Read in landscape

So, maiden sought to ready self for test
In foolish hope that noble's blade she'll best.
But means for maid were very scant and dire
For woman thought for sure that ship would hire

The hand of any willing given aid,
And take whatever help from strangers gave.
Instead, she's stuck with little means or goods,
And maid alone in strangest city's stood.

So peasant sells the horse she rode on way
In hopes that money earned will let her stay,
And prove her worth to captain, lord, and love
That maid might join the man on helm above.

She goes to inn and rents a room to stay
That maid on noble ship might win her way.
With bed to rest and stay now fast secured
She buys a saber hoping blade becomes inured

To hand of maid with many hours trained,
And prays to God that skills are swiftly gained.
About the city maiden current went
In quest for teacher peasant's quickly sent.

For long she searched to find a master blade
But none there lie for price that maid can pay
To teach the servant ways of saber sword
Bestowing all their skill along with lore,

But maid refuses great despairing path
Nor turns herself to hand of futile wrath.
Instead, she sets to train by self with rusted blade
In hopes that skill by hardest labor's made. 

Without a place or person found to train
She goes to shipping yard in heat and rain
To teach herself before appointed time
In hopes that way to best the prince she'll find.

Against a post she tries to train her skill
Possessing only iron heart and will.
And many saw and spoke of fury great
How slightest cabin boy defied his fate,

And won respect of many men who spied
How boy who worked to change his fate now tried.
His tale across the shipping docks now spread
Into the ears of noble news was fed.

That told the man of boy who trained in yard,
And strove to meet the challenge great and hard.
So down he went where boy did sweating train
Though knowing failure captain tried to gain

By granting hardest chore as entrance fee
So child would cease and stop his ardent pleas.
Through crowds at docks the captain pushes slow
On down, to ramshod training place he goes. 

When seeing thing the captain's surely struck
At sight of boy who tries his fate and luck.
Without a teacher stood he hot in day,
And railed against a post that's very frayed

With all the strokes he former cut with blade,
And added still to many gashes made.
Then captain pondered long his former plan,
And weighed in mind the value bore by man.

Then after long the cabin boy he sought,
And up to man who challenged him he walked.

"I would have you to let me yet train you with blade
For there's only so much you can learn by yourself on this post.
By yet many a year and a master this swordsman was made

In this craft I am great, of my skill with a sword I can boast.
So now take of my time and my talent with weapon as well
Of your lessons and practice I will make of myself what is host.

To yet turn from me greatest of defeats would surely yet spell.
There's no way you will pass with your labor and courage alone
Will you take from me skills that in hand of this noble now dwells

So the craft of your sword with my knowledge is greatly yet honed."

Then looking up from post to lover's face
That held for foe a strange and eerie grace.
She presses on in hopes to learn his will
To know what plan the prince did wish fulfilled.

"You're noble man to offer aid
To foe who seeks to win his fame
By taking challenge gave by self
So man on board your ship be dwelt.

Not many men that honor own
To seek to help their foes yet hone
The skill of arm they need to fight
By helping warrior stoke their might.

But still a trick from lord the peasant fears
That man would seek to hold his knowledge dear.
Not helping serf to learn the craft I need
Or giving lessons false for man to heed.

I give you time to tell me thoughts
Why noble man this peasant sought."

The noble man does ready words and voice
To tell the cabin boy of captain's choice.
Explaining reason noble sought to aid,
And help the boy though challenge man had made.

"I am making this choice in the hopes that I better may find
What the power that's kept in the shoulder of boy may well be.
To uncover what's strength of your body I'm training your mind.

That the boy can be ready to render to captain his fee.
So you'll meet me with saber in hand and be ready to fight,
And the truth of your arms is revealed that your Lord may yet see.

So that challenge we enter that yields what is greatest of sight
Will then show me the strength of your shoulder and arm.
That your ignorant ways not be taken for lack of a might.

For this reason I teach you, that chances of peasant aren't harm."

When hearing words her heart does ease
At motive found the maiden's pleased.
That man she loved would help his foe
Though doing so may bring his woe.

"Your help's accepted noble man
I'll yield myself to prince's plan,
And learn the skills that royal's sought
That surely greatest gold has bought.

To gain what gold has bought with time
Is bargain few in world will find,
And only fool refuses grant
When faced with chances very scant.

But still I'll watch the way the prince does teach
If challenge great he's helping boy to meet,
And judge if knowledge gave is true and fair
To see if man for fate of boy does care.

But reason gave is good for time
Till fault in noble man, I find."

So prince does teach the peasant blade
That man may learn to win his way,
And gain for self the right to sail
By proving strength of arm won't fail

When out at sea and waves do clash,
And thunder rolls with sounding crash
Or other challenge comes on trip
Requiring might to save the ship.

For many nights the noble taught,
And gave the child the skills he sought
To help prepare the boy for test
To see between them which is best.

When morning came she challenge sought,
And many men she sparring fought
To check the skills she learned at night,
And see if prince did teach what's right.

For many eves they honed her craft
Preparing girl for final clash,
And days do pass becoming weeks
As maiden strives to challenge meet.

And talks are often made with pair
As prince does speak of maiden fair.
Revealing secrets known so well
To person noble current tells.

And report grows between the pair
As maid befriends her lover fair.
So newer bliss again is found
In port where many ships abound.

And maiden learns the man again
Instead of love as dearest friend.
As pair do speak of dreams they held
In world so wide where pair did dwell.

So maiden better knew the man
By stroke of luck she had not planned,
And greater still her love did grow
As peasant came to noble know.

But time again on mind of peasant weighs
As swift approached that grimmest contest day.
A way to best his skill she must now find
To fight and beat her love's the double bind.

She sets and thinks but answer fails to come
At query found the maiden's stricken dumb.
But still the contest fair must peasant meet,
And try to match his skill in dueling feat.

Then day arrives and maiden goes to yard
Where prince and peasant girl had often sparred
To fight her love and foe with saber drawn,
And see whose will the fate of journey spawns.

Beneath the sun at highest noon they meet
To beat their foe does maid and man now seek.
They draw their swords and pause with bated breath
For first to move and tempt the maw of death.

Then captain swings and sabers ring so shrill,
And maiden's awed to see her lover's skill,
But peasant rallies beating back his blade
Through sheerest will her strength of shoulder's made.

Then dodges quick as prince continues lunge,
And ever forward vicious saber plunged.
With wiry strength his sword he deftly heaves,
And every blow his foe does seek to cleave.

But maiden knows the cost of losing match,
And quickly darts so sabers sparking clash.
In hopes that will of God may come to aid
When seeing plight of poorest peasant maid.

But still a greatest match she gives in yard
Through skills the maiden earned by training hard.
And sparks from clashing sabers fill the air
That drew a crowd to watch the dueling pair.

Then cheers did come for maid disguised as man
Who gave a better show than either planned.
But still her skills were meek compared to prince
Who all his life had masters taught to fence,

And also owned a stronger form than maid
A fact for which the peasant current paid
As numbness crept inside the maiden's arm
From dreadful mighty blows intent to harm.

Then after meeting foe with all her might,
And putting up surprising show in fight
She slowly lost the grip she held on blade,
And saber maiden held was beat away.

Her heart now sunk she tries to hide her tears
Her face now showing peasants many fears.
Now way to guard her lover's fate was gone
Her plans were dashed by arms he owned so strong.

Then lover spoke to bid the maiden stand,
And spoke to maid revealing all his plans.

"I do deem you've enough of that strength in your body and soul,
And are able to sail on the journey that captain has planned.
If your int'rest yet lies in that sphere and this voyage is goal

Then on vessel of captain the peasant may surely yet stand.
For not many a man would be ardent as serf in this path
Though receiving no hope from the captain's own mouth or his hand,

And I noble would take you as member of ship and as staff.
To yet work so that peasant of sailing as craft can yet learn
For so few would yet face what are waves and the oceans own wrath.

At the prospect would better a part of a sailor been turned."

And hopes of maid are bore yet high
By words of captain strong and wry.
Who grants request she first had made
Before this contest man had bade.

Disbelief ruling heart and mind
In awe she words does try to find.

"I thank you prince for giving grant
Though met with force so very scant
That seldom peasant saw a care
When dueling feat we both had dared.

Your noble actions serve my ends,
And prince's cause I'll sure defend
From every peril found on way.
Your foes I'll help to keep at bay.

But still I wonder reason found for fight
When prince did bid the peasant prove his might.
If test results where soon discard by man
What purpose bore the prince's dueling plans?

But still by side I'll serve till end,
And work as prince's closest friend."

When hearing question ask by man
The subject made of prince's plan.
He quickly answers query found,
And speaks reveling thoughts profound.

"Not a man in this port may yet match me with arm or with blade
So to win was not purpose of test that I gave to the boy,
But to see with your heart what the strength of your body be made

Was the sum of my cunning that prince had yet sought with this ploy.
And with greatest of results exceeding my hopes you did win
Though to know for a certain my efforts were hidden and coy

But my doubts has the peasant by force yet now put to an end
With your will that has won what is passage on vessel as crew
So that quickly to the world that is new we may ready and send

Now that members of vessel have slowly but steadily grew."

Then great relief did course through heart
That maid's allowed to play her part,
And aid her love on voyage far
Though task be great and very hard...

Please vote and comment!!! Do you guys think she did okay? Did Chavet make the right choice?