Royal Rivalry
The one that told me he was ready, and I was walking straight into his trap.
“Are you ready for this?” His voice was teasing, but it carried the weight of someone who knew exactly what he was doing.
“I’m ready,” I said, though my pulse betrayed me.
A man came to the centre, the instructor I guess. He examined both of us, for safety reasons. When he was done, he stepped back, signaling the start. “Begin.”
Instinctively, I lunged forward, pushing myself into the pattern of steps I had learned from years of unwanted lessons, and from observing. My feet moved as fast as it could, my sword slicing through the air.