Page 100 of Enchanted Heir
I kissed him back with everything I had. “I need you too,” I admitted, pulling back breathless. I brought a hand up to his cheek, “So try not to die on me, My Prince.”
CHAPTER25
My arm was dead. Going to fall off my damn body. Light was spilling in the gray curtains Owen had opened, the room already smelling less dusty than it had when we started training in this room. I preferred the forest, but at least this still gave me something to do.
“Switch to the left for a bit,” Owen suggested as I rolled my aching shoulder.
“Because that’s going to go so much better,” I mumbled.
He put a hand on his hip. “No one, and I meanno one, Jorah, picks up a sword on the first day and is great at it.”
He was at least also sweating with me. So I knew it wasn’t just me. I reached over and smacked him in the calf. “But these aren’t even real swords.”
“Exactly,” Owen agreed. “It takes time and effort to become trained with a sword. That is why so many Enchanted don’t even bother. They’d rather use their magic to protect themselves.”
I switched hands with my wooden sword. “So why do you?”
He grinned maniacally, and I knew I was about to be defending my own life, sword or not. “Because sometimes you need both magic and your body to properly defend yourself.”
I backed up two steps as he started swinging his wooden sword at me. “And also you like to look like that.”
He thrust his sword at my stomach, so I spun away.
“Like what?”
I did a circle with the sword now in my less strong hand. “Like that.”
He didn’t let me finish answering before he was on the attack again, this time swinging at my neck. It wasn’t a real sword and I knew that, but I was still pretty sure it would hurt.
“I could not care less what I look like,” Owen said as he spun around and went for my knees. “I do care that I am strong. That I know I’m strong.” He swung again. “So that when we get cornered in the forest by three dipshits...” He swung again. “I don’t have to take the time to wonder if I can kill them.” He swung once again and this time I narrowly escaped. “I just do it.”
Chest heaving, I fired back with, “Okay, fine. Good point.”
He flashed me a smile. “Now stop admiring my incredible body andmove.your. ass.”
And then we were off again.
Owen ended up gently grazing me in the calf, otherwise all I had done the entire lesson was defend myself. But he also stoically told me that defending hits came first. If you knew how to deflect, you would also know how to hit. It was about muscle reflex and learning how to anticipate.
Finally done for the day, I grabbed my knees. This was only the first day with wooden swords. We had spent weeks on weight distribution and getting me in shape. And now I was finally working with weapons. Weapons that were a fraction as heavy as a real weapon.
Deciding I needed more air, I sprawled out on the ground.
Owen laughed and then sprawled out next to me. “Only a few minutes and then we stretch.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
From where I laid, I could see an old table in the corner next to a beautiful black piano. It gave me an idea. “How safe is this room from the king?”
Owen snorted as if insulted. “You are always safe with me.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I mean. I just wondered if a few of us women could play some cards in here. After training someday. Okay, after training and a shower.”
“Oh. I don’t think Krew would care. But get his approval for it so if the king does find out, no one can do anything about it. This room is rarely used. Ever. It was used as a living space for the foreign dignitary trips. None of which will be happening any time soon.” He paused. “I’d know because I’ve been staying in a room in the castle over here.”
I hadn’t ever thought about where Owen slept, as horrid as that made me sound. “Oh.”
