Sway Her Heart
The morning was more than welcome in the house.
Elara found Killian knocking at her door before she could even pin her unruly hair in a bun.
She raised a brow in the mirror when he stood at her door.
"I am here for my lessons." The nine year old child was nothing like she had ever met. The tender child should be thinking of running away at the face of danger, yet he was standing there as if he could learn the art of sword wielding or throwing daggers or his punches would chase the demons away.
She took a deep breath, she did not want to lie but the child felt he could change the world and she did not have the heart to crush his hopes.
"Young lord, have you had breakfast?" she smiled when his eyes narrowed.
"I am sure there is time to do it and.. I never heard any knights eating before their training." you are not one! She wanted to shout but she took him in and closed the door behind her.
It would do her no good if the staff came to know that she was training a young child as a mercenary.
He faced her with a blank look but she could see hopes in them. Hopes that would not meet an end.
"You want to learn self protection." she asked, placing her hands on his shoulders when he nodded.
"This could be a good start until I learn to fight well and face my uncle." there he was at it. Not only that man was dangerous but he kept drugs with him. There was no way a child like Killian could face his uncle.
"Is there no other relative that could help you? Perhaps the family of your mother or an aunt, a cousin?" irritation flared his eyes as she looked at him as someone pathetic.
"Cedric is the closest relative. If not for me, he would have been the next duke. The royal family would not give the position to someone else." An image of the man full of debauchery filled her eyes and she shook her head. It had nothing to do with her.
Elara reminded herself that she had her demons to face.
"Very well. Do you want me to train you right now?" Finally relieved with the change of conversation, the boy nodded and Elara followed.
"You need to attack me, I want to see your strength." the boy nodded, stood up and walked to her. He made a fist and attacked her torso but there was hesitation in his act and her eyes narrowed.
"You are worried about something wrong, my lord. I am strong enough to handle many of them. You should be worried about your fist." The boy raised his head and met her eyes. They were the clearest set of eyes she had ever seen.
"No one could be strong enough to handle the pain all the time. And it still hurts no matter how habitual you are of taking it."
"........" Elara found herself standing there dumbfounded. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times but no word came out. How could a child, such a young child who should be counting his toys, know about pain and their endurance.
For once, she wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be fine. That he need not worry. There were many who would protect him but she did not find her voice till the end. She could not lie to a child when his eyes were so clear. So, she settled on a nod.
"But you still need to fight me to learn." he nodded, a bit disappointed and her hands itched to hold his chin and raise his head.
To meet his eyes again and ask what disappointed him. But she waited. She could not go any closer to him than she already was.
"Are you ready?" she asked when he nodded slowly, this time he punched harder. She could feel the slight tremble of her muscles. The touch of bone but it was not enough to sway her or wince.
"You are hurt more than you injured me." Killian shook his head not ready to accept but when she kept staring at him with her stern eyes, he sighed.
"How did you know that?" Elara held out her own hand and made a fist, "your thumb was inside." He opened her hands and made the fist again, keeping the thumb outside this time.
"If you leave it outside, the blow would hurt less." She held his fingers and made a fist when he checked the difference, opening it and closing it again.
"Again!" That was all he needed to attack her again. This time, the blow was stronger. He opened his fingers and checked, then he looked at her.
His eyes were full of expectations.
She spoke as he did so, attempting to ignore the guilt rising in her heart for teaching a child a way to fight the world, "Try to keep all the muscles loose when you make your fist. It's not the tightness of it that hurts your opponent, but the force. The tighter your fist, the more the blow will hurt you." she held his fists closer to his face, "protect your face first but keep an eye on the opponent as he may attack anywhere. You need to follow their eyes. Most of the time, they stare at their targeting point first."
He paused, nodded but Elara knew he was confused when she shook her head.
"You need to remember Killian. Fights are not done in anger. You could not lose your emotions. You should be calm, calculative. If needed, use your words to distract the enemy. You must have an upper hand in the fight to make sure that you win.
You need to be agile too since you lack strength. Now try again and this time, I will not stand like a statue to bear your bunch."