Page 21 of Swords and Curses

"Fine! But I will only stay two days. I'm not going to suck up to a bunch of under lords to get them to fall in line," Saul said stubbornly.

"Then don't," Eldon replied. "You are their prince. You don't bargain or negotiate with them. Remind them of who they owe allegiance to, and they will rally."

"Excellent advice from the Kingmaker," Eli said with a touch of mockery.

Eldon rolled his eyes. "Sorry for trying to protect my country when it needed it. We can't all hide in Gwaed Lyn and let the world go to hell around us."

"You should've come home and let the humans deal with it. We are observers of Time, Merlin. We don't interfere."

"What lies! I'm half-human, and I will interfere however I choose," Eldon said coolly. "I couldn't return to Gwaed Lyn."

"Wait, are we talking about Arthur?" Rosa asked, struggling to keep her excitement in check.

"No, we are not," Eldon said with scathing finality. "Finish your breakfast, Rosa. Eli will need to start you on sword work."

It wasn'tthe first time Rosa had held a blunt practice sword, and she was mentally prepared to get pummeled. During her time at university, she had dated the head of the Oxford fencingteam, and his idea of spending time together was teaching her how to fence.

Young and eager to please the most handsome chap in school, she had obliged him, completely unaware that he was pining for his vice-captain and practice was a way of seeing him.

That small amount of experience didn't help the sheer terror that coursed through her when she stepped into the training room to find Eli, shirtless and in full Unseelie form, holding a sword that was almost as long as she was high. Her Eli was gone, and only Prince Bleddyn remained. In that form, she could never think of him as Eli. His eyes never held such a cold emerald ferocity when he was glamoured.

"Is there a reason why you're trying to scare the snot out of me?" Rosa asked, gripping the blunt practice sword.

"The Seelie will not do you the courtesy of looking human," Bleddyn replied. "They use their beauty like another weapon. If anything, they will use glamours to make themselvesmorebeautiful. Now, come at me, Rosa." He smiled, teeth sharpening.

Fighting the urge to wet herself, Rosa summoned the culmination of all her fencing experience and put her new strength behind it.

If she thought Saul had been hard on her the day before, nothing compared to the rigorous training Bleddyn pushed her through. In his true form, it was hard to see the man who had read her fairytales as a child. He was carved from midnight and fury as he taught her to use her new Gwaed Teulu strengths and find balance using both her physical body and magic.

"You're still the slave driver, I see," Eldon said, coming in to watch.

"Harsh but fair," Bleddyn said coolly. "Rosa is a quick student, but she does not have the luxury of time to learn new abilities. I couldn't let you train her. You don't look like you've used a sword in years." Eldon bristled as Bleddyn rested hisblade casually on his bare shoulder. "Do you even remember your lessons or did you choose to magic those away as well." It was such a blatant provocation that Rosa was shocked when Eldon started stripping down to his jeans.

"Sword, Rhosyn," he said, and Rosa handed it to him, stepping quickly out of his way.

There were few things Rosa could imagine more exquisite or terrifying than two alpha fae ready to duel. Both seemed to hum with pent-up energy and power.

Rosa knew their practice swords had no edge, but it didn't stop her from flinching every time steel met steel. They moved around each other with a deadly and terrifying grace. There was static in the air like a lightning storm ready to break as they clashed over and over, using magic as well as steel as they dueled.

"What's going on?" Balthasar appeared beside her. "My magic is ringing inside of me."

"Just the usual show of two alpha princes in the house," Rosa joked lamely, cringing as the flat of Eldon's blade struck Bleddyn in the side, causing him to stumble. If he'd been human, it would have shattered his ribs.

"It's good to see you didn't forgeteverything," Bleddyn jabbed. "Did you learn not to go onto a battlefield naked after that almost fatal occasion with your manhood?"

"That happened one time and only because he was jealous," Eldon retorted, and Rosa turned red with laughter. "My opponent was a Roman, and you know how touchy Italian men are when it comes to size." He grinned at Balthasar, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"We Florentines don't have those kinds of insecurities." Balthasar smiled pleasantly, his teeth lengthening. "But if it's a fight you want, I'd be happy to give you one."

"Come on, Leiddiad, winner gets to kiss Rosa." Eldon winked at her. "With tongue."

"You are cousins." Balthasar glared at him, removing his jacket and shirt and kicking off his shoes and socks.

"Barely a drop of blood between us. Even less between her and the Unseelie king over here."

"I don't think I'm going to survive the amount of testosterone in this room," Rosa said as Balthasar handed her his clothes.

"Then sit back and enjoy the show." Balthasar kissed her quickly before joining the other two on the mat.

---