I moved on trying to find Ahkmad. Adam is trying to hard to be nice to me. And Mr.fredrick along with Shahadi's father I'm curious about this device. Why use my courtship as grounds to trade a device they could have traded any other time? Does my father know about this? I feel he won't take to kind of me being mixed in affairs such as these.
Before I knew it I was walking around the entire temple looking for Ahkmad and he was no where to be found. Great. I was trying to think of what to do next, me overhearing that talk in the throne room threw me off.
"Oh, Princess Aza." I looked up to see Ombte.
Somehow I felt a little relief he was here. Nothing connected to the many thoughts. I gave a little bow.
"Prince Ombte, didn't think I'd see you around here. " He made a soft face.
"Really, I think it's rather surprising to see you around here." I straighten up and looked around.
When I finally paid attention I was near the training grounds. I definitely have traveled far. I couldn't help but let a chuckle leave my lips.
"Right." I said rubbing the back of my head.
I was about to turn and leave before he stopped me.
"You should stay, and watch." He said it as if it was hard to say.
"Watch you train?" I asked.
"Well, actually it's not just me, even Ahkmad is here."
Ah, so that's why I couldn't find him. I turned.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt."
"I mean, If you have other duties to attend to I wouldn't want to-"
"No, of course not I would love to watch you." I said without even thinking it through.
"Love?" He said in an awkward way.
"Well." That was all I managed to say.
How did I end up in this awkward situation?
"Princess Aza?" I heard him.
"Yes." I looked up nervous and eagerly.
"The training." I did a little laugh and followed him.
I have been feeling drained from all these emotions and thoughts. I want to give the other guys fair chances but how can that be if me and Ratuk have already made an advance physically, I refuse to be looked at like Siren. My parents would die of shock. When we walked through the bare grounds together, there were already men neck and neck with wooden swords in their hands. Shahadi seemed scared to hold a weapon. That guy is really peculiar, not the normal man I am used to. Ratuk and Ahkmad were sparring each other. They were laughing. Was this what practice was like? Even Adam somehow was also joined in here, he had a strange stance. He stood elegant as he kept one hand behind his back and his only movements were forward and backward, such an interesting style of fighting. Ombte nodded and joined the rest of the men. I stood there feeling out of place. Ahkmad did trying all the time. My father even sparred with him. He was quick, almost as swift and quiet as an assassin. Once Ahkmad snuck out of the temple to see life beyond our life and fought a thief who had no idea he already lost the battle before he knew who he was fighting. There was talk of a ghost for days because no one got to see his face. The only reason I know about it is because I too snuck out of bed, but it was because I heard a crying bird in the garden, we said we wouldn't ever mention to anyone that we were up after lights out.
"Aza! What are you doing here?" Ahkmad said approaching me.
I looked passed him and towards Ratuk who was looking down. I wonder why. Was he avoiding me now? I somehow felt an impending doom feeling. Maybe it's for the best to act as if nothing happened for my sake.
"Well Ombte invited me to watch, how could I refuse." I said in an awkward tone.
I heard a harsh scoff from Ratuk. I just pretended that it was a lost match sound.
"Well don't stay too long, things get pretty brutal." He said.
"Ratuk! Again!" My brother roused.
"Actually, Ombte I'm quite interested in how quick you twist your feet in battle, almost as if it is a dance, please show me." I heard a tone from Ratuk that almost sounded demanding.
"If you wish. I don't mind improving anyone's footwork." Ombte said in a smart tone.
"Improving? Ha." Ratuk responded.
For the first few seconds they circled and stared at each other as if they were waiting and watching the movements, the breaths taken and even the focus. Shortly after they clashed into action. My heart started to thump. I felt a little worried if something bad would happen. Their battle seemed more intense than what they did with others, as if there was a harbor for an ulterior motive for their fight. Ahkmad seemed excited. There was always the light and brightness in his eyes, I sometimes can't believe it's real. Everyone circled them. As Ombte did slight foot work, he seemed to fly towards Ratuk's blade which caused Ratuk to pull back, Not paying attention, Ratuk foot got caught in between Ombte and he swiped him to the ground. As Ratuk turned and dashed to grab his weapon that had fell, Ombte followed attempting to land one last blow. Without Thought I dashed pass Ahkmad and grabbed a wooden sword off the ground and jumped in between to the two. As I laid out the wooden sword in front of me, Ombte landed his sword but with held back force.
"Princess Aza?" He asked confused.
"Aza!" Ahkmad screamed.
Ahkmad walked fastly to me.
"Have you com=" Ahkmad started.
"Aza?" I heard Ratuk.
I turned to him.
" I did not take you for someone to be incompetent, I mean truly, throwing yourself into a training battle is far from your duties as wife. Are you trying to be married to no one?" The words stung me as the first step into winter.
I couldn't help but to stay in that one place and shake, from discomfort, even from anger. It was as if everything that was worked up between us up to this point meant nothing. As if he was a different person. I felt like a fool, the talk of love, the deceiving touch we shared. How dare he. I threw the wooden sword to his side.
"How could…." I couldn't bring myself to continue.
I turned away and walked away.
"Princess Aza! Wait!" I heard Ombte call out.
At this point, I was too embarrassed to even talk to him. How could I be humiliated like that in front of a guest. I don't care if we did play together as kids. I was stopped by a hand. I turned to see Ombte. He seemed to be nervous, that look of yearning on his face.
"I didn't mean to grab you." He said pulling his hand back. "It's just, ignore him, he was just bitter that he lost the battle."
"Maybe he's right, Would any man want to marry a woman who doesn't know her place?" I started to walk again.
"Aza." I heard him say my name without a title for the first time.
I turned and our eyes met.
"What you did, didn't make you less of a good wife, even a mother must learn to protect her children."
What he said had truth in it. My eyes started to tear up. I couldn't I didn't want to drop a tear. How would it looked if I cried now. I couldn't tell him that my pain came from a deeper place than what happened on that training ground.
"You sound like you're not ready to give up on me yet." I said.
" It was never the plan." He said never breaking eye contact.
There was something special about Ombte.