away from the place I called home.

“Today will be the start of your swordsmanship training.” Miss Lamor said to me near the brushes on the side of the courtyard.

“Why would I need to learn such things?” I will never enter battle for the sake of this damned country.

“They are required duties every Lavisellion member has participated in for years, you will be no different.” Miss Lamor’s voice rose, adding on, “Your partner will be Ser Kelsi, right over there.”

Miss Lamor beckoned to the tall knight sparring with one of the new recruits.

The knight began to thrust his wooden sword with one hand into a flurry of jabs, each hit propelling the recruit and his shield backwards until he crashed down onto the courtyard floor.

Ser Kelsi reached his hand out, proceeding to both bow their heads low in traditional, ordinary fashion. Afterwards making his way towards us with a puffed out chest and the straightest of postures.

The knight halted in front of us, bowing once again only to be relieved by Miss Lamor raising her palm up.

“This is the princess you have been appointed to, you shall spar with her weekly starting today.”

“Spar?!” I protested, taking two steps back. “I have not once entered battle, handling a sword made for savages is not for one such as myself.” glaring at the concealed knight, the helmet covered any sort of obvious reaction that would have appeared underneath.

“Well there is no better chance than the present, Ser Kelsi if you may.” Miss Lamor signaled to the knight, having him nod in quick agreement.

“Hold out your arms.” The knight said strictly.

I reluctantly stuck out my right hand in a weak manner towards the knight.

“Both of them!” He shouted, pulling both my arms forcibly, barely in contact with his chestpiece.

Beginning to fiercely strip off the training armor he had on, he stacked them firmly on my hands, one on top of the other. The tight-padded brown leggings and arm pads revealed slim limbs underneath. He then moved onto the chest piece, revealing a more petite frame than what the armor perceived.

“Wha-” Staring in genuine confusion, doubting the individual underneath.

Finally, the last piece of armor left was the helmet. Placing both hands on the sides, pausing for a short moment before taking it off, unleashing the waterfall of amber hair that fell into my peripheral vision behind the fully stacked armor.

“You- you’re a female? A knight?” I exclaimed, fumbling with the stacked gear when I took a step back, scattering them onto the floor.

“I am a knight and nothing more, now make haste and stop wasting time.” She said, walking towards the courtyard leaving me behind.

“Pathetic.” I mumbled.

I slipped on the gear slowly in petty protest, making sure to tighten the latches to make sure they wouldn’t fly off. By the time I was ready and geared up, the knight stood still facing the opposing side in front of her. Miss Lamor presented me with another practice sword, completing the set.

Taking a hold of it with both hands, I began to walk to the courtyard wobbling and shaking with each step. I eventually made it onto my side in front of her, already feeling slightly fatigued.

“Just so you know, I will not go easy on you.” I stated, wavering each letter.

The knight simply closed her eyes, holding her position.

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“You may begin.”

“…Put your sword up, ready yourself.” I said, pointing the shaking sword tip towards her with both hands.

“There’s no need.” She replied, flicking the side of her hair back.

“You dare taunt me?” I stared down at the unflinching Kelsi. “Fine. Do not complain, for when you are covered in scabs!” Thrusting forward with the tip of the sword spearing towards her.

With a simple side-step, I found myself hurling towards an empty space, falling to the ground with the weight of the sword and armor.

“Unfair!”

“Don’t be a child. Once again.” she beckoned with her hand, taunting me with her unchanging expression. “How about this, touch me once with your weapon and you win. I will acknowledge your strength as superior and forfeit all my duties of a knight.”

“Do you think one such as yourself, should be putting stakes of that magnitude on the outcome of a practice duel?”

“If a person with little to no experience managed to get through my guard, then I was not fit to become a knight in the first place.”

“Somehow, you manage to piss me off even more.”

I took a hold of my helmet on both sides, yanking it off. Proceeding to unlatch the chestpiece from my body having it follow the helmet onto the ground of my feet.

Gripping the sword with both hands once more, I propped myself up, thinking of ways to outwit the false knight. Holding the sword straight up, I proceeded to circle around her slowly.

“If you fare yourself a knight, you must be able to dodge attacks from all directions!” I tightened my eyes, rushing towards her with full force! Whipping down the sword ferociously onto her back… or so I presumed.

“Air…” Flickering my eyes open to see that Kelsi was in the same position as before, not having even moved an inch.

“What gives! What are you playing at!” I yelled, frustration overwhelming me with such frivolous activities.

“It is what you aren’t doing.” Kelsi said.

How arrogant.

“Then explain to me oh great knight, why can’t I manage to hit you.” I replied sarcastically. Propping myself back up again, shakily pointing the tip of the sword towards her, now with one hand.

Her expression, ever unchanging.

She proceeded towards me briskly, twirling the sword over and under her hands like a thief playing with his knife.

Gently tapping the sides of my sword while speeding up with each step, the clash of the wood proceeded to make a sound similar to the melody of a cheap drum.

“Stop it!” I protested, being forced back.

She continued on.

“Lay down your weapon at once!” She isn’t stopping!

“I-I am royalty! Seize your hand or you will only be handling steel bars in front of you!” I screamed, before falling down to the smooth stone.

With a swift flick Kelsi broke the wooden blade of my sword in half, knocking it far to the side.

I heaved in short breaths, staring up at the girl towering over me, making contact with her piercing stare.

They’re empty. Just like mine.

The knight sheathed her wooden sword onto her back, starting to walk away haughtily.

“W-wait!” I reach out towards her, only to gravitate forward to the ground by my lack of strength.

Miss Lamor appeared from out the side, coming in the middle of the space between Kelsi and I. She fixed the glasses she had on, positioning them up to the top of her hair before holding her hands together.

“Hold on Ser Kelsi.” Miss Lamor called out, in the same strict tone she [Kelsi] used earlier. “Your position has been reassigned.”

Kelsi stood still. Back towards me. She’s shaking?

“You are now to be the personal attendant of Lady Eilanya. Turn in your battle armor by the end of the day.”

I darted my sight towards Miss Lamor instead, shocked by such an abrupt arrangement.

“Wa–“

“The order is final, lady Eilanya. That is all for today’s lessons, make yourself presentable for dinner.” She stated.

Kelsi stood there, visibly clenching her hand for a few moments, moving only to loosen the front of her sheathe’s strap, dropping it onto the ground. Without a word of protest, Kelsi walked away through the estate doors out of view.

The mumbling of disagreement around the surrounding knights rung louder and louder in my ear.

I looked down to the ground of where I placed my hands…

“Pathetic.”

Stripping off the rest of the gear, I threw down the broken sword and chased after her.

Opening the door that Kelsi went through, I found myself staring at her back in the middle of the hallway.

“Was the pride of your knight status so shallow, that you would walk away without throwing a fit?” I shouted. Why did I chase after her?

“Orders are final.”

“And so what?” Why am I so upset? “Embarrassed as I am, what I saw and felt out there just moments ago is not the same as the unpassionate knight in front of me.”

Kelsi punched the wall to her side, turning her gaze towards me.

Red eyes.

“Passion? Do not lecture me about passion! I have bled too much to be lectured by some aloof princess.”

“And where did that bleeding get you? To be an attendant to that ‘aloof’ princess? Is that where your story ends? I refuse to believe such weak will.”

What am I saying, I was broken down and casted aside just like her…

Ah. That’s right, she’s just like me.

“Then what can I do…” Kelsi whispered, falling onto the ground with her hand sliding on the wall.

I looked at the pitiful knight in front of me. Clenching my fists, I walked towards her, placing my hand on her shoulder.

“We made a deal did we not?”

Kelsi stared at me dumbfounded.

“I have not yet struck you with my blade. And until I do so to make you acknowledge my strength, you shall stay as Ser Kelsi, knight of Toukil.” This time, I reached out my hand to her.

“But, but the head ma-“

“That’s merely all that she is, head maid.” I straightened my back, standing tall. “I am the princess. My orders are absolute.”

Kelsi locked into my gaze, taking my gesture to slowly stand up. She took three deep breaths, before taking on the same unchanging expression she had earlier.

“I will not lose!” She stated, bowing her head and torso very much lower than the traditional bow.

“And I don’t intend to either.” I said, walking past her. Leaving her bowing behind me.

Never again, I do not intend to see the same mistakes as before.