Failure (3)

Calenon Castle had an expansive garden besides it. It was so massive that it was like being inside a forest in there. The place was full of flowers, trees and hedges that formed some sort of maze. How wild the plant growth might had, it was still very clean and well kept, I heard the gardener that my father employed was skilled with cutting branches and trimming the plants.

Aside from that, the atmosphere inside the garden was very calm. It was a great place for recreation, but most of the time the garden was empty. Servants were busy all the time, taking care of all my mother's hedonistic life style, while the palace guards are busy escorting my father.

I might actually be the only person who had enought free time to wander and waste inside this garden. I took time to admire the scenery and breathe in the fresh air. Taking a seat in the grass, I laid down and looked up to the sky. There I saw Serena, the moon that lingered in the morning sky.

I closed my eyes as the wind ran through my hair, scattering it across the grass. It was peaceful, too peaceful.

I glanced to my left, there I saw the only friend accompanying me today. My trusty blade, Strumnir. My eyes dart to the wooden stationary target just standing in front of me.

Standing up and picking my blade, I swing it while moving my entire weight to dance around the dummy. The blade hit the hardened wood limbs, which had a massive scar now, yet still intact. Darting behind it, my stationary opponent never expected me to thrust my sword on his back, cutting the hay-filled body.

"Ha...ha...ha..."

Chuckling as I catched my breath. The technique I have been working on for the entire week has finally come to fruition. It was a little rudimentary, a real opponent wouldn't just stand there and let me hit them. But I don't think any guards would volunteer to be my living test subject, not that I would want to injure any of my people.

Clap Clap Clap

I turned around to see an old man clapping while smiling at me. He looked like a normal human compared to me, because his ears were round. He had a bald head and a dark complexion. His white beard was the most striking part of his face due to how lush it was, covering his entire lower face while leaving a spot where his mouth was supposed to be.

"Ah, master Yohan..." His name slipped on my mouth.

He was the garden master of the castle. He wore those black gloves and massive boots while gripping on a big scissors. He was pretty good at masking his appearance weirdly, often I found him in the garden alone and the next time I glanced back at where he was, he disappeared.

I walk closer to him, he catched his manner and bowed to me with politeness.

"Lady Elissa, good day I hope?"

"Indeed, I suppose you were taking care of the plants in this part of the garden today?"

"Oh.. no, I was going to through here to get my equipment in my shack, but I heard you hitting your sword on that poor fellow". He gestured the dummy, which was tilted side ways now because of how hard I hit it.

I chuckled. "Well, Master Yohan, how would you rate my move against him then?". I expected him to instantly say 'it was great' like a normal chitchat, but..

"Your stance were wrong, My lady. You didn't account to balance and only focused on the offense, an inexperienced opponent would likely be caught no problem, but an experienced one would easily counter your strike and left your guard wide open to an attack"

He said that while scratching his chin, before looking at me who was confused.

"Oh... sorry if you were hurt by that my lady. I didn't mean to insult you, I was just thinking my mind out loud and I-"

"No No, it's fine Master Yohan. I realized that too, I can't really perfected it because I had no sparring partner"

"Well, I could be one, if you are okay with it.."

My eyes looked at him critically. There's more to this man than meets the eye.

"Were you a soldier, Master Yohan?"

This time, it was his turn to look at me, only his face was more blank, unreadable.

"Something like that, yeah"

I glanced away from him, thinking about his offer. But suddenly, a sharp voice called out to me.

"ELISSA!!!!!"

Both me and Yohan looked at the source of the voice. There, he walked angrily towards me.

"Looks like your father wanted to meet with you, my lady"

He both walked up to both of us with a clear dissatisfaction on his face. He had two of his guard flank him from either side as he stomped the grass, leaving a patch of dirt behind him.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, GIRL?!"

He was clearly mad, yet my calm self might have made him angrier.

"I was practicing my martial art with my sword and had a chat here with Master Yoh-.."

As I looked behind me, I couldn't see anyone, looks like Yohan slipped away again.

"You were supposed to meet me for your poetry lesson today when the sun still on the horizon. But now it's midday!"

Right...poetry

I know that today I had poetry lesson, it's just that I despised it so much.

"And what is that thing on your hip?!" He forcibly took my sword.

"That's my sword, father"

"Useless" he dumped the sword to the ground, making the scabbard and the handle dirty.

After that he took my hand and dragged me inside.

"Let me go! I don't want to learn poetry!". Apparently my strength was enough to shook off his hand as he was crying in pain clutching his hand while his guards swarmed him, trying to help their lord.

I still look at both of my hands when he said. "Fine...Do what you want with that barbaric uncivilized tool"

I hugged my sword in my arms. It was at this point when my emotions caught up to me, as my stoic personality crumbled.

"Why?" My voice became hoarse all the sudden, tears falling down.

He didn't answer, after the pain subsides, he fixed his long robe and swath any dust that had stuck on it.

"Why do you hate me so much?!" I screamed on the top of my lungs.

He showed his back at me, ready to leave.

"You're a failure..."

I stared at him, as he was walking away.

Failure....

I thought about it for a while. Thinking was hard, I didn't know if it because I had a child's brain or the emotions were simply overwhelming.

Eventually, I had to meet someone who could answer my questions.

Mother, time to be honest with your child