For Valerian, it was supposed to be a pleasant day until she heard a small commotion coming from outside; it was the maidens, who appeared to be excited about something. She heard the metallic sound resonating and started to piece together what might be happening. As she got out of bed, she peeked out onto the balcony, seeing the knights sparring against Callisto. Surely the young women were cheering with excitement because the prince was a handsome young man, especially with his striking golden eyes. Moreover, he was wearing a white shirt that revealed part of his chest, making it thrilling for those women to catch such a glimpse, likely the most exciting thing they had ever seen.
Maddy came in and mentioned that the knights had started training at dawn.
"If you want, I can ask the steward to call the maidens’ attention," Maddy suggested.
"No, they aren't doing anything wrong," Valerian replied.
Though she hadn't believed that Callisto would actually stay at the mansion, she now had to find a way to get rid of him, because if he stayed, there was a chance that Marlene would want to come as well, and the twins would not hesitate to indulge that whim. As soon as she dressed, she headed down to the training field. Upon her arrival, Callisto stopped the practice and greeted her with a slight bow.
"I see you take liberties in my house, Your Highness," Valerian seemed very annoyed.
"I'm not doing anything wrong, am I? I'm not giving orders; I merely borrowed the garden for a morning practice," he smiled.
"If you need morning practices, you should return to your palace; besides, your beloved must be missing you," she took a few steps toward one of the knights and grabbed his sword.
"My beloved is here, before me, isn't she? You are my fiancee," he replied calmly.
"Unfortunately, I am your fiancee, but not for much longer. So please, I ask you to leave…" she slid the tip of the sword along the ground as she walked around the prince.
Callisto was attentive to Valerian's movements since he saw her take the sword; something in his instincts told him that the woman before him could be dangerous, as her grip on the sword was not that of a novice.
"But you can’t say you’ll break the engagement without knowing me; perhaps spending time together could help us get acquainted."
"That won’t happen; if you stay here, the bastard and the twins will come, and I don’t want them nearby."
And just like that, Valerian launched into an attack, a swift movement that Callisto's knights couldn't react to in time. If it hadn't been for the prince blocking her strike with his own sword, he would have surely lost an arm right then. It was a surprise to learn that Valerian knew how to wield a sword, as far as he knew, she hadn't been trained that way.
"Why would they come? They don’t know I’m here…"
"They will know somehow, and they will come. I’ve distanced myself from them, and you won't ruin that."
Valerian continued attacking while everyone watched this unexpected duel between the prince and his fiancee. Despite Valerian wearing a dress and heels, she moved with agility; every strike was precise, and if it weren't for the prince's fighting skill, her body would have been ravaged by now. They were evenly matched; Valerian attacked, and Callisto defended. However, the boy was now excited by this duel with his fiancee; it was unexpected for her to know how to use a sword, and he was enjoying it, as she matched him blow for blow.
Everything seemed fair until Valerian felt herself trip, losing her balance and falling forward. Yet, before hitting the ground, Valerian grabbed Callisto's arm to support herself. When she lifted her gaze, she found Callisto staring at her intently and noticed the rapid beat of her heart, which puzzled her a bit, as he wasn’t supposed to react like that in her presence.
Before she could say anything, Callisto stepped back, letting her fall, and pointed his sword at her neck, ensuring his victory. The excited screams of the maidens rang out while Valerian clenched his fingers in the grass, knowing that this victory was because she had stumbled.
"I'm sorry, my princess, but in a battle, I can't be a knight" he excused himself.
Maddy had already arrived, helping the blonde to her feet.
"Don't worry, Your Highness, I’ll be waiting for my rematch" she spoke through gritted teeth in anger.
Valerian tossed the sword aside and turned to head back to the mansion, but he knew he had to get Callisto out of there before anyone found out he was present. He was sure the twins wouldn’t hesitate to come after him and would bring Marlene along with them.
Valerian paused his steps and stared into nothingness; perhaps, if they came to the mansion, he would have to resort to another method, for if escaping from the protagonists was impossible, he would only have to get rid of them. A sly smile appeared at that thought.
"Are you okay, miss? That fall was pretty hard; you should have the doctor check you" Maddy mentioned.
"No, it's fine, it was just a small bump. I’ll go change and then we’ll head out" she replied.
Valerian continued his path to his room.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, in the Lacaster mansion, Marlene asked the twins why the crown prince hadn’t visited them in days, as she enjoyed his presence, finding him always kind and providing her with excellent advice to do well in her classes.
"He’s probably very busy; after all, he is the crown prince" Kenai mentioned.
"True, or he might be away on a mission. As crown prince, the king also assigns him tasks that take him out of the kingdom" Einar added.
"He must be so tired; I hope he comes back soon so we can have fun together" Marlene responded excitedly.
"If you’re bored, you should go to a tea party; haven’t you received any invitations? You always went with Valerian" Kenai asked.
"Nothing has arrived" she lowered her gaze. "Do you think I should host one? It would be fun; so many young ladies would come just like to our sister’s parties."
Marlene looked very excited about the idea, so the twins promised to help her organize it. They assured Marlene that, being a pleasant and kind young lady, many would surely come looking to be her friends.
°°°
~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~♧~
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 48 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments