CHAPTER 3

As she approached the ground floor, servants in blue and red moved aside, and guards saluted. The training yard, a sizable square expanse in the middle of the castle keep, was where the sound of steel against steel could be heard. Tessa observed the third-year recruits as they finished their morning training as she walked along the second-story railing. Most of them, like Berk, were already taller than her despite being two years younger. Soldier's blood. Blood of King Tevuuk Like the gold in their hair, it flowed through their veins. Tessa, on the other hand, was unsure of what was in her blood.

As she tightened the rope around her short, black locks and descended yet another flight of steps, a cruel smirk twisted her lips. She scratched a raised line on her face, but she refrained from reaching out to touch it. Tessa was not the type to brood over the past. Regret was a time-waster. She could only be helped by sacrifice and hard work. She had kept up with the other cadets in the officer training programme by taking on all the hated jobs, forgoing sleep, and conditioning her body until moving was practically possible. She had persevered purely out of willpower, and it was that same willpower that would help her achieve her ambition of becoming a captain.

All she required was that.

Once a captain, she would have access to the kingdom's archives, which housed classified information; she was certain that there would be a record of her parents there. Tessa had long since come to terms with the fact that her mother had likely perished during the Battle of Green Hill, but her father might still be alive and present. Somewhere...

The command is "LINE FOR-MA-TION! Tessa was startled out of her reverie as a sergeant called from the fourth floor below. Then a tall man with a resounding presence and an air of authority burst out from the wall beneath her: from the House of Gold, Colonel Jothan. Oh, dear Diyu! Tessa stepped away from the bannister and hurriedly proceeded in the direction of the west exit.

Enough practice with the sword As he advanced to the front of the group and cast a deep shadow over the recruits, Jothan's voice resounded throughout the training area. When he spoke, Tessa was almost out of earshot. "Lieutenant Tessa, come down here, please."

Damn! Damn! Damn! Jothan wasn't even facing her, so how in the Four Kingdoms had he managed to see her? She wanted to flee with every instinct in her body, but she was too well-trained to go against her training.

The reply is "Yes, sir." She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down for what she knew was going to be yet another painful experience before turning back towards the stairs that lead down to the training quad. As she entered the dirt training area and observed the startled looks on the recruits' faces, the little knife she had attached to the back of her brown belt tapped against her waist. Although she was never certain which shocked them more—her dark hair, her emerald eyes, or her wounded face—it was a response she was used to. As word spread about the mixed-blood lieutenant, there was a murmur.

"Silence!" Jothan's order had an immediate impact. She would concede that he was quite effective at persuading people to obey. The Sergeant offered a brief salute to the Colonel and Tessa before walking to the opposite side of the field and saying, "Sergeant, you can rest. The sergeant placed two buckets full of arrows next to the four that were already at Jothan's feet. Tessa stopped in front of Jothan and waited for instructions. Today, his golden hair fell over his face in braids and waves, softening the angular contours of his cheekbones. She recalled how frequently he used to wear his hair down like this. Back then, he had been her protector when she had just started officer training.

When everyone else would have let the orphan's scar on her face go unpunished, it was Jothan who urged that it be done. Jothan was the one who raised concerns when her superiors unfairly distributed the labour and when she discovered horse dung on her clothes. She had gained confidence and had become a regular trainee thanks to his support. For her, Jothan of the House of Gold turned into a welcoming fireplace; by his side, she felt cared for more than anywhere else in the Warrior Kingdom, if not all of Gaia. Everything changed approximately two years ago when she was appointed the youngest female lieutenant in the Kingdom's history.

All of a sudden, he was out of good words to say to her. He initially disregarded her and pretended she didn't exist. After she gave up trying to figure out what she had done wrong, he started punishing her by assigning her extra labour and very impossible tasks. Jothan sent her to practice ancient sword combat skills when the other officers went to rest and made her memorise countless volumes of antiquated military strategies. His use of torture seems to never end. The frequent switching of tasks, late nights on patrol, more training, extra instruction—soon other cops started to look at them strangely. They were undoubtedly wondering what she might have done to offend the most adored warrior in the kingdom.

You are preoccupied. Jothan lowered his voice while watching her every move with his pale blue eyes. What went wrong with me? Tessa glanced around after remembering she had been gazing.

I'm sorry, Colonel.

He took a step back as his gaze grew less intense. You ought to have been wearing your jacket, Lieutenant, since you weren't practicing. If recruits can't see your crescent, how are they supposed to recognise your rank?

With her skin tone and facial scars, Tessa was quite certain that every recruit would recognise her, jacket or not. I'm sorry, Colonel. Please make me pay.

"You have one week to memorise the Seven Stars Sword's 63 steps!

The Seven Stars Sword's 63 steps Hah! It was a punishment that Tessa had grown accustomed to receiving, yet most generals wouldn't even know the sequence by heart. I agree, Colonel.

Jothan returned to the recruits after handing down his verdict and yelled loudly, "Lieutenant Tessa of the House of Kings Wards will be helping me with an archery demonstration. Everyone takes a side position.

The recruits split out, darting to the left and right walls of the quad with hardly contained enthusiasm, and Tessa straightened her back, forcing her body to be attentive. At least today there was a display of archery. Her preferred weapon and her chosen field of specialisation were the bow and arrow. Whatever he had thought up today couldn't be as challenging as the prior assignments.

Jothan flashed her a crooked smile as if sensing what she was thinking, then bowed to take the bow from his feet.

"What!?" Just a hair's breath above her shoulder, an arrow flew. Jothan would not have missed the shot because it was a warning.

He released another arrow, leaving no time to swear. She avoided the arrows one after another, their whizzing ringing in her ears. The idiot! Her body worked as she calculated, her mind ignoring her rage. He had how many arrows? She leapt, rolling and immediately rising to her feet. He would exhaust himself after two more shots if he only used one of the buckets. Her hair touched an arrowhead as she twisted. After another arrow went wide, there was a brief lull before they started shooting at her once more.

Was he going to use every bucket? She could not possibly avoid all of the arrows; there had to be several hundred! She was tempted to reach out as she felt the heat vibrate all around her. No! It would hurt less to be struck by one of Jothan's arrows than to experience the aftereffects of using the heat. Tessa glanced around between bullets and thought quickly. A variety of weapons were mounted on the wall at the other end of the quad. Stars, swords, and sticks—and a bow! Although Jothan had all the arrows, she might use a bow against a bow. She continued to weigh her options as she sprinted, spun, and rolled while avoiding three more arrows. Would she be able to seize one of the errant arrows? But picking up an arrow off the ground would stop her in her tracks and reveal her true intentions. Tessa focused intently as she leaped to the left and estimated Jothan's speed. His shots had a beat to them. Reach-place-pull-release. He was quick. really quick. But when he swapped buckets, there was an additional wait. Therein lies her opportunity.

She would have to believe in her speed and take the chance, even if turning your back on an arrow was a dead man's move. She leaped once more, slightly rocking back on an errant stone. Her left arm was wounded by an arrow, which also tore her uniform and left a tiny line of blood on her skin. She nearly laughed as she heard the recruits' gasps echo. Had they only now realised that the Colonel was genuinely shooting at her? While he wouldn't kill her, he would view it as a lesson if she were to take an arrow to the shoulder or leg.

Tessa spun as she counted. When he had only five arrows left, he would need to switch buckets.

Four arrows.

She had to move quickly if she wanted to beat the last arrow. really quick.

three arrows.

Tessa dove and unbuckled her belt, letting the bulky metal and her sheathed dagger both fall to the ground.

Arrows, two.

She knelt down and listened for the next arrow's direction. She filtered out everything else and concentrated solely on the arrow that ripped through the air as it fell down towards her left thigh. She blocked out the recruits' shuffling feet, the wind rustling through the bannisters, and Jothan's steady breath. She raised her foot straight up, heard the arrow's metal point burrow into the ground, and then sprinted.

She sprinted for the wall while listening for the Colonel's reach-place-pull, despite her racing heart. He pulled harder and raised his aim to create the arch that would help the arrow travel farther. As the sound of vibrating strings filled the air, Tessa rushed, her legs tearing up the earth. Before the arrow hit its target, she had four, possibly five, seconds to react. She got up to the wall. picked up the bow. removed with her feet. Turned.

A scream was heard.

When Tessa caught an arrow just above her waist, she turned it over, put it on her bow, and shot it at the Colonel's heart.

Along with the dust, the silence subsided.

Some recruits had already closed their eyes, while others still had dread on their faces. Jothan was the only one smiling as he aimed his bow and arrow. a smile from ear to ear and a look that might have been, Pride?

Tessa was compelled to punch him in the face. She concentrated while struggling to keep the bow tightly in place and working to maintain her balance on her legs. Her entire body ached as though a dozen clubs had been used to pound it.

Jothan brought his bow down.

She was unprepared for the applause. Tessa lowered her weapon and noticed there were many onlookers gathered at the rails. Women, women, and maids... One of them, a man in his mid-fifties who she recognised as General Tumblane of the House of Iron, caught Jothan's attention. Tumblane, a high council member as well, gave her a quick glance before nodding to Jothan. What was happening?

Jothan said, "Aiming, shooting, dodging," and then threw his bow into one of the bare buckets before turning to the recruits. Ask Lieutenant Tessa for guidance, and pay attention to it. She could well be able to save your lives.

He was praising her, wasn't he? Tessa stared in confusion as Jothan addressed the Sergeant: "Take charge!

The warrior moved forward right away, ordering a queue as he made his way to the middle of the quad.

"Lieutenant, you heed my orders. Jothan turned while moving towards the stairs.