The Four Swords

Chapter 137: Fiction or Reality

I joined Princess Alina on the sidelines of a spar that to the casual observer looked like a fair match. The steady thud of blunted steel hitting after slicing through the air had a melodic ring to it. The music of training.

"They are a good match, are they not?" Alina beamed as there was more to her meaning than if their skills were well suited for each other in battle.

I took a moment to watch Jacobson's footwork. It was impressive. He had trained well.

Cali, for her part, could have run circles around him. Her slender frame and impressive agility made her a fearsome opponent. Her measured strikes made it look like she was giving her all, when I could tell she was really holding back.

"It does seem that way. Does it not, Your Highness?" I replied.

Princess Alina responded in a light giggle. What a girlish thing to do. Another joy of babysitting.

"Who do you think will best the other?" I posed. The princess should know her friends better than me.

"I think they both stand a fair chance," the princess politely started rather diplomatically. "But if I had to hazard a guess, I would say Cali."

"Good choice." I left my response short. If Cali wanted to, she could have ended this match by now. Maybe she found it entertaining to play fight in such a way.

I took in both competitors' techniques. Jack favored defense whereas Calista favored offense.

Jack suddenly turned leaving his back exposed. It was so unexpected that Cali did not even bother taking advantage of almost assured victory.

Sir Jacobson instead jumped sideways and tucked into a rolling somersault with this sword flaying outward. He landed on his feet, not far from Calista. Having shocked his opponent, Jack playfully looked up and poked at Cali's blade with his own.

"Got you," Lord Jacobson looked like a schoolboy trying to impress the newest pupil.

"What was that?" Calista burst into laughter. "You looked like a beached sea creature with all that flailing."

Alina and I joined in the comradery. I had to admit, the comparison was not inaccurate.

"I always wanted to try something I once read about in a book. I must have done it poorly because the hero swept every noblewoman in the court off their feet with that move." Jack stood and dusted himself off.

"There is a difference between reality and fiction, Lord Jacobson." Alina offered while trying to ground him in reality with his title.

"So what I am hearing is that I should not try that in the arena during the tournament?" The youngest swordsmen questioned.

"I do not think anyone should try that for any reason in any location," I offered. "You could easily break something."

The last thing I needed was for one of my babysitting charges to end up with the palace doctor. I think that man already had some level of dislike for me. Or maybe that was just his mood everyday.

"Fair enough. I do think I may need to sit down for a moment," Jacobson turned to sit in the grass.

"But that leaves Cali without a sparring partner. What about you Lord Holden?" Princess Alina offered.

All that was within me was torn in two. My sense of duty told me that watching the princess was of paramount importance. Sparring did not exactly give the best vantage point for possible threats. But the other part of me longed to release my frustration with a well trained fighter.

"Maybe another time. I think Queen Valerie would be sorely disappointed in me if I did not at least pay some attention to protecting her daughter," I backed out of the match gracefully. "And what is a sparring match if one party is not giving it their all?"

I narrowed my focus on Lady Calista. She caught my eye and ducked her head. We both knew that she could have easily defeated Jacobson, but I must admit that whatever display happened instead was much more unexpected. Jack certainly liked to entertain.

"It's not much of a match at all." Lord Jacobson answered from the ground. "I always felt that way when I was sparring opposite my uncle. I learned quite a bit, but I think he would've preferred someone more on his level."

"Training is like learning to dance. If you always partner with someone of your same skill level, neither of you tend to grow. It's good to have someone more advanced than you teach you a few new tricks. Likewise I have always found I learn a few new things when I try to impart my wisdom on a willing student," I stated.

That thought was about as close to a deep philosophical thought as I ever wanted to think.

"Wise indeed, Lord Holden," Princess Alina countered. "You mentioned my mother wanting you to protect me? How long am I to have the pleasure of your company? I am sure that there are more than a few ladies of the court excited to see you stay in town for a while."

My thoughts ran toward Gella. Not all of the ladies of the city were so excited to see me hang around.

"I am to be your chaperone outside of the castle until after the tournament. I would say that I might put a damper on you catching the eye of a gentleman of the court, but my presence did not stop that last time." I joked.

"Indeed it did not." Princess Alina's expression soured.

"Maybe Queen Valerie should have chosen a different guard for our beloved Princess. Maybe someone else would be better at fighting off unwanted suitors?" Lady Calista added to the joke.

It warmed my heart to have Cali comfortable with joking about part of yesterday. We could not change the past, but at least we could make fun of it.

"Please let Her Majesty know of your concerns. I would hate to be responsible when Princess Alina is mauled by suitors." I quipped.

My babysitting charges all snickered in response. Maybe babysitting was not all bad.