The Hidden Princess: Finding Hope (Book One)

Chapter Two - I'm done with this game (e)

"Samantha, when you come of age I'm going to marry you!" I heard a voice I had grown to hate over the years say from behind me.

"Just keep walking Sam," my friend Aaron said.

"Yeah, Aaron's right let's go." Morgan, my only girl friend, said, grabbing my hand and trying to pull me away.

"Running is not going to help you, when the day comes I'll make you my wife," Jack said with a smirk.

I quickly spun around making Morgan stumble as I jerked away.

"Now Samantha wipe that silly expression off your face, I don't want my wife to be wrinkled" Jack said, stepping towards me.

My arm started to swing back, but Aaron noticed and grabbed it.

"Now's not the time to fight, Sam." He said with pleading eyes.

"Fine, lets go." I said sharply then turned on my heels.

"I'll see you later my darling!" Jack called after us.

He'd gone too far this time, I spun around and lunged at him knocking both of us to the ground. Before Jack knew what was happening, I had given him a bloody nose and was on my way to do more damage.

"Get off me," He screamed trying to shove me aside, but even though I was only ten and he was twelve, I was the better fighter.

Chloe said I had anger issues and that it was unladylike to act out of anger, but I just could not help myself. At ten years old I had learned to push aside everyone's comments except Jack's. Within a few minutes I was so enraged that everything around me was a blur. I could hear people yelling. "Don't ever say those things again. I will never marry your sorry..." I shouted, but was stopped when I felt a hand grab the back of my shirt and hauled me to my feet. I spun around ready to attack whoever had dared to stop me. Luckily, I had enough sense left to stop my arm, because it was my Papa that was holding me and if I hit him...

Tom helped Jack to his feet and was cleaning off the blood on his face.

"What's going on here?" Papa asked, losing his grip on my shirt, but not letting go.

I swayed from foot to foot for a while before looking up at Papa. "He told me I was going to be his wife and he would not let it go." I whispered not wanting to draw any more attention to myself than was needed.

"And the way to solve that was to attack him?" Papa asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

"No sir, that was not the right thing to do." I said quietly.

"I'm very disappointed in you Samantha." He said. My head dropped, not because I was in trouble, but because he was disappointed in me.

Papa then walked over to Jack. "Jack, you need to stop teasing the other children. Pretty soon no one will stop them from going after you." Papa said, shaking his head a little. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked, changing from the leader of the village to a concerned parent.

"Yes sir, I'll be fine. I would have been able to protect myself, but she didn't give any warning," Jack said glancing over in my direction.

Papa chuckled, I don't know why he did. "So, if she were to warn you then you would have been able to protect yourself?" Papa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well maybe... I do know I would be able to beat her with a sword." Jack said nodding his head.

"Alright then let's have a duel. Let's head up to the practice fields and the two of you will have a go at it," Papa said, then without another word he led us up a hill to where the soldiers practiced. Papa and Tom found two swords and handed one to each of us.