The Dragon's Prize Read Online Free Page A

Sandra stopped and stared at the man in shock.  He was whispering so only she could hear, and his face was screwed up in a rictus of malice.  Did he hate her so much?
    “Or because my good name is on the line, and if you don’t put on a good showing I’ll have you thrown out of the guard?”
    “What?”  Sandra shook her head.  There was no way this was happening.  “You’re not serious.  Either way I get thrown out.”
    “Either way you get thrown out.”  The captain spat in the sand at her feet.  The prince and Wu were conversing in their corner so he couldn’t see what was happening.  “And one way I might get to take that head off your shoulders.  Pig spawn.”  The captain spat again, then stalked out of the arena.
    Heart in her throat, Sandra took up her position at the opposite corner of the field.  Slimy fear roiled in her gut as she turned to face her opponent.  Might as well be her executioner.  Mira was near the edge of the practice yard now and gave Sandra an encouraging thumbs up.  Sandra sent her a wan smile in return.
    “Are you ready, Sandra?”  The prince called out from his corner.
    “As I’ll ever be!”
    There had to be a way out of this.
    Sandra glided forward across the sand easily.  There must be a third option, a way that she could keep the captain’s honor intact and also not hit the prince.  Then she could quit and flee the capital… maybe she should just lose?
    Then she would lose the prince’s respect as well, and any chance of having a decent life.
    Great.
    The prince also came forward, more cautiously than he’d approached the other guards.  At least he was giving her some respect now, although it might not be worth very much by the end of this.
    “Rolling thunder!”  Wu shouted and the whip snapped.  Apparently it was time to start.
    She’d seen this one when the prince was practicing earlier.  He would come forward with an overhand slash to her right side, a blow intended to cripple a sword arm, then step to his right and bring the sword low across her stomach, which would disembowel her.  It was a gutsy finisher that you used on a weak or slow opponent.  Apparently Wu didn’t think much of her.
    She was neither weak, nor slow.  She stepped forward and to the left as the first slash came down, moving inside the prince’s guard, then spun around him as he executed the follow-up slash.  She ended up behind him and he had to spin to bring his guard up.  She could have ended it there with a quick thrust in his back, but the hit that would end the match would also end her life.  She stepped back.
    “How did you do that?”  The prince’s eyes were wide and he backed up a step to keep some distance between the two of them.
    “You’re telegraphing.”
    “No I’m not!”
    Sandra pointed wordlessly at Wu.  The prince shook his head.
    “You don’t know what rolling thunder is.”
    “…”  Sandra raised an eyebrow.
    “Lotus on water!”  Wu interrupted their conversation.
    She hadn’t seen this one, but Wu was not the only one telegraphing the prince’s attacks.  The other guards had been tripped up by his hands, which wove in and around in intricate patterns not seen in their style of fighting, but his feet still showed his intention.  Maybe not where the sword was going, but they showed where he was going.
    He floated to the right, sending a quick series of jabs at her side.  She went the other way, circling around him and deflecting the attacks.  She could have pressed the advantage…
    That was it!  She just had to stop him from hitting her!  None of the other guards had lasted through even one maneuver, let alone two.  If she just kept blocking, maybe he would realize the captain was telling the truth and stop the match before she had to hit him.
    Wu started yelling at him faster, the words coming in rapid fire, and the prince pressed the attack.  Sandra let him come, flowing around the sword or blocking it as she needed to