Fighting my way out

The next morning, some servant comes in and prepares me for the challenge. They all look at me like I am destined to die. 

But I am more determined than ever. I have to make them trust me, I have to show them I am competent and enough to lead them. 

I face the dark corner of my prison and close my eyes as I connect with my father and speak to him. I have the gift of speaking to people like a dream but it doesn't always get through to them. But I hope this does. 

"Father, I am still alive but with a new plan now, our new plan failed, I lost Kang Yun for now but I met some new people, some of your old people, I will be back a Victor, stay healthy", I speak silently. I wish I could speak more but their servant has arrived to take me to the arena. 

I followed the dark passage with the servant for some minutes and I could hear people groaning in pain from each cell as I passed. 

"Who are these people, are they the king's people too? ", I asked with concern. 

"We don't go around kidnapping the King's people, we can't afford to be seen by the world, especially the Kim family", he answered me coldly. 

"then who are they", I asked again. 

"They are the Kim people we could catch when they are sent to kill some of the people sent to exile, we go after everyone sent to exile to rescue them because we know the Kim assassins will be there soon", he answered. 

All he spoke of was new to me so I asked again. 

"Assassin, whose assassin?" he asked ignorantly. 

"The Kim family has a group of assassins hidden inside their military camp and they are trained so perfectly that just anybody can cut them", he answered. 

I was left in shock. I have no idea they are this powerful. 

The servant paused and looked at me for a while. 

"I can see you, you are ignorant like your father too, your death awaits you", he speaks and points to the door. 

I opened and the light shone on my face so much, that I had to cover my face, it's been a while since I saw so much light because of the dark cell. 

I entered the arena outside and saw people surrounding the ground and in front was the female leader looking at me fiercely. 

"How can a woman be so strong and well skilled, I was only taught women belong to the kitchen and under a man, but she is different", I thought. 

"pick your weapon", her voice like a lioness roaring drawing me out of my thoughts. 

I looked around and saw some weapons lying on the floor at the end of the arena with a servant by them. 

I thank my way there and look at the weapons for a while, they look old and dirty, they must be collected from dead bodies. 

"Who are this people? They're strong and fearless to go against the king, they are the army I need", I thought for a while. 

"your sword is among them, pick it, I want a fear fight", she spoke from where she was standing waiting for me. 

I pick up my sword and walk to the opposite end. 

"can I know the name of my opponent, that if I may die, I will know the hand of whom I die from", I asked. 

She didn't reply, she just stood there waiting for me to launch my attack. 

"our leader didn't speak her name to anyone", one of the elders replied to me. 

"Too much talk for a prince", she speaks for the third time. 

I made my stance and advanced on her, she stood her ground and waited for me to make an opening, we kept moving around facing each other. 

She noticed that I wouldn't attack first so she launched her attack by kicking my left foot. 

It hurts. 

She is very well skilled. 

"We don't need to do this", I speak again. 

She replies to me with her double sword as she swings it directly at my face, I dodge it easily. 

She changed suddenly and kept attacking heavily. She swung at me twice in a second, I could hardly block them all. 

I started attacking her too. She is good with her feet and she is light in the air too, she jumps high and attacks me and she is very fast too. 

My sword is heavy so I have to maintain my ground. 

I waited till she withdrew her attack and hit her defense very hard with my sword, she fell to the ground and her sword bent. 

She rose angrily and picked a spear. Now I know I have to wake up a sleeping dragon as her eyes spit fire at me. 

She attacked me differently and attempted to kill me this time around but I managed to block them until I felt a sharp cut on my right thigh and my left arm in a second. She is more good with a spear. 

I have to prepare myself or she will cut my throat next. 

I started targeting her spear next, not her. 

I hit the spear very hard every time and eventually succeeded in cutting off the spearhead. 

She felt embarrassed again, I could see the shame on her face. 

She picked a mace this time and swung it around her arms as she approached me. 

She hit me hard every time and I could hardly defend myself, she knocked my sword off in no time and I fell to the ground. I could hear a loud noise among them cheering for their leader. 

I stood up and checked my hand, it was bleeding now. 

I pick up a shield now to face her. 

She keeps hitting the shield with any chance she gets and keeps pushing the shield at her to protect herself. I moved closer to her bit by bit, unknowingly, and hit her head with my shield heavily as she moved her hand back to hit me. 

She fell to the ground, rolling on the floor, some would be unconscious by now, she's a strong one. I picked up my sword and moved closer to her and placed it gently on her neck. 

I could hear large noise in the crowd and I knew if I killed her now, I couldn't come out of the village alive. 

"I know you still need your leader, and I am not here to take her life, I am just here to seek refugee and fight against our common enemy the Kim family", I said and dropped my sword on the ground. 

I stretch my hand to help me up. 

"you are strong and skilled, don't end it here while our enemies rejoice at their house peacefully with their family", I said, convincing her. 

"I yield", she said eventually, and I fell to the ground with relief. 

Some guards moved close to me but she told them to stand down. She stood up and moved close to me. 

"you are an honorable man, you can live among us but you must follow all our rules. I give the commands here and nothing moves unless I say so", she spoke. 

Rang Min ran close to me to treat my wound. 

"this one has chosen to be your servant and so be it", she said and was about to leave. 

"Thank you", I said. 

She looked at me and walked away as the elders followed her. 

I rest in my quarters till late in the evening until a servant comes to call me. 

"the leader threw a small part for you, it would be rude if you were not there", the servant said. 

"I was unaware, I would have joined", I said in defense.

"Now you are aware", the servant said again and pointed to the door. 

"you can't talk to his highness like this, he is the crown prince of this nation", Rang Min said to the servant angrily. 

The servant moves closer to him and draws out his sword. 

"There is no crown prince here but only one ruler and she is calling you all right now", the servant said. 

"you won't threaten his highness like this", Rang Min was about to draw out his sword but I touched him to stop. 

"I will join the party now", I said to the servant. 

The servant went out after receiving my words. 

"Your Highness, you should not allow them to treat you like this and your wounds are not well healed, you should rest", Rang Min said. 

"I can't risk getting her angry, I will go, I still have to earn her trust", I said and stood up to dress for the party. 

The party was a long one and I can notice the Leader looking at me almost every time. 

I move down to get myself a new cup and my servant is drunk already. 

"the leader has never thrown a party for a prisoner before, she is a woman after all", I heard some men whispering. 

"she has never been defeated before so I think she is drawn to him because of that", another answered back. 

"our leader is in love, that's ridiculous, I was always against a skirt being our leader", a new one said. 

I was about to speak up when someone said 

"if you talk like this again about our leader, I will have all your heads on my plate".

They all keep mute and the room, I can tell he is a powerful one. They all return to the party and I go down to get a drink. 

"I can smell you spying on us when we talk", a familiar voice said and I felt a knife placed on my neck instantly. 

I could not hear any footsteps with all my training all these years. 

Is he an enemy? 

I smell death as my heart sinks in fear.