The Bladed Tiger's Empress, page 14
part #1 of Claiming Her Empire Series
“Sir,” Hayden said, clearing his throat.
Liath tapped his cane again before changing right before Marilla’s eyes, the kindness in his old eyes evaporating and his hunched posture that made him appear frail straightened, his cane pulling apart into a vicious sword that had been sheathed inside the assistance device. Marilla felt a prickle of fear as he met Hayden eye to eye, his goatee extended forward instead of downward like it had been a moment before, his heft that had portrayed perhaps fatness was instead thick muscles just like Hayden himself. Marilla could see the familiar rippling beneath his robe as he moved threateningly towards the Bladed Tiger. “You,” Liath rumbled, “desert the castle who purchased you, you drag the princess—she who you were trusted to protect—all over the kingdom only to bring her here looking like that!”
Marilla looked down at herself, she was dusty and dirty, bruised and scraped from hiking and camping in the forest.
Hayden didn’t remove his eyes from Liath as he said strongly, “She looks better than she would if I hadn’t done what I did.”
“And how would that be?” Liath demanded, spittle flying onto his peppered beard extending from his chin.
“Lifeless,” Hayden said dryly.
Marilla moistened her lips, averting her eyes as her mind replayed the moment she almost lost her life. As she had said, Hayden was her savior, not her kidnapper.
“I swore myself to her far before swearing myself to that painted peacock who ascended the throne,” Hayden went on to say.
Liath’s eyes softened at that and he conceded, shrinking back into his hunched posture. “Indeed you did,” he whispered, sliding his sword back into his misleading cane sheath. “I’m certain Kayda will allow you passage, if you best her in combat… of course you could always face me, for old time’s sake.”
Hayden hesitated, clearly unsure which option would be the better which made Liath cackle appreciatively.
“You have always flattered me, Hayden,” he mused, his overjoyed smile turning into a scowl as he glared at Vince. “Take notice, this is how an old legend should be treated.” Reaching out with his cane, he whacked Vince across his shin and the younger man winced.
Marilla had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Hayden had been right, they were brutal in the temple but also kind, they acted as if they were a family. Insulting and bickering but with an affection that was hard to miss when they interacted. A support that was beneath their rough actions.
“I’d choose Liath, Kayda fights like a girl,” Vince dared to announce.
Marilla tilted her head at him in confusion. Saying someone fought like a female was typically an insult, and Marilla would have been insulted if there wasn’t admiration and respect in his jibe. He had phrased it as a compliment to Kayda.
Blythe regarded her confusion with understanding. “He means she uses claws.”
“Claws?”
“She designed and forged her own weapon. It’s a glove with attached claws dipped in toad oil—a poisonous substance she is now immune to through vigorous training and practice,” Vince said, that same admiration sparking lightly behind his deep brown irises in almost a dreamy manner until Blythe elbowed him in the ribs.
“Should I be preparing to spar—” Marilla started.
“No, Princess,” Liath interrupted. “We would be honored to shelter you, it is only Hayden who will need to prove his worth to the temple.”
Marilla smiled gratefully, but she felt slightly disappointed. She wanted to prove her worth too. She didn’t want her title to carry enough weight to make life easily given, not anymore.
“You’ll prove your worth in another way,” Hayden whispered to her, noticing the flames of war again beginning to flicker in her intense irises. “Can you take Marilla to eat while I find Kayda?” he then asked Liath.
“You’re going to face her?” Marilla asked, concerned which made Hayden smile.
“She’s strong, but I’m stronger,” he assured.
Marilla searched his face before saying, “That may be so, but cockiness has gotten greater men killed.” Hayden’s eyebrows arched with surprise as Blythe and Vince snickered. Marilla turned a steady, stern look onto Liath before saying, “I’ll watch the battle between Hayden and Kayda, I’m sure I will learn something.”
Liath exchanged a glance with Hayden. “As you wish,” he said to the princess. Then lowering his voice with a stern tone, that echoed his dissatisfaction, he looked at Hayden and said, “I did not realize you were training her to be a rebel.”
Hayden ignored him, turning his back to go and find Kayda, whispering a quick “wish me luck” to Marilla. She followed with Blythe, Vince and Liath hobbling behind, she didn’t hover and kept several paces back even as Hayden made his way into the center of the village. The landscape didn’t change the deeper they went into seclusion, but the stone walls multiplied until it looked as if they had entered an arena. Several men and women younger than Marilla sparred in close combat, filling the small space with grunts and the metallic tang of blood.
She watched, but as they entered the battleground simultaneously many began to cease their conflict and turn to watch Hayden pass through. Word must have already spread of their arrival and many of the trainees turned their assessing stares onto her as well. Marilla tried to stand proud but knew she was no match for any of them.
She was stronger than she had been, but that didn’t mean much given where she started.
“Hayden!” came an overjoyed, succulently sweet female voice. Vince sighed as a woman with sleek brindle colored hair rushed forward to collide with Hayden in a strong bind, hugging him tightly. She was tall, able to rest her head against Hayden’s shoulder as she embraced him and an odd feeling of dread seeped into Marilla’s gut similar to when the courtesan had flirted with him back in the brothel town. “It’s been too long!” she went on to say. Her voice wasn’t whiny like the courtesan’s had been Marilla noticed, and was instead strong and powerful yet surprisingly feminine.
Marilla didn’t like it.
“Kayda,” Hayden greeted before nodding in Marilla’s direction. “This is Princess Marilla. We have both come to seek refuge here as we were chased from the castle by a traitorous noble now calling himself the Emperor.”
Kayda and Marilla’s eyes met and both seemed to coil like snakes, eyes fierce and unforgivingly assessing the other for weak points. Kayda had eyes like steel, a gray shade of blue lightning that struck Marilla though could not penetrate the fire in her own eyes.
Kayda broke eye contact first, turning back to Hayden. “You return here from where you were purchased which by our customs makes you a deserter. I can accept the Princess, but you will have to fight to prove your worthiness to stay.”
“I’m aware of the customs,” Hayden said blandly.
“Well, I am the commander now, so I can grant mercy. You can eat before our battle—”
“So I am fat and slow?” Hayden snorted, smirking at the brindle haired witch. “Such tricks are beneath you, Kayda.”
“I would never stoop so low,” the commander denied.
“Let’s get this over with so we can have my victory meal,” Hayden said, pulling his swords from where they crossed against his back.
Kayda snorted but appeared amused as she extended her hand into claws. They were like shimmery silver knives that had been curved into a bear’s talons. The glove wrapped possessively around her hand, and the lengthy blades retracted as she flexed though they were all in full view now as she lunged at her opponent without another word.
Marilla’s breath caught as adrenaline flushed through her veins even though she wasn’t a part of the battle. Just watching a weapon soar for Hayden’s throat in a deadly attack made her legs feel light, blood flow redirected to spring into action if need be. Hayden was quick to dodge however, sending the claws swiping past with a slicing sound.
“Are those training gloves or—”
“The poisoned gloves,” Blythe confirmed. “There are no training weapons at the temple, only the real deal making each battle as deadly as the last so we get the strongest warriors. Hayden and Kayda are the strongest, and they were forged using this method.”
“Don’t many also die using that method?” Marilla challenged as she watched Kayda’s claws slice close to Hayden’s exposed flesh.
“Yes,” Vince answered sadly. “Though there are a lucky few who are sent away before they perish, this system works at achieving the goal of training the strongest and most competent warriors and soldiers for the kingdom.”
“Something your father was very supportive of,” Blythe added though that did nothing to settle Marilla’s nerves. The princess had found her father supported many ventures that only benefited him.
Hayden quickly countered with a twisted slice with both of his swords and though Kayda dodged one attack and blocked the other, it still beat her back and Marilla saw just how much Hayden had held back with her during their training. He was very slow and gentle against Marilla’s blade. Marilla had known he was holding back, but not the extent of it. Now Hayden was fast enough to nearly blur, the naked eye unable to attach itself fully to his movements and yet Kayda was faster. She moved swiftly enough to dodge though lacked Hayden’s power to block his attacks. Even when she did block, it was more a dodge and redirect than a straight block as Hayden was able to do against her attacks. The two actually seemed evenly matched with different skills but at the same level overall.
The crowd had grown since they had entered the arena. Everyone wanted to see their commander in action or witness her defeat. Marilla smirked at that possibility.
Hayden lunged forward again, jabbing one blade directly for his opponent who stuck her palm forward and practically caught the flying strike, securing her claws around it in a tight bind. She only released when Hayden swiped his other sword for her exposed arm and side, which forced her to or risk losing an arm.
“How do you know when one wins?” Marilla asked hesitantly.
“When first blood is drawn,” was all Vince said in response as again Kayda swiped extremely close to Hayden’s side, snagging his overcoat and ripping a sizable hole.
Marilla gasped, quickly covering her mouth to prevent her worry from overflowing again. The battle itself was fierce, they tangled together again, both keeping their footing as blades met claws. Hayden had the weight advantage. He did manage to knock Kayda into the mud once, but she twisted back onto her feet before he could draw blood.
If Hayden was the beast of thunder, all power, then Kayda was the beast of lightning, all deadly speed. Each time Hayden attempted to overpower her she slipped from his grasp, and each time Kayda tried to use her swift speed to strike, Hayden was able to use his strength to block her attack.
Marilla held her breath as the two titans battled savagely, silent other than the clang of metal on metal until miraculously Hayden was able to burst through Kayda’s defenses and draw blood.
It happened in an impossibly fast display of steel and skin. Hayden angling his blade just right as he lunged to avoid being blocked, and when Kayda tried, the steel slid past her palm and grazed her inner forearm. The resulting cut was little more than a paper cut but apparently one drop of fresh blood was all that was needed to declare first blood drawn.
“First blood!” chanted the bystanders as Kayda inspected her wound.
“Just like old times,” she snickered to Hayden before turning to her trainees. “The outsider has proven his worthiness to stay with us!” She declared, “Welcome him and our Princess with openness and fairness.”
The bystanders dipped their heads in nods of agreement, reveling in the epic initiation fight they had just beheld. Marilla herself was still feeling slightly out of breath from the adrenaline as Hayden came over to join her. His eyes were bright with exhilaration, breath strengthened as it bobbed his powerful chest, sweat gathering on his brow. He looked excited like a child who had just won a game instead of a man fighting for his life.
“I knew you could fight but,” Marilla broke off at Hayden’s snort of laughter.
Hayden steered her away from the commotion of the crowd as they again resumed their training before saying, “I always have to hold back with others unless I intend to kill them. It isn’t often I can release my control fully against an opponent I don’t intend to harm, but Kayda and I are so evenly matched that when we spar one of us has to fake the loss.”
Marilla blinked. “Kayda let you win?” she whispered.
He nodded. “Back in training, we had to fight until one of us bled and we knew that since we were so evenly matched that any hit would be a brutal one, probably a deadly one, so we made a pact to put on a show. Then one of us would ‘slip,’ and first blood would be harmlessly drawn to end the fight.”
“But her weapons are poisoned, aren’t they? Even a small cut could kill?”
“I am also immune to toad oil,” he announced proudly. “It was something Kayda and I worked on together.”
Marilla swallowed the lump of dread forming in her throat as Hayden led her towards a tavern of sorts.
Somehow, she no longer had an appetite.
The temple itself seemed safe now that Hayden had ‘proven his worthiness’, but Marilla was unsure of how much of a safe haven it could be and started to miss her time in the woods with Hayden alone. She was glad they had taken their time because within the temple there were many more people to snag their attention. Part of Marilla liked all the hustle and bustle of village life. She liked watching Vince and Blythe bicker and the sparring matches between trainees. She did not like the food, however.
She sat next to Hayden as he ripped into his jerky and munched on a dry loaf of bread. Marilla nibbled on her dry meat, solely for survival instead of taste. She longed for the exquisite food she used to have, then felt selfish all over again. She had seen many throughout the kingdom who didn’t have even this tasteless meal and would probably have killed for it. She felt very ungrateful.
“So you train with Hayden?” Blythe asked as he set down a plate of beans and dried venison.
“Yes, he is trying to train me in self-defense at the very least,” Marilla said between jaw-aching chews.
“He must be a rough teacher,” Vince murmured.
“What do you mean by that?” Blythe asked before Hayden could.
“She’s got scrapes and bruises all over her as if Hayden were fighting her at full strength.”
“If he were fighting her at full strength, she’d be instantly dead,” Blythe grumbled.
“Do you kick her, Hayden?”
“No, I do not kick the princess,” Hayden snapped in his usual monotone manner.
“Does he kick you?” Vince asked, turning to Marilla and ignoring Hayden’s protests. “I’m not asking you, princess beater.”
“He always stops a few centimeters before connecting,” Marilla informed them. “He strives to prove a point that I left myself open to his attack, but he could kick me. He’s training me to make me stronger, and if he felt that causing me pain would make that more possible then I’d accept it.”
“But you wouldn’t let him into your bed, would you?”
Hayden unsheathed his sword and held it inches from Vince’s snide face. “One more comment like that, and the penalty will be death,” Hayden warned viciously, igniting Marilla’s blood and flushing her core with heat.
“Been here a day and you’re already holding a blade to Vince’s throat. A new record I believe,” Kayda said from behind Marilla. Marilla turned to face the commander who was followed by a woman who held a pile of linens. “Princess,” she greeted. “This is Francine. She is one of the warriors here. She will instruct you on how to spend your time with us.” She signaled Francine forward and the young woman slid the stack of linen into Marilla’s lap. “Everyone here must earn their keep, even nobles,” Kayda added as if expecting protest.
“Any job you have for me I will gladly accept,” Marilla said as she stood with the linen clutched in her arms. Kayda’s eyebrows arched in surprise as Marilla added, “I want to earn the right to stay here, same as everyone else.”
Kayda gave a curt nod. “Well, good. Francine will give you instructions,” she said before sitting down in Marilla’s place beside Hayden. “Later on I will show you to your rooms,” she added.
Rooms… plural. Marilla looked at Hayden who smiled reassuringly, he had had the same thought. She smirked at him and let Francine lead her away from the tavern. She put the laughter behind her as Kayda and the others reconnected with their long-lost friend. A strange loneliness spread through her chest then. She’d had friends back at the castle yet none as close as Hayden seemed to have made at the temple. Edna had once told her it was her status that intimidated people which had meant to comfort her yet had only made Marilla feel lonelier. After all, how could she help it? She was born a princess. It wasn’t her fault, yet everyone treated her as if it was. Her only true friend had been Hayden. He hadn’t been intimidated by her title or status; he had teased her about it. Even with Hayden however, Marilla longed for friends like he seemed to have in Blythe, Vince, Kayda, and even Liath though Liath was more a grandfather figure for the temple as Vince had said. Marilla wanted those connections, she always had.
“So what can you do?” Francine asked. She was a rugged woman with scars along her arms and cheek as Marilla had noticed most of the warriors had.
“I’ve been training with Hayden to use—”
“I am not interested in your novice practice of weapons and playing war with the Bladed Tiger,” Francine interrupted. “I mean skills. Cooking, cleaning, farming, that sort of thing. Something we can use.”
Marilla swallowed as she watched Francine’s back. The woman who was probably only a decade or so Marilla’s senior was leading Marilla somewhere probably having to do with the stack of linen she still carried. She asked her questions with her back turned as if Marilla weren’t important enough to merit face-to-face conversation.
