The Four Kingdoms of the Four Seasons

Chapter 2 - Childhood - Part 2

–Author' note—

Hello again my lovely readers! I'm more than happy to see you again! Enough of me let's get back to the story!

—End of Author's note—

ARYA'S PoV

           I was discovered practicing my swordsmanship by uncle Roran. I was standing on a parkour vault above a practicing dummy and was ready to strike down a deadly strike on the dummy's neck, when I was disturbed by somebody calling out loud and surprised "Arya??!!". I was so surprised that I stumbled down from the vault. I was about to face land on the hard-stone floor, but my uncle was quicker, he caught me before I could hurt myself. "What on earth are you doing Lil'boss?" I was totally shocked.

           I was grateful he caught me, but at the same time I was scared to my core. I had never ever been hit by my elders. I always bossed everybody around, elder or not, but the angry voices of one of my parents, uncle, siblings, or cousins could be counted as a beating. Between the,  my uncle's and father's angry voices are the scariest. Even the grim reaper would turn around and run with his cloak between his hands at a lightning speed, just to escape from my father and uncle.

           He put me down and I slowly registered that uncle didn't ask his question a life-threatening way. Okay, Rya chill out you are a warrior princess and you are uncle's favorite niece. Don't be scarred! Just play the smile and puppy eyes trick. You know he can't say no to you this way.

"Uncle, I'm trying to learn war arts, at first sword fighting and archery then the rest of them. But I'm stuck, even if I'm observing again and again the novices, my brothers and cousins. I can't progress any further. Can you help me, pretty please uncle Roran?" Okay, keep smiling. Why haven't I got any reaction? Come on uncle, put away your poker face and answer your niece.

"Lil'boss, you are a princess you can't get hurt..." I was about to pull my crying card when he said "...but, if you show me what you learnt on your own with both your bow and sword, and supposing I'm satisfied with your level, I will consider teaching you."

           I was out of my mind, uncle would teach me ? The Soul Torturer, the legendary warrior of the Four Kingdoms of the Four Seasons. The master beside my father who taught and still teaches my brothers and cousins the art of war? Okay, let's show him what I learnt on my own. With a wild smile I took my wooden sword from the ground and faced a dummy. I'm sorry my friend I won't show you any mercy. I launched my attacks.

RORAN'S PoV

           I was quite surprised to find my niece in mine and Sorin's childhood training chamber. It was a couple of thousand years since I set my foot in this chamber. I don't even know how I got here. I was walking in the garden deep in my thoughts. I guess old routines had kicked out of place and brought me here where Sorin and myself were trained by our fathers sixteen thousand years ago. We came here everyday for thousands and thousands years to train. Yeah, old routines die hard.

            Most fae whether female or male, seelie or fae, once the art of war is tasted, they can't forget the feeling. Something in our blood and bones ties us together with war arts. Some of us are fascinated by other arts, however all fae's know the art of war, even if it isn't their greatest strength.

             Long ago we wanted to evite that princesses take the road of war arts, because you can be the greatest warrior of your age and still get hurt. A life-threatening injury can cause disturbances in seelie and fae royalty female blood which could prevent the birth of a seelie. We only teach minimal self-defense to princesses, this way we prevent them from taking the warrior path until they give birth to a seelie. In a way it's ridiculous to forbid something which is in our nature, an inborn skill, but on the other hand we live eternally. After they give birth to a seelie, they have all the time to become a legendary warrior if they choose. Hopefully, I can talk her out of this. Later if she wants, I will pass her all my knowledge of the war arts.

"I'm stuck, even if I'm observing again and again the novices and my brothers and cousins. I can't progress any further. Can you help me, pretty please uncle Roran?" She is using that trick again; she knows very well that when she does her smile and puppy eye combo I can't say no. How to get out of this situation?

"Lil'boss, you are a princess you can't get hurt..."Oh, for Eleonore light, please don't cry, I can't see you cry. "...but, if you show what you learnt on your own with both the bow and sword, and if I'm satisfied with your level, I will consider to teach you." Oh gosh why I said that. I gave her hope instead of saying NO which was my intention.

            What was that blood thirsty grin? It is the same devilish smile of Sorin whenever his sword is blood thirsty. She is determined, I can sense in her the same fire of war that's in Sorin. Actually, she is surprisingly not bad. Seriously she learnt all of this by copying and reading? She has far from the perfect posture, but at this rate she could easily beat even third year novices. She is an extremely rare talent just as her brothers and cousins are. The blood doesn't lie, Sorin's warrior blood and Aurora's divine gracefulness is in her every move. She is just seven years old, practicing for less than a blink of an eye and I can already see in her moves that she is born to achieve greater things.

"Lil'boss, that's enough. Show me your archery skills. Shoot that target far on the left side at least three times in the center."

           I was about to say the bow she wants to use is not fit for her size and strength. When suddenly she took three arrows from her quiver. Placed one of the arrows on her bowstring. I could see in her moves she already calculated the cast of her arrow to her target. The one thing I didn't understand is her hold on her other two arrows. She aimed her bow and released her arrow. I could hear three arrows hit the target. Wait three? That's when I realized, the other two arrows were also placed on the bowstring one after the other. This way she saved herself a few seconds which in battle could have been the decider of a life and death situation. Her holding technique is unique, still a little bit rough, but with time it could be sharpened to be the fastest way to store arrows before shooting.

           She took other arrows from her quiver and started to run up on a two-sided obstacle aiming for the top, then jumping one by one to the top of different obstacles placed in the chamber. Alongside her running she was aiming for her targets. Each of her arrows hit her destined target in the center. I was about to praise my niece. When she jumped from a higher obstacle. During the floating stadium she clearly aimed for one of the farthest and most difficult targets in the chamber. She released in the air three arrows one after the other, and clearly hit with each of the released arrows the center of her target.

           She is Aurora's daughter. The Empress of archery would have the same shocked face as mine if not more shocked. I would say that her daughter with time and practice could surpass her. She is a natural born fighter, she has the skill of an inborn warrior. The kind of talent that only could be sharpened, not taught. I will definitely be murdered by Sorin and Aurora, but Arya is an inborn warrior, the blossom of her talent can't wait until she gives birth to a royal. It would be such a waste.

           When she landed, she beautifully absorbed the impact of her landing by diving in a front roll, and with a skillfulness of a feline she was instantly on her feet. Looking at me with a wide smile, knowing she is at the gate of her victory.

           I made my decision. I smiled at her confirming her victory. I will teach her. When the time is right, I will tell Sorin and Aurora. Eleonore have mercy on me!

–Author's note—

Wow, uncle Roran is a real softy deep down. What will happen next?

What do you think of the story so far?
Do you have any questions?
Feel free to ask them. I would be more than happy to answer!

See ya in the next chapter!

—End of Author's note—