...The Torture....

Rose went back to her room, she threw herself immediately into the bed and slept.

She was happy. For the first time in her life, her skills will be of use.

At dawn loud sound started to approach her room, she woke up frightened.

- What is this?

She went out of her room to check it, all the knights were out too. It was the announcer.

- The training will start today, you have ten minutes to arrive at the training ground. If you don't come in time you will be punished.

- But, the sun had not risen yet!. Said, Derek

- Nine minutes. Replied the announcer while glaring at them.

They changed into their uniform in a hurry and ran towards the training ground. Rose tied her long hair so it won't bother her while training.

The Crown Prince was there waiting for them, fortunately, they all arrived on time.

- Greeting your highness.

- I will supervise your training for a month. Today because it is the first day, I will go easy on you. Now you will start by running twenty laps around the place.

- Yes, Sir.

They started running, the training ground was very big that most of them got tired just after five laps.

Rose managed to keep up and finished all her laps.

" Thank you father for training me so hard, I doubted myself as a girl back then"

She sat on the ground, hoping to take a break.

- Miss Rose, we haven't started yet and you are already laying on the ground

she stood up immediately

- I'm completely fine.

-Good. Now follow me.

Rose felt nervous, every time she looks at him, she remembered what she did in the library.

- Excuse me, Your Highness.

He turned around and glared at her.

- I'm...I'm...sorry.

- About what?

- About...what happened in.....the library... I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you.

- So, if you recognized me you wouldn't do it?

-Of course! How could I? To the Crown Prince of the empire...I'm willing to take any punishment...

Hans's smile gave Rose goosebumps:

- I will surely do.

He continued his walk while Rose was shivering.

" He is so scary, what is he going to do with me?"

Hans took them to a big room and ordered them to do more exercises for more than two hours.

In the end, all of them were totally exhausted.

- Did he say that he is being easy on us?

- Yeah, he does.

- What the hell is going to happen tomorrow?

- He is surely going to kill us.

- Don't worry, even if you wish to die I won't let you escape. Said Hans while coming towards them. They panicked and didn't know what to say. He kept glaring at them then he turned around

- You can rest and eat something, we will continue after an hour"

After they rest for a bit they trained with wooden swords. Rose managed to defeat all her opponents and Hans was watching her. she was pretty confident.

" I think he noticed how good I am"

He came towards her, grabbed a wooden sword, and asked her to fight him.

- Let's see how good you are.

She attacked him first, but he managed to block it and attack her. She barely kept her sword in her hand.

" Finally, a worthy opponent"

In the second attack, Hans's strikes were very strong she couldn't do anything except defend herself

" He is very strong, I don't think I can endure much longer"

Suddenly her sword shattered in her hand. He won.