Jessa goes to the equipment room and exchanges her borrowed bow for a staff and hides all the desire she has to drag her feet. She lifts her chin up. If she is going to be kicked out by the prince, then she will do so by doing her best. And dammit her best is damn good. 

She goes to the sparring ring and ignores the prince as he removes his fine shirt in preparations of the fight. She knows that many of the elfling females that she trains with would be distracted by his body. The prince is known as a beautiful specimen of elfhood.

Jessa would have to agree, but since he hates her without even knowing her she can't admire his looks. To her he is her enemy that will be sending her away from her family. That thought alone makes it so that when she starts fighting the prince that she doesn't hold back.

For the first time ever she puts her full energy and ability into the attacks against someone other than Kallen. She puts her anger and frustration and pain into the attack against the prince and in short order she is able to disarm him. Straightaway they break apart and go for their swords. Rather, the prince goes for his and Jessa once more goes to the equipment room and exchanges the borrowed staff for a sword.

"You don't have your own sword?" Dhiren asks more than a little shocked by that.

Jessa shakes her head no, "Kallen asked me if I wanted my own weapons, but I told him it wouldn't be right for me to have my own, when the others don't have their own yet."

Her answer bothers Dhiren, but he doesn't show it. Instead he joins her there in the center of the ring. Twice now she has bested him. Him, the best fighter of the elves and she has yet to even break a sweat even after training for several hours earlier. Only the running had her breathing hard, but not sweating.

He enjoins the attack, but Jessa steps back and keeps her eyes on her opponent. There is something dark that seems to take over the prince and for the first time Jessa is more than a little afraid of her opponent. Not because he will be taking her away from her entire world, but because she fears that it's no longer just a sparring match.

The match goes on and the prince presses her more than any of her other sparring partners other than Kallen ever have before. Jessa takes the initiative and starts doing some offense maneuvers. She trips and the prince smiles darkly and straddles her, bringing his knife to her throat.

Jessa doesn't like the look in the prince and so does the counter maneuver that Kallen taught her. She is able to get the prince off of her and disarms him of both his sword and his knife. But there is fear in her eyes as she does so. She doesn't lower her sword even after he acknowledges that she won.

Slowly the battle lust dies in the prince and he is horrified at what he would have done if Jessa hadn't known how to get out from that position. He looks at the young, scared girl, "Forgive me, Jessa and I thank you for allowing me to keep my honor. There is no need to hold the sword on me now, I will do no further harm to you. You have my word and my promise."

Jessa slowly lowers her sword, but she doesn't take her eyes off the prince. For Dhiren this is a low blow for his honor, his word and promise have never been in doubt before and never before has a female looked at him like that before either. It's not something he will ever forget and it will haunt him to his dying days. Has he truly allowed his hatred to grow so much that he would take it out on an innocent young female?

Dhiren is sick and disgusted in himself. Not only has this young human bested him, the best fighter in the moon elf nation, but what he almost did. He never thought he was some one that could do something like that. It isn't permitted in the soldiers and he holds himself to a higher bar than he expects his soldiers to follow.

"Put your weapon away, Jessa. It's time to go to your home. I have need to talk to your parents now." Dhiren says the words softly, but due to his self disgust they come out coldly.

Jessa is aware of what he's going to tell her parents. Although she does her best to hold back the pain, she is unable to hold back all the tears and makes sure that the prince doesn't see any of them or any trace of them. She does her best to stay in front of him as he walks his horse behind her to her home. She wonders just how long she will have before she is forced to leave. She wouldn't put it past the prince to make her leave in the morning.

She calls out for her mother as they come to her home. "Jessa, is anything wrong?" Sorid asks coming out of the house.

"No, mother, the prince would like a word with you and father." Jessa says calmly, no trace of the tears she feels in her voice.

Sorid stands tall and faces the prince, "I see, Jessa go inside and get the bottle of wine that is for a special occasion and three cups."

"Yes, mother," Jessa says softly and Sorid gives her a quick squeeze before ushering Dhiren into her home while they wait for Kallen to join him.

"You've done a marvelous job teaching her, Sorid," Dhiren says breaking the awkward silence that fills the room.

Jessa brings in the tray with the wine and cups. Dhiren raises an eyebrow. The bottle of wine is indeed for a special occasion, it is the best wine the elves make and is very expensive even to other elves, but to humans it is prohibitively expensive.

"You do not need to honor me with this, Sorid." Dhiren says knowing his words aren't going to be celebrated like that wine should mean.

Sorid tries but can't smile at the prince, "It isn't every day that your prince comes calling to speak with you."

"I don't feel right you honoring me with this wine when you know what I'm here about."

"She might, but I do not, highness." Kallen says coming into the house silently and hearing the last part of the prince's words.

"I think you do, you both do. I would have to have you send her out even if she wasn't ready." Dhiren says trying to make things better. He's just glad that Jessa isn't there to hear what he's going to say.

"I don't understand," Sorid says in the sudden silence.

"Jessa is being bullied by the elflings in her class. They are careful about it so they don't get caught, but they've pushed her, shoved her caused her to fall and be harmed. But if it were only that then I would still allow her to remain, for a short time longer, but there's more." Dhiren can't find the words to say what needs to be said. He's far too ashamed of himself and his actions or rather almost actions.

"What do you mean there's more?" Kallen says more than a little upset that he's going to be losing his daughter soon. He's grown to love his short stuff as much as if she were his natural daughter.

"I had her spar against me," the prince begins and Kallen's eyes go wide in fear. "She won every time. I became upset, she is well taught and although yet young she was able to disarm me. She allowed me to keep my honor due to your teachings being good enough, Kallen. There is nothing more that she can be taught here.

"If I, with all my years nearly lost control against her, it is just a matter of time before the younglings do out of frustration and anger that a mere human continuously beats them in everything other than running.

"I'm sorry, Kallen, Sorid, to protect her I must insist that she leave. I will give you tomorrow to pack her things and make arrangements and say your goodbyes, but the day after she will need to leave.

"She is a wonderful girl. She wouldn't even stick up for herself against the bullying because she didn't want to cause you two any more trouble than her being here already does. She's highly intelligent and highly trained, she will make her way in the human world, I have no doubt of that. We won't send her off with out money and introductions to some that can help her. The day after I will meet with you here and give you or rather give Jessa what she will need to start over in her new life." 

With those words Dhiren stands up amidst the sobbings of Sorid and does his best to not see the tears falling down Kallen's cheeks. "Please, tell her that I'm sorry once more for my almost actions." Dhiren says as he goes to the door and lets himself out. That had been far more difficult than he had expected it to be eighteen years ago.

Kallen and Sorid deserve better than what they were just served, but it truly isn't safe for Jessa here any longer. He had seen how some of the younglings had looked at her. They were or are planning mischief against her and she can't stay here without punitive action being taken, but it would be too late for the young human and he has no desire for her to be harmed. She truly is innocent and doesn't deserve to be treated so lowly.

Dhiren is disgusted by his own near actions and takes a good hard look at himself and what he's allowed himself to become. He doesn't like what he sees.

He stops at a couple of places before he returns to the palace. He owes the girl and he knows that his parents are wanting to give her some gifts as well.