Page 60 of The Princess's Chosen

Bryony shifted closer to Thao, almost like she was blocking him, but Thao just stood straighter and grinned.

"I'd gladly duel you."

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest, flicking my gaze between my lover and the spy. At my side, Cosmo slid his sketchbook to the floor and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. Aric was sitting up straight, his gaze on Bryony, his hand clenching on his own thigh as if he was restraining himself from calling her over. Smart man.

"What's your weapon?" Thao asked.

"Mm, I fence, but I like the look of that," Daniel said, eyeing the inukat sword.

I shook my head at Thao. He was too fucking prideful and he'd underestimate Daniel, whom we didn't really understand.

"Bryony's blade is made for her, it'll be too light for you," Thao said with a slight sneer at Daniel's large frame. I nearly sighed with relief, but then Thao continued. "You may use mine, and I'll balance accordingly with hers."

"Thao," I snapped.

Thao raised an eyebrow back at me. He'd tried to teach me inukat when I lived in Mennary, but sword-fighting had only ever been something I'd suffered through for schooling. I didn't have any skill, and I completely lacked the taste for it. Still, the lessons had been time alone with him, and I'd been happy enough to pay attention. Bryony's blade suited her quick movements and stayed flexible for her, but it would lack the strength to match Thao's own style and technique. Thao would be giving Daniel a clear advantage in the weapon.

Bryony exchanged a silent conversation with Thao before passing over her inukat sword, ignoring Daniel's approach as she moved quickly to us on the side of the room. She slid onto Aric's lap, but her hand found mine, squeezing tightly. I wasn't sure if it was meant as reassurance or mutual support, but I held on regardless.

"You've been watching us," Thao said, holding out his own blade to Daniel who rolled his sleeves up over his elbows, revealing brawny muscled arms.

Daniel nodded, unashamed. "I know the ceremony, the stances."

"Very well. You may fight like Bryony, who refuses to follow the rules," Thao said, winking in her direction.

She growled under her breath, settling as Aric kissed her shoulder.

"He'll win," Cosmo breathed to me.

"Someone's going to end up bleeding," I whispered back.

If Daniel was terrible, it might be all right. Thao would enjoy beating him without being vicious about it, probably. But if Daniel gained any measure of ground in the duel, I was afraid Thao might channel his jealousy and anger over Bryony a little too sharply. If Daniel wassurprisinglygood… I didn't trust him or what he'd do, but I trusted Aric and Bryony, who both sat poised to strike if necessary.

"In oshka," Thao said, voice calming and turning low and soft as he settled into the deep, spread crouched pose, feet far from one another but body balanced to the back instead of front like with fencing.

Daniel mimicked him, and I frowned as he held Thao's sword in an almost familiar way. He looked comfortable with an inukat, not clumsy. Either he'd used one before, or he wasextremelygood at observation.

"Ett amink," Thao said, the start of the match.

Neither moved, which was customary, and Bryony held her breath at my side. Thao liked to wait for his opponent to move, as patience was a big part of the inukat fighting philosophy, but I could see his brow furrow as he watched Daniel, who seemed equally happy to remain in stasis.

Daniel was not like Bryony. He wouldn't attack aggressively, wouldn't make it easier for Thao to respond, to observe. He withheld himself from the fight, and I could tell Bryony wanted to jump out of her seat and make them get on with it. Finally, Daniel was in motion, moving swiftly but not with Bryony's same grace, aiming for Thao's right, a harder side to defend in inukat and a good starting move.

Thao responded easily, expression sharp and expectant as he moved into a new position, turning rather than retreating. Fencing was forward and backward motion, a narrow playing field. Inukat gave endless room for the opponents, provided they remained orbiting one another, neither ever running off field or creating more than the allowed open space between them.

Daniel circled in the opposite direction, and I realized that any observation he'd made, it had been to followThao'sstyle of fighting, not Bryony's. It was smart. They were similar builds, Daniel a little stockier and broader, Thao a bit taller. Thao used patience, but Daniel had plenty of that. Thao liked contrary movements, but those worked better against a traditional opponent.

"What do you see?" Cosmo asked.

"They're…" I frowned, my eyes tracking Thao carefully as he tested Daniel with a soft attack. "They're well matched in this. Thao is much smoother. Daniel might've been practicing, but he's never actually fought this way before. It's…" I hesitated and then lowered my voice, tipping my head to Cosmo. "Daniel would make a good training partner for him. Challenge him differently than Bryony."

I wondered how he would look against Bryony during sabre fencing too.

"He's very adaptable," Cosmo said, nodding once.

"It's what makes him unreliable," Aric whispered.

"Shh." Bryony shifted on Aric's lap, leaning forward and watching the men avidly.

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