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After the training session, the princess went straight to her father’s study room. She walked with large steps towards the royal wing still wearing her training gear.

The afternoon was ending and the king was at his desk writing a document while the queen read a book by the chairs.

The princess stormed inside the study room.

“Father!” Spoke the princess to the surprise of the king and queen that immediately looked at her.

“I request a master swordsman contract to be opened”

The king widened his eyes and smiled at his daughter while the queen kept watching, very interested.

“I was under the impression you didn’t want any more teachers” The king said looking at the queen, silently inquiring if she knew anything about that. It was not a normal request for the princess who was so self-dependent in the last couple years.

“Well, in any case Bhalrom just asked the guards to search for candidates in the city, Kasius is also getting a new teacher, perhaps whoever is chosen will be able to help you too”

Completed the king in a very happy mood.

The queen was suspicious and kept listening, watching her daughter’s she noticed she was displeased by that proposition, she already had something in mind.

“I already have one chosen and he already agreed to help me. I’m just communicating so the preparations can be made” Answered the princess in a serious tone.

Doubt and concern filled the king’s mind “You already have one?”

The queen began to smile to herself as she began to understand what was happening.

The king continued.

“Who is this master? No one visited the castle… ” The king’s voice began to vanish as he realized who she was talking about. There was only one person that came to his mind.

“You can’t possibly mean that the boy is a master swordsman… I agree he is very good but still, to call him a master is a bit too much” Said the king in disbelief and concerned that the boy was becoming a topic far too common in his discussions. But before he could continue his speech the queen intervened in the conversation.

“You lost, didn’t you?” spoke the queen. The king looked surprised at his wife and then turned to the princess.

Both had watched Riou’s duels. They knew he was good enough to win against her, but to call him a master, that would be too much of a stretch, and both of them agreed on that.

The princess went quiet for a moment and eventually nodded.

“What? You allowed him to challenge you again?” shouted the king in a mix of surprise and anger.

Hanna raised her hand towards him and looking at Eileen she continued “How did you lose?”

She wanted to understand what happened, Eileen is not easily impressed like that.

The princess went quiet for a moment, she averted the gaze from her mother looking to the sides and to the ground, unusually embarrassed.

The queen widened her eyes in surprise “How long the fight lasted?” she inquired further, very intrigued by her daughter's reaction, that was very unlike her.

The queen wanted to estimate how good the boy was by measuring the difficulty her daughter had against him, a quick fight would indubitably tell them that the boy was indeed better than they anticipated.

Eileen looked at her mother “I asked him to fight me for real, a serious match. When he did, I lost… instantly” said the princess.

Both parents didn’t understand what she meant by that.

“You challenged him? You? I don’t get it... Why? And what do you mean by Instantly?” asked the king with too many questions in his mind.

Eileen sighed “If it were a real fight, I’d be dead before I even knew what happened”

Elrick turned to his wife without understanding how that was even possible, the queen just seemed as puzzled as he was.

Eileen continued “That’s why I want him as my teacher, I never saw anyone as good as him. He has his own fighting style and strange techniques that I’ve never seen, I’m sure I can improve training with him” said the princess with a serious face trying to convince them she was speaking the truth.

The king squinted his eyes. He knew his daughter was not the lying kind, but that was just too absurd.

Noticing he was about to deny Eileen’s request, the queen interjected “Elrik…” said the queen in a calm manner.

“What’s the problem? Let the girl practice with the boy… if she thinks she can get better training with him, let her.”

“Hanna, she is not asking for a practice partner… she is requesting a Master. Someone that would stay on the castle to train her” Said the king very seriously “But that boy is not the kind to sit around. You saw how he mentioned the incursion on the Deadwind trail, he wants to go there and this daughter of yours will want to follow him. That boy has a talent for danger and I don’t want my daughter involved with him.” he was not pleased by that thought.

The queen smiled “So if she agrees to stay in the castle and not follow him into those dangerous situations you would agree to her request? You agree as well Eileen?”

The girl promptly nodded.

The king sighed, he knew better than to argue with his wife “For the elements… he is just a kid. We will be a laughing stock if word of this gets out” But when he looked at his daughter and wife’s resolve, he knew they wouldn’t budge. Still he would not let the name Strongheart become a reason for jokes.

“I will not grant him the title of master… he will not hold an official seal nor will be recognized as your teacher. And for everyone’s concern he will be just a servant of yours, a well paid servant… is that fine with you?”

The princess showed a displeased expression, clearly not liking the proposition. For her, Riou was a master swordsman like no other she had ever seen before. And he should be acknowledged as such despite his age.

But before saying anything she realized that the proposition was advantageous to her and even to Riou. He’d get paid as a master and she was allowed to train with him in secrecy.

Deciding not to push the matter any further she agreed “Yes father”

The king sighed once more looking at the queen “You know what you are doing by supporting this?” The queen just smiled. He shook his head and from the drawer of his desk he pulled a metal seal and a small pouch.

Walking towards Eileen he added “Take this royal seal” The king continued after handing over the crest “And give this to the boy as initial payment.” The bag gave a metallic sound when it moved to the princess hands, it was full of coins.

The princess nodded, her eyes glimmered with anxiety. The king noticed it couldn’t help but smile… as a father he wanted to see his child happy.

Eileen thanked both her parents and left the study room. The king and queen were left looking at each other.

“Elrik, you knew from the beginning. Back then when Eileen chose the path of the north. She is a warrior and you know she must be entitled to her choices” Said the queen in a calm manner.

“I know… But what I don’t understand is why are you supporting this boy. He is far too young and we don’t know anything about him, he is a commoner, and wherever he goes, danger follows.” Said the king starting to exalt himself once again.

“You know better than that Elrik, I know you do. And I’m just following Eileen’s wishes, or do you not trust your daughter’s judgement?”

The king shook his head “I don’t know… I don’t like where this is going. I admit the boy is different, but to go to such extents to support him in this way… I don’t think it’s a good idea to let her around him that much”

The queen stood up and went to the direction of the king.

“Elrik, if she was not from the north you would have had her married years ago to some old fool or one of their spoiled sons, just because of your politics… she would have left the castle and be miserable by now. You know that she chose the North Rites to fight for her freedom… she has the fire of the maiden within her, you know it.”

“Hanna, I just want to see her happy”

“I know… but you must trust your daughter more. She might not know what she is doing yet, but her maiden intuition might be telling her to pursue this boy… like mine said to pursue you when we were young”

“Don’t compare me to him, I was a prince of Allard, you father was friends with mine, we had tons of support”

“And? Doesn’t that boy have it too? What do you want more than the support of that old fool? Even you told me that he really liked the boy. They are friends Elrick, even Bhalrom speaks highly of him... doesn’t that count for something?.”

The king sighed and took a deep breath.

The queen approached her husband that was still not convinced. She put her hand over his shoulder while looking closely into his face “And did you notice how different she is since that boy showed up?”

Elrick nodded. He had to agree, it was a long time since the last time she was this happy.

The queen smiled once again “I think he might be the one… did you hear it? She challenged him and lost to him already. That makes him eligible by the rites.”

The king turned to his wife in shock.

“You don’t mean that… ” the king could not continue the sentence.

Hanna nodded with a smirk “The path of the maiden is not a simple one, there are forces at work that are beyond you and me. She lost and the maiden’s heart might have been already taken. It might be just a matter of time for her to realize it”

The king could not take that “It was not a proper duel, it was just training!”

Hanna shook her head “That’s not how it works and you know that… she challenged him to a serious fight and lost. That’s a great deal for someone going through the maiden’s path, her ancestors might already have accepted the boy. Maybe you should start doing the same”

The king was troubled by that realization.

Hanna smiled by her husband's reaction “Elrick, she is almost 18 years old. How long do you want for her to wait to find someone? I’m afraid if we just let this boy go now, she will become a priestess at the temple of Brine.” she joked.

The father couldn’t help but wonder if that would not be a better outcome than the alternative.

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Eileen wished to go straight to Riou’s room and inform him of the good news. She was already on her way towards the guest room, when she realized it was already dark and that she was still wearing the same sweaty clothes from the morning.

She quickly turned around, “Tomorrow, early in the morning” and went back to her room.

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Riou woke up the next morning with plans to go to the city. Looking outside the window he saw some workers gathering stones and wood not too far into the garden. “No way, they are already gathering material for the bath house? But I didn’t even say what I wanted.” He dressed himself in his commoner clothes and decided to go there to investigate since he was the one wanting it.

When Riou opened his door to step out, a surprise. Wide crystal blue eyes and Long shiny blond hair, neatly tied into a ponytail with some bangs covering bits of a gorgeous face.

An elegant figure, with well-rounded feminine attributes forming a very appealing body. She was wearing a set of pristine new clothes, perfectly fit to her body.

His eyes were wide open and for a moment he forgot to breath, paralyzed at the unexpected sight. She was even more beautiful than before.

“Where are you going?” Asked the princess in an almost musical voice.

It took a moment for Riou to be able to answer, he shook his head and blinked his eyes to come back to his senses. That was not like him, he felt strange and a bit out of himself.

“Outside… they are gathering materials and I think it’s for the bath house… I wanted to check it out”

“Very well, I will accompany you as we have something to discuss.” Said the princess calmly.

Riou nodded and began to walk towards the garden.

“My father did not accept my request for a master... Not entirely at least” Said Eileen. “It was under the condition that I do not involve myself in dangerous situations and that the master should be considered a servant, nonetheless he will be paid accordingly”

“Is that unusual? Seems like your father just wants secrecy for some reason”

“Because my father is afraid of what other lords would think if he accepted someone too young as a master swordsman” Said the princess, smiling and waiting anxiously for the boy’s reaction.

Riou froze in place when he heard it, looking directly at the princess “That talk about a master… you’re not saying that…. Oh, that’s why you said it like that isn’t it?” he realized, looking at the princess clearly faking surprise, expecting he was already aware.

“Eileen, you can’t be serious… I’ve never been a teacher before, I don’t even know if I can teach anything”

Eileen smiled softly and replied “I meant it when I said you were the best I have ever seen using the sword… and I’m sure if we train I will be able to pick up something” She began to walk again followed by him, they still were going outside to see about the bath house.

“No, I don’t think this is a wise move, I’m not a master swordsman nor a teacher.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get you a title or an official teacher position. But I got you this” She stopped for a moment getting the pouch and the royal crest to show the boy. “This is the royal crest my father gave me, it recognizes the holder as an official of the royal family, with this I can go wherever I want, as long as it is safe. And for you, this.” She gave the boy the pouch with the money “This is your payment for the time being.”

Riou took the money bag with surprise, it was heavy, he estimated that hundreds of coins should be inside the small pouch. “Wow! This is a small fortune. They aren’t petty with the teachers here” thought Riou.

“But I can’t accept it… I won’t be around for that long”

“You are here now, aren’t you? And I believe you won’t leave until you find the great Magus, am I right?”

Riou sighed, putting the bag away, strapping it to his belt “If this is what you really want… just don’t get your hopes up too high, as I already said, I’m no teacher and I’m sure we will find Max very soon” But the princess was not worried.

They continued walking towards the garden.

“Say Eileen, how does this teaching stuff usually work? I mean, with the other teachers you had.” Asked the boy as they were reaching the garden.

“Usually a master is called to the castle and remains here training the student for a few months or even years… on special cases the student accompanies the master on his travels.” Answered the princess.

“Have you gone traveling?”

“No, I never left the castle… the farthest I went was the North to visit my grandfather, but I never left his castle.”

“Well, as long as you agree that I won’t be around for that much, then we have a deal.”

Eileen nodded with a smile “We will train as long as possible, it’s settled then… don’t worry about the details”

They arrived at the spot where the men were preparing.

A robust man with red hair and beard approached the princess and the boy. The man was as tall as Viktor and was using a uniform with shades of brown and blue. Looking closely it seemed to be some sturdy cloth. He reminded Riou of construction site employees with their protections.

“You must be Riou… I’m Templeton, an earth mage and I was put in charge of this construction. Bhalrom mentioned you were the lad that requested a fancy bath house… I must admit that’s not a usual request in these parts'' He said looking at the boy with a big smile on his face.

“So they use magic to help with construction… makes sense now how they were able to construct such a great castle with so little technology.”

The man continued “So… he told me you will give the specifications, how do you want this bath house of yours?” added the red bearded man.

Riou was impressed, a day later and preparations were already on the way. “They are fast… perhaps it was because the prince’s life was on the line.”

Riou looked at the ground and remembered that there was water deep below the rocks… he would just need a way to pump it up and heat it enough to create a pleasant bath.

“Well… what about a square shaped hole here covered with rocks to hold the water, with flat walls to lean against and steps all around, so a person can sit and relax, Roman Style stone bath house” said the boy showing the water level on his chest.

Templeton seemed confused “I never heard of these Romans…”

Riou just waved and continued “Make it big so more people can use it at the same time, the castle is huge so that may help in case guests want to try it out. Also we need a wooden floor with some small holes so we don’t wet everything coming out of the water. Also Make a side room for changing clothes… and oh oh, can we get a sauna? Man that would be cool. That would be another room completely closed with something to light fire and heat stones. So outside we would need a metal storage to heat the water for the bath, a tank and a pump.” Riou stopped when he looked at Templeton that was completely lost.

Eileen listened to the boy with attention, she noticed that he had no trouble to come up with such ideas on the spot. It was as if these things he talked about were not inventions at all, but simple items from where he came from.

“Do you have something to write on?” asked the boy… the robust man nodded and went to get something on top of the rocks… It was a big parchment with a wooden pen and ink.

Riou grabbed it and began to design it to the best of his ability.

Templeton was amazed looking at the boy's design… the Princess also looked with interest at it.

“Is this enough?” Said the boy showing an overly detailed design like Templeton had never seen before.

He scratched his beard “With this we can build anything… but the worst part will be the metal working… I don’t know if the blacksmiths can make this, and even if they can, it may take a while to craft, but the rest can be completed without delay”

Riou nodded “I was already going to see a blacksmith anyway, I will ask if he can help us with those items as well, I will give him better specifications as well” Templeton nodded in surprise showing the parchment with already very detailed information “Better than this?”

Riou smiled and nodded, he looked at Eileen “I will go fetch new weapons and place the order for the bath house metalworking. After that we can train, is that ok?”

The princess nodded “Let’s go then.” Her intentions to go with him were more than clear. He looked unsure if she was joking or not.

The princess visiting the city would be a great event in his mind. Maybe guards would have to go with her. Or would the habitants throw her a parade? But he just shrugged his shoulders “Suit yourself” both of them went towards the castle's entrance.

The guards there were surprised by the sight of the princess. They didn’t receive notice that she would be leaving the castle and an escort was not ready.

They approached to inquire the princess’ needs but anticipating their actions she brought up the royal crest. At the very moment they saw it, all of them gave passage immediately, respectfully holding their weapons back.

Riou just watched, amazed by the response, she didn’t even have to explain anything.

The boy opened the door of the carriage for the princess allowing her to go first.

“To the city my good man!” he said in a loud tone for the coachman while he sat in front of Eileen.

“So, that crest… Should you be using it like that?”

She just smiled.

Riou got concerned “I see... so are you sure you can leave the castle without issue? I thought the princess would cause a commotion in the city”

She shook her head “I’m allowed to do as I please as there is no danger involved, we are just going to the city right? So it’s fine” she explained. “Besides, it’s not they will recognize me, it’s been far too long since I left the castle to see the city”

Riou looked even more concerned at her now. He knew it would just take one glance and everyone would know who she was.

Eileen looked at Riou while they were taken down the path to the city on the below ground.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure”

“Are you planning to get back home someday?”

Riou pondered and nodded “Yeah, I do, when I find a way back”

“So why didn’t you ask my father for land here? You could build a life on Allard while you do that, maybe you could even stay here in the castle”

Riou smiled wryly “I saw how the lords looked at me at the feast. Can you imagine the trouble it would cause if I was given land? I don’t need that, So I’ll just stay with Max until I can get home… I mean, after we find him of course”

“I see…”

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The city was full of people going about their business as usual. It was peak hour as noon quickly approached as they reached the Market District.

Riou and Eileen walked on the streets without any trouble “Really? No mob gathering, no parade? Did anybody even recognize the princess?”

The princess just got stares wherever she went, but not because of her status, it was simply for her beauty. The boy saw men and women constantly glancing at her with desire and jealous eyes.

The princess walked normally with her elegant posture. It wasn’t too long since she had been in the city, the truth is that she never had walked in the streets. Nobody knew her because nobody ever saw her outside of a royal carriage.

And since there was no comitive, the citizens thought she was just a norse woman visiting the city.

Despite her cold and closed expression, Riou smiled at himself as he noticed she was enjoying herself, sneakily glancing at the street stores, people interactions and the life of the common folks.

Arriving at the Blacksmith they saw a commotion in front of it. A crowd was formed and everyone was watching something there.

Riou and Eileen made their way through the crowd to get near the shop.

They heard some comments as they passed through..

“Do you believe it?” said a man talking to another one near them “Did they really create living metal in there?”

The other man answered “Yes! I saw it yesterday when they were testing it… the sword bent against a shield… not only did it not break but it bent back to normal shape as if nothing happened!” the man spoke excitedly amidst the commotion.

“That will cost a fortune! I wonder who will be the lucky ones to buy them”

With difficulty they finally reached the blacksmith’s shop entrance. Riou saw the old blacksmith testing a blade against another one in a wooden bench, the sword was tied horizontally with its edges sideways so the impact would be on the flat part of the blade.

The blacksmith pulled his sword up and quickly swung it down towards the sword below, cutting it in half in a single strike to the amazement of the crowd who cheered in chorus.

The blacksmith after the demonstration, showed the sword to the crowd that not even a dent was formed on the blade. “That’s a clever way to advertise his products” thought the boy watching the scene.

Did not take long for the blacksmith to see Riou in the crowd. He smiled from ear to ear and quickly waved and went to greet him. “Master! Please come in!” Said the blacksmith with reverence to everyone’s surprise. Riou was the most surprised by the reception and walked with him followed by Eileen.

As they entered the shop the blacksmith announced to the crowd outside.

“For today the presentation is over! Spread the word and come by tomorrow to see more! We will be selling these soon!” Closing the door shortly afterwards without waiting for the crowd's reaction.

The shop was a mess, much different than before.

Riou noticed failed sword attempts of all sizes and shapes laying around the place, all workers there seemed to be working around the clock for the past week.

“You have been busy…” Said Riou looking around.

“Yes master, we followed your recipe to the detail and even tried to apply some of it to normal metal. You were right, it did take awhile for us to grasp how to work properly with it. But with your guidance we manage to achieve great results!” Said the courteous blacksmith.

Eileen curiosity was sparked once again hearing that the boy was the one to give the instructions for the crafting. Her ears turned to listen to their conversation.

“A head blacksmith calling someone else a master? And even inside his own shop? That’s highly unusual to the proud blacksmith profession.” Thought the princess.

Riou was not convinced by the change in attitude of the old blacksmith and was suspicious of him. “Were you able to complete all my requests?”

The blacksmith smiled proudly and quickly went towards the end of the store to take a wrapped cloth. He brought it and laid it down on a table with all the care in the world.

“These are my masterpieces” Said the old man unwrapping it on a table.

The first the blacksmith took was a rapier. He removed it from the protection of the sheath to show a long and elegant blade. Thick enough to allow slashing and a thin edge for thrusting and piercing. The guard was very detailed with metal strings that resembled leafs, small roses and thorns, covering beautifully and delicately the handle while offering great protection to the hand.

The metal had a soft blue metallic color on the blade and a darker blue shade in the guard. The handle followed the pattern with a dark blue color on the leather strips which combined perfectly balancing the blue shades used.

“Those are well crafted details old man, remarkable work” Said the boy pointing at the designs.

“Yes, while in the making, the metal took a form of its own, I just followed its wishes.” Said the blacksmith in an almost solemn tone.

Eileen's eyes couldn’t turn away from the rapier. She couldn’t believe in the sword that was in front of her, just by looking at it she could tell that it was far superior than anything she had seen so far.

The blacksmith put it back in its sheath and handed the rapier to Riou to take a look, he proceeded to fetch the next one right away.

Riou looked at the sword and tested it for a moment and quickly turned towards the blacksmith that was showing the other one.

It was a longsword with a well detailed cross guard, the metal outlining the guard shined brightly in comparison to the dark metal color of the center of it.

The pommel had the same dark metallic color as the guard. The handle had a brown shade and it was made of leather strips neatly placed, seamlessly with perfect skill. The blade was long and wider than normal. Riou could tell it had extremely sharp edges and great cutting power.

Near the guard the blade was reinforced and had an extra thickness for almost a palm away from the guard into the blade, which gave a bit of extra weight and a great balance.

“This blade can cut through anything…” Said the proud blacksmith putting the sword on the table and taking the next one.

Two single edged short swords came up, they both had an arm’s length, slightly curved, resembling a fang. It was done so meticulously that the edge tip and the handle were aligned. It had good piercing and cutting ability to it with lots of maneuverability.

It did not have a proper guard as the long sword. The metal was bright and the handle was a light shade of gray.

“The twin fangs you asked” Said the blacksmith, putting them down on the table next to the other sword and reaching for the next one…

The next was no sword, but a dagger, almost the size of a forearm. Its blade was darker with a gray metallic shade on the very edge, it was wider near the handle and thinner near the top edge, perfect for piercing attacks, but differently than the two edged swords, this dagger was single edged, designed for cutting power and for piercing thick objects. Its point seemed to be extremely sturdy and resistant. The handle was a cross guard similar to the sword but much smaller.

The blacksmith continued, pulling something else from the leather wrap. But Riou didn’t recall asking for anything else

He pulled out yet another sword, very similar to the other one in color and shape. It just was not as heavy since it did not have the reinforced frame.

“Master, you taught a unique technique to this old blacksmith, for that I’m thankful, you greatly increased my ability and my wares’ value, that by itself would be payment enough. So if you don’t mind, I made this extra blade for you” Said the blacksmith.

Eileen's eyes widened once again “He taught the blacksmith?” She thought to herself as the mysteries around the boy only grew larger.

“Well… I don’t mind accepting it if you don’t mind accepting one more work for me” He added, smiling to the blacksmith who got curious by the proposition.

Riou handed the rapier to the Princess “Hold this for me Eileen” Said the boy clearly noticing her enthusiastic eyes towards the blade.

He turned to the blacksmith “I need a stove with copper tubes attached to it and some contraptions to close and release the flow of water, do you have something to write on?” He said before explaining with more detail his needs, he quickly aimed at a piece of parchment from one of the tables, grabbing it with a piece of coal from the fuel of the forge.

“I need this to be delivered to the castle, you can charge all expenses to the king”

The old blacksmith looked at the design with interest “Well… I will have to test some of these pipes you mention here, but the rest should be easy enough” He said nodding in agreement.

“It’s a deal then” Said the boy proceeding to take the swords from the table.

Riou picked up the dagger and strapped it to his back in a horizontal position right on the level of his belt, the handle was quickly accessible to his right hand. The twin blades were strapped to his right back side, one blade on top of the other looking like a single blade. The sword was attached to his belt on the left side.

Lacking space for another sword, he looked at Eileen to ask her to hold the extra steel sword too.

The princess was already wearing the Rapier to her belt on the left side. Her hand was constantly resting on the sword handle. Riou smiled at the sight, understanding her joy in having that sword.

As they stepped outside Riou heard a very loud growling noise coming from the princess. He looked at her in surprise as she dismissively pretended that nothing had happened.

Another growl came out of her stomach. Her cheeks blushed out of embarrassment as there was no way to deny it this time. She took a while to prepare herself that morning and ended up skipping breakfast.

Smiling, Riou said to the princess “I know a good place nearby with excellent food… are you hungry by any chance?” said the boy in a teasing manner. “I have some coins to spare” he tapped at the pouch Eileen gave him earlier.

The princess nonchalantly nodded to the proposition trying to keep up her pose.