Preparations

Leonard

I walked into the palace. Aria's giggles could be heard nearby. I walked to the room Grace and I shared, looking in the mirror. My appearance changed to look like Nicolae. Who walked into the room. His appearance also changed. We looked at one another, smiling. Aria ran in, running toward me. "Daddy!" She wrapped her arms around my leg. "I missed you so much." She looked at Nicolae, "Thanks uncle Leonard for beating that man up. He was so mean to me, he always pulled my hair and made me cry."

I kneeled down to her, placing my hand on her hair. "Well, as long as you're safe. He sounded like he had what was coming to him."

"That's what I do, young Aria. I protect what is mine, no matter what the cost." He grinned.

Aria looked at us, letting go of my leg, placing angry little fists on her hips. "Uncle Leonard, what are you doing? You're not my daddy, Daddy, why are you dressed like uncle Leonard." She squealed in excitement. "You guys are playing dress-up! I wanna play too, can I, daddy?"

She looked at Nicolae, who looked at me. "What are you talking about Aria, we're not playing anything?" I looked at the child.

She looked at me, then at Nicolae. "Uncle Leonard, I'm not an idiot. Daddy doesn't have purple eyes, he has green. Silly Uncle Lele." I looked at her, then at the mirror with a sigh. The child had a point.

"So are we playing dress-up?"

"It's adult things, Aria." Nicolae walked over to her, picking her up. "I'm free for a while. I'll play with you. Uncle Lélé has grown-up things to deal with."

Aria looked at me. "You need to change your eye color, and you guys dress different. Daddy dresses in all black, and you, uncle Lélé, you dress like an old man in the trench coats, you can do it. I know you can."

I looked at Aria. "I'm not old."

She looked at me. "You're older than me, so you're old, but your a cool old guy." Looking at Nicolae, "You're old too, daddy."

Nicolae put her down as the two of us walked over to the bed, grabbing pillows. She looked at us giggling, running from the room. Nicolae looked at me. "I'll whack her extra with a pillow for you, brother. When she least expects it." Nicolae laughed, walking from the room.

I looked in the mirror once again, as my eyes turned green. I looked at my clothes. Graceona walked into the room, looking at me. Her brow raised. "Where you needing Leonard, Nicolae. He's around here somewhere. He said he was going to talk to Christian, have some drinks."

She sat on the bed, taking her shoes off rubbing her feet. "Thanks, Grace, talk to you later."

I walked from the room.

Graceona

"I'd love to be a fly on those twos wall, father and son discussing things. Having some laughs." I stood up, walking from the room, seeing Leonard chasing after Aria, the two of them laughing. I watched them with a smile. I sighed. "Darn you, Leonard, making me stay out of the training, well a happy Leonard is better than a drunk, downhearted Leonard, that's for sure."

I turned around, walking back into the bedroom. Soon Leonard walked into the room, walking over to the bed sitting down. "Did you have fun with Aria, you two seemed to be having a blast."

He looked at me. "Yeah, we had fun."

I looked at him. "So Leonard, I'm curious. When did your voice change?" I looked at him with a grin.

"What?"

"I don't know what you and Leonard have planned, Nicolae, but I don't think this is going to work. These clothes change your look. Not your voices. I knew I smelled a plot, but when Leonard was in here, I was skeptical. You two trying to pull a twin game on the realm?"

Nicolae sighed. "Leonard thought he could trade places with me in confusing the realm. Are we that obvious?"

"Yeah, it's obvious, well to me at least. It could work with people who don't know you two. You two aren't identical, and Leonard has a deeper voice. You do also, but the heights will give you away. Leonard is six feet, your and a couple of inches shorter. However, you two are geniuses. I'm not sitting in here and letting everyone have all the fun." I stood up, walking to the mirror.

I walked to the training field, seeing everyone standing in line as I walked over to the men standing beside them, looking at Leonard, who stood in front. "You men, are going to grow some spines." He looked at me with a chuckle. "It's sad that your women have more backbone than the men in the realm. You woman step forward." I walked to the front, looking at him. "Show these men what a proper show is, you pick your opponent."

I looked at him with a grin. "Alright." I looked around, then at him. "I pick." I looked at Leonard. "I chose you, general."

Leonard looked at me. "You know not what you ask, little lady."

"You told me to choose, and I did. Are you refusing because I'm a 'little lady' a little sexist, don't you think, general?"

I looked at him, biting the inside of my lower lip. "Look, I don't want to."

I interrupted him, punching him to the ground, grabbing him by the ankles stepping on his torso. He looked at me, swinging his leg only for me to backflip, catching his leg flipping him to the side. He jumped up glaring at me, "You asked for it."

I smiled. "Bring it, general."

Leonard looked at me then at the soldiers who murmured, he glared at them as they stood straight. Looking at me, he tossed me a sword. "You're good with the fists how well do you use one of these?"

I caught it in midair looking at him, "Let's find out."

He swung the sword aiming for my shoulder as I blocked, pushing it back, jumping backward, then jumping in the air, landing clashing the sword to the ground as fire traveled towards him. He extended his arm as electric balls appeared; he jumped in midair as the balls came towards me. I extended my arm. As the balls collided, I jumped up, disappearing; he landed on the ground as I reappeared behind him, our backs touching. He quickly spun around as I backflipped over him extended my arm, as an invisible force knocked him backward. I charged at him as he looked at me. I threw a fireball at his face as he barely dodged it. When he looked at me, I had found my way to him, my sword pointing at his neck. He swallowed hard as I brought the sword down into the dirt, bowing to him. "Well played, general."

I walked away from him, getting back into my spot.

Leonard chuckled, looking at the other men. "That's the level I expect going into the battle with Ammon. That ruthless, groundbreaking poetry in motion. You woman, step forward."

I looked at him. "Yes, sir?"

"Who are you, what clan are you from?"

I looked at him. "Cynthia. I'm of Lyon descendant, sir."

"Your parents should be proud. Now, back to work! Chop to it, men, and lady."

Five hours had gone by I looked at Leonard, who had taken many of my hits. He was exhausted. His stance showed it as he used his sword for balance, his breathing ragged as his sweat fell to the ground. I looked at the other men around me they too were tired. I wiped the sweat from my brow.

"We're not there, men! No one is leaving until I see results!" Leonard yelled as I looked at him. He got from his sword, standing to his feet. "We have three weeks. I refuse to go into battle unprepared! Give your heart to this, it's either you or the Siren's, and I doubt they will let up!"

The men grumbled. "Leonard is bad. But Nicolae, this is tough. We want Leonard." They groaned.

I looked at Leonard. "General, permission to speak."

He looked at me. "Permission granted."

"Perhaps we should catch our breath. No warrior is valuable if they are too tired to battle. We've been at it half the night. We're exhausted. You can barely stand. This may be the woman in me, but, no prince is of use if he's too exhausted to hold up his head."

Leonard glared at me, then sighed. Looking at us. "Very well. Dismissed, training will take place tomorrow at noon, and again at eight. Be prepared."

The soldiers sighed in relief, leaving the battlefield. I watched as Leonard sheathed his sword, walking towards me, I looked at him as he placed a friendly hand on my shoulder, continuing his walk. I followed him once we reach the palace; he walked upstairs and into our room. I watched him changing my appearance, going into the kitchen area, ordering some eggs and toast taking my seat.