Royal Training

"Watch out stupid!" Anna shouted at Yoh when he got almost hit by Amidamaru's sword. The prince managed to block it with his own to the blond girl's relief. Anna had accompanied the prince to the dueling grounds to observe his training with the warrior Amidamaru.

"Your skills have become rusty like your sword because of your lazy wanderings, Master Yoh," the white-haired swordsman scolded him as metal clashed against metal once more.

"I am trying hard you know," the prince held his weapon in front of him tightly for the umpteenth time that he tried to defend himself from the warrior's strikes.

"Don't lose now or you'll be humiliated in front of the girl you like," Amidamaru taunted him in a low voice.

"Er..what?" Prince Yoh suddenly lost his balance and landed butt-first on the ground. He threw a bewildered look at his trainor then at his personal maid whom he hoped did not hear a thing from their previous conversation.

Amidamaru pointed his sword at the prince's chest particularly at the golden pin in the shape of a five-pointed star. "Remember what this symbol means Master Yoh. The person who wears that emblem is deemed the strongest and wisest man in the kingdom." The warrior withdrew his sword then pulled his student up. "You are the heir to the Kasai throne, Your Highness. Live up to it."

Yoh sighed and gave his weapon to his trainor.

"I think that would be enough for today." The warrior collected the swords and whispered to the prince's ear, "I didn't know that she had that kind of effect on you, Master Yoh. Now I know your weakness." He went away chuckling to himself.

"That was the lamest match I had watched in my entire life!"

Yoh froze on the spot and slowly turned his head to see Anna walking towards him with a scowl on her face.

"I'm sorry you had to witness it." The prince scratched his head in embarrassment. "I guess we should go back to the palace for my academic training…"

"No, we won't. You are going to jog around this dueling field fifty times."

"But Anna…"

"That will be your punishment for making a fool of yourself earlier. Now go or I'll double the figure!"

The blond girl sat at a large stone as she watched the exhausted prince did alternate rounds of jogging, walking and running. She had to scream at him several times when he was slowing down or stopping to catch his breath. I am actually helping you, Yoh. You can build your stamina and endurance from this. She was certain of it for her best friend had been doing this every morning ever since he started training with Bason at the age of ten. I wonder how he is…

Aboard the Denkou, a Kaminari merchant ship...

Prince Ren stared at the blue expanse before him. He was at sea again and he hated this return journey to the Royal Patch Academy. It was a smooth sailing for three days in a row. It seemed like the sea was trying to compensate for his sorrow. Yet he kept on waking up in the middle of the night calling out his dead fiancée's name. Yes, she's dead. Sometimes he would like to repeat those words over and over again just so he could finally accept it and move on. He took the necklace with the rose pendant from his coat's pocket and gently caressed it. Anna, I'm trying to be fine. I'm going back to the Academy as planned. I was not able to tell you how deeply saddened I am the first time I left Kaminari three years ago. You did not see me off that time because you were too angry at me for suddenly leaving you behind. Wherever you are, I hope you are not as angry as before.

His moment of pondering was shuttered with the boisterous laughter from one of the two sailors resting a stone's throw away from where he stood.

"So the person who owed you money suddenly disappeared the moment you got back to your town? What a scumbag! But admit it mate. You have been duped quite well."

"His relatives do not know where he is. They are probably hiding him but I'll look for that bastard all over Kaminari and even in Kouku when I return from this journey."

"You should try looking for him in those other two kingdoms as well. Maybe you would find him hiding there. Hahaha."

"Are you kidding me? I would lose my head."

"You had already lost it mate when you lent him three month's worth of your salary."

"My wife's going to kill me…"

At the Kasai palace training grounds...

Anna is trying to kill me... Yoh slumped to the ground and swallowed mouthfuls of air after finishing fifty rounds. The blond girl approached him and threw him a towel.

"Stand up we're walking back to the palace to begin your academic training."

"But Anna… it's nearly lunch time…" Yoh heard his stomach growling for food.

"All the more that you should stop whining and hurry up so you can eat at the palace."

"Oh that won't be necessary Anna." Amidamaru appeared from behind them carrying a basket. "I brought food for us. Let's eat under that tree."

The prince giddily ran towards the direction to which the swordsman pointed and carelessly lied down on the soft grass.

Anna rolled her eyes. And I thought he was dead tired from my training. This boy had the mind of an eight -year old.

Amidamaru passed them sandwiches when the three of them had finally settled down. The prince happily munched on his.

"So how did you two meet each other?" the white-haired man asked curiously.

Yoh got choked on a piece of sandwich and had to gulp down a bottle of water while Anna completely ignored the question.

"Er… We met in Tochi. She was…" the prince fumbled for words.

"lost." Anna finished the sentence for him. "I had asked him for directions to the Kasai palace and he said he would accompany me since he was going there, too."

"Oh? But you two look comfortable with each other when I saw you. It seemed as if you have known each other already for quite some time."

Yoh can sense a hint of teasing in Amidamaru's remark but Anna thought the swordsman was becoming suspicious of her.

"Well the prince is easy to get along with."

"Yes, he is," Amidamaru agreed instantly. "So how was life in Chikyuu?"

Yoh panicked. His lie had finally reached his trainor. Nevertheless, the blond girl remained calm. There was no reason to be anxious.

"It was pleasant." Anna answered curtly.

"You were a governess once right? To be honest, I did not even think there was some well-to-do family in Chikyuu who can afford to have your services."

"It's not fair to generalize on what kind of people the Chikyuu townsfolk are, Amidamaru," the prince said sternly.

"You're certainly correct Master Yoh. Forgive me for saying such one-sided statements."

Nonetheless, Anna began to speak, "I resided in a magnificent house for many years. My master and mistress were always away so their only daughter was left to my care."

"You must have been sad when you left…" Amidamaru felt guilty for stirring past emotions.

"Yes, I miss home…" The blond girl held back her tears.

The swordsman did not ask any further.

The prince stood up and broke the awkward silence. "Lunch was delicious. Thank you Amidamaru. Let's go back to the palace Anna. It's time for my geography lessons."