The sounds of blade against blade rang out through the war camp deep within the mountains nestled in the Northern Kingdom. Reyna, daughter and heir to its King and Queen, leaped and circled around the mud-packed training ring as the warmth of the spring day, even within the mountains, made the hair that escaped her dark braid plaster against her sweat-soaked brow. Even the material of her thin shirt clung to her chest and back, having discarded her leather jacket over an hour ago. Her legs barked in pain as she moved, but she would not stop-- not when she was facing Thessan, her father's General, in that ring, circling across from her.

And especially not when her father and mother were observing them from the outskirts.

Rikard, King of the Northern Kingdom, remained adamant against sending his firstborn to the camps in the mountains, and even in their recent correspondence and conversations, Reyna felt as though he was still in denial as to how quickly the time went by. She felt his icy gaze as he stood from outside the sparring ring with Queen Feith, daughter of the Eastern Kingdom by his side. With every clammer of her blade against Thessan's, Reyna knew he still wondered whether or not allowing her to come to train here was in her best interest.

It had taken some serious arguments from Feith on Reyna's behalf to convince Rikard to allow his daughter to be sent to the camp. The pleas from the two most important women in his life must have eventually weakened his resolve, for the King finally conceded. Still, Reyna set off to the war camp far later than most warrior younglings were shipped off for training. And, of course, the King wouldn't subject her to the mercy of just any camp's leaders like the other children either- in this he stationed Thessan at the same camp indefinitely.

That his General and his daughter happened to reside at the camp was insisted to be merely a coincidence, but Reyna knew better. She knew how honorable and devoted Thessan was to her father and their Kingdom. She'd never have a true ally in him, not when he was no more than a glorified babysitter.

So the King and Queen continued to visit their daughter as the years went on. Reyna knew if Rikard had his way he would have found an excuse for permanent residence within the camp, and thanked her mother often for assisting in diverting him from doing so.

And even though the King used such visits to tend to matters that required his attention while he was present, he made time to watch Reyna as she trained.

She made a point of getting into the sparring ring every morning at dawn, and every evening at dusk. Thessan usually joined her, but she remained uncertain if it was because the General wanted to keep a closer eye on her per his King's instructions, or because they both knew she had kicked the ass of every other warrior within her age group without remorse.

She smiled at the thought as she continued to face off against the General. She was good. She was damned good. And she would do everything within her power to show her parents- her father- that their decision to allow her to train at the camps was not only in Reyna's best interest, but for the best for the Northern Kingdom as a whole.

She was the Heir after all.

And today was no exception.

The King and the Queen arrived the night before, and rather unexpectedly. When questioned, Rikard told her it was a simple visit to the camp to make sure its Lords were handling the new recruits as well as they should be. Reyna knew, though he would never admit it, that they truly were checking in on her. Again. Especially with the Trial so soon and her obvious desire to attend.

Too many times her father denied discussing the conversation. But she knew. And it was that thought alone that put an additional spring in her footing as she raised her blade and again lunged towards Thessan.

The cold air at this altitude only made Reyna colder as the sweat clung to her back, making the crisp wind swirling around her feel like pinpricks against her skin. But she was accustomed to chill in the air by now, and welcomed it as she continued to move.

Even when Thessan blocked her blade with his own, the sweat shining on her forehead plastering her dark hair to her skin, she didn't care. Reyna was an entity all her own, and she was going to prove to her parents that allowing her to come to this camp, after all this time, was more than worth it.

Normally their sparring matches were silent engagements- long ago Thessan tried to correct her stance or criticize her approach. In response she increased her efforts and only became more aggressive towards anyone else who dared challenge her. For the sake of the other warrior trainees in the camp, Thessan was advised not to provoke her, a consideration that amused her more than insulted her.

But whether it was because of her parents' presence, or knowing what was at stake with the Trial on the horizon, Thessan became far more communicative than he'd been in some time. Even out of the sparring ring.

It was frustrating. And distracting. And Reyna wanted nothing more to shut him up.

But another deflected advance had him chuckling heartily, easily side-stepping her next lunge. She dove towards him after another rotation around the sparring ring, locking swords and gritting her teeth.

"No need to show off just because your parents are watching you, princess," he murmured from where he stood so close, just loud enough for her to hear, his breath warm against her pointed ear.

"What was that?" she hissed, but instead of answering he pushed her off and backed away, standing with his blade slack at his side as he smirked at her.

Reyna stumbled from where she stood, but not because Thessan had blocked her attack. They had been blocked and attacking all afternoon- she would have been insulted if he hadn't blocked the easy lunge she just shot at him.

No- it's at what he said, at what he called her, that made her stagger.

Her chest heaved as her rage coursed through her. Growing up, she knew exactly who she was, and what was expected of her. One doesn't grow up as the daughter of the King and Queen of the Northern Kingdom without realizing there would be more expected of you.

But Reyna never let it dictate who she was. Female or no, she was just as good as any other fae King's Heir in any of the other Kingdoms, and definitely better than most of the males in the camp she currently called home.

She would never allow the battle she fought to train there to ever have happened in vain.

She would always remember the conversations her parents had behind closed doors, late at night when they thought she was asleep, about her going off to train.

She would always remember seeing her father's tattoos growing up, laced around his sword arm- the sign of the Trial. Knowing that his strong, warrior hands could carry so much blood yet still hold her so gently.

She wanted that. For him. For herself.

And she would show them all she could be just as good- if not better- than anyone else who passed through those camps.

She would be a warrior, female or not, even the arrogant prick of a General in front of her was not going to keep that from her.

And he dared attempt to call her out in front of her parents.

The rage within Reyna grew to pure fury, and she again readied herself into an offensive stance as her grey eyes focused on him. Thessan had allowed himself to grow smug at Reyna's initial reaction, and in that smugness, she knew he let his guard down.

She dashed, not at him, but towards his side, sliding through the mud beyond him at break-neck speed. As she passed the unsuspecting General, she swung the flat of her blade against the backs of his knees, the force of the blow knocking him off-balance as she sprung to her feet. Just as smoothly she swung her leg around to the side of his head with a kick, sending him sprawling to the ground.

An impenetrable silence fell over the sparring ring.

Only when he was flat on his back, blinking at the sky in surprise, did it appear the General finally realized the error of his ways.

Reyna stood over him as she brought the tip of her blade to his chin, the sword piercing the skin there just enough to maintain his attention. She looked down at him with wide eyes, her chest heaving with adrenaline. A trickle of blood welled up where the point her blade met his skin, but Thessan had the sense to remain where he lay, the surprise clearly written across his face.

"Do not ever call me Princess," she growled through clenched teeth.

For a moment, she realized all it would take would be one graceful slice to spill his life's blood onto the mud.

She knew he realized it, too.

Reyna hesitated, only for a moment, before remembering her place. The haze of vengeance cleared as her pride took control- who she was and who was watching rushing over her in a harsh wave of reality.

Instead, she channeled her anger by taking the blade between her hands and tossing it across the training ring. She turned on her heel and stormed halfway towards her cabin before the sword landed in the dirt, giving neither it, the General nor her parents another look back.