: Fight to Maid

Kayda and Micheal both fell to the ground, breathless and exhausted. The wounds on their body told of the fight but the expressions they wore seemed to tell a completely different story.

As they inhaled the clean air, Kayda took a look at her palms. Long slashes marred them with blood gathering upon the wound.

She felt a slight burning sensation when she flexed her fingers. The cut was deep.

She started to berate herself inwardly as she glared at the wounds marking her small palms.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. What did she think would happen when she grabbed those blades? Now she had to magically create an excuse to feed to butler Stevens and Maggy. Unlikely they'll believe it though.

While Kayda glowered at her hands, Micheal had long ago caught up with his breathing. He could thanks his hellish training over the years.

But the idea of giving anything other than contempt for that cruel and unusual punishment disguised as training made his head throb.

With a sigh, he glanced at Kayda from the corner of his eye. He took notice of her heavy breathing. The laborious inhaling and exhaling only got heavier over time.

A thin sheet of sweat covered her forehead and plastered stray strands of hair to her face.

With each second, the color she had taxingly regained within her cheeks started to fade making her complexion pale.

"Hey." He called out to her. But he received no response.

He stood up and went over to bend down near Kayda.

"Hey." He called once again. "Kayda."

Kneeling down, he raised his hand and gripped her shoulder.

Kayda shook violently as if she had been struck by lightning.

With a jump, her hand lunged forward. But not before Micheal caught a glimpse of her eyes clouded with fear.

A long scratch formed on Micheals hand as he stumbled backwards and fell upon his behind.

It happened all to fast that it took Kayda a second to even a sober state.

The scene before her caused Kayda to widen her eyes, as she stood staring at him in a stupor.

Michaels' hand was striped with four long scratches. Dew drops of blood started to arise from his skin leaving streaks of red to fall from his hand.

Staring at the blood, Kayda's' mind reeled.

When she had fought earlier, she had over exerted herself. She was still feeble and malnourished.

She didn't realize it until after the fight. She was slightly dazed and exhausted when she felt a grip on her shoulder. To her, the grip was equivalent to an heinous creature causing a foul and beastly fear to rise up from the pit of her stomach.

And she lashed out because of it.

She lashed out at Micheal.

She suddenly stood up, holding her arm defensively. She couldn't bring herself to look Micheal in the eye.

"Sorry." She quickly apologized and tried to make her way back to the tree stationed under her window.

If she could make it back to the window, she could hide in the room.

She hurt him. She lashed out at Micheal.

She obviously knew he would be fine, but it was the fact that she had harmed him just after reconciling with him after the desecration she had left him in all those years ago.

Before she could take another step, Micheal blocked her path, holding his arms out to further obstruct her way.

He tried to look her in the eye. His gaze demanding and serious. "It's alright."

He tried to comfort her, but his words felt like a needle piercing an already deep wound.

"No, it's not." She didn't look him in the eye. She couldn't.

She hurt him just because of a touch.

It wasn't alright with her.

Micheal looked at her. Her breath still coming out in a disarray while sweat gathered to form small drops of perspiration on her skin.

Her hands she had tried to hide behind her back had deep slits cut into their palms that oozed a thick red liquid with the nick on her cheek trickled down her face, mixing with the sweat gathering upon her skin.

With such an uneasy expression worn on her face, he tilted his head and placed his hands on his hips.

An easygoing smile resembling sweet pear blossoms took shape from his thin lips. It completely overshadowed the glaring scar marring his face.

"Kayda," he said in a joking tone.

She finally looked up and met his eyes.

Lifting up his hand, he pointed at the bloody scratches. "With this, we're even."

He took a step forward and another past her. "After all, I did injure a young lady's face, so you could say, I got off pretty lightly."

He turned around to look at her as his brown eyes turned to crescents and his white teeth showed. "Let's go get those treated. I would hate to be responsible for another scar marking such an immature face."

He taunted. He started to walk towards the exit of the courtyard. His gate long and wide.

He stopped beneath the arch way too look back at Kayda still standing stationary upon her spot.

"You coming?" His voice called over.

Kayda took a look up at the window still hanging ajar. Just a few jumps and she would be back in the safety of the room.

Looking back at Micheal, his eyes still looked at her.

With her head bowed, she turns away with one foot in front of the other.

Michaels bronze skin and flowery smile beamed as he watched Kayda come over to him.

Walking off, Kayda followed him.

Along the entire journey, Micheal talked.

He filled her in on everything that had happened after he had left the Black Sea arena.

How he become a young apprentice and then a full fledged mercenary.

How he had been severely injured and if it wasn't for the captain of the Knights of Echethier, he would have become a skinny beggar in the streets.

Ever since, he had been residing in this estate and protecting the grounds while following their lords commands.

Kayda silently listened. She listen to him talk with happiness, anger, sadness and even a mixture of all three.

She didn't get bored of listening and she continued to listen quietly with a sense of content.

While they where walking, a sudden shriek filled the air.

Micheal immediately stopped talking.

He looked in the direction of the noise then to Kayda.

He had a duty as a Knight of Echethier to come to the aid of any unrest that may occur within the estate.

But he couldn't just leave Kayda alone.

Kayda looked at Micheal then in the direction of the commotion.

She looked at him, then scrunched her brows. "What are you waiting for?"

Micheal continued to look at her as she took a few steps forward. "Let's go check it out."

Micheal quickly nodded then they both quickly headed in the direction of the disturbance.

Once they had gotten to the center of the commotion, a vivid scene unfolded before them.

A young woman standing with her in the center of the crowed wore a look of pure disgust and contempt.

She held the hem of her rose red dressed pinned with white frills and delicate appliances with a delicate and pale hand that seemed as smooth as polished limestone.

Her face bore the looks of an arrogant and haughty noble woman with bright red lips and a delicately upturned nose.

Her eyes, burning with rage and loathing, where shaped in a seducing manner as she glowered down upon a maid groveling on the pavement while holding the side of her face that had swollen to the size of a fist in the shape of a hand print.

"You dirty, disgusting servant! How dare you ruin a limited addition dress made by the capital tailor Luca! Who do you serve under?" Her sultry and high pitch voice pierced through the air like a razor. Causing everyone to flinch.

The maid continued to tremble upon the ground. Tears gathering in her eyes like an unfalling mist.

Kayda didn't want to get involved in the ruckus some spoiled brat of a overly privileged family caused.

To much drama.

But as she looked away, the red and sun kissed hair of the maid laying upon the ground caught her eye.

She had ordinary features. But with the dainty freckles painting her face and her large hazel colored eyes, she seemed to look familiar.

"Answer me!" The sickening sultry voice once again dragged through the air causing the ears of listeners to form goosebumps.

It only took a second after that to realize that the maid was introduced to her by Maggy. She knew this maid.