Plummet

Player

Whatever else said and done, Princess Hue had a huge ego that I needed to stroke. So I did as Anh suggested, challenged her to more duels and lost every one of them. Realistically. But I felt it was making her suspicious, not because she said anything, but because she said nothing.

The last time when I was 'forced' to my knees, she didn't smirk victoriously, just frowned. Anh watched us pointedly, and I couldn't help divert the Princess' attention.

"Why do you stare so, Lady Anh? Have you never seen a handsome Princess before?"

It twisted my gut to be giving someone such a compliment. I did nevertheless, and it seemed to irk the Princess even further because she sheathed her sword and walked back, flipping her hair. I did the only thing that struck me then, got up, dusted my robes and followed.

In retrospect that was the worst move ever, to pursue a princess whose haughtiness had been pricked. And that too through the Palace corridors, but I did, and Anh got up, following us - I knew she did, but she was rather skilled. Nobody could have known she was behind us, unless they knew her footsteps as well as I did.

"Princess, you must talk to me!" 

The Palace was mostly empty in this part and quite sealed, so I took my chances with my volume. She did not reply, took a sharp right turn, making me skid to a halt and then turn too. Anh was still behind us but I did not turn to look at her, her robes made a slight rustle now but Princess Hue was too far ahead to hear it.

She entered a chamber, and I committed the worst audacity of all - entered it behind her, without any permission - but she didn't seem to mind. The room... was magnificent.

I realized that she came her to relax because a huge window was in place of an entire wall, an outlet to the garden beyond. The garden itself I could not describe, it was splendid and I did not know so many splendid words.

She knew I was here, but she didn't mind. I took my chance.

I closed the door behind us.

"What audaci-" she began, through gritted teeth, but stopped mid-way perhaps looking at my expression. To be honest, that was the worst day of my life.

"Princess Hue-"

"Can't you men ever treat women equal?" she interjected. I expected that Anh was against the door, listening to every word of our conversation. So be it, she couldn't deter me today. I wasn't doing this for myself. It was for us.

"I'm afraid I don't under-"

"Oh don't act stupid!" she lashed, "Why are letting me win? Is it because you think I'm weak, or because you think it placates me?"

I took a step towards her, "It's because I think it makes you happy." I said, tenderly. The aftereffects, Princess Hue colouring - they were satisfying to a certain painful degree. But she turned away,

"It most certainly does not. And why in the world would you care what makes me happy?"

"Princess," my voice shook, "I know I came here to be your tutor, I know it hasn't been very long," I walked towards her with every sentence, "but I've never met a woman like you."

Princess Hue was stoic, unshaken. She was against a small ornate table as I walked to her, closer and closer until our chests almost touched, "My past does not define who I am today, Princess. It has been nine years since Chi-"

"And not even nine weeks since Bia," she lashed, "my father does not know of your past and so he may hire you but I shall never, ever consider you even a human let alone worthy of my affections!" she continued, looking up at me.

"You misunderstand me, Princess Hue. I swear on the sword I hold that I did not love Bia. And that I love you. Only you."

"You have six swords, which one?" She smiled sarcastically.

"Every one of them."

"But I have only one sword Pham, and I swear on it that I will never love you."

My teeth gnashed inaudibly. How easy to kill her this very second, the throne would be vacant... but no, I wouldn't live much after that. "You don't understand my feelings, they'll kill me."

"And if you don't stay away,  I will kill you."

"You'll regret losing me, Princess Hue."

"We'll see, Pham."

I stepped back, nodding and walking to the door, completely forgetting that Anh was at it and pulling it open abruptly. Anh stumbled forward, right into my arms, I steadied her without looking at her. "My sincere apologies, Lady Anh." I said, as formally as possible and left.

"I know you heard us, Anh. I would have told you anyway." I heard Princess Hue say as I dragged myself away.

She would regret.

+ + +

"And why do you think, Sir, that you are better than every other applicant out there?" the Princess'  tutor asks me. All he does not know to use is the crossbow. My benefit.

"I let my weapons speak for me."

"Would you like to show me?"

I shake my head, feigning disappointment. "Dueling is an art that must not happen for 'show' and a clamoring audience. It's sacred warfare. It's defense."

The tutor looks impressed, he does not see me unsheathe the smallest of my daggers. In a flash I've thrown it at the only lamp in the room, extinguishing it and dipping us in the dark.

The next second, he finds me at his neck, my sword drawn with one hand, my other hand pressing the hilt of his blade down so that he cannot draw it. "And most of the times, it much more about doing without showing."

That was the second I knew I was hired. And more than that, held in esteem.