The blade of the sword rested on Anastasia's shoulder. She slid it from there, the fabric of the tunic rustling. "You won't be able to learn from Ileus, but I can give you a lesson or two," she said to Maude and winked, with a smirk.
"But Ana, I don't want you to get hurt!" Ileus protested.
Anastasia looked at him with a sweet smile. "Rest assured, I won't be the one who would be hurt."
Now Ileus didn't know how to take that sentence. Was it a threat or was it an assurance? Knowing his wife's stubbornness, he took a deep breath and stepped aside.
Maude was flustered. She licked her lips as she stared from Ileus to Anastasia and then back to him. She bowed to the princess. "I— I—" she stuttered to find the right words.
Anastasia swirled her sword deftly in the air. "Are you afraid, Maude?" she asked, her lips curling up in a vicious smile. But in reality, she had thrown the gauntlet on the floor.
