10. Another Prince
They were also unable to train for a few days because Prince Dylan had a sudden visit. To visit their constituency far from the palace, and he only returned today.
The afternoon arrived, but Adira was already in her room, apparently thinking about something. She also left the room and went to the top of the palace not long after.
She peered below the palace but saw the prince holding the sword. She frowned. “He just came back, but why does he seem to be training alone?” She saw him doing what she taught him the other day before he suddenly left. She just watched him and analyzed his movements. While Adira simply stared at the prince. Prince Dylan tries to remember what Adira taught him.
He dodged the sword slowly, but he was forgetting what else Adira had taught him. Even though he was tired, he still tried to practice now so that he wouldn’t be an ignorant person every time she taught him. “It’s still hard sometimes to talk to that young lady.” He just shook his head and tried to refocus.
But during the prince’s training, he had a sudden visitor come to the palace, and he didn’t seem to like it.
While his hands were moving, someone suddenly spoke from behind him. “I didn’t know you were training to hold a sword, which you haven’t done before.” He immediately turned around and felt bad because of the person in front of him.
He faked a smile at the person in front of him. “It’s not too late for me to learn how to handle it, Prince Damon.”
It smirked. “Then you better practice wielding that because, whether you admit it or not, I’m still the strongest and best wielder of weapons of all the princes here in our country.”
He didn’t answer because it was true. Prince Damon has proven a lot to everyone, even in another palace, but he has nothing yet because if Prince Damon is strong, he is the weakest of all. “Don’t be too arrogant because maybe in the next day or year, you won’t be the only one with that ability.” He still smiles, even though he doesn’t want to.
Prince Damon’s face became serious. “Until now, you’re still a loser, Prince Dylan. You have a good heart, but you can’t defend yourself because you’re weak.” In the tone of the prince’s speech, it was as if he were trying to stick it in his head that he would remain a weak prince.
While the two princes were talking, Adira was surprised by the unfamiliar person that Prince Dylan was talking to. That’s why she immediately went down from the palace to see who that person was, and it would be good for her to get to know him.
Meanwhile, Prince Damon went to the armory and took out a sword. Prince Dylan suddenly felt nervous because he seemed to know what Prince Damon was going to do.
“Let’s see if you know how to use a sword,” said Prince Damon.
He frowned. “I’m just starting to practice handling it. Why do you need to know right away if I’ve learned anything?”
Prince Damon looked at the blade of the sword from its handle to its point. “I just want to know if you know anything, even a little bit.” So it suddenly moved and rushed towards him, so he didn’t know what to do. Luckily, he was able to get away from the first hit.
He grinned while looking at him. “You know how to dodge my hit, but you still have to use your sword!” The prince started again, but luckily he was able to block it with his sword. Prince Damon pushes the sword as they come together, but he still tries not to let go of it because he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened when Adira and he practiced. The young lady he knew would stop when that happened, even though her heart was made of stone, but Prince Damon’s was not, so he had a chance to attack him if he happened to let go of his sword. He doesn’t know why Prince Damon treats him like this. He was kind to him because their fathers are friends, but he still doesn’t know why Prince Damon always says something that hurts his feelings sometimes.
It started rushing again, and at that moment he could see that its aura was dark, so if he wasn’t careful, He would get a big wound from Prince Damon’s sword. He got up again and used the sword, but what he didn’t expect was that he misstepped on the ground, so he lost his balance while Prince Damon’s sword was coming down from the air that he knew was going to hit him, and it could not be stopped because of the speed of his action.
He fell to the ground and closed his eyes because he could see that Prince Damon’s sword was only a few inches away from him, but for a few moments, he didn’t feel any pain in his body. He frowned. “What happened?” he asked, confused. He slowly opened his eyes and looked to see where Prince Damon was, but he was shocked to see long braided hair. “A-adira,” he said softly.
When Dylan lost his balance, Adira saw it immediately because she was only a few steps away from them. Fortunately, the armory was close to the two of them, so before Dylan could be hurt, Adira quickly took a sword and blocked the sword from Prince Damon.
While their swords were touching the man she did not know, she saw how he was surprised by her sudden appearance. “Who are you?” he asked. He slowly lowered the sword, so she did the same.
“Who are you talking to? Why did you use the sword here without permission and try to hurt the prince of Stalwart Castle?” Her forehead was wrinkled, and her eyes were a little angry.
He smiled, which surprised her. “I don’t think you know me.”
She said in a bold voice, “No, and I have no intention of getting to know you.”
He nodded. “I’m a prince like Prince Dylan, but in a different palace.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Prince? Why is your behavior not like that of a prince with the mess you made here today?”
He looked behind her, so she turned around. She saw that Dylan was standing, but she noticed that it was difficult for him to step on his left foot because it was slightly raised. “He is a lamp,” she said in her mind.
“Prince Dylan and I are friends; that’s the only way we greet each other.” He smiled big, and she could tell he was proud, especially from the look on his face, not to mention his demeanor.
“Are you sure you are friends with Prince Dylan?”
“Yes.”
She grinned and suddenly disappeared too. “Who are you fooling? Someone like me here, you can’t fool me.” She was surprised when he suddenly clapped.
“Young lady, you impress me with what you say.”
While Dylan was already frowning while looking at Prince Damon, “Adira let him go.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
The person in front of her looked at her back. “I am talking to you with no respect, even more especially to this prince!” She had a strong sentence, but he suddenly frowned.
“Why do you talk like that in front of me? You should show respect because I’m a prince.”
She looked behind her and at the prince in front of her. “He and Dylan both use being princes to scare.” She just shook her head and faked a smile. “I don’t care if you are still the king of your palace.”
Prince Damon was wondering about the lady he was talking to now.
“Are you a slave here at Stalwart Castle? But why are you dressed so strangely?”
“No.”
“Then what is your duty in their palace?”
“Instructor.”
He looked at Dylan. “Of what?”
“Hold a sword,” she just said, because she couldn’t tell the whole truth to the prince in front of her. He is still suspicious in her eyes.
He looked at her with interest. “You are the reason Prince Dylan dares to hold a sword.” He smirked, but she sensed he was about to do something as he adjusted his sword grip. She simply walked away from Dylan because he just stayed behind her.
She wasn’t surprised when he stormed towards her, and she was immediately taken aback. She has to admit that he moved quickly because he almost hit her cheek. “This person knows how to use a sword better than Dylan.”
The speed at which he moved made her sword slide every time she blocked it. Luckily, she had activated her senses, so she immediately knew where his next attack would come from. She found an opportunity, and she quickly wounded his left hand with the tip of the sword where he was holding the sword. He let go of his sword because she had inflicted a deep wound on his left hand.
He looked at her in surprise, and she smiled against her will. “Nice to meet you, Prince Damon.” She grinned and turned her back on him. She saw that Dylan was struggling to stand up. “Are you okay?” she asked him.
It was obvious from Prince Dylan’s face that he was hurt when he stood up, and there was a chance that he stepped on it. “I’m fine,” he still answered.
She just sighed and supported him, but before that, she looked at the prince she fought against. “If you’re a true friend. You wouldn’t do this to Prince Dylan if you knew he was still weak in the use of a sword.” Every word she said was emphatic. “It’s not because you’re good at something that he’s weak at; you’ll use it first just to embarrass him, just because he’s weak and you’re strong.” She looked at him evilly, but he just smiled.
“It looks like he’s got an ally.” From the smiling lips, his face suddenly became serious, even the eyes, which seemed to be hiding a lot. “Next month, the tournament will come again, and I guarantee that I will go home the winner because you are a loser, Prince Dylan.” The words he says are slow, but with emphasis.
Dylan just bowed to Prince Damon’s words because, in all the competition between princes and rivals, he always loses or doesn’t get any reward. Adira noticed it and boldly looked at Prince Damon.
“Next time he will get the big reward and be the best in the tournament, mark my word!”
He laughed as if what she said was silly. “If he can even hold a bow, Prince Dylan is not skilled at even holding a bow or knowing how to release an arrow, so he always loses in the annual tournament of princes.” The prince looked at Dylan as he turned his back. “Until I witness him using the bow well, I won’t believe he will win this year.”
“Wait for that day, prince,” she said emphatically, and she led Prince Dylan to enter the palace.
While Adira was leading Prince Dylan inside, Prince Damon looked at his left hand, which was still dripping with blood from a very deep wound.
He stared at it even though the handle of the sword was stained with blood. “This is the first time I’ve been injured by someone I don’t know, and it’s a young lady.”
He tore the fabric inside his clothes because he was wearing normal clothes now, so the fabric was long until his feet, but his body was still able to move freely.
Prince Damon has to hide his wound. And he thinks that King Stephen wonders where he got it from when he entered the palace without it before going to where Prince Dylan was. He covered his hand while his breathing stopped for a few seconds because the wound was deep. It hurt more when there was a damp cloth. Prince Damon returned the sword he had used and walked back into the palace.
When Prince Damon got close to the palace, he saw Prince Dylan and the young lady in the doorway. It seemed that she could no longer bear the weight of the prince, so they stopped at the side of the door, where Prince Dylan was sitting. Prince Damon noticed that the king was on his way to their place, so he fixed himself as if nothing had happened.