"Breathe in and twirl. Bend left, right leg at ninety degrees, left foot straight alongside the left hand. Jump up and bow..."
She remembers it as if it were yesterday. Breathing in deep, she positions herself in a dancing stance. If he wasn't going to play fair, neither was she.
"Stand up straight and twirl stifly then mimick the wings of a hawk. Lean backward, come back up, stretch the left leg and draw back, left leg and draw back..."
Marcentile charges forward again now with a sickle shaped dagger and tries to claw into her back. She steps out of the way causing him to tumble.
He could not believe it. He was being defeated by a girl! This makes him furious and he turns to face her who has now assumed a battle stance.
***
May stops running and clutches her knees panting. Edgar not wanting to leave her behind, skims the area with his eyes.
"Looking for me?" Says Ariana accompanied by two soldiers.
He draws his swords and charges for a fight to protect his mother. When he is just about to strike the soldier's heart, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Says Ariana.
He looks at her, holding a dagger to her throat. He withdraws and sheaths his sword.
"Good boy. Now, follow me." She says.
***
Marcentile was now wearing a smile as he stared at the angry gash that tatooed her face. "Get up! You requested this fight. Now, let us finish this." He says.
"If you treat the sword gently, it will become heavy. If you treat it with force and will power, it will become your friend. Be one with your blade."
Lightly touching the wound, she wipes her finger with his sword and switches them on opposite hands.
She stands her grounds as he lunges forward, giving a loud war cry. When he reaches her, she sidesteps him, twirls and knocks him on the head with the hilt of her sword.
He stumbles forward and turns trying to retaliate but his efforts fail. She hits him again and he falls to the ground.
***
"Come now. Hurry! I don't want us to miss the last of this battle." Says Ariana as she returns them to where Mia had been fighting Mercantile.
They appear to a scene of two people holding each other down by their necks.
Mia now fully aware of their presence tries not to think about the prince. She wriggles free of his hold and fights him once again with the two blades.
With every blow she strikes, she notices that she forces him to move backward. She then gains strength to keep pushing him backward.
Meanwhile..
The ladies after managing to finish off the last of the soldiers rush in to find the last of the duel.
"You should learn that you can never win over the best swordsman in England." Says Marcentile as he shoves two daggers into her lower abdomen.
"And you should learn never to assume that you are better than your enemy." Replies Mia as she steps forward, forcing the daggers in deeper and stickimg the two blades into his chest and the wall behind him.
He slumps to the ground, dragging the swords with him as he chokes on his own blood, defeated.
Realising her body's weakness, she also falls to the ground as she clutches her abdomen.
Edgar rushes to her side frantic. "Hang on." He says as he pulls the daggers out of her. She groans in pain and breathes heavily as he holds her head and gently strokes back her hair. "Stay with me little mouse." He says cradling her in his arms.