Chapter 25 A Deadly Duel

• The first few days of training were like stepping into a dream—and a nightmare. The palace teachers, with their strict postures and watchful eyes, observed my every move, correcting even the slightest misstep. They drilled me in all the finer points of royal etiquette: how to stand, how to hold a teacup, how to speak with an air of calm authority. Every gesture, every word, had to be perfectly measured. I fumbled at first, feeling clumsy and out of place. But as the hours wore on, something strange began to happen. Movements I thought would feel foreign instead came naturally, almost instinctively, as if some hidden part of me had always known how to move with elegance and grace.
• A few times, I heard whispers as the teachers glanced at each other, nodding with satisfaction. “She’s a natural,” one of them said quietly, as if marveling at something unexpected. A warmth bloomed in my chest—pride, maybe. For once, I didn’t feel like an outsider struggling to keep up. I felt… like I belonged.
• But just as I was starting to settle into the rhythm of my lessons, they changed direction. “It’s time for combat training,” one of the instructors said, his tone as steady as ever. “As a princess, and a mate to the princes, you’ll need to know how to defend yourself.”