Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
“Hmm,” I hummed, thinking this was not the course he should take to win his little sister.
Or at least not this little sister.
“I can’t let everyone else take all the risks,” Silence declared.
“You very well can,” Jorie rejoined.
I could sense that Silence was beginning to become heated with the tone of her, “I will do what I must.”
“You will keep yourself safe,” Jorie returned.
“You do not have charge of me, Jorie!” she snapped, with that, sounding just like a little sister. I knew this for, in growing up, I must have said this to Mars five hundred times when he was being overbearing. “Thus, I will do what I please!”
“Fine.”
Silence stared up at him in surprise at his capitulation.
However, he was not finished speaking.
“I will speak to your husband and cousin about this.”
Silence slowly turned her head toward Ha-Lah and me.
Her cheeks were very pink.
I tried very hard not to laugh.
A stifled noise coming from Ha-Lah beside me shared she was doing the same.
“Let us move on to how you use a charging warrior against himself,” Serena called into this verbal tussle, thankfully.
Then, for the next ten minutes, Serena sent Chu flying half a dozen times in half a dozen ways as he charged her. Though I noted immediately, she tended to send him careening over her back by ducking a shoulder into his approach and letting his momentum do the rest of the work.
Using a charging warrior against himself, indeed.
Each time this happened, Serena offered Chu a hand to pull him to his feet and they exchanged a look that made my skin heat.
Ha-Lah was clearly of the same mind, for she whispered to me, “I wonder what sex is like between those two.”
“I shan’t wonder, for my husband is on an island in the harbor and not close to me,” I replied.
We both giggled as Serena called, “Farah, Ha-Lah, Silence, it is your turn.” She pivoted to Kyril and requested, “Will you help?”
“I’m not charging a queen,” Kyril declined. “Any of them.”
“I will not either.”
Serena whirled to Chu when he said these words.
“Why not?” she asked.
“This is a foolish question I will not answer,” he said.
“You charged me,” she pointed out.
He smiled a smile at her that also heated my skin before saying, “I am physical with you in numerous ways, my warrior. But I will not touch my queen, nor will I touch any of the others.”
“I’ll do it,” Elena entered the discussion before it, too, became heated. “I could use some physical activity. I’m getting tight.”
“Their majesties can throw me!” Aelia volunteered. “I’ll charge them all day!”
Ellie shot a grin at her. “Maybe a bit later, all right?”
Aelia clapped excitedly.
“Um, I do not know if I could throw Elena,” I said.
“I’ll be fine,” Elena assured. “We’ve been taught to land soft.”
I widened my eyes at Ha-Lah.
Ha-lah just laughed and entered the turf area of the courtyard, declaring, “I’ll start.”
She did well, notwithstanding having to maneuver her heavy skirts and cloak, which Serena didn’t have to do, as she wore a short tunic with long sleeves and thick leg casings.
“We need trousers,” I told Ha-Lah as we switched places when it became my turn.
“I’ve already decided I’m commissioning a wardrobe of Finnie’s breeches,” Ha-Lah replied.
I made note to do the same before I concentrated on the matter at hand.
Serena showed me the steps. How to plant my legs but not lock them. How to protect my head and neck. When to engage my arms.
Elena was only able to clash bodily with Ha-Lah twice in the charges they’d done.
Elena was able to wrap her arms around me four times.
“I don’t think I’m good at this,” I muttered.
“You will not encounter charging soldier after soldier,” Serena said, coming to stand close to us. “But if there is one, you need to keep your head about you and know what to do. Tomorrow, we will go over some of those hand-to-hand maneuvers I taught you in the Thicket. In any combat, you will likely be mounted and out of the way, using your magicks. What I am teaching you is just in case.”
I nodded.
She gave a curt nod back that was not dismissive, it was just Serena’s way of sharing she was ready to move along.
I resumed my place beside Ha-Lah and watched as Elena attacked Silence repeatedly while Jorie scowled thunderclouds at them.
We then watched Elena playfully tussling with both Dora and Aelia.
“Would all this business was over so that I could give Aramus a daughter,” Ha-Lah murmured wistfully.
“Not a son?” I asked.
“Oh, I would take a son,” she turned dancing eyes at me. “But he’s keen on daughters.”
“Are all women on land this comely and spirited?” Jorie boomed his question to Kyril and Chu, who were again standing together at the side, watching Elena with the girls.
Though, I was complimented to see that he swung his long arm out to include Serena, Ha-Lah and me.