Alexander, however, recognised his daughter's strategy immediately. "She's cataloguing his patterns," he murmured to Phoebe. "Letting him think he's gaining the upper hand while she studies every tendency, every habit."
Phoebe watched with growing respect. Where Buck's defeat had been swift and decisive, Elizabeth was engaging Elliot in a more complex exchange, one that tested mental discipline as much as physical skill.
Elliot sensed something wasn't quite right. Despite the princess's apparent disadvantage, he couldn't land a clean hit. Each time he thought he had created an opening, she managed to avoid the worst of his attack with minimal movement. It was as if she knew what he would do before he did it.
"You're overthinking," Elizabeth commented, her breathing controlled despite th
