Page 42

“Well—” said Amelie, putting her hands on her hips. “Since you found them, I better teach you some basics. Until your father arrives, at least.”

“Oh, yes!” said Sigrid.

Julie beamed, running over to her sister.

“First lesson,” said Amelie, putting out her hands to make Julie slow down as she approached. “Do not run with swords unless your life is in genuine peril. Otherwise, you risk impaling yourself. And that would be a silly way to die, would it not?”

“An awful mess, too,” said Julie gravely. Then she burst into giggles, which spread at once to Sigrid, and the two of them quickly became out of control with raucous laughter.

The sound gave Amelie joy, yet also made her miss her sister. Nothing on earth was quite the same as sharing a joke with one’s sister. It was the most pure, unbridled, slightly deranged glee one could ever know.

“Alright—” said Amelie when their laughter finally subsided. “Now, I will tell you what my brother told me and my sister when we were children. You are small. Likely smaller than any adversary. Using the sword should be a last resort. The first thing you should do is run as far and fast as you can. Or hide.”

The girls’ faces became serious, the remains of their jubilance vanishing. Amelie worried she’d said something wrong. The sisters shared a doleful look.

“And if we are attacked?” said Sigrid. “There are bad people around, you know.”

The way she stood with the sword hanging at her side reminded Amelie so much of Colette’s stance that her heart ached.

She took some time to answer. Sigrid was right, of course. Amelie thought of her stressful journey to Castle Grange, which included hiding in the forest from raiders. Those same raiders infested the roads near the girls’ village. A heartless, violent sorceress dwelled there, too. Jokes were fine, but the cruel truth was that the girls were likely to experience danger before they’d come of age.

She wondered why their father didn’t wish to teach them how to use swords. Swordplay could be dangerous, but defenselessness was far more hazardous.

“If someone attacks you, fight until you have no breath left,” she said. “You put that blade straight into the one who means harm. Do you understand?”

They nodded in unison, their small faces set with determination.

“Very good,” said Amelie. “So, I will show you some basic techniques, starting with the correct way to hold your sword.”

She adjusted their grips on the handles. They learned quickly, and Julie in particular was deft with the weapon. The two girls worked well in concert, too, naturally gravitating to cover each other.

Amelie stood back, pleased. “You know, small though you may be, you could use that to your advantage. If you can get behind the attacker, bury the blade right in their middle, as hard as you can.”

“Amelie!” came Davron’s booming voice from behind her. “What on earth are you telling them?”

She whirled around. He stood with Oskar, who gaped at his armed daughters.

“Oh, hello,” she replied. “Uh, we found some swords. I was just teaching them a thing or two.”

“About what?” asked Davron. “Assassination?”

Though his tone was serious, amusement danced in his eyes.

“Oskar, I am sorry,” she said, meaning it. She should have asked for his permission. After all, he had expressly said the children were not to handle swords yet.

“Ah, it’s alright.” He sighed, his eyes on his daughters. “I know they need to learn at some point. May as well be now.” He shrugged. “I suppose I have been trying to keep them babies. But they’re not, are they?”

“Amelie taught us to parry and slash,” said Sigrid.

She demonstrated the move to a hapless Oskar.

“Okay!” said Amelie, clapping her hands together once. “Would we care to dine? I believe it’s time for food.”

As soon as she said the words, dishes appeared on the table. She said a silent thanks to the castle as everyone sat. The girls laid their swords with care beneath the bench seats.

Lunch was zucchini and smoked ham quiche, baguettes stuffed with camembert and caramelized peaches, warm asparagus tartlets, fresh green salad, cream puffs, and a light fruity wine to drink.

“You are welcome to keep those swords,” said Davron to the children. “If your father would not object.”