Prove Yourself

"Grip on the sword with both your hands, in between the cross-guard and the pommel," instructed Christopher. "Don't put your finger anywhere above the cross. It's risky, especially since you are still new in handling a sword."

Amanda pursed her lips as she watched him demonstrate how to hold a sword. She was trying her best to be clueless while following his lead. They were both on one side of the courtyard, practicing how to hold the sword in the correct stance.

"Right," she said while holding up her sword. "Like this?"

He nodded and said, "Right." He frowned and said, "You - you are a natural at it."

Her mouth twitched for a second before she said, "I told you so."

Christopher walked closer to Amanda and guided her body. He said, "To strike from above... This is how to get into position."

He stepped back to check her posture before he added, "Have one foot forward and the other to the back. Your feet must be apart. This way your body weight is evenly distributed and your hips are facing towards the opponent."

"Like this," he demonstrated again, getting into the right posture.

"Yes, then don't ever put your weight on your heels. Focus them on the feet," he added.

She learned something new, and it made Amanda pout her lips. She had never handled a heavy sword, thus the basics of how to balance herself were not her expertise. She had always created a blade out of her flames, which was far lighter.

"Sword is held at shoulder level," Christopher added. "To close line between the opponent and yourself, you bring your sword forward."

He studied her again before resuming his instructions, "When you step forward. You step towards your enemy while not directly facing your opponent. This protects you from any counterattacks."

"And that's how you bring down your blade and strike at your opponent," added Christopher. "This is just the first and basic stance and form of frontal attacks. There are many more you need to master."

"Okay! Got it!" Amanda happily announced.

Christopher scratched his head. His woman was so confident and had no inhibitions about holding a weapon and this is after she got cut by sword just earlier. He tried to assess things by asking, "Do you want to rest?"

"No! I'm not sleeping alone tonight!" She loudly announced.

Christopher frantically looked around, making sure no one from his father's side was listening in. Fortunately, most of the soldiers have taken their position and only a few of his best men were around to observe the practice.

He sighed and walked towards Amanda. He whispered, "Amanda, don't make your voice too loud."

She giggled and covered her mouth. "Sorry." In a whisper, she added, "I'm not sleeping alone tonight."

Christopher was left chuckling as a response. He said, "Let's practice some more."

Amanda went at it for more than an hour, getting used to the weight of the sword. Christopher taught her variations of strikes in different stances, leaving her arms slightly in pain, especially since she was wounded.

Still, she persisted. She did not come to Pelagy just to be alone again. She wanted to prove a point to Christopher.

After having Amanda get used to a proper posture, Christopher concluded, she could hold up a sword well. He said, "We can stop here. We will do the actual practice fight tomorrow, Amanda. Me and Kyle, we really need to plan out for any possible attacks together with his father."

She pursed her lips and walked towards him. Softly, she asked, "You'll come and see me tonight?"

He smiled and put a hand on her back. He pecked on her forehead and said, "Yes. I promise."

"You are doing good. You can stand in a fight in no time," he added.

From the above, the castle structure, Christopher's father, Theo had apparently been observing their practice. He turned to his general, and said, "This woman seems stubborn."

"Theo, my friend. I have met many types of individuals to know what kind she is. More like, she has perseverance. She is working hard for Christopher, isn't that a good thing," said Farid, his general.

"Give her a chance. To be fair to Christopher," said Farid.

Theo let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. He said, "It would have been better if this woman will bring us something good for the entire nation - water, power, wealth, whatever it may be. With the current state of the nation, we need either of those."

"Love is more powerful than you think, Theo," said Farid. He put a hand on Theo before he said, "It can give Christopher the strength, the same way our wives did."

"Of course, my words are not the wisest. I speak only of the heart, but it is my thriving desire to live for my family, that kept me alive and have been for years despite fighting battles against the Oscorians. It is what keeps me strong."

"I better go and meet the soldiers. Looks like Christopher is ready for our gathering," said Farid before leaving their ruler behind to ponder on his thoughts.

The next day, before Christopher head out to the borders and observe the soldier's formation, Theo requested for the presence of Amanda and his son.

Theo waited at the great halls with his general and his adviser next to him. As soon as Amanda and Christopher stood in front of him, he asked, "Where are your parents, Amanda?"

Amanda looked at Christopher for a second. They have already agreed to hide the truth of where she came from. Thus, she turned back to Theo and said, "I have no parents, Master Theo. I have been living alone in the mountainside of the east village."

Theo's narrowed. He acknowledged that to live alone in this struggling nation meant she was an independent and strong-willed woman. He took another second to ask, "What can you offer this nation, being with my son?"

"Master Theo. I may not have so many right now, but I know that power is not enough to remain strong as a person," said Amanda. She sincerely meant her words. After all, she gave up her power for love.

"I believe, no matter how strong a person is, if he is unhappy and unloved, he is bound to break down or lose right judgment in life."

Amanda felt Christopher's hand grasping her own. She glanced at him briefly.

Shifting back her attention to Theo, she smiled before adding, "I am a good person. I am kind. I have the will to withstand any storm. I may look like a weakling from the outside, but inside, I am stronger than you can ever imagine."

She tightened her hold against Christopher and added, "For as long as I am with Chris. I can be stronger."

"Such confidence do you have there, young lady," remarked Theo.

"But I am - I am much stronger than you think, and I can prove to you in the days to come," she said.

In a split second, Theo challenged her, "If you win a fight against Kiesha in one month, I will accept you as Christopher's bride."

"Father!" Christopher objected. Kiesha was the strongest amongst his female arms. To Christopher's point of view, there was no way Amanda would win her over. "This is not right!"

"I agree, but since I am not used to fighting with a sword, I prefer hand to hand fight alone," she said, cutting off Christopher altogether.

Christopher tried to convince Amanda otherwise, but she was set to prove herself. She repeated, "I will do it." Turning to Christopher, she said, "I can do it."

"Very well," said Theo. "Amanda, this is your chance to prove yourself. You have a month to train."

"I understand, Master Theo," said Amanda before bowing down her head. "Thank you for the chance."

While Christopher was scared out of his wits for Amanda, his woman's mind was filled with thoughts. Amanda was silently asking herself, 'When was the last time I fought a normal being size? Well, you did kill an Oscorian with a rock?'

Even if Amanda was mostly reliant on the power of the red crystal, for creatures that were of normal size and had fewer powers, she occasionally used her own strength to bring enemies down.

However, her calculation suggested that it had been over a year since she used her own fists in an actual fight.

Still she said, "I can do it."