Earning the Love of a Princess-Chapter 62: Know Your Opponent
19 February, 1359. Westerhaven Palace, Islia
The day dawned cold but clear. That morning, Camilla sat by the fireplace in her presence chamber, a half finished tapestry spread across her lap. She rubbed her eyes, trying to mask her irritation. After several days of dreary fog and rain keeping everyone inside, she was feeling bored and restless. There were only so many tapestries she could help stitch or so many times she could listen to the same gossip in the queen’s apartments.
As if sensing her mood, Meg stretched and asked, "Shall we go for a walk outside?"
"Who would ever want to go out there? It will be freezing!" Katerine looked up briefly from her embroidery.
"Who cares about the cold? We have plenty of furs for that!" Meg was starting to sound as restless as Camilla felt. "I’m tired of being cooped up inside! This has been the rainiest winter I can remember."
Meg shot the princess a pleading look. "Just a short walk at least, my lady?"
Camilla nodded and stood up. She pulled out a lush sable wrap for herself and another one for Meg.
"Aren’t you worried about getting chilled, my lady?" asked the ever cautious Elizabeth.
Camilla laughed. "Don’t worry about that, Bess. Winters in Arlington are far colder than this. We won’t be long and hopefully I’ll return in a better mood."
- - -
Camilla and Meg walked arm in arm through the eastern gardens, which looked ragged and waterlogged after the recent storms. Apart from the gardeners hard at work, the grounds were virtually deserted.
Meg grumbled and talked about the previous winter, which had been full of hunts and outdoor activities due to the mild weather. "Even Queen Celia was able to ice skate then. This depressing weather is dampening everyone’s spirits."
Meg paused talking and after looking around, the two ladies realised they had walked a long way and unwittingly ended up at the edge of the training grounds.
Camilla turned to head back towards the palace when the air was filled with the din of clashing weapons, followed by the boisterous cheers of men.
Meg immediately turned in the direction of the noise, eyes bright with curiosity. "Let’s have a look, my lady."
"They probably won’t appreciate being interrupted, Meg."
"Who said anything about interrupting? We can just quietly watch from the sidelines, even for a few minutes. If I have to go back inside now, I swear I will stab myself with one of Bess’s tapestry needles."
With a laugh, Camilla allowed Meg to steer her in the direction of the noise. As they turned a corner around a storage pavilion, they encountered a small crowd.
The were a dozen or so knights in only their training shirts and leather trousers, despite the brisk wind. They were all watching two men in the middle of a sword fight. King Edward, wrapped in rich furs and seated in an upholstered chair, also watched the two fighters with keen interest. Though it was only a training match, it was being fought with brutal intensity.
Camilla realised one of the sword wielding men was William. His hair was tousled and he was soaked with sweat, his white linen shirt almost transparent and clinging to his lithe frame. She watched in quiet admiration as he swung and parried with practiced grace. She felt her face grow hot.
"Oh, isn’t His Highness just the most beautiful creature? It’s truly unfair to all the other knights." Meg whispered suggestively.
Camilla shushed her, not wanting to interrupt the sword fight.
"I’ve heard that men who are good fighters are often good lovers as well!" Meg continued undeterred, elbowing Camilla in the ribs.
"Oh my lord. What is wrong with you?" Camilla hissed.
Despite her efforts to keep her friend quiet, a peal of cheeky laughter escaped from Meg when she saw Camilla’s blushing face. The laughter drew the attention of both fighters, followed by the audience.
William’s blow knocked his opponent’s sword from his hand. The weapon clattered and slid along the ground, coming to a stop not far from the two ladies.
Meg shrieked and jumped back a little, startled by the clashing sound of the steel as it tumbled towards her. Camilla stood still for a moment and then approached the sword. She picked it up, examining the dulled blade and testing its weight in her hands.
"Here, give it back." William approached her with his hand outstretched. Camilla hesitated, enjoying the rush of excitement from holding the sword. She fixed him with a steady look.
"Why such a hurry? Are you worried I’ll injure you, my lord?" The men in the crowd who heard, whistled at the princess’s impertinence.
The prince gave a dark chuckle. "No, I’m worried you’ll injure yourself. Practice swords can still cut through flesh and I don’t have time to give you the proper instruction." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"I see." Camilla was still for a moment, thinking. The next moment, her wrist gave a small, practiced movement. The sword tip lightly flicked William’s shirt sleeve, cutting the tie that allowed the sleeve to remain rolled up.
His hand immediately went to his sleeve, touching to check that the skin beneath was unbroken. He gave her an incredulous look.
Camilla’s face reminded placid. "I can assure you I’ve had the proper instruction, Your Grace, since I was old enough to hold a sword."
The training ground had turned completely silent and even the king was staring wide eyed at the slender young woman calmly holding the weapon.
William swung his sword down at her with less force than he’d typically use on a training opponent, testing her. She reacted and blocked him with ease. He swung at her a second time, faster. Again she blocked him.
"Wait!" She called out, pausing to carefully pull off each of her tall shoes. She faced him barefoot and grinned. "It wouldn’t be fair to defeat you while wearing high heels."
The surrounding crowd howled at her bravado.
William stared at her with narrowed eyes as a rush of fiercely competitive energy ran through him. He began to attack in earnest and the ring of clashing steel filled the air again.
Camilla knew the prince would eventually defeat her. He had the advantage of greater height and strength, as well as the stamina earned on the battlefield. But she knew she could hold her own at least for a while. She moved deftly to dodge a blow but the tip of William’s sword caught the shoulder of her dress, slicing the fabric slightly.
"First blood, Your Highness." he grinned.
She nodded to acknowledge the contact, then the battle resumed. After a few more strikes, Camilla managed to slice the edge of his shirt, near his ribs. "It looks like I’ve evened the score, my lord."
Their eyes locked and he stared at her with an urge to dominate, not just in a sword fight but in every sense of the word. This girl made him feel like he was burning up with fever. He swung his sword again and increased his efforts.
Soon, the sound of tearing fabric was heard again. The sleeve that William had damaged slightly at the start of the fight was now almost torn clean, completely exposing one of her dainty shoulders. He gave a low growl at the sight and all thoughts of sword fighting left his mind. There was another battle he was far more interested in now. An image flashed in his mind of tasting her creamy skin and hearing her beg for mercy as he sucked on her bare flesh.
He had to have her.
"Alright, that’s enough! The battle has ended!" called out King Edward, laughing. "If I know you, lad, you won’t stop until the poor maiden’s gown has been shredded to ribbons at her feet." He summoned the princess to his side.
Blushing, Camilla handed the training sword to William and approached the king. Awkwardly pulling up her torn sleeve over her shoulder, she bowed. Had she been too brazen? If the women of Islia weren’t taught to read, then they probably weren’t taught how to handle a weapon either.
King Edward gave her a long, appraising look. "You’re a dark horse indeed, Princess. Where did you learn to wield a sword?"
"I learned alongside my brothers, Sire. My mother wasn’t too fond of the idea. But Father convinced her it would be good if I knew how to defend myself, if the need ever arose."
The king slowly smiled. "Well, I admit I’ve never seen sword fighting look so graceful." Pausing, he added, "Join me for my midday meal, Princess. You can tell me all about this childhood training of yours."
Camilla bowed again to convey her thanks. "If you please, Your Majesty, I’d like to change my gown before then."
The king gave a burst of genuine laughter. "You’re a fascinating creature, my girl. I only pity the man who takes you as his wife! The poor bastard will have to sleep with one eye open."
