"This stupid thing won't stay in my hand!" I threw the dagger on the ground.

Ashe groaned, throwing his dagger in the air and catching it. "Just hold the thing. Firmly. Like a bat about to fly away."

"Why the hell would I be holding a bat?" I grabbed the dagger off the ground and stood the way he told me to. Squared shoulders, leaning forward, and my legs firmly in the ground.

"Quit questioning me and swing like a showed you." He threw his leather jacket off, which was ripped thanks to my aiming. "Hit the tree this time."

I held onto the dagger, my wrist aching from the hours of swinging.

"You know," the voice in my head started, "if you quit complaining and did what was asked, you could go rest."

I ignored that obnoxious thing and turned to face a tall tree with beige wood.

With a swipe with my flimsy wrist, I cut away at the bark, trying to somehow be strong enough to cut a solid piece in one try.

"Harder, Valarya." Ashe stood next to the tree, his face emotionless, but his body anxious. The last few times I'd tried doing this, the dagger got too loose in my hand and ripped his jacket. "Quit grunting and swing the damned dagger correctly!"

"How else do you swing a dagger?" I yelled back, stopping to wipe away my sweat. "Next time remind me to swipe at your face."

He shook his head, his face contorting into displeasure. "Why did you stop?"

"I'm tired."

"And I don't care." He took the dagger from my hand, throwing it on the ground. "Pick it up."

I was going to kill him. Slowly. Painfully. I'd make sure to nail his hands onto the tree and hang him upside down to dry.

"No," I muttered. "How about you pick it up?"

"I'm not going to entertain your mind-games," he snarked back.

"No. I won't swing until I have the dagger back in my hands. I refuse to pick it up." I leaned against the tree, watching Ashe and his jaw clench. "You can't force me to pick it up."

He stayed quiet, the shadows of the sunset highlighting his features.

"So we're done with training?" I asked, untangling my arms.

"Leave," he began, taking a dagger out from scabbard, "and I'll personally assign you to hunting duties tonight."

"It sounds fun, right?" the voice in my head crooned. "You could hunt for lizards, or maybe if you're lucky, a nice eagle will perch on your shoulders."

"So you're giving up on me that easily?" I grinned, not wanting to satisfy him in any way. "I guess Ashe Knightley isn't as honorable as he seems."

"And when have I ever claimed to be honorable, Princess Valarya?" His fingers traced the edge of the dagger, slowly, carefully, as if there were cogs in his head twisting and turning. "If I remember correctly, you pledged for honor," he added, looking up from his dagger. "Isn't that right, Crown Princess?"

I stayed silent, watching him play with the dagger.

"Seems like you're not the only one good with mind-games, Arya. At least he shut your mouth."

"I am probably the least honorable person you'll ever meet. Look at me." He stepped closer to me, his dagger twisting in his hands.

I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to be fooled by him. "So what exactly is 'hunting duties'?" I asked.

He bit his bottom lip, lowering his dagger. "It's a little... reunion. In the woods. Late at night. With a bunch of furry animals. Doesn't that sound grand?"

"Harmless furry animals?"

Ashe's smirk said thousands of words.

"Well, I think you seem to be prepared to handle it. You seem to learn from experience, not from words." Ashe dug his dagger back into his scabbard.

I swallowed. Hard. "What weapons will I have?"

"Whatever they have available, of course." He grinned, his teeth shining bright. "Why, did you think you were going to get special treatment?"

I blinked rapidly.

I couldn't refuse hunting duties because Ashe would feel like he'd won, and then I'd be dragged along on his missions with Rysdan, Henneh, and Avaloryn. But at the back of my head, something told me that I needed to put my pride aside and think intelligently.

Either way, I was stuck in shit. Both of them damaged my pride. One of them was what I needed to push myself.

"Fine," I answered.

Ashe's grin immediately dropped into a frown. "What?" he said.

"Hunting duties it is." I picked up my dagger from the ground.

"I—Pardon me? You said—"

"I said, 'Hunting duties it is'," I repeated. I angled the dagger at his throat, not quite touching it, but close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body.

"You cannot be serious!"

I touched the unsharp side to the bottom of his chin, tilting his head up. "I'm dead serious, Ashe." With a few flutters of my eyelashes, I unhurriedly pulled the dagger away.

"Have you ever heard of Knight's animals?" he wondered.

Why would I? Knight was a Saint, just like Cadice, Daen, and Suboriton. Known for his strength, but not his brilliance. I wondered if that was the House Ashe Knightley was from.

Imagine it: Ashe Knight Knightley. What a ridiculous name it'd be.

"No, I haven't," I clarified. "Why?"

He stepped back, shrugging. "Just wondering. Good luck. I'll inform Jaks that you'll be joining the hunt." He turned, but before he walked away, he added, "By the way, it starts in fifteen minutes. You might want to start praying."

*~⚜️~*

Well, I certainly didn't imagine my night going like this.

A man in his late twenties was handing me a bow and arrow. A bow and arrow. Shit. How the hell do people use those things?

Just pull the string? No, the arrow. I had to pull the arrow—

"Princess Valarya, de bow is not a instrument dat ye pluck." The men started laughing—cackling. They raised their weapons. Some had swords longer than my legs, others had hammers that were awfully large. Hatchets? Perhaps. I wasn't a blacksmith, so I wouldn't know.

The women emerged from behind Jaks. Their hair was pulled back, revealing red paint that outlined their faces. "The animals are out. Let's start," one of the ladies said.

"All righty, laddies! Gather 'round! Les 'ave a good hunt, eh? No funny wackers tonight. Ye hear me, Gus?" A man burped from behind me, pounding his chest. "Goodie. Les begin de 'unt!"

I was really starting to regret doing this. I wasn't ready to do something so—

Everyone took off into the woods. The groups that there once was dispersed, and soon, I was the only one left standing.

Ah, to hell with it. I might as well charge in like a bison if I want to have a chance in this place.

And so, I never thought I'd see the day where I, Crown Princess Valarya Cadice de Mertaire of Thaeleck, charged into a forest, and to my... my... What exactly was I going into? My doom? My death? My redemption? A damned circus with baboons and toucans?

Saints, have mercy on my soul.

Carefully, I stepped into the forest, the sound of the first of many twigs breaking under my foot.

"Let the show begin," the voice echoed in my head.