[Arthdal Chronicles] Fight for freedom

CHAPTER 27: Learning how to be an Igutu.

"Is that all you got?" Enoria provocatively asked Saya as she had dodged his attack once again. In fact, he wasn't that bad at all for someone who had spent most of his time in a tower, but she wouldn't tell him that, at least not for now, first she needed to push him to his limits. "Too slow, again," she ordered him.

He complied without saying anything about the way she was talking to him, he kind of had gotten used to it. They had been training for a whole week, every morning, from sunrise to midday and they both had to recognize they could -by making an effort- support each other quite well after all.

"Do you really think the warriors you are going to lead to war are going to obey you if you are that weak?" she asked him. 

"I am the Prince, they won't have the choice," he replied to her as their practice swords met again.

"It doesn't matter on a battlefield, warriors follow strength," she said as she kicked him in the leg. His knee met the ground and she put her wood sword on his neck. "Dead. Again. Stand up."

He sighed as he stood up and he glanced at the one who was watching from afar: Tanya. She had came to encourage him and he wished he could have shown her he was going to be a good leader for the war, that he could defend her if she was in danger, that he could be a strong husband if she was to marry him, but whom he had as a trainer and an opponent wasn't someone he could easily defeat. 

He didn't know if she could hear his thoughts from where she was but when she smiled at him, it gave him the strength to go for another round of training.

"Hey," Enoria started as she noticed the two young people glancing at each other, "don't count on me to go easy on you so that it will help you flirt and win her over."

"I didn't ask you to do that," Saya replied as he positioned himself again, "I am going to beat you, fairly, and then we'll see what happens."

"Go ahead, try, little Prince," she answered with a smirk. 

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"She could go easy on him, he is a beginner," Tanya complained as she was watching the two train.

Yangcha discreetly scoffed, she was being nice with the Prince, if not, he wouldn't be able to stand up.

He had been discreet but not enough for the Priestess not to hear, she looked at him up and down and when her eyes met his, she sighed, "you are enjoying that, aren't you?" she asked him.

He shrugged, he was, but he wouldn't tell her, it was indeed nice to see the Prince being beaten up without saying anything but it was even nicer to see the woman he loved showing off her skills, he had trained her to be that good, he was feeling proud. It also made him miss his own training, he missed using his sword and chains and the adrenaline rush a good fight always gave him. He wouldn't lie, though it was so far a quite easy job, he didn't really think his place was by the High Priestess' side, he was made for battlefields.

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"Focus," Enoria scolded her student, "stop trying to be pretty for Tanya's eyes."

"Says the one trying to impress her boyfriend," Saya responded.

"If I wanted to do that I would have kicked your ass for good."

"Maybe you have been trying to do that for a while but can't."

Enoria laughed as she dodged his attack, "do you really want me to use all my strength on you? You may not be able to go to war if I do."