The Empress' Descent

Chapter 29 - A Knight's Oath

Derek had never known defeat his entire life. In the East, he was the strongest and cruelest when it came to his opponents.

But what of this? His knees and palms were rooted to the ground. He took in rasping breaths of air, sweat dripping from his brows in rapid successions.

A stinging wetness trickled from the right side of his jaw down to his neck, the metallic tang of iron filling his nose. The wound had to be at least five centimeters deep.

He tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword so hard it trembled. The searing ache of his limbs screamed surrender.

Derek craned his neck to peer at the Princess. She'd dropped her sword to her side, panting heavily. The strands of her dark-blue hair were in the wrong places. Her skin was damp and a large gash tore the fabric covering her shoulder down to her chest, revealing her fair complexion.

His cheeks reddened from the shame of underestimating the girl, at being unnecessarily flustered and at the sheer exhaustion barking in his bones.

The fight was a blur of swings and strikes and parries, with Derek catching up with the Princess' launches. With her monstrous agility, she evaded Derek's blows with graceful sidesteps and reels. Like a ballerina hopping and pouncing on tippy toes. One would think she was performing on a stage if she weren't carrying a sword.

If Derek wasn't so absorbed by the essence of battle, he would have taken the time to admire her every movement. Movements which came to him swiftly as ripples on still water. As brief as specks of light whenever the sun hits your eyes.

None of his previous opponents fought like her. She charged and blocked with the strength of a hired mercenary, yet her mobility was that of an assassin's, light-footed and lithe. And because her enemies tend to see her as weak, they become complacent. Just like Derek had been.

The haze of adrenaline still swirled in her azure eyes even with her shoulders rising and falling. There was a crack in her normally impassive expression, a crazed kind of fascination leaking from it.

A shadow fell on him and Derek bristled. But Princess Athelina merely sank to the ground and sat cross-legged.

"Impressive," she said. "No one has lasted that long against me. I enjoyed it very much."

Derek gritted his teeth as he slumped in a seated position, directly facing the Princess.

Unlike her, he certainly hadn't enjoyed it. Of course she'd be delighted. She won, after all.

Any ounce of politeness and shame left Derek's body.

"You must be incredibly happy." Derek willed himself to meet her intimidating gaze. "Seeing as you've scored another victory."

Derek's guts wrenched at the pathetic way his voice sounded.

"I am happy," she confessed. "But not for the reason you think of. I have been trained in combat nonstop since I was a child. It is only expected of me to excel in this field."

Again, Derek was surprised that a girl was trained for a man's job. Although given the fact that she was royal, she could have willed anyone to teach her if she told them to. No one would have said a word of defiance to their princess.

He shook his head, failing to grasp the meaning of her words. "I'm not getting you."

"In time you will. For now, you will follow me wherever I go and adhere to my every request."

It seemed to Derek that he had been deemed worthy of being Princess Athelina's personal bodyguard.

His shoulders sank. "Very well, your highness."