Madalin is a member of a royal family that rules over a country named Lysteria. She's brave, bold, smart, yet gentle and caring all the same. The princess dreams of running away from the shackles of a royal life, while her parents try to keep her ca...
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"Pardon?"
The sky had changed its color from a midnight black to a very deep blue. The sun was scheduled to rise in an hour, but for the time being, stars glimmered up high. And underneath them echoed the ringing of a sword striking against another sword.
"You heard me. I will go after that man and end this for once and for all."
Hadrian blocked Madalin's upcoming attack. When her sword had stilled against his own, he used his free hand to pinch the edge of her weapon. He slowly lowered it down while his eyes bore holes into her face.
"You're being serious?"
"So you think I'm joking? By all means, go ahead. Mock me all you want." Madalin snipped with irritation, and the prince shook his head. He let go of her sword and stepped closer. His gaze fell upon the stray strand lying on her cheek, and he gently pushed it away.
"I helped you in your escape plan, Madalin. You think I'd mock another outrageous plan of yours?" He murmured, appearing to be quite distracted. The princess's heart picked up on its speed all of a sudden. She could hear the blood pump wildly in her body, and her head was tilted up to return his eye contact. A voice in her head told her to be ashamed of her reaction since she was married, and another voice encouraged her to carry on.
Hadrian took a stride backwards in an instant, as if snapping out of his daze. He held his sword up again to beckon Madalin, and she took her stance as well. Her mind was still jumbled, but she blinked a few times to focus on her training.
"Outrageous, eh?" She grinned humorously, in an attempt to brush off the moment that took place a second ago.
"Outrageous." He smirked as a confirmation. Hadrian began with his offensive strategy that always seemed to work against Madalin. He swung his sword at her mercilessly. It was as if his speed somehow increased with every strike, and when Madalin left him an opening, Hadrian pressed his sword against her neck and caught her off guard.
The victorious prince raised an eyebrow in all of his cocky glory, whereas Madalin pursed her lips to appear unimpressed. But really, she was trying to suppress a smile. It seemed that not only was she getting better with her fighting skills, but Hadrian was too.
"May I join you both?"
He pulled his sword away, and Madalin spun around almost immediately after being given the opportunity. A sleepy Edmund came into their view. His eyes were darting between his cousin and his wife that were standing before him.
For some odd reason, guilt flooded the princess. She felt as if she had gotten caught whilst she was committing a crime of some sorts. The fact that Hadrian was shirtless as usual wasn't helping her case either, and her only hope right now was that her cheeks weren't reflecting her emotions somehow.
"You're late, actually. Training was just over, and I have had more victories today." She stated with the aim to lighten the atmosphere. Madalin held out the sword's handle in Hadrian's direction to hand it to him, and when it was taken from her grip, she walked towards Edmund. She studied his drowsy features, and upon noticing his messed up hair, her lips pressed together to stifle a laugh. In order to hide her face, she turned her head around to bid her trainer a farewell.
