Chapter 7

• It’s already nightfall and the training is over. Leona learned a new set of things. She knows how to use her small proportion at her advantage and not feel bad for it. 
• She goes back to her room and starts removing her clothes. She realizes that all day she didn’t feel any pain from the bandages.
• ‘They are good!’.
• Xialing enters the room with fresh robes. She moves next to her, analyzing her body. 
• “Your body will soon start to show” she is concerned.
• “Common it’s all fine!” she tries to ignore it.
• Xialing silently changes her in her new robes. 
• “Do you want to eat something?” she comments. Leona nods.
• She is sitting on the window, looking at the view. 
• ‘They gave me a good room’. 
• She is looking at the royal garden. She sees a figure walking by; it’s prince Ren. 
• Somehow he realises that someone is watching and turns around. Leona hides so he won’t see her. She feels kind fond of him. 
• Xialing comes with some food and Leona dives in. 
• “Don’t eat too fast!” she is acting like a mother. Leona laughs and continues slower. 
• She is about to go to bed but she wants to see if Ren is still there. She tries to take a peek but what her eyes see, she doesn’t like. 
• It’s Khan waiting there. She feels her blood becoming cold inside her veins. She has this feeling he has been waiting for her to look. 
• A sharp pain hits her on the lower part of her stomach.
• ‘Xialing was right I shouldn’t eat so fast’.
• She jumps in bed and tries to fall asleep even though she is creeped out.
• The next morning came and Xialing is trying to wake her up. Leona doesn’t feel so good though.
• “I can’t, I feel like I’m gonna throw up”. 
• “Are you sick?” and she touches her forehead to check.
• “You don’t seem to have a fever but you are a bit hot”. 
• “My stomach hurts a lot” she says whining. 
• “Look, I have to go to the market to buy some stuff and run some errands. I’ll come late in the evening. I’ll bring something for the pain, okay? You don’t have a full schedule so just, hold on. Don’t let anyone examine you”.
• Leona nods and Xialing leaves the room. She tries to move and ends up rolling off the bed. She meets the cold floor and it makes her feel relief. She stands up and started dressing up. She realizes that her robes are all dirty.
• ‘What is that?’, she thinks in shock as she sees blood coming from her lower parts. 
• She panics but she knows she can’t go out of the room looking like this. Instead, she goes in her bathroom and removes her clothes completely. Xialing had prepared the hot water from before.
• She sees the blood coming from her thighs and she is scared. She tries to wipe it off and then slowly moves in the big bathtub. The water relaxes her and it seems to be taking away most of the pain. 
• After awhile she moves out and starts dressing up. She looks at her lower parts and doesn’t see any blood coming. She grabs a piece of cloth and puts it on her panties as she wears it. She then proceeds with the bandages and clothes for training. The bandages hurt her swollen breasts but she has no other option. 
• She fixes her makeup and hair to a ponytail. 
• She moves out of the palace and finds the trainees on the yard. 
• “Look who graced us with his appearance” Val teases her once more. 
• Leona feels quite pissed this time though. She moves up to his face saying, 
• “What’s your problem, huh?!” it feels like she is gonna punch him hard. He gets caught by surprise from her reaction.
• “My problem? Nothing. Just, go away freak”. 
• “What?!” she is furious. She usually takes the jokes and mockery and does nothing but this time she feels like she is boiling inside.
• “What are you gonna do? Hit me?” he challenges her.
• She jumps on him, throwing him to the ground. She starts punching him and he fights back. He throws her far away and kicks her in the gut. 
• Her eyes pop out as she furls from the pain. It feels much worse of how normally it would go. Everyone is shocked seeing blood coming from her thighs down. 
• “Val made Leon bleed!” a boy shouts. Two rush next to her and help her up. The Grandmaster appears and is shocked by the view.
• “What just happened!” he screams.
• “I didn’t mean to!” Val regrets it. 
• Prince Ren comes in seeing what happened. 
• “He attacked first!” Val tries to defend himself.
• “You mocked him though” said a silent boy named Josh.
• Val clenches his teeth but stays mute. 
• “You aren’t here to go against each other! You won’t make it far this way!” Ren sounds furious.  
• “You should go take care of your wound” the Grandmaster urges her. She nods and removes herself quickly. She acts like she is going to the infirmary but she actually goes to her room.
• She sees a pull of blood as she removes her clothes. She is afraid and scared, crying. She cleans herself and she notices no more blood is coming out. 
• ‘Am I being punished because I’m a woman?’. 
• The pain doesn’t seem to stop but she knows she will have to go to train. She doesn’t want people to think she is weak.
• A knock of the door surprises her. 
• “Leon, are you alright?” she hears a gentle voice.
• “Yes?” she says hesitantly. 
• “It’s me Ren, please open up”. 
• She almost falls down at this statement. She wears her pants promptly and opens the door. 
• “Prince” she says and bows. 
• “Please, no formalities. Call me Ren” she blushes at this. 
• “Alright, Ren”. 
• “Didn’t you go to the infirmary?” he says in a strict tone. 
• “I’m fine!” she tries to make it not a big deal. 
• “You should take care of yourself more. Are you sure you are fine?” he sounds concerned.
• “Yes, I promise. It’s nothing, really. I’m ready to come out!” she sounds reassuring. 
• Both of them do so and Leona moves to the yard once more. Val tries to say he is sorry, but he backs out. 
• The good thing is that the training today consisted only of teaching. 
• She learned the history of the first Emperor of the Sun Dynasty, Emperor Aarav, and his first encounter with the Dragon, Zephyr. This is the story of how they met and the bond between the Sun and the Dragons begun.
• “One day a man found a dragon in chains. The man didn’t approve of this and he wanted to free the dragon. The man wasn’t rich neither had any weapon on him, but he was determined to help him. One day the man fought and single-handed took down the army that was holding the dragon. He broke the chains of the dragon. For helping him, the dragon made a vow; to protect the man and his descendants and that no dragon’s fire will ever burn them. Then the dragon transformed to a human and dedicated his life in helping the man bring the nations together”. 
• It’s already nightfall, and Leona barely made it to her room. The pain is less now, but she doesn’t know how to deal with it. 
• Her door opens and Xialing appears. Leona jumps on her, hugging her tight. She looks like a little girl that is crying.
• “What happened? Did they find out?!” she is worried.
• “No.. I don’t know what’s happening to me.. I.. I’m bleeding from..” she stops there, not wanting to say more being afraid someone can hear.
• Xialing remains silent and has Leona strip. She gives her a smile and prepares a hot bath for her. She holds her hand and helps her inside so she can relax. She puts some granules that smell beautiful and relax her muscles. 
• “Are you better now?” she sounds so calm. Leona nods. 
• “What is wrong with me? Am I being punished?”. 
• “Oh no, no. What is happening to you is completely normal… for a girl. You shouldn’t worry about it. It means you are now, officially, a woman”.