Princess of the New

"Have you seen him?" asked a guard as a foot landed on a branch and leaped to another.

"No, is it really him?" asked another guard as a hand grabbed a branch and swung the body down as the person took off running through the trees of the gardens.

"Some say he's a demon," said a third guard.

"I heard he can kill twenty men surrounding him in less than five minutes. He's worse than what the myths applied." said the first.

"I believe it, he took out five on his own in less than a minute the other night." said the third.

"Do you guys know what he looks like underneath the cowl?" asked the second.

"I don't think those in the market know what lays underneath that hood." replied the first as boots stomp through the hallways.

"You three, with me." ordered Captain Howin, he did not like his men chatting while on duty. They climbed the stairs and went to Princess Zhen's room. When they arrived at the door he noticed no one was standing out in front of it, instantly he charged at the door and forced it open. The Dual Bladed Ninja was in there, arms crossed leaning on a wall. His cowl was up, looking at them when they entered as he leaned on a wall behind him. "It's a courtesy to guard outside of the room." growled Captain Howin.

"If I do that, how will I know if someone has infiltrated this room just like I did?" said Dual Bladed Ninja. He looked sweaty but with the cowl up it was hard to tell. Their eyes locked as the fire of the Dual Bladed Ninja's eyes met the cold icy green eyes of Captain Howin.

Princess Zhen came out of the door to her bathroom, drying herself off as she saw the two men stare each other down. With a cough, they broke their gazes as Captain Howin took a bow. "Breakfast is ready, your majesty." he said.

Princess Zhen looked at the Dual Bladed Ninja, he didn't bow, only showed a head nod. Clearly, he knew how far to be to address someone, but she didn't like how he was wrapped up in his cloak not revealing his arsenal. She also felt uncomfortable with guards in her room and a well-trained fighter guarding her inside her room. "Very well," she said as she went behind a changing wall to change into a spring dress.

The dining room had a large table donated by Emperor Huo from his summer home as it was to be the place where he and his descendants will sit from now on. However, since he died and no one knows what happened to the family, the table remains as the dining area for Empress Wēi and her family to eat from. She sat on the end of one side while her daughter sat on her right side close enough to talk. Dual Bladed Ninja and Captain Howin each guarded a door while the empress and princess ate in silence. They stare hard at each other continuing where they left off from earlier. From the royal family eating, while the two of them stare at each other, it was uncomfortable as the aura of them clashed against one another. "Captain," spoke Empress Wēi, breaking the silence. "Personally see that the rotations and training of the guards are completed by the end of this week."

"As you wish, your majesty." said Captain Howin, bowing towards her. He then looked up at the Dual Bladed Ninja one more time and then left out of the door he guarded.

"Dual Bladed Ninja, perhaps you can wait for my daughter in the gardens." ordered Empress Wēi. Dual Bladed Ninja said nothing back and gave a quick bow before leaving. "I don't know why Lord Tyron picked him. I should inform him that he needs to show more respect." she sighed after he left.

"Is there something you want to talk about, mother?" asked Princess Zhen after she watched the events unfold. They barely talked at the table especially when they were alone. Though they were reunited almost two years ago, she didn't tell her mother the things that happened to her.

"It's something I want to talk to you about since I took over." said Empress Wēi.

Princess Zhen's face became pale as the events of her imprisonment came flooding back through her. Two years before the Eight-Year War ended, she was kidnapped by paid soldiers while she was picking flowers in a field. During her imprisonment, they beat her, torture her, things that should never see the light. What made it worse was she saw the prince playing in the courtyard with his sister while she was in a cell. Her crying for help never made it to his ear as he continued to play. Now, her mother wanted to know but she couldn't tell her, the pain and the secret were too shameful. "I- I- I don't want to talk about it." she finally said.

"Why? It's written over your face that I should take more action." said Empress Wēi.

"The men that know were punished by death already," said Princess Zhen.

"There are those who lied that they didn't know."

"Are you thinking they are the ones trying to kill me?" asked Princess Zhen.

Empress Wēi took a sip from her cup of tea before answering, "They could be as well."

Princess Zhen looked at her plate, there was still more to eat but the conversation made her not feel good. She saw first handed five tried to kill her and the boy that was strong enough to defeat them. "I'm going to the gardens." she said as she got up.

"Be on your guard and don't trust him," stated Empress Wēi, this made Princess Zhen confused. "It's hard to tell where he stands now that Lord Tyron is free." Princess Zhen nodded but was still confused as to why she hired him to guard her.

The garden was vastly filled with different types of trees and flowers. A brick pathway and benches made it look rich and natural. This was Princess Zhen's favorite place to be, other than her room. She looked around and couldn't find the Dual Bladed Ninja anywhere. "Where could he be?" she thought as she sat down on a bench by a tree and began reading her book. Two guards came walking toward her, she has always been timid around them and the situation that happened two nights ago made it worse. They looked at her and a shiver went down her back, "What do I do?" she thought as they came closer. Something caught their eye and immediately they quickened their pace, passing her and went around the corner. She sighed in relief but something didn't seem right for her.

"You can relax, your majesty," a voice said above. It scared Princess Zhen as she got up and looked up to see no one was in there. "I move quickly." stated Dual Bladed Ninja as he leaned on the same tree.

Princess Zhen sat down cautiously as the Dual Bladed Ninja didn't change his position. He turned his head with his cowl from side to side before staring straight ahead with his arms crossed. "How long have you been up there?" she asked.

"In the trees? Since your mother ordered me to wait for you here." began Dual Bladed Ninja. "I've been in this one since you sat down."

Princess Zhen couldn't believe it, no one she knew could do that. She remembers when she almost had him arrested when he disappeared as her focus was on the letter. "Do you always do it in the trees?" she asked.

"Showing you are vulnerable, tells me how many guards know about the ransom. If they make a move, I can make one quicker." said Dual Bladed Ninja.

"I haven't seen anyone who can move as you do." exclaimed Princess Zhen.

"There are those who do it better."

"Can you teach me?" asked Princess Zhen with a little hesitant. Dual Bladed Ninja broke out laughing as he leaned on the tree more, making her confused.

"With all due respect, your majesty, why do you want to learn my ways?" asked Dual Bladed Ninja. Princess Zhen was about to answer before he continued, "Is it to feel powerful, confident, or is to be feared?"

"Why do you suggest that?" Princess Zhen asked after a long pause.

"You don't know what it's like living out there by yourself. The skills you create come from experience. The skills you use, become your only means of survival. But in order to accomplish these skills, you need motivation, you need fear." explained Dual Bladed Ninja.

"And that's why you survive this long?" asked Princess Zhen

"Let's say with a little help, I was able to last this long without dying." replied Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Then teach me your skills, I hate feeling weak and scared." demanded Princess Zhen.

Dual Bladed Ninja sighed and shook his head, clearly he didn't want to but he had no choice. It reminded him of how he started, he felt weak and useless until he learn some parkour skills and now he felt powerful with his sword training added to his skills. "If I teach you, will you follow every instruction I demand you to do and you will not refuse unless you quit?" he asked.

"I will," said Princess Zhen after pondering it for a while. She looked back down at her book as she gave her answer.

"You will soon wish you hadn't said that." stated Dual Bladed Ninja as he was back into his tree to hide while he smiled. "Morning, your majesty, time to train." stated Dual Bladed Ninja as he barged into Princess Zhen's room to wake her up.

"What time is it?" groaned Princess Zhen as she noticed it was still dark.

"Time doesn't matter when you are suddenly on the run." said Dual Bladed Ninja as his foot began to thump. She sighed as she hopped out of bed, she reminded herself that she asked for this. "And since we'll be chased, you might want to wear something to run in." he suggested.

An hour later, Princess Zhen was huffing and puffing as she ran laps around the garden, it suddenly became her least favorite place to be. She struggled to climb and leap to branches, when she fell down, she had to get back up and continued. "Well done, you've finished fifteen minutes slower than I." said Dual Bladed Ninja as he sharpened his Longus.

"Are we done?" asked Princess Zhen, still catching her breath.

"Done? We haven't even started." said Dual Bladed Ninja as he reached for an apple above him. "Heads up," he said as he tossed it towards the princess. She caught and looked at it before looking at him as he held a couple more. "The way I fight with my swords is unorthodox. The reason being is I learn from this." he said before tossing six apples in his hand at Princess Zhen. She quickly grabbed her sword and sliced diagonally into the air, cutting only two. "Not bad," analyzed Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Why is fighting right away important?" asked Princess Zhen. Dual Bladed Ninja threw more at her as she tried to cut them down.

"Have you seen the city? There is always a fight to break out, the trick is to find where." said Dual Bladed Ninja. Tossing her another apple only to be sliced down. "Not that one, your majesty. That one was for you to eat."

Princess Zhen looked at the apple she cut down, it was clean and riped for being this early in spring. "Do they happen because of actions?" she asked.

"Sometimes, others to prove their point is right, and few to avoid arrest. Every fight there's always a different reason." said Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Then why do you fight?"

Dual Bladed Ninja tossed her another apple which she caught. "They are for my reasons," he said, as he ate one as well.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Captain Howin. He was wearing training clothes and carried two wooden swords as his primary weapons. "Your majesty, you normally aren't up this early."

"She asked for me to teach her my ways." explained Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Your majesty, there are those of us who will gladly give you extra training lessons and will work around your schedule, instead of the other way around." The last part was meant for Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Why should she learn from you?" asked Dual Bladed Ninja.

"I'm a trained Ninja Warrior instead of a crook for the black market who appears to know a thing or two about swords." claimed Captain Howin.

"And yet I broke through your men's defenses like it was nothing." gloated Dual Bladed Ninja.

"You think that defines us? This rank I strive to achieve as do my men." stated Captain Howin.

"Oh really? And I assume you were that rank when you protected the former prince." said Dual Bladed Ninja.

Princess Zhen was shocked to hear that the captain of the guards was formally the bodyguard of the former prince. "How do you know about that?" asked Captain Howin, he was also surprised that someone knows his previous station.

"I have my ways," replied Dual Bladed Ninja. "There those who know, the catch is to find them."

"And if I beat you in a duel, you'll tell me who you out from?" asked Captain Howin.

"Have your men watch and we'll see you who is the best warrior." stated Dual Bladed Ninja.

Fifteen minutes later ten guards plus the princess, the captain and Dual Bladed Ninja were at the training ring. It was a concrete sandbox with pillars on each corner to hold the roof above. "Take off your weapons and cloak." said Captain Howin as he gave the Dual Bladed Ninja his practice swords.

"Lord Tyron told me, a real fight will be unfair, so trained for the unfair. I will keep them on me but will not use them on you." said Dual Bladed Ninja as he tested the weight of the wooden sticks. His cowl was still up but his eyes shine like fire through the dark shadows.

"Very well," said Captain Howin as he took a wooden pole and spun around before squaring off against Dual Bladed Ninja.

"Is this one of the reasons you fight?" thought Princess Zhen as she stood behind the Dual Bladed Ninja. The forces were back at it again, staring each other off, waiting for the other to make a move. In a flash they charged at each other, Dual Bladed Ninja went for a slash with his left only to be blocked and a sudden attack coming for his right made him push back.

"Woah, did he just evade that?" asked a guard watching.

"No one can beat the captain while he controls a pole," said another.

"But they go down after one strike, he still standing, untouched." said a third.

They charged at each other, Dual Bladed Ninja tried the other way only to have the same results. Captain Howin spun his pole as he readjust his feel of it. He suddenly notices the blue fire eyes looking at something and then back at him. "Eyes on your opponent, didn't Lord Tyron teach you that?" he growled as he charged, spinning his pole into a series of attacks forcing the Dual Bladed Ninja back.

"Less talking then." jeered Dual Bladed Ninja as he tried to deflect the attacks, losing his foot and giving up more ground.

"My turn unless that's all you got." said Captain Howin as he noticed the blue eyes looked somewhere else and then back at him again, making him mad.

"Oh, I'm not done yet," said Dual Bladed Ninja with space between him and the captain, they began circling until Princess Zhen was looking directly at him.

"They swap spots, why is he looking at me?" thought Princess Zhen. Dual Bladed Ninja dropped his grip from the guard of the two swords to the pommel. He charged at the captain with a jousting blow just missing before changing his gip to a backhand swing downward just barely missing Captain Howin. He continued to change his grips as he continued his assault. Front hand, backhand, close to guard, away from the guard, his movements were quick and unorganized. "This is what he means; his ways are unorthodox." she thought in awe as he continued his assault.

Captain Howin had enough and was able to send Dual Bladed Ninja's right-hand sword into the air as he tried to change his grip. Suddenly, Dual Bladed Ninja reached for his Longus with his right hand and fling it at him. He dodge just barely as the blade flew past but it was enough time for Dual Bladed Ninja to catch the falling practice sword and pinned him to one of the four pillars. "You've cheated," claimed Captain Howin.

"How?" asked Dual Bladed Ninja.

"We agree on no real weapons, yet you threw one."

"Who said it was for you?" asked Dual Blade Ninja as a metal weapon hit the stony path to the place. Captain Howin looked where Princess Zhen stood, she was pale as white. A blue and silver handle was by her left ear, as it stuck out of a guard before the body collapsed.

"Princess!" cried Captain Howin as the Dual Bladed Ninja released his hold. He hugged her tightly as her pale blank face stared at the boy who threw it. The Dual Bladed Ninja walked off the stage and reclaim his blade with a swipe the blood came off. He set his gaze on the men who watched as the icy stare was immediately felt when he looked. Suddenly, Captain Howin remembered seeing his eyes looking at something as he tried to understand why he looked away. The thing he looked at was the guard trying to get close to the princess. "You could be killed for what you have done." he finally said.

"But you won't tell, will you?" asked Dual Bladed Ninja as he turned around to face him while he put his Longus away. "I save the princess, isn't that my job?"

"Killing one of your guards, risking the princess's life, and violating the rules of combat. Don't you have anything to say for that?" asked Captain Howin.

"I didn't violate the rules of combat, and I determined the risk before I even threw it. And your point of me killing him? I killed five already and it didn't prove a point, but this will. Especially since I did it while looking away, no wait, I never had my eyes off of the princess. Also if you believe that's not a great excuse, then perhaps I'm a thief that doesn't follow the rules and kills my men like it's a sport." said Dual Bladed Ninja.

Princess Zhen broke the hug for Captain Howin and said, "If you knew this would happen, why did you accept?"

"You ask me why I fight?" begins Dual Bladed Ninja. "I answer that I have personal reasons, one of them is protecting those who can't see it coming and those I care about. That's the reason why I broke in to save Lord Tyron. But for this is for another." he said.

Princess Zhen never forgot about that day as she re-entered the school grounds in School Town. "Will you be here when I want to leave?" she asked as the Dual Bladed Ninja escorted her there.

"I'll be here but remember to ask, I might not know what Lord Tyron would like me to do while I wait for you." said Dual Bladed Ninja as she entered the school.

She looked back only to see no one was there and then continued to walk into school. The story of the Dual Bladed Ninja and the Princess of the New has only just begun.