Born In The Palace

Chapter 1: The Warning

"Again."

I huffed and picked up another arrow, drawing my bow taut, then fired it. The arrow flew straight into the centre of the target in front of me. 

"Father, you know I can do this with my eyes closed. Why are you still training me?" I said, turning to look at him after putting away my bow.

"Practice is important," he said. "I don't want you to forget anything."

"You've taught me how to fight as soon as I learned how to walk, let alone speak. I won't forget, believe me. Mother hasn't forgotten, and she learned how to fight much later than I did."

"Yes, but you forget that she's still training with me. You must maintain your strengths and reflexes, so when an enemy attacks--" Father suddenly struck with his fist, but I blocked it with my hand and twisted his arm behind his back, then let go. He smiled proudly. "--you will not be caught off guard."

Suddenly a group of ten guards walked in and father stepped away to let them surround me with their fists raised. 

"Not this again," I groaned, but took my fighting stance nonetheless. Blowing my hair out of my face, I motioned for them to attack me, smiling in slight amusement when I saw them hesitate. We've been through this many times before. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

In less than three minutes I had all ten of them lying on the floors of the training rooms, groaning in pain. 

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry."

"It is all right, Your Highness," one of them said, grimacing as he stood up, clutching his shoulder. He chuckled. "We're glad to see that you can fend for yourself."

"You did well today, Cassia," father said, nodding in approval as he approached me. "Very well." He patted the top of my head. 

"Your Highness!" Sophia, my lady in waiting barged into the training rooms. "You must attend your lessons today." When she approached me, she bowed to my father. "Your Majesty." Then she turned back to look at me. "If you miss another lesso --"

"You've been missing your lessons, Cassia?" Father frowned at me. 

"What? No!" I lied. "I haven't missed a single one."

"But-- ah!" Sophia yelped when I pinched the back of her arm to keep her quiet.

"Oh Gods, it must be time for my lessons now! I must go, father." I grabbed Sophia's hand and pulled her behind me as I walked to the doors of the training rooms. Walking through a series of hallways of the large palace of Kingdom Soleil, I brought us to my chambers, then let her hand go.   

"You know," Sophia said, "they will discover it eventually, Your Highness."

I sighed and sat on my bed. "I know. But until they do, I don't wish to waste the remaining time I still have left." I then stood and clapped my hands once, smiling in sudden excitement. "Now, let us sneak out of the palace."

~~~

"Must we always go through these tunnels?" Sophia whispered, clutching my arm in fear and jumping at every small sound she heard. "They are so...dark. I don't like them. I don't like them one bit."

"There's no other way to sneak past the guards and Nephos. You know that. As for the darkness..." I looked at the small fire in my hand and willed it to grow. I felt the heat rise underneath my skin until more flames burst through it, illuminating the tunnels around us. 

Sophia sighed, falling into step beside me, less frightened now that we were in the protective glow of the golden light. "You are going to get caught one of these days, and I will never hear the end of it from Lady Giselle if His and Her Majesty discover you."