He pulled out a dagger right from the wind or maybe he was just too quick.

"Step out nicely or I can force you." He threatened.

As much as it angered me to see him, his aura was undeniable and terrifying. Not bothering to be a fool and argue him I just came forward keeping a safe distance.

We stepped out and this time I squinted my eyes because of the light. I didn't even know I needed the warmth so bad but as the sun bathed me with heat, I felt my muscles relax.

He wanted to train me. But for what? My eyes followed his moments like a hawk. He looked relaxed and not even slightly alert that I might surprise attack him. He walked with authority and a regal grace. And even in the heat, he did not uncover his face.

My inside churned with curiosity to know about his plan, his thought. But more importantly, my brain was seared with hatred for him. Every time he was near I has to live back the day I lost everything.

"Do I get a weapon of choice?" I asked knowing the answer to the question.

"Eat." He commanded and even though I was starving I didn't touch the basket of fruit set aside on a wooden table outside.

I am not doing anything at his commands, if he thought I am that weak he was in for surprise.

I just stood there showing my little act of rebellion.

His eyes narrowed on me but I pretended to stay calm and not get scared by them.

"You do know who I am?" He asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."

And this time I glared back at him.

He stepped closer and my heart fumbled inside my chest but I stood my ground. There was no denying fear that came along with his presence.

He observed me closely and I squirmed under his gaze, the discomfort caused my fingers to curl tightly into a fist and I bit my cheek to stop myself from saying something that can get me killed.

I didn't look into his eyes, I will never do that. I was afraid he would see right through me.

"Here." He said after a moment and I was handed a well-balanced sword in my hand.

His foolish bravery surprised me. He handed me a weapon knowing that I can handle it quite well.

But little did I know that anger clouded my sanity as well, I was the fool here as I charged at him without hesitating. I channelled all my pent up anger and loathing in that hit but all I could hit was the air.

I was just getting started. Gerald told me to battle it out and observe the movement of the opponent. I needed to see his foot movement, the way his wrist would curve before hitting the sword and the direction of his eyes to judge the direction of his hit.

I turned around immediately to see him standing behind me. And I raised my sword again to hit him gritting my teeth together but again, he was gone and I was left there looking like a fool.

"Are you trying to train me or trying to show off?" I snapped after I tried hitting him for the fifth time.

"I am going easy on you." He retorted.

"I don't want your pity."

I want to plunge this sword in your heart.

"Then don't act pitiful." He mocked me.

As a princess, I was never trained to use the petty trick on my enemy but he was not some common enemy. He was the killer of my father.

I inhaled sharply, "Okay, let's do it again."

But each time I tried the moves taught to me, he would either block with ease or he was already gone. He didn't even sweat while I was nauseous. My body was still not recovered from the aftermath of my previous activities and then imprisonment without proper food.

My stomach was filled with unpleasant sensation and I felt dizzy. I was sweating profusely and every part of my body burned with pain.

I wanted to puke my guts and I motioned for him to stop the training.

Surprisingly he did as I sat down on the soft sand floor. I tried breathing normally.

What was I doing here?

"Why did you buy me?" Even the question made me feel like I was a property to be owned.

He didn't answer and just kept staring at something afar. As if he was not the master of dark magic or mind manipulation he pretended to act all high and mighty and ignore my questions.

"I asked a question," I demanded an answer trying not to think about throwing up.

"And I asked you to eat first and yet here we are." He stated it so calmly that it annoyed me.

He was enjoying toying with my pain and helplessness.

"If I eat will you answer?" I asked.

This time he bestowed me with a look.

"Maybe."

"Not good enough," I said.

"So are your skills."

I almost forgot that I was a princess raised to be decent and courteous and almost bared my teeth at him filled with anger. How dare he mock me?

So I stood up and stepped closer to him, chanting be brave in my head. I was closer to him than he was when he captured me at the brothel. Darkness rolled off him again but he didn't become a shadow like last time.

"Why. Did. You. Buy. Me?" I said enunciating every word and letting my frustration flow in them.

My heart was beating so loudly in my chest that I was afraid he would hear it and mock me for being a coward.

And yet again he had that passive look in his eyes, indigo eyes so dark that it could remind of you night without stars. He was contemplating his answer or maybe deciding to ignore me again when I took this chance and raised my chance to strike.

This time at least he didn't get the chance to be ninja quick that he was but the sword couldn't hit him, instead, he caught my wrist and twisted it slightly that I yelped and pain shot through my arm but I didn't drop my sword. And his eyes rose, I don't know in surprise or amusement.

"Petty tricks?" He asked and I detected insult in his tone.

"Everything is fair in love and war." I retorted even though the quote made no sense to me.

Fair, from whose perspective?

He chuckled lightly and not a happy good chuckle but one to mock my logic. And then he straightened my wrist and I relaxed as the pain subsided. His thumb softly caressed my wrist and bizarre feeling spread over my nerves instead as I felt goosebumps all over me.

What was this?

He took a step closer and I stopped breathing, his thumb still caressing my wrist and this time the sword dropped from my head. I felt disappointed at myself for the unfamiliar sensation that made me drop my weapon.

Now he had a dagger on my throat which came to nowhere but I didn't look away. I hated those indigo eyes with all my heart.

"You want to kill me." He said it like it was fact.

He didn't know I was the princess and I wanted to avenge my father's death, my kingdom's downfall and him fooling us into destruction.

"Can you blame me now?" I said spitefully.

He shook his head lightly and stepped back and I sighed in relief.

"Try your best love." He said challenging me and I glared back at him.

You took everything from me. I will try my best without saying.

"You can go now. That's enough training for the day." He said.

"I can keep going." I lied perfectly because I wanted to see how much he can torture me or get to know why I was here.

But he was already gone.

____

I walked back into my room knowing well enough what that stupid fence did. There was nothing else in view besides the trees around me. I did bring inside the fruit basket with me and ate till my stomach was full but basket kept refilling itself.

This kind of magic could have gotten people killed in my Kingdom. My father's belief was that the magic will be the doom of the world, my mother died because of this and I shared his belief. I couldn't just sit here and wait for him to pretend that everything was fine and we could train for some unsaid battle or whatever plan that he had in mind.

I needed to escape but so far I could see nothing hopeful.

For the next three days, our routine repeated. He came in the morning when the sun rose up in the sky and train with me will it was about to set. My muscles were sore and I felt dizzy all the times. I had bruises over the injuries yet in the healing process. The cut made on the side of my waist still ached and made difficult for me to breathe at times.

But I didn't let it show and kept the training going.

He would talk in short sentence like Eat or try better. Or he would sometimes glare at me but all this while I wasn't making much progress. I would just run around like a fool trying to even get a grasp of his movement. He was absolutely what legends said, invincible and swift on his feet.

On the fourth day, he brought me things other than water and fruits. It was baked bread and they smelled delicious. Before he could say eat, I hurried and picked up a piece. I felt good from head to toe and unknowingly a smile spread on face.

"Why the generosity?" I asked and looked at him doing his usual ignoring me thing.

He didn't reply.

"Are these drugged?" I asked because I realised my mistake after I ate them.

His silence continued.

After I was done eating, he brought out the wooden stick he used against me while I had a full sharp-edged sword.

"You can use the sword today," I said.

"Do you want to die?" He answered, amusement laced in his tone.

Conceited Pig.

"I would prefer it than being caged here?" And look at the face of the killer of my family.

"Then let's try something you will like." He said and obviously, he was going to do something that will torture me further.

But I thought how bad can it get and nodded.

He brought out his sword and said, "I will be at my slowest, let's see if you can take a hit."

And our battle began, it was the usual, me trying to hit him and him not breaking a sweat as he dodged my hits. But among all this I noticed, I had a slight advantage with the sword in his hand. In the sun, the metal had a shine to it which was visible and since he did say he was trying to be slow for me.

I noticed the shine and a pattern of how that shine moved.

I felt a little smug as I raised my sword and hit at the metal hoping that my estimate was sharp as it was during practices with Gerald.

The metal clang and my heart leapt, adrenaline rushed through me at my successful hit and next image in my head was to kill the evil in front of me. But as soon as the sword hit his sword, his black smog like image cleared but this time it was not a tall man with the mask that he usually is and black clothing, instead, it was Gerald with his stern face and wrinkled smile of approval.

I gasped and fell back. Tears filled with my eyes, a sob building in my throat.

"Take a hit," Gerald said and I broke into tears.

"Stop this," I yelled realising I was still the stupid feeble girl at heart.

But then the fear followed and I looked up with my eyes still filled with tears.

"That is it for today's training Princess." He said looking passive back to being him again.

He knew all along.

___

Hope this makes your Monday better.

I started mine like a half zombie. lol.

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