crossfire || cardan greenbriar

three

"Are you sure you're alright?" Taryn queries.

"I'm fine, Taryn." I deliberately lie, "I'd just like to be left alone for now please, besides I need to get ready for Madoc's training"

"Alright, I'm sorry about—"

"—Listen I said it's fine," I pause her before she finishes her sentence, anger overwhelming my voice, she slightly flinches, before walking out of the room.

I get undressed, and walk into the bathroom, the steam making it hard to see, I get into the tub, sitting down so that the water is right above my chest.

After nearly an hour of showering, I wrapped a towel around my body, and left the bathroom,

My head turned towards my bed which had my training clothes prepared. I wore a pair of black tights, and a normal shirt with knight armor, to protect me from any possible harm. I grabbed my sword from beneath my bed and made my way down the stairs, meeting Madoc and Jude at the door.

We usually practice in the wide field behind Madoc's estate, it provides space, and it's safer.

"You're late," Madoc states.

"I'm here now aren't I? Let's go." I retaliated, shoving past them and leaving the estate.

I was outraged with what happened earlier at school, I felt weak, powerless, and foolish. The way he gripped my neck, the way Valerian looked at me, the way Nicasia mocked me, and the way Locke— I'm not sure what he did, but I dislike him anyway.

We made our way towards the field, the grass was moist making the grounds harder to battle on, but I didn't pay attention to the atmosphere, nor my surroundings. I just want to take all my rage out on something I'm decent at.

"Alright," Madoc began, "I'll be fighting Anastasia first, you've been out of practice lately, let's see how well you do."

I reached for the sword attached to the hem of my belt, hauling it out, I held the sword in both my hands, grasping it firmly, while appropriately situating myself.

Madoc and I both held a high guard, as he made his first blow against me, I immediately raised my sword with a grunt, defying his attack with a snappy swing of my sword. The sound of our swords clanging and gliding against one another made me shudder, however, the inclination didn't divert me from the second blow he was making. I rapidly parried the blow by holding the sword vertically against his, he pushed his sword harder towards me. I let out a rough sigh as I stagger in reverse, the wet grass nearly brought about a slip, yet I figured out how to keep up equilibrium prior to evading another one of his hits. We moved to and fro averting each other's hits repeatedly, reflexively.

Utilize your anger, convert it into better combat aptitudes, make it mean something in a fight, make it useful. Wield that outrage to vanquish your adversary, Anastasia. I thought, as Madoc's words rang plainly in my ears.

Don't just act, and don't just react.

With this next blow, I threw my hands up, and parried high, with the tip of the sword creeping towards Madoc's face as he endeavored to shove it away. My durability was no match for his, but I could use my weaknesses and veer them into strengths. Use his own strengths against him, turn them to weaknesses.

I bent down, segregating my sword from his, as he marginally lost balance, almost falling face-first to the ground. I go around, so that I'm now behind him. I prepare to strike, taking him by surprise, however, he pivots and I hesitantly stop mid-blow. The point of my sword nearly tearing into his sturdy neck.

I lower my guard as he drops his sword, raising both his hands up in surrender. I watched as a prideful grin made its way onto his mouth, his canine teeth sticking out of his mouth.

"I see you don't even need my training anymore," he says, as I lower my sword, dropping it to my side.

My face feels hot, and I feel the unbearable scent of sweat fill my senses now that I am no longer exerting any effort. I let out a long breath, wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

"You've been practicing on your own, I suppose,"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be aggressive," I apologize, letting the sword fall, as Jude walks up to me.

"Don't apologize, that was the best I've seen you fight so far. Keep up the good work, maybe one day you'll best me." he says, picking up his sword once more.

"Now, that was nearly perfect, I have to say, I thought you'd be a bit rusty since we haven't trained in a bit, however, I guess I was wrong." she chuckles, placing a supporting hand on my shoulder.

"I noticed you used anger to beat me," he says, "good job."

"Thanks," I say, out of breath. "I should go back inside and shower, we'll finish training tomorrow."

"I think i'll leave training for tomorrow as well, it's a bit cold now." Jude says and Madoc approves, she follows me back towards the large doors her hand still on my shoulder.

"Now, since when is it too cold for Jude Duarte herself, why aren't you training, really?" I ask her, as she slings her entire arm around my shoulders.

"I feel tired," she lies, intentionally.

"Liar," I smile, flinging my arm around her shoulder.

We both walk into the hall, as she follows me upstairs into my room. I take the armor off of me, throwing myself onto the bed with an exasperated sigh.

"If you keep this amazing progress up we'll definitely win the tournament."

"You better be practicing too you know," I say, staring at the blank ceiling.

"I am, I am. But, I know something's bothering you, it's not every day that the tip of your sword nearly tears through his neck."

"He probably let me win, I'm nowhere as experienced as him, and I'm fine." I sit up, looking at her.

"Either way, I know when something's bothering you, so tell me." she insists, as I shut my eyes and rested my back against the soft mattress once more.

"Nothing is bothering me, Jude. I just got lucky."

"Anastasia, I understand you can lie, but that doesn't make it any less obvious."

"Fine," I give in, "You really want to know?" I sit up again, "Cardan. He's been toying around with us, treating us like nothing but puppets, and I know if we were allowed to, we could take him on. But Madoc says it's too risky, and that because he's the High King's son, I can't beat him, or I'm too weak to beat him. Nothing would give me more pleasure, than to see him on his knees, begging for his life, right beneath me."

"I know how you feel, however Madoc is not our real father, therefore, someday he will be begging for mercy, I promise you that."

"I can't believe Madoc is taking his side on this. I mean seriously? Come on it's Cardan." I let out a mocking scoff, as she threw herself beside me on the bed.

"Do you ever wish you could go back and live the same life as before? No Faeries, no Cardan, no magic, no Madoc, just plain old life," I ask her, fidgeting with the emerald green ring on my ring finger.

"If I say no, then I'd be lying," she sighs, "I do often miss my parents, and how easy life used to be. But it was bound to happen either way. Madoc was going to eventually find mom, and Vivienne, it just happened either too soon, or too late."

I pull the bedsheets above us as a tired yawn escapes my mouth, "Yeah, I guess."

I unknowingly fell into a dreamless sleep, as my thoughts floated in my empty head.

~~~~~⚔️~~~~~

"Anastasia! Anastasia wake up!"

"What?" I groan, still too asleep to process anything.

"We're going to be late!"

"What?!" I quickly push myself off of the bed, almost falling.

It's Jude, she still in her nightdress, and I'm still in the same sweaty clothes from yesterday.

"I fell asleep in your bed yesterday, I completely lost track of time." she explains, as I promptly get off the bed, heading towards the wardrobe and picking out a plain black dress, that was just as tall as the other. I placed it on the bed, followed by a new rowan berry necklace I had Jude make me after Cardan ripped mine, and the dagger from yesterday.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get dressed," I insist, as I fidget through my stuff, searching for a waist corset.

"Alright, I'll meet you downstairs. I'm not sure where Taryn is either."

"She's probably left, she won't wait around, it's Taryn."

She walks out of the room and heads into hers, while I quickly undress, spraying a minty perfume on since I don't have much time to shower. I picked out a black dress, and wore the black corset I picked out on top of it. I took one last look in the mirror before attaching the dagger to the thigh holster where it wasn't as visible, and I hung the rowan berry necklace around my neck.

Rushing downstairs, I met Taryn and Jude, who somehow were prepared before me. I get to the bottom of the stairs, meeting them at the estate's exist.

"We need to hurry," I tell them, as I walk out of the door.

~~~~~⚔️~~~~~

We arrive at school, and everyone is already there. We shortly take our seats, and sit down on the humid grass. Nicasia, Locke, Valerian, and Cardan already sprawled out on the ground, talking with some two other Faerie girls. One of them who has skin so pink, that you can hardly see when she's blushing, she laughs at something Cardan says, which I doubt is funny, Faeries can't lie but I'm sure they can fake a laugh, as you can imagine Cardan lacks a sense of humor. The other with skin a very pale green, is flirting with Locke.

"Such brats," Jude sighs, as I turn to look at her,

"Tell me something I don't know."

"If he thinks I'm really dropping out of the tournament then he's in for a surprise," I let out a mockingly scornful chuckle. As the professor talks about Queen Orlagh and her past, and as Nicasia sits there proudly, listening to all the 'Great' things her great mother has done.

"Let's just hope you can actually beat him," Taryn sighs.

"I can," I say back, "and I will."

"You know, for a guy with so much dullness he sure knows how to make a girl laugh, I mean look at that pink-faced Elf," Jude jested as Taryn and I chuckled at her witty remark.

I look over to Jude as I shuffle closer to her, "All honestly," I say, my attention focused on Cardan and his friends, "do you think he's any good at sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat?"

"Well, I personally have never seen him practice or any of that so, we'll just have to eventually find out." she says, biting the tip of her pen.

"What's a type of rock that radiates negative energy?" asks the professor.

"A Cardan," I mumble, thinking no one would hear me, but when everyone's attention shifts towards me, I realize the mistake I've made, and it's quite embarrassing.

"A Carnelian," I quickly correct myself, "I said A Carnelian."

Cardan's not amused, however Valerian surely is, he watches Carden's pissed off glare towards me with a smug look on his face. Jude and Taryn are not sure what to say so they just kept quiet, while I'm probably getting my ass kicked in Cardan's wild imagination.

"That's wrong, Anastasia. You should pay more attention in my class instead of chatting with Jude and Taryn." he turns back around, pointing at one of the crystals that sat before him, indicating that it's the correct crystal.

Though, Cardan's gaze is fixated on me, he looks angry, which brings me pleasure, but worry at the same time. I worry about what he would do if I went too far, if I forgot how high he is, royally, and just immortally. After all, I'm still a mortal, and not much compared to the prince of Elfhame.

My face went hot when his dimly lit eyes met mine, I can never look him in the eyes, and hold a confident expression, I always look down, or find an excuse to break the eye contact.

Suddenly, I remembered the party Oriana and Madoc were hosting for their 20th anniversary, which I could honestly care less about. Knowing Oriana, she's probably persuaded Madoc into inviting, everyone. And I mean everyone.

Including Cardan.