Cici Tsumis

Chapter 4

“Hey princess! It’s your turn to clean the shed!” The girl said as she threw the broom at my feet.

It was 2 weeks in, and I have yet to get used to doing these chores.

We each take turns cleaning parts of the training site. The shed, the cabins, the kitchen, etc.

We wake up every morning at dawn to start our morning exercises. We have breakfast afterwards and then we get started on our chores. We eat lunch after everything is clean and have more training in the evening. We finally have dinner before turning in for the night.

We train with swords, arrows, spears, daggers, horses, and with each other. I think I’m the youngest here. Everyone else is 14 or 15. I am also the only one with the nickname, princess. They came up with that nickname when they found out that I am a daughter of a Viscount. They wish to put me down with that name but, I’m not bothered. I mean, they have yet to beat me with the sword.

“Ladies, today we have a new recruit. This is Katherine Ian.” Our trainer announced as we all stood in formation. We turned to the right to look at the recruit.

She was tall and had long brown hair and blue eyes. Hers were more like cloudy pale blue. Dull like her demeanor.

“Bianca, come here. You will fight Katherine. ” Our trainer declared.

I walked in front of her. Her expression did not change at all. She gave nothing away at what she thought of me.

I know I was the shortest among the other girls. But I was the quickest. Hopefully, she will not underestimate me.

“And proceed!” The trainer called out, signaling us forward to attack the other.

---

I threw the sword on the floor and kicked the water bucket out of the way.

I wanted to scream, but no, I won’t give them the satisfaction that their goading got to me.

They were just a bunch of ignorant little girls that did not know the end of the sword if it did not stab them in the back!

I laid on the grass and covered my eyes with my arms.

The only sound around me was the birds in the trees and the water of the river.

I was about a mile away from the training grounds.

I must have dozed off because I felt groggy when someone was shaking my shoulder.

A stranger?

I rolled on my left and sat defensively, gripping my dagger with my right hand.

Katherine blinked at my defensive position.

“Oh. It’s only you. ” I huffed. I stood up and dusted off the grass off of me.

I walked past her with the intention of ignoring her.

“It’s time for supper.” She called out softly.

I paused and turned around to face her. She was still crouched on the grass.

I took a deep breath. “I may have lost today, but heed my words, I will win. Sooner or later.”

Katherine nodded slowly.

“I was able to win the duel because I am taller and stronger. You have great skill. I have no doubt that once you reach my height, you will either be my equal or possibly advance me.”

Reach her height?!

I turned and walked briskly away, all the while ignoring the heat on my face.

The nerve?!

---

I sat on the grass by the river. I sipped my cup as my thoughts turned to Katherine Ian.

It had been 3 months and I had yet to win one round against Katherine.

She was an enigma. An outsider. The other girls had tried to befriend her, but Katherine would point out their mistakes quite bluntly.

It would have been fine to receive advice if she had not been so blunt that borderlines on being offensive. She had no class at all.

In the end, all the girls left her alone…except for me.

I would seek her out at any opportunity for a spar. I wanted to win against her. Thankfully, she never once denied me a spar unless it was time for supper.

‘We must uplift our strength with nutrients.‘ She would say before going to eat.

Speaking of Katherine…

From the edge of my vision, I caught a figure coming closer. She must have finished her dinner, I thought.

Katherine sat a foot from me. She hugged her knees to herself and stared at the rushing waters.

There was peace for a while before she started talking. It was a sort of a new routine we had begun. We always end up here by the river after supper.

“Are you related to royalty?” she asked.

“No. I’m the daughter of a Viscount.” I answered before wiping my face with my handkerchief.

Katherine stared pensively at me. “I see. My cousin is the daughter of a Baron.”

I started. “Are you a noble then also?”

Her clothes were clean and seemed well taken care of. But they did not look frayed or worn out like the other girls that were commoners. Nor did they look lavishing or regal like the few noble girls that were here.

“No. I am a commoner. My father has fallen from grace.”

…So, he was a noble…

“Did you come here to restore your family’s honor?” I asked as I sipped more water.

“I am not honorable. I came here against my parent’s wishes.”

I coughed almost choking. My eyes widened. “You rebelled against your parents?!”

Katherine nodded meekly. A frown was placed on her lips.

My eyebrows furrowed. “Pardon me, but you do not look like the sort of person who would rebel against your family.”

She nodded, still looking down. “I ran away from home. I left a note in my bedroom.”

There was an awkward silence. I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. It was her business and family. Why was she telling me this?”

“Because we are friends.”

I turned to her. Her dull eyes seemed to brighten unexpectedly.

“We are friends?” I asked confused. The word felt foreign on my tongue.

Her head tilted to the side. “Do you not have friends?”

My face heated as realization came crashing down on me. No, out all the things I have asked for…I have never asked for a friend…

“What makes you think we are friends? We spar all the time.”

Her eyes blinked. “That’s what I did with my friends back at home. We’d spar, talk, and eat together.”

‘Like we are doing now.’

My eyes widened. I felt something warm building in my chest.

“Do you not want to be friends?” Katherine asked. She was still waiting for me. It dawned on me that she was waiting for a response from me all this time.

I cleared my throat. I tried to control the trembling corners of my mouth from turning upward.

“I guess I am …not opposed to the idea.” I said, looking away.

Katherine smiled.

So did I, once I was in the comforts of my cot.