For a moment, Chen didn't say anything. More tears slid down her cheeks, and she just...looked away.

***

Li came and licked the tears from the sobbing girl's cheek. Her tongue was warm and when she bumped her head against Chen, her face was soft. She was only a little snow leopard, but she knew her friend needed her, so she settled herself in Chen's lap and wrapped her long fluffy tail around Chen's waist. She growled in her friendly way for Chen to give her scratches and the girl couldn't help but do it even through her tears. 

"It's not fair" Chen said, wiping her face with the sleeve of her blue cotton training shirt. Li nuzzled closer and ensured that pets were maintained. "None of the handmaidens have to train like this and [i]they[/i] do swords and flying and stuff. I wanna be better than them, Li, but, but...this sucks!" 

Li didn't know that Chen was exhausted, that she had just spent a day inside a shard-created world of ice and snow battling some kind of storm demons conjured by both her mothers in consultation, or that Chen's arms felt like they were going to fall off and she could barely stand. But Li did know that Chen's fingers were very cold, and the little snow leopard helpfully licked her friend's fingers to help warm them up so the pets would feel nicer. 

Princess Hestia [i]did[/i] know what her daughter had been through, which perhaps made it all the more surprising when she quietly sat down next to Chen on her bed and pulling her into an embrace. It had been several years since they'd hugged like this. Hestia was often busy and Chen didn't need a hug and kiss goodnight anymore and hadn't for a while so it was rare for Hestia to visit her in her rooms. 

"You don't have to do this" she said quietly. "I know your mother and I put a lot on you. Too much maybe. The Princessship of Sourcefall has been passed from mother to daughter historically, but nobody ever said it had to be, Chen. The wind could choose anyone as a dance partner and we don't have to put you up for it. There are other things to do."

Chen had hugged Li then and let her mother hold her, but she hadn't returned the embrace. "It's always all or nothing, Mom" she had said. "If I don't like the training, I can stop, but then I'm not the Princess anymore. Why can't I be the princess [i]and[/i] learn to paint?! Or...or play the arhu, or, I dunno, whatever!" 

Hestia sighed. She almost clucked her tongue, but held it back at the last moment. After a pause, she said "because you're gifted. You're naturally fast and perceptive, and if you built the right skills, you could be a once in a generation talent. Because you're the Princess Promised of Sourcefall [i]and[/i] Ys until you say otherwise and people really are going to expect more from you honey. Ysel and I want you to be ready." She sighed again. This wasn't what her daughter wanted to hear, and she could tell. "That said...it, is arguable that improved fine dexterity would also improve your sword work. That is to say, a painting tutor isn't entirely out of the question. I'll...ask one of my handmaidens about it tomorrow. I recall she does landscapes sometimes. How does that sound?"

Chen didn't say anything, but when Hestia had left, Chen turned to Li, giving her big ear scritchies and said "I'm gonna be a Princess Li, and I'm gonna be a painter. And...and more stuff too, just you watch!"

***

As Chen's breathing steadied, she looked back at Qiu. "You don't get it" she said slowly, letting out a shuddering breath. "You just don't get it at all. I wasn't ready to be here yet, but I came to help Yue and now I'm here. I'm not...ugh, I'm not trying to get out of being the Princess, I'm trying to get out of it being impossible to [i]do[/i] it! You're like, 'oof, that's a lot Chen, go talk to Jessic' and meanwhile you're going to go conquer another kingdom or two. And look, I appreciate the thought, I...ugh, I appreciate that you care about me, okay? It's not like that doesn't matter, but you also can't see why you're doing this whole thing in the dumbest way possible. So, fine, I'll go talk to Jessic. If, If! you can throw me out of here. Otherwise I'm taking your shards now and all your armies and demons won't matter one bit. I guess you do get your duel."

Chen gives Qiu a face that's half grin and half shrug and draws her sword back out, its crystal light gleaming. The instant it's fully unsheathed, Chen is already in motion. She steps and launches, her blade cuts the air before her and the crystal flashes. She's not fool enough to think that Qiu will be taken on the back foot, but she does think she's fast enough to press an immediate advantage and so she strikes for all she's worth. 

[Fight with Grace: 4+3+2=9. I choose 
-Create an opportunity for an ally through prowess or distraction
-Take an object from your opponent or seize a superior position
-Qiu gets to pick an option

Please interpret the results as limited as they need to be. This is not meant to short-circuit the story and I don't really think that Chen can get a shard here. But she is upset and she's going all out as best she can in this moment.

Edit: also I rolled high enough to get a string on someone present for this from Impressive Fighting.]