Chapter 1: Joyful Ayla

She grew up as an exquisite woman in the village. Her father was a general, and her mother was a mere housewife, although she was a daughter of a powerful noble in the country. Ayla is a girl who constantly roams around the dangers in the forest and only desires adventure. She was curious about the world, but she could defend herself well.

"Ayla! Your mother is looking everywhere for you" a girl ran to her in the tree where she only goes.

"Laelya, I am peacefully reading a book I just got in the bookstore," She said as she turned upside down in a tree.

"Get down there, miss... It's so dangerous for you. The blood might go straight in your head," Laelya said as she quickly prepared herself to catch her in her arms.

"I put my feet in a branch. There's no need to worry," Ayla replied as she flipped the page.

"Ayla?" Someone called her, and as she looked in that direction, it made her feet slip and fall to the ground.

"Father! Stop sneaking into me like that," she told him as she touched the pain in her head.

"Father! You're back!!" She also cheered

"Your mother told me that you do not wish to go home, so I came here to fetch you," He said as he quickly ran to her and helped her up; he was happy at least.

"But father! When I go home, I have no freedom from reading books, having fun in the hills, and even practicing swordsmanship with you," I told him as I held on to his arm.

"But things like this are not for you. You are noble, and you cannot hide that," Ayla's father said

"Yes, that is also why girls like me have no freedom. People expect us women to accompany men to give them an heir or provide them their pleasures. Men can even sleep and cheat on their wives while women must only be loyal to their husbands," she told him, sulking.

"I am impressed that you have a very mature mind, Ayla, but this is the truth, and we must face it," He said as he caressed her hair.

"But please, father! Can you guide me again, give me a lesson today. I want to learn how to use a sword," She pleaded, and her father didn't want to.

"Ayla~ This will be the last time I teach you," He said as he searched for a stiff branch. He told Laelya to go, but I stopped him. He worried that the country might accuse me of being a witch with so much knowledge.

"Ayla~ in fighting your enemy with swords, you must plan for a strategy to get the sword into the body of your enemy. I will play defense, and you will be the offense," He said as he took off his cloak.

"Go easy on me, father! I learned so much from this, but it pains me to even think of scratching you," She told her father.

"In swordsmanship, you will even face your family, your friends, and even your husband, so there's no such thing as going easy on you. There's no relationship between the closest person to you when both of you are pointing at each other's throats" Her father gave her a lesson.

"Then receive all my blows," she smiled as she aimed at her father's shoulder. She did her best to touch the branch to his shoulder, but her father predicted her next move, one after the other.

"I can see that your footwork has improved and even your agility," He said as he continuously observed her.

"I have been practicing," She replied as she straightened her back.

"I can see that. But you cannot apply this in the future; why are you so interested in learning these things?" Her father asked.

"It's because I do not need men to protect me when I can protect myself," She replied and touched the branch to his father's shoulder.

"I won!!!" she happily cheered.

"You have been improving while I am gone," He said as he sat down.

"I sure wish I could go with you at the right age and join you in the wars. I do not wish to be locked up in my husband's home and do nothing while soldiers are there fighting," She said.

"Here's another lesson for today. There is war because every nation's seeking more power and money. I just sure hope my daughter will never desire more of it," He said as he smiled at her.

"What can a mere girl like me do things like that?" She said as she laughed.

"You're not just a mere girl. You are much more than a noble," Her father said as he tapped her shoulder.

"Let's go because your mother is waiting and worried about her daughter," her father said as he stood up and offered her help.

He assisted her to the horse and took the leash as she pulled her back to the village. Laelya followed from behind.

They saw that her mother was waiting for them outside the house near their home. She was carrying a lantern with her and a thick scarf.

"Ayla! You are a spoiled childddd!" her mother approached her, but as soon as she saw his husband, she cried tears of joy, seeing him back without any wounds.

"I miss you too," her father said as he kissed her forehead.

"I sure wish to be married to a boy like my father. Your love for my mother is genuine, and not to mention that you are very loyal to her and only her," She said as she went off the horse.

"Speaking of marriage~ I have found you a match," her mother said as she turned in her direction.

"Mother! Not again!" she was mad at her.

"I heard that Theodore of Belowees was seeking a wife," her mother said

"Mother! I am still 15~ I do not wish to get married early," She said as she grabbed her mother's arm.

"It is a marriage of alliance between strong families of Kaastiana and Belowees," Her mother said as she raised her head.