The Gainans: Servant Princess

Chapter 15

Nola stood in a secluded part of the palace grounds, surrounded by a tall green hedge that was dotted with flowers. It was a cozy place, with a small fountain at the centre and benches along the hedge. She was dressed in cream coloured attire; comfortable trousers and a sleeveless shirt that she secured firmly around her waist with a thick black belt. On a bench nearby sat an assortment of weapons, each of which she was excited to master. Ruining the pleasant picture were seven wooden posts that were erected at random spots. Despite all that, Nola could gape only at one thing: the Queen Mother.

She stood tall, with her hands at her waist, back straight and chin raised. She wore an outfit that matched hers, only that it was red in colour. Her eyes burned with purpose as they looked at the young princess.

Nola chuckled nervously.

"You're my teacher?" she asked.

Freya smirked and abruptly sprang into a series of leaps and tumbles around the space. She was graceful as she did it, almost as if she were executing a wonderful dance. All the while, whooshing and whizzing sounded in the air at rapid succession, punctuated by small thumps. A minute later, she stood before the princess again, her eyes shining and arms folded across her chest.

Nola shrugged.

"That was nice," she offered.

The Queen Mother smiled impishly and waved her hand at the posts. Nola looked and gasped. They were all struck with several tiny knives in straight lines. The distance between the knives was precisely the same on each post. She turned back to the woman with her mouth hanging open.

"Teach me everything," she breathed out.

Freya chuckled.

"One step at a time, my dear." She picked up a staff from the bench and began twirling it at breakneck speed. "Do you have any experience with a weapon?"

Nola forced herself to shift her focus from the sight to the question. She nodded, then shook her head, then shrugged.

"Well," she began. "My betrothed tried to teach me to handle a spear once, but to be honest, I proved to be a poor student."

Freya stopped twirling the staff.

"Jumu, yes?" Freya confirmed. "The Chief Warrior."

Nola nodded and lowered her gaze. She missed him, and worried about him. If only there was a way she could find out about him; a way for her to let him know she was alright.

"He's fine," Freya asserted, reading her thoughts. "From what you described, he can take care of himself...and everyone else."

The princess smiled wanly before blowing out air through her teeth.

"So what do you think?" she asked. "Should we stick to the spear?"

The Queen Mother shook her head.

"With the timeline we have, we need to be smart about this," she instructed, gazing at the weapons on the bench. "The priority right now is not for you to become the ultimate warrior. We just need you to be able to fend for yourself from long range."

Nola took a moment to digest this.

"Alright. That makes sense," she agreed. "What do you suggest?"

The Queen Mother was silent for a moment.

"Take it with an open mind," she cautiously disclaimed.

She then picked up a whip and held it out to her. Nola recoiled in disgust.

"Out of the question," she objected. "I'm not using that."

"You've got to!" Freya insisted. "This very weapon that was used to kill you can save your life if you let it. You want to avoid close combat. This can help you keep your distance from your opponents and even disarm them."