I can't believe myself.

Here I am, swinging my spear in the yard in the morning sun.

I don't normally take this so seriously, and do it so furiously. Whatever is wrong with me?

Master Sigmund's voice rebukes me in my head. I'm getting sloppy with my moves, so I start again, as he would have made me.

He was the royal arms instructor, a veteran of nearly a hundred battles. A distant uncle of the family.

Parytyn spear is actually an exotic art. It is very different to the standard spearmanship taught to troops. In that, phalanx is critical. Tempered thrusts, trust in your compatriot, lockstep advance.

But Parytyn... it mimics flighty wind spirits. It is almost a dance, with the spear as your partner.

Some people think spears are only for thrusting, poking, but nothing is further from the truth. You have a long blade on a pole. Momentum and circular motions, sweeps in wide arcs, these give you dangerous reach that can blow troops away in droves, not to mention monsters.

Move like the wind. Smash like the tide.

And with my power, the wind becomes a gale, the tide a tsunami.

I originally started with the sword. It is traditional for a noble. But with my strength, snapping blades was inevitable. Even when I was seven, I could punch the head clean off a training dummy, and barely feel the pain.

The Blessing of Sendervil fills you with vital power. His light heals, enhances. So… when it is always with you, you are literally always the picture of health and strength. A deep breath fills you with power, and expelling it as I swing... well... wood can be crushed, iron bent, stones cracked.

Although, I thought it had hit a plateau when I was eleven. Apparently not. It's scary if what Elijah says is true, that it doubles again when I'm protecting him. If that’s the case, it's little wonder that even a squeeze can send cracks along a demons’ skull, and a makeshift javelin can cleanly pierce a leg bone.

The funny thing is... with my vitality... I could have slept with Elijah for hours on end. That's a use of a Blessing I never thought would be a thing.

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I grin to myself, and mess up my kata again.

Ah... I see. It's thinking about him constantly that's messing up my moves.

For goodness sake. What a daft swooning maiden I've become.

I don't even seem to care that he's slept with Kiku now as well. As long as I can also have him from time to time. In fact, it would probably be beneficial for Rishya to get some. She's really uptight these days after saving his life. She's fallen so far, just as I predicted.

I snicker to myself, setting my spear down with a clang. This spear was made especially for me. Black Iron. Six Klecksels long, and it weighs nearly fifty Kilsels, as much as three Warhammers. Not very sharp, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to not break.

I ruffle my nose. I'm drenched in sweat again, and my muscles are screaming. I sigh and roll my eyes to myself, because it’s the same feeling I got after my intense bout of sex with him. It's a good feeling.

I grin to myself. I guess the thrill... the feeling of power and authority one feels when strongly throwing oneself into a battle and winning, is not too dissimilar to the feel of a man.

"Truly a tempest. Is that Parytyn?" A man’s gruff voice snaps me from my reverie.

I look up and see the armoured mercenary from yesterday, the one with purple hair.

"Ser Fortinbras." I nod and curtsy very slightly.

"Your majesty." He returns, bowing deeply. "I apologise for eavesdropping." He says, and hands me a cloth.

I shrug, and dab away my sweat.

"Thankyou. And don't worry about it. You don't have to be formal with me, I said this yesterday."

"That will not do. I was once a royal knight, after all." He shakes his head.

"If you say so. Did you leave for Jeanette?" I ask.

He snickers to himself.

"Ah... you see right through me, your majesty. Hmm... it must have been when you were nary a babe. A fellow knight of mine, and best friend, Ferlin Argenti, died in service. It left his two children, at the time six and three, all alone." He sighs.

"So, you adopted them." I say.

He nods.

"For me to then take Jeanette as my lover last year... I do wonder where I went wrong. She practically forced herself on me. And yet... I love her intensely, despite that. So foolish." He shakes his head.

"We all are, when it comes to love. It ambushes us all." I smile wryly.

He blinks in surprise.

"I apologise for my casual glibness, your majesty."

"It's fine." I shake my head.

"Ahem! The others have gone inside already. Do you know when we plan to leave?"

"Give it an hour, I would say. I would like to bathe quickly." I say.

"As you will." He bangs his chest-plate in salute.

"I look forward to your expertise, ser." I nod.

"I shall try to not disappoint, your majesty." He says. I beckon, letting him go, and he leaves.

Hah... I wonder if we'll make it in time. I bet father is concerned over the loss of the fortress. I wonder how everyone is doing.

Well... I must do all I can to help Elijah become strong. He is my hope, everyone's hope, and I'm still not sure if he appreciates that.

But for now, let me just bathe, eh?