"Pick it up, Jessa!" The young elf says as he knocks her down as he runs past her.

Jessa looks at the young elf with disgust, and to be honest no little hatred. Of them all Kristoff caused her the most problems, the ring leaders of those that bully her. It kills her that she can't do anything to him. She's better then him, she's better than them all in everything except running.

She takes off running once more ignoring the stinging from the scraped skin caused by her fall. She smiles knowing that she can and will take him down in the sparring. No one likes to spar with her because she always wins, although she never uses her full abilities against them. She just uses enough to make sure that they know that she is better than they are. It wouldn't do to destroy their fragile egos by showing them just how much better she is.

She's already living on borrowed time as it is. She's known since she was little that once the prince decides that she is able to fend for herself in the human world that she will be kicked out of the elven. Just the thought of that makes her heart heavy. She couldn't ask for a better mother than Sorid nor a better father than Kallen.

With that in mind she is slow to take down her opponents when she gets in the ring. Yet, in the end she takes them all down.

Neither she nor any of the students had realized that they were being monitored by any one other than Kallen. Had they known the young elflings wouldn't have shown such disregard or outright hatred towards the human child. Had the human, Jessa, known she would have done a better job of hiding her abilities when fighting.

Once practice is over for the day, Jessa cleans up. She volunteers for this job so that Kallen will have extra time for his other duties. Jessa doesn't mind since it gives her extra practice time without the others around and she can show her true skill.

It is only once the others have left and she is practicing by herself that the elf that had been monitoring her comes out of his hiding spot. "You were holding back against the others, why is that Jessa?"

Jessa turns slowly to face the man talking to her. She had felt someone come up but hadn't bothered to look until he asks her the direct question. Her eyes open wide in recognition then fear. "Your highness, forgive me," Jessa bows to him. 

"Why do you not use your full skill against them? They bully you incessantly any time Kallen isn't watching. Why do you not retaliate?"

Jessa laughs hollowly, "Yeah, and be punished  or cause problems for Kallen? No, thank you. I couldn't do that to Kallen, he's been an incredible father. He and Sorid have already suffered a great deal because of me. I won't cause them any more than are absolutely necessary."

Dhiren smiles at the young human, but it is without warmth. "Very well, I want you to fight me, go against me using your full abilities." Jessa swallows nervously. Everyone knows that Prince Dhiren is the best fighter in the elven nation. At least among the moon elves he is. He is also the one that will determine when she is fully trained and will send her out of the elven nation.

She is also very aware that he hates humans and has made his disdain of her being here very clear to all the elves.

"I will know if you are holding back, Jessa. That will make me very angry, I wish to have an honest sparring match with you. We will start with the bow. After I am satisfied with your accounting there we will spar with staff. Once one of us is disarmed we will go with swords and we will go until one of us yields to the other.

"Remember, I expect an honest sparring match out of you, no holding back." The prince warns one last and final time before reaching for his bow.

Jessa wipes her tears that she was unable to stop as she goes to the equipment room and removes a bow and quiver of arrows. She won't be able to hide with him and he will be kicking her out. She's going to be losing the only home, the only family she's ever known and going into a world she doesn't understand, a people that perhaps are her own, but she's never known them. She's never met a human before. Not since she was brought here nearly eighteen years ago.

Jessa forces her tears and all emotions away. She walks silently to the targeting area and waits for the Prince to shoot. She takes her turn and tunes out all outside noises. She is aware, but doesn't allow for that awareness to interfere with the shooting. She realizes that the prince is doing whatever he can to distract her. 

Jessa isn't phased by this. Kallen has done the same to her when he would teach her privately after the others have left for the day. The others, the elflings would do it in an effort to distract her during practice so they might take the top win. They never could.

Jessa is defeated in her heart. Knowing that the prince will order her to leave she decides to truly show the prince just what she can do. The prince shoots six arrows all leading to the target center. Jessa gives a faint smile as she takes those six arrows and shoots an obvious design around them before shooting the arrow in the center down it's length. It is wasteful of the arrow, but the prince ordered her to show her true ability and so she did.

"Can you do that again?" The prince demands. He isn't surprised in the least by her ability to do so.

"Yes, as many times as you would like, but Kallen doesn't like me to waste the arrows."

"Do it twice more. I'll pay for the replacement arrows myself."

"As you will, your highness."  Jessa splits two more arrows doing the same shot.

Dhiren nods satisfied. "Since I have no desire to be a moving target, I will take your word on how you are with those."

"I am as deadly with moving targets as I am with these. Same with riding and shooting."

"I see, shall we proceed?" The prince hides his feelings behind a bland voice, but there is something off with him now. Something that makes Jessa feel ill at ease with him. Not something she's ever felt before, at least not with him, but with others definitely. It has always meant trouble for her before.