"For today, I will show you the basics. Show me how you would hold a sword." Valeria instructed Liviana.

Liviana held the wooden sword in front of her. 

"The grip is alright..." Valeria mumbled while she circled around Liviana. "Your stance is horrible. It isn't stable at all." She stated and pushed against Liviana's chest to prove her point.

Liviana glared at her aunt while she got up from the ground and brushed off the dirt from her pants.

"Was that necessary?!" 

Valeria chuckled. "Try again."

This time her aunt circled around her, inspected her stance and corrected her mistakes. After correcting the position of her feet, Liviana's aunt pushed her again. This time, she didn't fall over. 

"See? A proper stance is important. If you fall in a fight, you are most likely as good as dead."

'I do not want to fight in the first place! Is it not the duty of men to protect the women?! Why should I even learn how to fight if I could have a knight protecting me?!' She didn't speak her thoughts out loud. She knew that her aunt didn't share her opinion.

"Now I will tell you a bit about swords. Move into the stance I showed you." Valeria continued the lesson.

Liviana planted her right foot in front of the left.

"The point with the sword at your opponent's throat. You can move your left hand behind your back if you want." Valeria inspected Liviana's stance before she continued. "The blade of the sword is divided into the lower and the upper half." Her aunt tipped at the sections of the wooden blade with her finger. "The lower half is called the strong of the blade while the upper half is called the weak." 

Valeria took out a training sword that she had picked up in the storage building and pushed against the weak of Liviana's blade with the strong of her own blade. The sword was pushed aside with no effort. Then she did the opposite and pushed with the weak of her blade against the strong of Liviana's blade. Liviana's blade was, again, pushed aside.

"You have to hold your sword firmly or else it doesn't work." Liviana's aunt looked disappointed. "This time hold your sword firmly."

Liviana's grip on her training sword tightened. This time her sword didn't move by much when her aunt pushed against it.

"You see? The upper half of the blade is called the weak because it is much easier to push aside. Keep that in mind when you parry a strike."

Valeria dropped her training sword and unsheathed the sword at her side. It was a beautiful sidesword with a golden swept hilt and wire wrapped handle. 

"The training swords are too crude." She explained. "This is a fuller." She pointed at the groove that run along the center of the lower half. "The fuller makes the blade more rigid and lighter." Than she pointed at the ridge that run across the upper half of the blade. "This is the central ridge it makes blade more suitable for thrusting." Finally, she pointed at the tip. "The tip of the sword is called point." She sheathed her sword. "Any questions?"

"No, I do not have any questions." Liviana replied.

"Good. Then I will show you the basics of attacking with a sword."

After her aunt showed her some basic strikes and thrust, Liviana was taught how to move in a fight. Footwork was an essential part of combat and Valeria made sure that Liviana understood that. The steps reminded Liviana of a dance and she was quite good at it, although her aunt had to remind her several times that this wasn't a dancing lessons.

"You can stop." Liviana's aunt said.

'Finally!' Liviana thought.

Her right arm was aching from holding up the heavy hardwood sword and she just wanted to take a break. Her aunt, however, had something different in mind.

"Now you just have to run a lap around the training grounds and we are finished." 

'A lap around the training grounds...'

Liviana's eyes followed the track that circled around the training grounds. The training grounds that had been empty upon their arrival was now filled with people. Squires, knights and soldiers trained side by side and a group of people where running around the training grounds. Liviana swallowed. 

Running one lap around the training grounds left Liviana utterly exhausted. Her breath was burning in her lungs. 

'She is not exhausted at all...' Liviana's gaze was fixated on her aunt. 'And why is she allowed to wear a skirt while training?!'

"It...*haah* is...*haa* unfair..." Liviana drew jagged breaths. "Why... *haa* are you... *hee* allowed... *hah* to... *hah* wear... *haah* a skirt? Father said... *heh* I had... *hahh* to wear pants..."

Valeria burst into laughter. It took a her while to catch her breath. 

"Life is unfair." Valeria grinned. "Now let's go inside. It's time for breakfast."

 

During breakfast, Liviana had to be careful to mind her manners. She was absolutely famished. Now, she understood why her father and brother wolfed down their breakfast every morning, although it didn't make it any more acceptable in her eyes. After breakfast, her mother, father and aunt had a serious conversation about the Emperors health. Apparently, he had fallen ill. After she had excused herself, Liviana went to her room. She rang the bell and waited for Mary to arrive.

When Mary arrived, Liviana changed out of her current clothes and into a dress. Then she sat down in an armchair.

"Mary, make me tea." 

Liviana opened a book an began to read. Soon, she realized that she just couldn't concentrate. She slammed the book shut.

 "Is it not ridiculous that I have to learn how to fight?" 

"..." Mary, who had heard her mistress complain about that several times already, remained silent.

"I know that complaining does not change my situation, but it is just unfair! Other noble daughters can live without worry while I have to train every day!"

Mary continued to listen to Liviana's complains. The complains were immature, but Liviana was just a child after all. Even if she sometimes acted refined and mature, Mary knew that Liviana was a naive child at heart. She didn't dislike that about Liviana. 

 

***

 

[Elizabeth walked through the #&§%$&§ of $%& #&§%$&§. The Queen had summoned her. Her &§$&/§&had died just a fortnight ago, but #§$ $@#§%& had already %@&$%% the position of Queen-Regent. Elizabeth was %#@§&$%% at how fast #§$ $@#§%& had acted. 

"$@#§%&, I am here." Elizabeth announced her arrival.

"Sit down." The Queen commanded after looking up from the %#@§&$%% in her hands.

Elizabeth did as she was told and waited. After several %#@§&$%% of waiting in silence, #§$ $@#§%& laid the %#@§&$%% aside and folded her hands in front of her.

"I have received a $%&##§ $§&@#%." #§$ $@#§%& finally said.

"From whom?!" Elizabeth asked excitedly.

"My @§&$%%, this behaviour is unbecoming of a lady." The Queen stated in a cold and stern voice.

"I am sorry."

"The $§&@#% is from the &&$% of §$%#$. He would be a strong ally. He is intelligent for a man, but he is also conceited." #§$ $@#§%& continued. "I do not think that he is a fitting $§#% for you."

"..." This time, Elizabeth waited for #§$ $@#§%& to continue.

"No, I summoned you for a different $%$$&§#@$&%. %§%&%&§@## #§$#§$#§$ @&§&/§% &§&#%@&§§%"

@&@#§ %&%@& §@#§%&@& §&/§%@@ #§%&%@&§%& %$§%§&$ %&$#%§&$%&§  %###§%  §%&§##/%§% &/§%...]

 

As usual, Mary woke up Liviana at dawn. In the two years since her training had begun, she had grown accustomed to her raining schedule. Liviana got out of her canopy bed, sat down on the chair in front of her dressing and closed her eyes while Mary brushed her black hair. After having her hair done, she let Mary dress her for training and made her way to the dining room where she ate a quick breakfast, which was little more than a snack. 

Her morning training started, as always, with the basics. She warmed up, did a few practise swings with the sword and fought against an imaginary opponent while her aunt scrutinized her every move, looking for mistakes.

Liviana circled around an imaginary foe and attacked. A quick thrust to the neck, a strike to the chest and a slash across the abdomen. After piercing the heart of her imaginary opponent, Liviana distanced herself with a pirouette.

 "Livia, how often do I have to tell you not twirl around like that?" Her aunt asked with a sigh.

"It is called a pirouette." 

"What it's called in not important. Turning your back to an opponent is like asking to be attacked from behind." Valeria heaved another sigh. They had held this discussion several times already. "Let's just continue the lesson." She raised her wooden sword. "Attack me." 

This, too, had become routine. Liviana began to circle around her aunt. Valeria followed her niece with her eyes. Suddenly, Liviana feinted a thrust to the face and slashed at her aunt's hip. The blade was evaded. Liviana brought her sword up to strike with the other edge, but it was blocked. She stepped back to look for an opening. 

This went on for about half an hour. Liviana attacked, backed away and attacked again. Her aunt did nothing except parrying and evading her attacks. Finally, Liviana managed to land a hit by feinting an attack to the abdomen, but striking at the lower leg instead. Her training sword only grazed Valeria's shin before her aunt stepped back to evade the sword, but a hit was a hit. Cheerfully, Liviana backed away with a pirouette and fell to the ground. Something had pushed against her back.

"That's unfair! You said you would not attack! You said I win if I managed to hit you!" 

"Life is unfair. Fights in particular. If you hadn't turn your back to me, you could have avoided it." Valeria's voice was serious, but Liviana could see that her aunt tried to suppress a grin. She didn't do good job.

Liviana pouted, brushed the dirt off her clothes and silently made her way to the track. Everyday, the morning training ended with her running a lap around the training field. Today was not an exception. In the first few months of her training, Liviana had been utterly exhausted after one lap, but now, running one lap posed no challenge. 

"Why do I always have to run one lap at the end of the morning training?" Liviana asked Valeria who was running beside her.

"I don't know." Her aunt shrugged. "At first I wanted to see if you could do it, but now... Just think of it as a way to wrap up the morning training." She said in a carefree voice.

"So this is completely useless." Liviana sighed. Knowing her aunt, she had expected such an answer.

"That's one way to put it." 

They finished the rest of the lap in silence. Liviana had nothing to do until breakfast, so she watched how the knights trained. When she grew bored, she returned to the mansion and went to her room. After calling Mary and changing into a dress, Liviana passed the time until breakfast by embroidering the Vaymoure family's coat of arms on a handkerchief. A silver dragon impaled by a golden sword on a deep blue background. She was in the midst of embroidering the head of the dragon, when Mary reminded her that it was time for breakfast. She put the handkerchief into a drawer and left her room. 

"You look down." Her mother said during breakfast. A hint of worry tinged Eleanor's voice. 

"I am just bored." Liviana surprised herself. In her past life she would have never bothered her mother with something so insignificant. "You do not have to worry, Mother."

 "How about going shopping in the city?" Her mother proposed.

Liviana's expression brightened. She had never been to the city

"It takes more than an hour to go to the city by carriage. Livia wouldn't be able to get back on time for her training." Lorgand protested.

"Livia's training is progressing well. She can take one day off. How about tomorrow?" To Liviana's surprise, her aunt came to her aid. 

"Why not today? It is still early?" Liviana suppressed the childish grin that threatened to show on her face.

"Today is no good. I already planned something for today's lessons." Her aunt replied to Liviana's question.

"But-" Her father began.

"Your daughter trains enough." Valeria intervened. "As I said, her training is progressing smoothly. She is only eight years old. Her mana hasn't even developed yet." 

With this, the discussion was finished. For a few minutes, silence filled the dining room and only the clatter of the cutlery could be heard. Finally, her brother broke the silence by asking if he could go monster hunting in the woods with a few of the squires. After breakfast, Liviana went after her aunt.

"Thank you." 

"You don't need to thank me." Her aunt smiled. "I know that in contrast to your father you don't like training." Valeria ruffled Liviana's hair. 

Liviana was a bit annoyed because her hair was now a mess, but a warm feeling spread inside her. She unconsciously touched her ruffled hair. 

Even in her past life, she had seen the city only from inside a carriage. She had called jewelers and dressmakers to the palace instead of going to their shops. Elizabeth's mother had been worried about kidnappers and had said that a royal had no need to go to a person if she could just summon them. 

After her aunt left, Liviana went back to her room and called Mary to prepare tea. She couldn't wait to see the city tomorrow.