Chapter 3 - Training Hall

A month had gone by and Marianna had become use to the idea of being followed around. Of course she still didn’t like it, but it was starting to grow on her.

She would begin the day with Rosie getting her ready, then as always, garrath would meet her outside her room and they would head down to breakfast, and eat with the king. Marianna would have her morning lessons with her tutors, and Garrath would sit in the corner of the room. Occasionally she would go out to the markets and Garrath would always follow closely behind. The markets were a hectic place and anything could happen. Marianna usually made Garrath carry her items that she would purchase, and usually she purchased alot.

 

At the end of the day Marianna would either walk out to the meadow or around the gardens with her friends who would visit from time to time, or if she was tired she would retire to her room to read or nap. Garrath wasn't needed if she went to her room so he decided to catch up on some training. He casually strolled down to the extended training hall which had storage room for armoury and next to it a long row of stables for the horses that the guards would ride.

Garrath hadn't been to the training hall for quite some time and had been aching for a good fight. He walked down the staircase to the entrance where an older man was waiting.

 

"Ah Garrath, I see that her highness has given you a break for today, ready for some training?" said Alcott Barof who was the man who kept the training hall in order, and was quite skilled in fighting. He was also responsible for training and recruiting guards, and was the one who chose Garrath out of the other men for the position to protect the princess.

"Yes, I am, it's been a while since I have," Garrath removed his jacket exposing a white shirt underneath; he also took off his belt that held his sword, and gave the items to Alcott, and strolled into the room.

 

The hall was not empty of course, in one half of the room there were other men practising combat and fencing techniques.

 

Garrath examined the wall of swords and other weapons and decided on a long wooden staff and unhooked it from the wall. Alcott hung Garrath's jacket and sword on a hook, and went to grab a wooden staff for himself.

 

Garrath readied his weapon as he gave Alcott a smug grin as they started to circle eachother. Alcott made the first move, of course Garrath defended, by blocking off the staff with his own. Alcott then charged in swinging, and garrath was ducking and swinging himself all the while still holding a grin. After a few moves, Alcott started to sweat.

 

"I don’t understand Barof, you're usually better than this. What’s wrong, getting too old for it all?" he smirked as he lifted his staff to swing.

 

“Oh yes, very funny, But I don't understand it myself, you haven't been training at all, yet it seems like you have the upper hand," he said between breathes.

 

“I’ve been itching for a fight for awhile now actually, and I guess I've been storing my energy up," Garrath took another swing with his staff and Alcott ducked and swung back.

 

“Ahh , the princess has been boring you out of your mind I see, aye?" Alcott winked at Garrath and gave him a smirk as he went charging in, hoping to distract Garrath with his remark. But garrath was concentrating and had been waiting for this and wasn't about to lose.

“Yes well not nearly as boring as your fighting technique I see," and as Garrath said this he flipped his staff and swung it under Alcott’s leg making him trip. Alcott lay on the floor feeling dizzy. Garrath leaned down to help him up.

 

"well it seems as though you were on the ball today, let’s see if you can keep it up, best 2 out of 3?" said Alcott as he wiped the sweat from his brow

 

 

*          *          *

 

Marianna had been sitting at her bay window reading and casually looking out the window to see clouds drift by. Nothing much was happening out there, maybe a few gardeners would pass by and clip the hedges, but that was it. It was odd being by herself for the first time in awhile, she always expected something blue and white to be seen from the corner of her eye, but no one was there. It was a quiet day for the palace; many people were somewhere else attending to their duties. That's when it hit her, noone was around, she could go exploring on her own for awhile.

 

She actually wondered where Garrath went, when he wasn't with her. But she wouldn't go looking for him; she left her room and started walking down the hall to the staircase.

 

She checked first to see if anyone was around, and then pranced down the staircase carefully walking across the hall and through the columns. She suddenly stopped and noticed an entrance hidden in the shadows under the grand staircase. She had noticed it before, but now that she was alone she could adventure to her hearts content and decided to find out what it was. She quickly walked over to the double wooden door, and tried turning the metal handle, it was unlocked. Peering through the opening, she could see another staircase, looking down noticed  light pouring in through another door and could hear distant noises, like thumping and voices. Marianna slid through the door; it was a good thing that she was in one of her small dresses today, so she could slip in and out without making too much noise.

 

Marianna slowly stepped down the staircase lifting her dress so she could easily move. She peeked around the corner to find the other open door, and the noises she heard were louder now, one voice in particular sounded familiar for some reason. She pushed the door open a little more to find a large room or hall. The room had long wooden floor boards outstretching down the length of it, and large framed windows so the room was well lit. The main back wall was high in stature, and was adorned with all types of weapons, even ones Marianna didn't know about. She looked around the room to see where the noises were coming from, there were men fighting each other in an orderly fashion in different pockets of the room. Some of them were fencing, some were wrestling each other to the ground, and then she saw Garrath. He was in the middle of room fighting an older man with what looked to be like long wooden poles.

 

Garrath looked so deadly and was much faster than the man he was fighting. He ducked and dived each of his opponent’s attacks like he knew every move the man was going to make. She also noticed he wasn't wearing his uniform jacket, only a white shirt, he looked different in this light as he moved.

He stopped to wipe the sweat off his forehead and with his hand, he pushed back his hair. Marianna realised she was staring at him so she turned away, then she realised he had stopped, ended the fight and started walking towards her direction. She quickly moved back through the opening of the door, and closed it slowly so he wouldn't notice, and hid peeking through the crack of the door. She slowly backed away from the door, but felt something touch her leg; she turned around to see a sword that was leaning against the wall that she had knocked over, the sound was loud and echoed through the area. She panicked.

The door suddenly opened, with Garrath standing there with a surprised look upon his face, an emotion, Marianna had never seen on garrath before.

 "Princess?" said Garrath as he pushed the door even further open to shed more light on her. Garrath quickly pulled his guard jacket back on feeling a little embarrassed that she had seen him like this. Marianna slowly stepped back once more feeling caught out, and then quickly turned and walked up the stairs quickly, hurried out the double doors and rushed up the staircase, then stopped to breathe at the top of the stairs.

 

"Princess, are you alright?" said Garrath who was right behind her.

 

"Ah!! God!! Don’t sneak up on me like that!!" she shouted as she spun around to face him.

 

"What were you doing down in the guard hall?" Garrath said between breaths, he had beads of sweat on his forehead and lip, and his jacket was still unbuttoned.

 

"I was...well I was... nothing...I just...you know I was curious, I didn't know where the door lead to. So I decided to find out," Marianna said as she fixed her dress. Garrath buttoned his jacket up and smiled at her.

 

“It’s alright princess, I'm just glad you’re alright. I was worried when you ran away that I had frightened you for some reason." Garrath said as he sighed for a moment and Marianna noticed he looked more worried than angry, she thought he would have been furious, that she had been gallivanting around on her own.

Garrath straightened his jacket up, then turned to face Marianna, "well this has been an interesting afternoon, what would you like to do?"

 

Marianna didn't speak, but instead started wondering more about him. Like where did he come from, before he came here? And also where does he sleep? What are his interests? But why did she suddenly want to know about these silly little details? I mean he still annoyed her. He was still boring and made her follow rules, but, for this brief moment she saw another side of him, a different side. And now she wanted to know more. Although something told her he wasn't about to unleash his life story upon her, but still, she would find out anyway. She then realised he was still standing there waiting for an answer.

 

"Oh, well maybe we could explore the gardens. You know the same old gardens we always walk around. I wish we could go somewhere different, instead of the same old place" then suddenly she stopped, remembering there was a party she had to attend tonight. How could she forget about it? Then she realised why she wanted to forget. Because her father had set it up so she could meet suitors... which wasn't her idea of a good time, but she had to do it, if only to get her father off her back about it.

 

"Princess, what is it?" said Garrath stirring her from her thoughts again.

 

"Oh sorry I just remembered there is a ball I have to attend tonight and I almost forgot about it, in fact I have to get ready for it," she said with an agitated expression.

"Oh I forgot about it as well, it was my duty to remind you, and my duty to also get you to the party on time," Garrath said this as he started to hurriedly push Marianna through the hallway.

 

“So, I'll call Rosie and get you ready for tonight, alright" he then opened her door and slightly pushed her into the room and closed the door. Marianna just stood there, not wanting to attend this party, thinking of how many idiotic old balding men, she would have to meet.