Chapter Eight: Training- Hit Hard

Lynn opened her eyes and groaned feeling her body fighting her to not move. Swinging her leg over her bed as she sat up, she felt like a boulder. Two knocks against her door made her let out a sigh as she forced herself off her bed.

"I will be outside," her father called out before his footsteps walk away from her door.

Her armor, sword, everything was just too far right now. Groaning and rolling her shoulders, she let out a sigh and got ready. Once she finished her apple, she joined her father outside to see him watching the sun rise.

"Before we begin, Lynn. We must talk," her father started and Lynn felt her heart drop.

"No, no, it isn't terrible. You may stop the frown now," her father crossed his arms and stared at her, "… when you were training for those years," he let out a sigh and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I now know how you felt, my child."

She felt the tingle in her nose and her eyes were starting to water. Offering a small smile she tilted her head to the side.

"You love Prince Garret as well?" she felt her smile twitch when her father's eyes widened and nose scrunched.

"By the heavens!" her father shouted, "he is but a child Lynn!"

"If he wasn't-" she widened her eyes and batted her eyes at her father.

"He is not mine to love," she felt her father squeeze her shoulder and she winced, "is he yours?"

She blinked at her father and let out a sigh. Head lowered, she felt his hand land on the top of her head and she looked at him.

"I am not certain," she replied with one breath and felt her father's chest against her face.

"You are your mother's daughter," her father whispered before pulling her back, "let us continue."

Lynn felt her father pull away and she fought down the emotions she was feeling. Letting out a long deep sigh, she straightened and took out her sword from its sheath. Readying herself for another excruciating training, she couldn't help the smile on her face.

"The other kingdoms will see you as a small girl and will take advantage of that," her father stated out into the cold morning air, "they will overpower you with strength. My job is to make sure you survive."

"You mean for me to win, father," Lynn quirked her brow at her father who earned her a laugh.

"As always," her father settled his laugh, "what did you learn yesterday?"

"My swings and blocks barely hold you," Lynn explained with a hand on her hip, "I have slightly more speed than you, but it seems that is all I have."

"How do you defeat your uncle?"

"I didn't."

"Yet, you land hits on him."

"Yes, but I always lose to him."

"Those hits that you are able to make, Lynn," her father pulled out his sword and she held her shaft with both hands, "make those hits as hard as you can. It may be the only chance you can win."

Lynn narrowed her eyes and nodded. She watched her father positioned himself before rushing toward her. A swung of his sword contacted her blade and she felt her arms shake slightly from impact. Grunting out feeling her father push harder against her sword, causing her to step with the movement. She continued to hold her ground as they circled, she saw her father smirk before her eyes widened. Her father pushed harder than she thought he would, and she felt her body flung backwards. Hitting the ground with a bounce, she quickly gathered herself twisting to a stand. Panting out and feeling lightheaded, she tightened her grip on her shaft and ran forward.

Hit hard he said.

Another dance of swords with her father ended with her on the ground.

Another to end with a sword to her throat.

Another to end with the back of her head hitting the ground. Thank the lord she had her helmet on.

Again and again and she felt her body struggling to keep up as the sun hit it's peak above the mountains. Then she saw it; the opening she was waiting for and her heartbeat increased faster. Her father swung his sword from his left with both hands and Lynn blocked his move. Sliding down his sword causing his hold to fall, she quickly twisted her sword above her head and jumped as high as she possibly could with all the armor on. Striking downward, she landed with her blade against her father's armored face.

It was quiet; all Lynn could hear was the rushing of blood in her ear and the thumping of her fast heart. Steady and waiting, she wondered what her father's move would be now. Did she finally got him? She heard metal hit the ground and realized her father dropped his sword. She blinked at him to see a smile spread across his face and his hands lifting before his chest.

"Well done, child," he said gently and Lynn breathed out a smile before clapping was sounded in the clearing.

"That was amazing Lynn!!!" she turned to see Garret, the beautiful sunny prince, smiling widely at her.

She smiled back and felt her body sway. Her father wrapped an arm around her and walked her over to her mother's bench where Garret was standing with furrowed brows.

"I'll get something for lunch," her father stated, but Garret spoke up holding her hand as they sat together.

"I brought lunch," he smiled, "Lady Rebecca had prepared it."

"Did you ask her to do so?" her father scratched his beard and looked to the cloth being unwrapped.

"Uh, maybe?" Garret shrugged smiling nervously.

The cloth revealed a loaf of bread, a block of cheese, and two bundle of grapes. Lynn glanced at it and laughed, which she laughed even harder when she saw Garret's cheeks flushed. Her father chuckled softly and reached for a piece of each item.

"I'll be in the kitchen. We shall continue when you are finished here," her father announced and left them alone.

"He remembers, doesn't he," Garret looked at Lynn to see her laughing softly at him.

"He doesn't forget much," Lynn looked at the food items he brought and glanced at Garret once more, "you asked Lady Rebecca to bake this or to teach you how?"

"How?" Garret's eyes widened with his mouth slightly open.

Lynn reached for a small paper tucked between the bundle of grapes. She revealed to Garret what was written and Lynn held it back when Garret reached for it.

"Made with love by yours truly," she smiled reading with her back to him so her arms were farther from his reach.

"She wasn't supposed to say anything," Garret pouted against her shoulder as he continued to try to reach for the paper.

"Thank you," she turned to him feeling their nose brush, "it, it makes me happy when you remember," she finished quietly. Turning her head to look down, she held the note in between both her hands on her lap.

"I will never forget," Garret wrapped his arms around her, holding her from behind and tucking his head against her neck, "you smell good."

"I smell like sweat," she rolled her eyes and turned her body back to facing the fields. They were now side by side.

"Oh, is that what it is?" he questioned with a quirk of his lips and kissed her cheek.

"Grapes please," she held out her hand, palm up.

"Of course, my queen," he grinned and placed a small bundle on her palm.

"I am no queen Garret," she shook her head with a smile and sighed after finishing a few grapes from the stem.

"One day, soon," he placed a hand on hers over the pieces of grapes connected to a small stem, "I will marry you."

She felt blood rush to her face, and she bit her bottom lip avoiding his eyes. He lifted his free hand and placed it on her left cheek rubbing his thumb side to side. Leaning down, she closed her eyes and met him halfway. Lips on lips. She could fight the way her lips curved into a smile as he pulled back, still close. His fingers moved up the side of her face toward her forehead.

"May I?" he questioned as his fingers hover above the gem. She nodded and he ran gentle fingers against her skin around the embedded jewel. She felt her eyes close and she felt the tension in her body ease. Sparks, wild like fireworks, burst inside her skin when he touched the gem. She felt herself gasp and she heard him swallow. She felt the small pressure against the gem and it felt like he was pushing against her very soul. Them soft lips lingered against the diamond before they pulled away. Lynn opened her eyes slowly to see Garret's face flushed. She was certain her face was the same. What a feeling that was; it felt like he was kissing her very insides.

A cough broke their eye contact and she looked over at her father before covering her face.

"You have not married my daughter yet Prince Garret," she noted the deep tone her father used saying Garret's name.

"I meant no harm, Sir Christian," Garret stuttered out sitting straight and stuffing a piece of bread in his mouth.

"Hm," her father crossed his arms with a frown and glanced at his daughter who was touching her gem with slightly wide eyes, "Are you ready to return to your training, Lynn?"

Lynn looked at her father before clearing her throat. She nodded and stood up tucking the note into the side of her right boot. Looking toward Garret who also stood, she kissed his cheek and thanked him before walking over to her father.

"Grab the bow and arrow by the door, Lynn. Your uncle said you need no practice in it, but I want to see it for myself," Christian, arms still crossed above his chest, nodded toward the door.

Lynn nodded and head to where the items laid. Christian stared at the prince who sat back down stuffing another bread into his mouth and avoided his eyes.

"I'm certain the king and queen do not approve of you leaving the castle for so many hours," he stated.

"They would rather have me locked up if they could," Garret replied after he swallowed, "but they know they cannot stop me. At least for now," Garret sighed looking over to Lynn.

"So you have no faith in my daughter," Christian narrowed his eyes as his frown deepened.

"Of course I do," he let out a soft smile as his eyes tracked Lynn, "but I know my parents. They care not for my happiness. Something she and I have in common."

Christian felt his breath hitched with that last comment. How dare he think he does not care for his daughter's happiness! How dare he assume his decisions were to spite her! The heat he felt against his face made his fingers grip harder against his biceps.

"You should return," he grunted out to see the prince stand up tying the cloth with the food item inside.

"I love her, Sir Christian," he watched the prince hand the cloth to him, he took it.

"I will sacrifice everything for her, remember that," he could hear the sternness from that tone and watched the prince walk away to say his goodbyes to his daughter.

He watched the way his daughter's eyes crinkled at the corner of her eyes, the softening at the corner of her lips as she smiled, the way her eyes closed when the prince kissed her cheek, and the way her eyes followed the prince out of the clearing.

He could hear his wife's voice in his ears still: 'watch our daughter. Do you not see it?'

'But she is young,' he would always reply only to receive back: 'and she is in love.'

It was true. Everyone told him and he would never believe it, but now. Now it was so obvious.

In love she was and Christian did not know what to do.