"Sir Percy, the sun is setting, and the nights are cold here. I brought you this winter coat." Princess Elencia said as she handed a fine fur coat to the silent ninja.
"Thank you, but the cold doesn't bother me. In fact, I hardly notice it." Percy replied in a flat voice.
"Did you grow up somewhere cold?"
"You could say that. I grew up homeless on the streets. You learn to endure the bitter cold and the scorching heat."
"Yes, I heard that you and the other Scavengers guild members are all orphans. I'm terribly sorry to hear that." The Princess said with sincerity.
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you on your way here. You should consider getting better guards." Percy said flatly.
"How dare you speak that way about my men! They were good men and excellent soldiers. They were killed in cold blood by cowardly assassins." Elencia replied angerly. As a princess, she was trained to control her emotions…but somehow this man really irritated her.
"Soldiers do not make good guards…and assassins are not cowardly. They are true predators. They patiently stock their prey from a distance taking in everything. The way their prey breathes, the rhythm of their heart, the rising and falling of their chest, the loose strand of beautiful sky- blue hair, the gentle sound of their laugh, the shifting of weight during battle, all of it." Percy said almost as a whisper.
The two remained standing inches apart, silently gazing into the other's eyes.
'Oh brother…is this a battlefield or a school party? All these kids falling in love.' Kay said to himself.
"My point is that you need to take better care of yourself. Starting tomorrow morning, I will train you on how to defend against potential assassins. We can't have the princess defenseless." Percy said.
"Who are you calling defenseless! I came here as a gesture of good faith with this fine fur coat only to be insulted by you!" The princess said angerly…this man really did get under her skin.
"It's a date then. See you tomorrow morning." Percy teased.
For some unknown reason he really enjoyed teasing the princess. Maybe it was the way her heart fluttered when he got close to her, maybe it was the way her beautiful small nose wrinkled right before she got mad…or maybe it was the way her face glowed when something amused her.
'I must be catching a cold or something.' Percy thought as he tried to clear his mind.
[…]
Early the next morning, the quiet village was disturbed by the loud clanging sounds of metal bashing against metal.
"Not bad, you have good reflexes and rhythm. I think we are warmed up enough. Time for the real lesson." Percy said as he smiled at the princess.
"I've had training by the Master of Arms since I was five…I hardly think an assassin can teach me much." Elencia said scornfully.
"A test then…see if you can block this. Wait, I forgot something. Here, put this around your eyes." Percy said as he handed her a blindfold.
"What? Do you really expect me to fight with this on?" The princess said in protest.
"Assassins do not fight fair; they do not wait until the sun is high and the day is bright. They strike when you are the most vulnerable, when you are alone, or in the dark." Percy said as he wrapped the blindfold around the princesses' beautiful blue eyes.
Percy grabbed a stick and easily wacked the princess on the arm, shoulder and leg. She desperately tried to block but clumsily flayed around unable to tell where the attacks were coming from.
"Your problem is your eyes…you believe what you see…instead of what is truly there. Sight and perception are two different things. Hold your hand out. Now feel my hand against yours. Feel its warmth, the texture…dig deeper…feel the blood moving through the veins…feel the heartbeat…feel deeper still…feel the intent."
The princess nodded. She felt his warmth, his blood coursing through his hands, his heart steady and strong…and she felt perhaps something more.
Still holding her hand, Percy swung the stick at the princess's leg. She quickly parried the strike in good form.
"Good. Very good, with some practice you can train all your sense to perceive."