Tears and sweat

Adaliah examined herself in the mirror. For the first time in years, she found herself thrilled about something. She wore a pair of leather trousers with a white shirt, a pair of boots, and gloves. Her hair was carefully braided away from her face by Isma and a belt where her weapons will surely be attached.

A knock echoed on the door. Isma hurriedly opened it only for Adaliah's smile to fall, turning her expression into a scowl.

He walked leisurely towards her with a small smile playing on his lips. That sickened her to the core. The night was slowly falling over the forest ahead, painting the sky in a pink and an orange hue and she would be sitting by the window observing to sunset while patiently waiting for Joel if not of this... interruption.

"You look good Slave" He chuckled and her eye twitched in annoyance. She took slow steps, away from him.

"I am still a princess, watch your tongue" She threatened and he smiled amused.

"I may I know the princess of what country you are little slave? Oh, I remember, those ruins at the periphery of Aragorn. Your people don't even know you still exist"

"Why are you here? To provoke me? Or to mock me?" She asked and he smiled.

"Actually I am here to give you a few tips before your training. Firstly, don't let your enemy get to you. He will try to provoke you, and out of anger, your steps would be easy to read through" He slowly closed the distance she had put so much effort to establish between them. She took a step back only to painfully realize she was against the wall. "something he can use to his advantage if he is not strong enough against you" She turned left, ready to evade his presence when he trapped her between the wall and him. "Don't let him corner you either without having an escape plan or simply put, be cornered only if you want to." He said again, leaning towards her.

She shifted her weight against the wall, having no greater wish than to merge with it. Luckily for her, he pulled away, giving her room to breathe, walking away, waving at her.

"This is all for today," He said and left immediately. Isma who stood at the corner all this time could not help but wonder about the human before her. His majesty had never given so much attention to a guest, not even his father, much less a slave as he called her. And she had never seen someone talking to his majesty as such and still keeping his tongue in his mouth.

Much less a measly human!

For some reason, she was suddenly enraged on behalf of her prince for having to endure such humiliation, no matter how big his plan was. What plan could even include such a weak creature? It was ridiculous, at least someone had to teach her her place.

Adaliah's eyes snapped towards Isma feeling a strange sensation. She looked at Isma who stood tense and glared at her. She frowned.

"Is there a problem Isma?" She asked and Isma glared at her clearing at her.

"No my lady" She answered leaving the room after excusing herself.

There was something. Did they feel she was a witch? The hatred between their two races was innate. Maybe it was from what Kerian said. He let it slip that she was a princess so she might have heard it. She needed to talk to Kieran. Disclosing she was a witch and a witch princess will put her in danger, especially when she does not have her powers, and he will not always be there to protect her. Not that she wanted it anyways.

"Adaliah? Training time" She heard Joel call and glanced at the window. Indeed, it was late. She masked her enthusiasm with a neutral expression leaving her room.

Joel scanned her from head to toe and nodded in approval, before walking ahead of her. She followed behind him and they made their way to the backyard in total silence. As soon as they reached it, he stopped suddenly launching his fist at her face. She shifted her face just in time to feel the air around her cheek twirl violently.

Her heart picked its pace as she did her best to calm down. That punch would have blown her head.

"Too sluggish" He commented, gone was his smile and it was replaced by an intimidating front. She gulped softly as he dropped his fist. Only then did she allow herself to inhale. "Get on the ground, for a starter, you'll do 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 crunches," He said and she voiced hesitantly.

"What are those? Are they insects I have to hunt?" She asked cocking her head to the side and he caught himself from chuckling. She looked adorable, adorable, and ignorant.

"Watch" He got to the floor and did all the exercises her showed her. "Now, it shouldn't be that complicated to do, right?" He asked and she lay on the ground, pushing her upper body away from the ground, forming a perfect line with her body, hands below her elbow and toes digging into the ground.

She pressed on the ground rising difficultly. Actually, Joel was kind of surprised she was able to perform a pushup on the first try but he soon found himself very amused when she crumbled to the floor after the seventh one.

"I can bet this is going to be a long night if you don't manage to perform the exercises, cause trust me, no one is leaving this place until you are done" He smirked.

***

The sun was slowly rising over Adaliah's figure sprawled on the floor, laying down like a star after she had done the exercises. As if he had judged she wasn't tired enough, he added a run around the whole castle which is a little over 10 km. It was the first time in years she had witnessed a sunrise. She was too tired to smile and all she wanted was to fall asleep. A shadow suddenly obscured her view.

"Hey, you can't be tired after just the warmup. Stand up" Joel said and she turned away. He just had to spoil it.

"Give me a break for Lux sake's" She groaned and he pulled her up as if she was just some scarf, but she could barely stand. Joel sighed and threw her on his shoulder. She just fell asleep in that posture. Fell asleep or fainted.

He walked to her room and proceeded to throw her unceremoniously on the ground, waking her up on the same occasion. She whimpered.

"You have to strengthen your mind, else we will never be able to train," He said harshly and left, but she was so tired that she just fell asleep right away, all the while a pair of black eyes watched her, devising an unholy plan.