Steel.
The sound of steel clashing into each other rang throughout the entire training grounds by the barracks. Knights stood around the fences watching the spar between two significant people.
"Our Lady is holding up against the prince pretty well huh?" Said a Knight, nudging one of his comrades.
"Of course, our Lady can best some of us in a duel." Remarked another. "Shit, she can even beat Sir Asher."
"I guess that's what you get with being trained by one of the best after all." Replied the First.
The wind blew over as the swords met in a fiery crash. The knights gawked and started clapping as the Lady managed to push back the Prince.
"WHOOOO!" Cheered a fanboy knight. "THAT'S OUR LADY RIGHT THERE!"
The one next to him smacked him in the head and scolding him to shut up and be quiet.
"They're really going at it." Snickered another one of the knights. "Think our Lady can beat the Prince?" He asked the man next to him, who had flushed back platinum blonde hair and was wiping the sweat from his own forehead with his shirt.
"I know our Lady a lot when it comes to her swordsmanship." Spoke Asher. "I'm afraid this is a loss for her, their difference in experience is clear."
The knight who asked raised an eyebrow and looked back onto the fight and sure enough, Asher's predictions were about to come true.
Alejandra ducked down low and swung her blade upwards to the left. The Prince, Ben hopped backwards and countered it with a parry. Their blades met and fought for control.
Alejandra grinned and pushed him back and thrusted forward. Ben eyed the movement of the tip of her blade and in the short moment the edge stopped being aligned, he spun around and dodged her stab afterwards using his strength, he pushed in the dirt below his feet and knocked her blade in its flat side.
Alejandra managed to hold on to her sword but it wasn't much because Ben took her inability to move again quickly and swung his sword's edge until it almost reached her head.
"That's a win for me, my Lady." Ben bragged.
"Damnit." Alejandra swore with a smile and sat down at the ground. "That's twice in a row, first Asher now to you."
"You still did well, My Lady." Ben laughed and sat next to her.
"Don't take this as your chance to act chummy with me." Alejandra teased and Ben chuckled back.
"It's not that." The Prince sighed with a smirk. "It's nice to relax after a good fight."
"Relax?" Alejandra smirked back at him and aimed her sword again. "Who says we're done?"
"Another round?"
"Yes!" She smiled. "Asher!"
The knight all took a turn smiling and pushing the blushing Asher forward. "The Lady's calling, go get her." They cheered for the guy quietly.
"Shut up, all of you." He glared at them and they only cackled amongst themselves more. He faced the Lady, who threw him a sword. "Yes?"
"Join us?" The Lady offered with a beaming smile on her face. "I'm pumped up right now."
Asher exhaled and nodded his head. "It'd be my pleasure, My Lady. Your Highness." He sheepishly smiled and picked up the blade and threw it around his hands.
"Let me have it, Sir Lewis." Ben struck a defensive pose and eyed the knight carefully. "Let me see the power of the Lady's personal guard."
"It would be an honor to demonstrate my abilities, Your Highness." Asher pointed his blade towards the Imperial. "I can't let my Lady down."
"Good, just as I would expect from the Heir of House Lewis." Ben smirked and the two of them clashed into each other and produced a screen of dust
Asher smacked the butt of his sword to Ben's gut which was a shock for everyone involved and sent Ben tumbling down. Asher followed forward by slashing towards where he expected Ben to land but the young prince was no longer then.
The Prince had managed to roll from his tumble and regain his stance and immediately shift position so that he wouldn't be struck with a follow up attack.
He changed up his angle and lifted himself off the dirt by jumping up and slicing horizontally. Asher turned his body to immediately block the swing but Ben smirked and his blade started to emit a faint glow.
Alejandra did a double take as she recognized this glow but she didn't really mention it before. Ben's form and the aura he emitted was similar to the time he appeared in her dream.
Before their sword even met, Ben quickly slashed the wind with his edge and from it a windblade burst forth and went through Asher's defense and struck him directly forcing him to the ground.
Ben landed with grace and a twist of his feet, he dashed forward and went for the final blow.
Asher wasn't going down without a fight, however. He pulled his body up from the legs and rolled backwards and instead of dodging, he dropped his sword, flipped his body to the side, and tackled the Prince.
Once again, the Prince not expecting this move from him was embraced in a bear hug. He had never been close enough to an enemy soldier to experience a last ditch effort like this.
Asher did a wrestling position towards the boy and locked his body from movement in an attempt to make him let go of the sword but the faint glow from the sword suddenly transmitted to his entire body and an unbridled strength took over his arms and managed to break away from the knight's grapple.
He then kicked the knight's chest and pointed the sword to his neck. "I win."
Asher raised both his hands as surrender and the Prince fell to the ground tired.
He then began to complain to the knight. "What the heck was that? You were more like a wrestler than a dignified soldier. You freaking tackled me."
"I knew I couldn't beat someone as experienced as you in swordsmanship so I tried relying on other methods." He grinned as he lay flat on the dirty ground. "Anyways, Your Highness. What was that glow you were doing?"
"Oh that?" Ben grinned as he stood up to his knees to look at both the curious Lady, who was watching the two of them even now; and the intrigued knight, who wanted to know how he lost.
"So what is it, Your Highness?" Alejandra squatted down to their eye level so she could hear what he was gonna say.
"I think your Mother, the Duchess, should have told you about this." He pointed out. "It's called Spirit. Once you train hard enough you gain the ability to surpass your physical limits. It's different from the Magic born from desire though."
"In what way?" Asher raised an eyebrow.
"Magic is unlocked and granted to you by sheer luck and circumstance. Spirit is something you achieve yourself, through hard work." He grinned and helped the knight up. "Both of you are knights, you should know this."
"Well we're both pretty young and–" Asher stopped himself from talking, realizing that he was speaking to someone three years younger than him.
"I guess it's more known to people who are constantly involved in battle." The Prince sighed and offered his hand for a shake. "Good fight."
Asher smiled and took the offer for a handshake. "Good fight, Your Highness."
"Anyways, Lady Alejandra, I would have assumed you knew about Spirit since you are part Azarolla." Ben mused. "They are after all a family born from the usage of Spirit."
"I haven't…Mother has not yet told me." Alejandra frowned and Asher looked at her concerningly.
"I see." The Prince has already thought of multiple reasons as to why she wasn't told. The one with the highest chance of being correct was that her mother doesn't want to involve her in any matters regarding Azarolla.
But if that is the case… why?
Why does the Duchess refrain her daughter from interacting with the warrior side of her family?
"I have a question, My Lady."
"Ask away, Your Highness."
"Have you ever been to the Domain of Azarolla?"
"I don't recall so, in any memory, unfortunately." The Lady answered with a slightly perplexed expression.
So she hasn't been there at all…
Interesting…
Ben was planning to threaten the Duchess by using the Azarolla family as hostage but looks like there was a tense bad blood between her and Azarolla right now.
Speaking of which, doesn't the Duchess's brother work as the greenskeeper of the Imperial Palace. I heard that she had a less amicable relationship with him.
Perhaps he may inquire regarding some information from the brother upon his return to the castle.
"Your Highness." The Lady's voice broke through his thinking. "If you're done mulling over this secret plan of yours, then let's continue our practice."
"Do you never get tired?" Ben joked and the Lady only stretched her neck and limbs.
"Trust me to keep this up until nighttime." Her face looked determined and excited to learn. "Plus, now that I know of that Spirit you speak of. I must train even harder to achieve it myself."
"I would like to join too." Asher raised his hand in request, suddenly the knights behind him followed up one after the other in their requests to join the sparring.
"Well then." The boy exhaled. "Looks like an entire training session is ahead of us."
The entire barracks erupted into cheers as the manly stench of blood, sweat, and tears of the training knights filled the air and the sound of men bent on improving echoing through the peaks of the burning sun.
A couple hours of ceaseless training passed and the Lady had arrived back in her private quarters after a much needed bath.
"Are you alright with being left alone now, My Lady?" Teresa asked with a bow.
"Oh. Sure!" Alejandra turned around and patted the girl's head. "Thanks for the help, Teri."
"Of course, My Lady was sweaty all over from practicing too much," The Maid grinned, "I don't think you could've carried the soap on your own at that point."
Alejandra's head pat turned into a head flick and made Teri yelp in shock.
"Quiet you." Alejandra frowned with a smile. "You cheeky little…"
"Hehe."
"Get out and go to sleep now." Alejandra sighed. The maid curtsied and left the room while closing the doors behind her.
"That girl really goes off doesn't she?" Alejandra spoke to herself as she paced around her dim room, only lit by the faint shine of moonlight.
She went over to her cabinet at the far end of one of the walls and grabbed a candle to light up as she pulled out her nightgown.
She started undressing the bathrobes she had on under the flickering candle light. She unraveled the knot behind her and slowly let it down below her shoulders when a sudden flirtatious whistle was heard from her bed.
"You are one hell of a lady." The voice cat called.
Alejandra immediately covered herself in the robes again and scrambled for the candle on her dresser. She then waved the light to shine upon the pervert in her room.
It was the red haired witch sitting with a ribboned white corset over a beautiful green dress, her legs crossed, and with a smirk on her face.
"By the Goddess… What the actual fuck?" Alejandra glared at Maddison who giggled at her from the bed.
The witch leaned on her arm as she waved her other hand dismissively. "Oh don't mind me, keep going. I'll wait here and watch."
Alejandra rolled her eyes and settled the candle down on the side table by her bed. "Are you insane?" She complained.
"I'm just here to talk?" She smiled and had an expression like she was the victim here. "You were the one undressing without a thought in the world."
"This is my room!" Alejandra replied back.
"Well I was in your room!" Maddison retorted with a grin.
"Oh you bi—" Alejandra stopped herself and clenched her fists. She grabbed a chair and sat on it as she glared at the amused woman sitting on her bed, in her room. She was reminded of the Prince's comments regarding security. "What?" She raised an eyebrow toward the woman in front of her.
"What what?"
"What are you here for?"
"Oh that!" Maddison looked at the ceiling as if she had forgotten her initial reason. "Aren't you gonna change?" She teased.
Alejandra put on a fake smile leaned forward and with a hostile breath, she said, "No."
Maddison laughed and got off the bed to take a swirl around the room. "You made me wait a while, you know?"
"I didn't know you were coming?"
"Fair enough."
"So what is your reason for being here?"
"Hmm… I wonder~" Maddison spoke teasingly as she looked around the room.
Alejandra kept a poised attitude as she just watched the girl glance around.
"How's the Crown Prince?" Maddison asked with a spring in her step. "I've heard you're going to be keeping him here until his official arrival."
"I am not even gonna bother asking you how you know that…but why do you need to know?" Alejandra sighed and crossed her arms. "It's not for some evil plan is it?"
"Oh no, My Lady." Maddison shook her head. "Not for anything evil or matter of act, not for a plan at all. I am merely acting out of my own curiosity."
Alejandra raised an eyebrow. "It's okay…I guess?"
The girl had a baffled but intrigued look on her face. "Okay??? You spent time with the popular and handsome crown prince and it was okay?"
"I mean…" Alejandra looked a bit caught off guard by this sudden change in tone and mood. "Was I supposed to feel…something?"
Maddison blinked. "Well…no? But—" she pursed her lips and sat at the bed again to face the Lady. "You really are an interesting one."
"Ugh." Alejandra rolled her eyes.
"So…any news regarding my offer, My Lady?" Maddison's eyes turned a bit fierce like her casual tone earlier was nothing but a farce.
"I'll tell you, when I've made my decision." Alejandra closed her eyes and kept her head low. "There's not much information to make me either fully trust or avoid you."
"I see."
Alejandra then shook her head. "My apologies, but if that's all…then you can leave now."
Maddison giggled and decided it upon herself to lie down completely at Alejandra's bed instead. "Did you really think that's all I'm here for?"
"Huh?" The Lady blinked. "Then what else is there?"
"What else? You, of course." Maddison gazed at Alejandra from the bed whose head jerked back in surprise.
The Lady's face turned flustered and she found herself coughing.
"I meant… I am here to get to know my future client." Maddison clarified with a smirk on her face.
"Future?"
"I am that confident in the fact that you will trust us." Maddison checked her nails while saying that. She then sat upright once more and leaned close to the Lady, who sat on her chair near the bed. "Tell me a bit about who you are?"
The Lady cleared her throat and took a deep breath. Alejandra knew that this was clearly her tactic of getting close to her and earning her trust and making her lower her guard.
But it's not like she has any reason to decline as well. For now, she just decided to go along with the witch's pace. "You want to know about me?"
"Yes! How were your parents? What are they like? What about your childhood?" The girl who laid at her bed listed off questions. "C'mon get those lips moving."
"Well my mother was a great knight and my father is an astounding business man. They raised me with care and made sure I grew up with righteous morals and well my childhood is probably the same as any other noble lady's." She briefly explained. Alejandra didn't really want to reveal too much about herself or the hardships she went through. This was a ploy of the witch after all, she ain't gonna come out with her feelings and emotions that easily.
Maddison smiles knowingly. She knew the Lady's reasoning for keeping it short, vague, and brief. She had her guard up and that's clever of her. "What about your tutelage under your mother?" She tries once again to at least get a snippet of the Lady's inner self and information regarding her childhood and family
"I was taught how to wield a sword since I was five. I've loved it since then. It feels right in my hand and like it was something I had always been meant to do, whether I'd be great at it or not." Alejandra smiled remembering her memories training with her mom. "My Father too, taught me with care regarding our business and how to run it. It's been a ride so far and although tiring, I find it quite enjoyable."
"That's fun."
"I learned a lot from my parents." Alejandra found herself blushing. She did really love her parents a lot and she can't wait for them to get back home from their trip to the palace.
"So what's next?" Maddison asked bluntly.
"Next?"
"I mean…you've learned swordsmanship and you've learned business." The girl pointed out. "What will you choose to do? What's your dream? Your aspirations?"
Alejandra was a bit caught off guard by that question. She clenched her fists and looked outside the window. She imagined the East, her home. The people there, her friends there, her family, and her happiness.
"I want to be the Grand Duchess, the one to take my family to greater heights, the one to serve the people, and the one to become the best ruler of the East since its creation." Alejandra spoke proudly, her chest puffed up, and her heart focused on that goal.
"What a stupid dream." Maddison mocked, her face contorted to a frown, far from the smile she had earlier.
"Excuse me?" The Lady stood from her seat in disbelief.
"I thought you'd be above something like that but I guess you are still a naive girl inside huh?" Maddison insulted with a disdained look on her face.
The Lady couldn't believe this sudden change in mood once again but she was also very mad. "You're the one who wants to destroy an entire kingdom."
"And yet still more possible than that fruitless tree you sow."
"Why are you being so hostile out of nowhere?"
"Because you're being naive." Maddison stood up and pushed Alejandra to a wall. "I bet, when you were thinking about that ambition, you thought of your people, your family, and all that nonsense."
Alejandra turned red from embarrassment and anger. "So what?"
"That's exactly why your dream is hopeless. With the way you live right now and the way you see yourself in the future…My Lady, I'm afraid you're just going to become another blank face in a crowd. Just another name to read past in the coming history books."
"You–You–!"
"You're wasting yourself. Prancing around and thinking like you're going to be somebody amazing. Must be nice with everyone thinking how great you are, right?" She continued. "It must be nice knowing how talented you are, right? Well guess what! You can't do everything! Shit is gonna catch up to you and you'll be faced against someone you can't win against and you'd be left there! Crying and helpless, and begging for mercy! Seriously what makes you think—"
She was shut up by a large strong echoing slap.
"I don't know if you're projecting on me or not, but I don't appreciate your sudden outburst." Alejandra stiffly spoke. "Now you either step away from me, or I push you off myself."
Maddison backed away from her quietly, holding her cheek that had been hit by the lady.
"Maddison, that's your name right? Listen, I don't know what you went through, or what happened to you, to make you so spiteful of someone having such dreams and ambitions as I." Alejandra lectured, her heart beating fast realizing she just slapped someone powerful enough to kill her in one second, but she has her own pride to live up to. "I'm not gonna turn into whatever nonsense you spoke of. What you think and what I am aren't the same."
Alejandra gripped her hands, she stared down the witch in front of her. Someone with the capability of turning this mansion upside down if she so desired but Alejandra didn't back down, she couldn't let herself get talked down to like that.
Maddison eyed the composed and straight face woman in front of her, who carried a dignified look, and a determined expression. She took a couple more steps backwards and sat at the windowsill. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings but those words…I meant them."
"What?"
"If you stay the way you are, with that naivete..." The woman pursed her lips and opened the window. "The world won't take kindly to the people with big dreams. You don't let things happen. You make them."
"I know that."
"Of course, we all think we do." Maddison smiled half-heartedly and stepped out the window. "Be careful on the day of the ball."
"What do you mean?" Alejandra walked toward the window and looked at the red haired woman who levitated off of it.
"Just a hunch." She smiled and leaned closer then kissed the Lady's cheek. "Also, instead of Maddison. Maddie would be a far nicer name to call me by."
And just like last time a burst of wind flew towards the Lady's crimson stricken face and in a single blink, the Red Witch had vanished.
Leaving behind a flushed Alejandra squatted down on the floor as she touched her cheeks, and she could swear that they felt just a wee bit warm on this dreadfully chilly night.
Steel.
The sound of steel clashing into each other rang throughout the entire training grounds by the barracks. Knights stood around the fences watching the spar between two significant people.
"Our Lady is holding up against the prince pretty well huh?" Said a Knight, nudging one of his comrades.
"Of course, our Lady can best some of us in a duel." Remarked another. "Shit, she can even beat Sir Asher."
"I guess that's what you get with being trained by one of the best after all." Replied the First.
The wind blew over as the swords met in a fiery crash. The knights gawked and started clapping as the Lady managed to push back the Prince.
"WHOOOO!" Cheered a fanboy knight. "THAT'S OUR LADY RIGHT THERE!"
The one next to him smacked him in the head and scolding him to shut up and be quiet.
"They're really going at it." Snickered another one of the knights. "Think our Lady can beat the Prince?" He asked the man next to him, who had flushed back platinum blonde hair and was wiping the sweat from his own forehead with his shirt.
"I know our Lady a lot when it comes to her swordsmanship." Spoke Asher. "I'm afraid this is a loss for her, their difference in experience is clear."
The knight who asked raised an eyebrow and looked back onto the fight and sure enough, Asher's predictions were about to come true.
Alejandra ducked down low and swung her blade upwards to the left. The Prince, Ben hopped backwards and countered it with a parry. Their blades met and fought for control.
Alejandra grinned and pushed him back and thrusted forward. Ben eyed the movement of the tip of her blade and in the short moment the edge stopped being aligned, he spun around and dodged her stab afterwards using his strength, he pushed in the dirt below his feet and knocked her blade in its flat side.
Alejandra managed to hold on to her sword but it wasn't much because Ben took her inability to move again quickly and swung his sword's edge until it almost reached her head.
"That's a win for me, my Lady." Ben bragged.
"Damnit." Alejandra swore with a smile and sat down at the ground. "That's twice in a row, first Asher now to you."
"You still did well, My Lady." Ben laughed and sat next to her.
"Don't take this as your chance to act chummy with me." Alejandra teased and Ben chuckled back.
"It's not that." The Prince sighed with a smirk. "It's nice to relax after a good fight."
"Relax?" Alejandra smirked back at him and aimed her sword again. "Who says we're done?"
"Another round?"
"Yes!" She smiled. "Asher!"
The knight all took a turn smiling and pushing the blushing Asher forward. "The Lady's calling, go get her." They cheered for the guy quietly.
"Shut up, all of you." He glared at them and they only cackled amongst themselves more. He faced the Lady, who threw him a sword. "Yes?"
"Join us?" The Lady offered with a beaming smile on her face. "I'm pumped up right now."
Asher exhaled and nodded his head. "It'd be my pleasure, My Lady. Your Highness." He sheepishly smiled and picked up the blade and threw it around his hands.
"Let me have it, Sir Lewis." Ben struck a defensive pose and eyed the knight carefully. "Let me see the power of the Lady's personal guard."
"It would be an honor to demonstrate my abilities, Your Highness." Asher pointed his blade towards the Imperial. "I can't let my Lady down."
"Good, just as I would expect from the Heir of House Lewis." Ben smirked and the two of them clashed into each other and produced a screen of dust
Asher smacked the butt of his sword to Ben's gut which was a shock for everyone involved and sent Ben tumbling down. Asher followed forward by slashing towards where he expected Ben to land but the young prince was no longer then.
The Prince had managed to roll from his tumble and regain his stance and immediately shift position so that he wouldn't be struck with a follow up attack.
He changed up his angle and lifted himself off the dirt by jumping up and slicing horizontally. Asher turned his body to immediately block the swing but Ben smirked and his blade started to emit a faint glow.
Alejandra did a double take as she recognized this glow but she didn't really mention it before. Ben's form and the aura he emitted was similar to the time he appeared in her dream.
Before their sword even met, Ben quickly slashed the wind with his edge and from it a windblade burst forth and went through Asher's defense and struck him directly forcing him to the ground.
Ben landed with grace and a twist of his feet, he dashed forward and went for the final blow.
Asher wasn't going down without a fight, however. He pulled his body up from the legs and rolled backwards and instead of dodging, he dropped his sword, flipped his body to the side, and tackled the Prince.
Once again, the Prince not expecting this move from him was embraced in a bear hug. He had never been close enough to an enemy soldier to experience a last ditch effort like this.
Asher did a wrestling position towards the boy and locked his body from movement in an attempt to make him let go of the sword but the faint glow from the sword suddenly transmitted to his entire body and an unbridled strength took over his arms and managed to break away from the knight's grapple.
He then kicked the knight's chest and pointed the sword to his neck. "I win."
Asher raised both his hands as surrender and the Prince fell to the ground tired.
He then began to complain to the knight. "What the heck was that? You were more like a wrestler than a dignified soldier. You freaking tackled me."
"I knew I couldn't beat someone as experienced as you in swordsmanship so I tried relying on other methods." He grinned as he lay flat on the dirty ground. "Anyways, Your Highness. What was that glow you were doing?"
"Oh that?" Ben grinned as he stood up to his knees to look at both the curious Lady, who was watching the two of them even now; and the intrigued knight, who wanted to know how he lost.
"So what is it, Your Highness?" Alejandra squatted down to their eye level so she could hear what he was gonna say.
"I think your Mother, the Duchess, should have told you about this." He pointed out. "It's called Spirit. Once you train hard enough you gain the ability to surpass your physical limits. It's different from the Magic born from desire though."
"In what way?" Asher raised an eyebrow.
"Magic is unlocked and granted to you by sheer luck and circumstance. Spirit is something you achieve yourself, through hard work." He grinned and helped the knight up. "Both of you are knights, you should know this."
"Well we're both pretty young and–" Asher stopped himself from talking, realizing that he was speaking to someone three years younger than him.
"I guess it's more known to people who are constantly involved in battle." The Prince sighed and offered his hand for a shake. "Good fight."
Asher smiled and took the offer for a handshake. "Good fight, Your Highness."
"Anyways, Lady Alejandra, I would have assumed you knew about Spirit since you are part Azarolla." Ben mused. "They are after all a family born from the usage of Spirit."
"I haven't…Mother has not yet told me." Alejandra frowned and Asher looked at her concerningly.
"I see." The Prince has already thought of multiple reasons as to why she wasn't told. The one with the highest chance of being correct was that her mother doesn't want to involve her in any matters regarding Azarolla.
But if that is the case… why?
Why does the Duchess refrain her daughter from interacting with the warrior side of her family?
"I have a question, My Lady."
"Ask away, Your Highness."
"Have you ever been to the Domain of Azarolla?"
"I don't recall so, in any memory, unfortunately." The Lady answered with a slightly perplexed expression.
So she hasn't been there at all…
Interesting…
Ben was planning to threaten the Duchess by using the Azarolla family as hostage but looks like there was a tense bad blood between her and Azarolla right now.
Speaking of which, doesn't the Duchess's brother work as the greenskeeper of the Imperial Palace. I heard that she had a less amicable relationship with him.
Perhaps he may inquire regarding some information from the brother upon his return to the castle.
"Your Highness." The Lady's voice broke through his thinking. "If you're done mulling over this secret plan of yours, then let's continue our practice."
"Do you never get tired?" Ben joked and the Lady only stretched her neck and limbs.
"Trust me to keep this up until nighttime." Her face looked determined and excited to learn. "Plus, now that I know of that Spirit you speak of. I must train even harder to achieve it myself."
"I would like to join too." Asher raised his hand in request, suddenly the knights behind him followed up one after the other in their requests to join the sparring.
"Well then." The boy exhaled. "Looks like an entire training session is ahead of us."
The entire barracks erupted into cheers as the manly stench of blood, sweat, and tears of the training knights filled the air and the sound of men bent on improving echoing through the peaks of the burning sun.
A couple hours of ceaseless training passed and the Lady had arrived back in her private quarters after a much needed bath.
"Are you alright with being left alone now, My Lady?" Teresa asked with a bow.
"Oh. Sure!" Alejandra turned around and patted the girl's head. "Thanks for the help, Teri."
"Of course, My Lady was sweaty all over from practicing too much," The Maid grinned, "I don't think you could've carried the soap on your own at that point."
Alejandra's head pat turned into a head flick and made Teri yelp in shock.
"Quiet you." Alejandra frowned with a smile. "You cheeky little…"
"Hehe."
"Get out and go to sleep now." Alejandra sighed. The maid curtsied and left the room while closing the doors behind her.
"That girl really goes off doesn't she?" Alejandra spoke to herself as she paced around her dim room, only lit by the faint shine of moonlight.
She went over to her cabinet at the far end of one of the walls and grabbed a candle to light up as she pulled out her nightgown.
She started undressing the bathrobes she had on under the flickering candle light. She unraveled the knot behind her and slowly let it down below her shoulders when a sudden flirtatious whistle was heard from her bed.
"You are one hell of a lady." The voice cat called.
Alejandra immediately covered herself in the robes again and scrambled for the candle on her dresser. She then waved the light to shine upon the pervert in her room.
It was the red haired witch sitting with a ribboned white corset over a beautiful green dress, her legs crossed, and with a smirk on her face.
"By the Goddess… What the actual fuck?" Alejandra glared at Maddison who giggled at her from the bed.
The witch leaned on her arm as she waved her other hand dismissively. "Oh don't mind me, keep going. I'll wait here and watch."
Alejandra rolled her eyes and settled the candle down on the side table by her bed. "Are you insane?" She complained.
"I'm just here to talk?" She smiled and had an expression like she was the victim here. "You were the one undressing without a thought in the world."
"This is my room!" Alejandra replied back.
"Well I was in your room!" Maddison retorted with a grin.
"Oh you bi—" Alejandra stopped herself and clenched her fists. She grabbed a chair and sat on it as she glared at the amused woman sitting on her bed, in her room. She was reminded of the Prince's comments regarding security. "What?" She raised an eyebrow toward the woman in front of her.
"What what?"
"What are you here for?"
"Oh that!" Maddison looked at the ceiling as if she had forgotten her initial reason. "Aren't you gonna change?" She teased.
Alejandra put on a fake smile leaned forward and with a hostile breath, she said, "No."
Maddison laughed and got off the bed to take a swirl around the room. "You made me wait a while, you know?"
"I didn't know you were coming?"
"Fair enough."
"So what is your reason for being here?"
"Hmm… I wonder~" Maddison spoke teasingly as she looked around the room.
Alejandra kept a poised attitude as she just watched the girl glance around.
"How's the Crown Prince?" Maddison asked with a spring in her step. "I've heard you're going to be keeping him here until his official arrival."
"I am not even gonna bother asking you how you know that…but why do you need to know?" Alejandra sighed and crossed her arms. "It's not for some evil plan is it?"
"Oh no, My Lady." Maddison shook her head. "Not for anything evil or matter of act, not for a plan at all. I am merely acting out of my own curiosity."
Alejandra raised an eyebrow. "It's okay…I guess?"
The girl had a baffled but intrigued look on her face. "Okay??? You spent time with the popular and handsome crown prince and it was okay?"
"I mean…" Alejandra looked a bit caught off guard by this sudden change in tone and mood. "Was I supposed to feel…something?"
Maddison blinked. "Well…no? But—" she pursed her lips and sat at the bed again to face the Lady. "You really are an interesting one."
"Ugh." Alejandra rolled her eyes.
"So…any news regarding my offer, My Lady?" Maddison's eyes turned a bit fierce like her casual tone earlier was nothing but a farce.
"I'll tell you, when I've made my decision." Alejandra closed her eyes and kept her head low. "There's not much information to make me either fully trust or avoid you."
"I see."
Alejandra then shook her head. "My apologies, but if that's all…then you can leave now."
Maddison giggled and decided it upon herself to lie down completely at Alejandra's bed instead. "Did you really think that's all I'm here for?"
"Huh?" The Lady blinked. "Then what else is there?"
"What else? You, of course." Maddison gazed at Alejandra from the bed whose head jerked back in surprise.
The Lady's face turned flustered and she found herself coughing.
"I meant… I am here to get to know my future client." Maddison clarified with a smirk on her face.
"Future?"
"I am that confident in the fact that you will trust us." Maddison checked her nails while saying that. She then sat upright once more and leaned close to the Lady, who sat on her chair near the bed. "Tell me a bit about who you are?"
The Lady cleared her throat and took a deep breath. Alejandra knew that this was clearly her tactic of getting close to her and earning her trust and making her lower her guard.
But it's not like she has any reason to decline as well. For now, she just decided to go along with the witch's pace. "You want to know about me?"
"Yes! How were your parents? What are they like? What about your childhood?" The girl who laid at her bed listed off questions. "C'mon get those lips moving."
"Well my mother was a great knight and my father is an astounding business man. They raised me with care and made sure I grew up with righteous morals and well my childhood is probably the same as any other noble lady's." She briefly explained. Alejandra didn't really want to reveal too much about herself or the hardships she went through. This was a ploy of the witch after all, she ain't gonna come out with her feelings and emotions that easily.
Maddison smiles knowingly. She knew the Lady's reasoning for keeping it short, vague, and brief. She had her guard up and that's clever of her. "What about your tutelage under your mother?" She tries once again to at least get a snippet of the Lady's inner self and information regarding her childhood and family
"I was taught how to wield a sword since I was five. I've loved it since then. It feels right in my hand and like it was something I had always been meant to do, whether I'd be great at it or not." Alejandra smiled remembering her memories training with her mom. "My Father too, taught me with care regarding our business and how to run it. It's been a ride so far and although tiring, I find it quite enjoyable."
"That's fun."
"I learned a lot from my parents." Alejandra found herself blushing. She did really love her parents a lot and she can't wait for them to get back home from their trip to the palace.
"So what's next?" Maddison asked bluntly.
"Next?"
"I mean…you've learned swordsmanship and you've learned business." The girl pointed out. "What will you choose to do? What's your dream? Your aspirations?"
Alejandra was a bit caught off guard by that question. She clenched her fists and looked outside the window. She imagined the East, her home. The people there, her friends there, her family, and her happiness.
"I want to be the Grand Duchess, the one to take my family to greater heights, the one to serve the people, and the one to become the best ruler of the East since its creation." Alejandra spoke proudly, her chest puffed up, and her heart focused on that goal.
"What a stupid dream." Maddison mocked, her face contorted to a frown, far from the smile she had earlier.
"Excuse me?" The Lady stood from her seat in disbelief.
"I thought you'd be above something like that but I guess you are still a naive girl inside huh?" Maddison insulted with a disdained look on her face.
The Lady couldn't believe this sudden change in mood once again but she was also very mad. "You're the one who wants to destroy an entire kingdom."
"And yet still more possible than that fruitless tree you sow."
"Why are you being so hostile out of nowhere?"
"Because you're being naive." Maddison stood up and pushed Alejandra to a wall. "I bet, when you were thinking about that ambition, you thought of your people, your family, and all that nonsense."
Alejandra turned red from embarrassment and anger. "So what?"
"That's exactly why your dream is hopeless. With the way you live right now and the way you see yourself in the future…My Lady, I'm afraid you're just going to become another blank face in a crowd. Just another name to read past in the coming history books."
"You–You–!"
"You're wasting yourself. Prancing around and thinking like you're going to be somebody amazing. Must be nice with everyone thinking how great you are, right?" She continued. "It must be nice knowing how talented you are, right? Well guess what! You can't do everything! Shit is gonna catch up to you and you'll be faced against someone you can't win against and you'd be left there! Crying and helpless, and begging for mercy! Seriously what makes you think—"
She was shut up by a large strong echoing slap.
"I don't know if you're projecting on me or not, but I don't appreciate your sudden outburst." Alejandra stiffly spoke. "Now you either step away from me, or I push you off myself."
Maddison backed away from her quietly, holding her cheek that had been hit by the lady.
"Maddison, that's your name right? Listen, I don't know what you went through, or what happened to you, to make you so spiteful of someone having such dreams and ambitions as I." Alejandra lectured, her heart beating fast realizing she just slapped someone powerful enough to kill her in one second, but she has her own pride to live up to. "I'm not gonna turn into whatever nonsense you spoke of. What you think and what I am aren't the same."
Alejandra gripped her hands, she stared down the witch in front of her. Someone with the capability of turning this mansion upside down if she so desired but Alejandra didn't back down, she couldn't let herself get talked down to like that.
Maddison eyed the composed and straight face woman in front of her, who carried a dignified look, and a determined expression. She took a couple more steps backwards and sat at the windowsill. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings but those words…I meant them."
"What?"
"If you stay the way you are, with that naivete..." The woman pursed her lips and opened the window. "The world won't take kindly to the people with big dreams. You don't let things happen. You make them."
"I know that."
"Of course, we all think we do." Maddison smiled half-heartedly and stepped out the window. "Be careful on the day of the ball."
"What do you mean?" Alejandra walked toward the window and looked at the red haired woman who levitated off of it.
"Just a hunch." She smiled and leaned closer then kissed the Lady's cheek. "Also, instead of Maddison. Maddie would be a far nicer name to call me by."
And just like last time a burst of wind flew towards the Lady's crimson stricken face and in a single blink, the Red Witch had vanished.
Leaving behind a flushed Alejandra squatted down on the floor as she touched her cheeks, and she could swear that they felt just a wee bit warm on this dreadfully chilly night.
