[b]Chen![/b]

+I think it's grasping,+ said Jessic in answer to your question. +Some princesses get stuck on their stories for the same reason that some people grasp for objects. This is something they love too much to let go of, that they are afraid to let evolve, afraid to let it go a different way. They want to be isolated authors explaining what's in their heads and not members of a community who let the world change them in ways they don't expect. They're afraid they won't get to tell it, they're afraid to trust their personas to other people's hands, especially to new people. You should ask Keron what she thinks about that kind of,+ she made finger quotes with her talons +"fake-ass domination".+

+It's hard, though, to fight for what you love, to put in all the work and energy and not have that respected. Anyone in a creative area wants to be heard, be loved. If you want to disarm a Princess you need to give them that love - and [i]then[/i] beat them. If you don't love your opponent, at least a little bit, it's not a duel, it's just a fight. And fights are ugly.+

[b]Rose![/b]

"Don't be absurd," said the Countess, spinning you about - and with a [i]click[/i] chaining you to the wall. "We both know you'll never remember a word I say if I'm not spanking you as I say them. And besides, if even as well trained a handmaiden as Thian can make mistakes, someone like you has a lot of training ahead. From what I hear, you even dropped some of the Princess' possessions on the ground while assisting Cyanis? A handmaiden must be [i]graceful[/i], Rose..."

...

It is some time later, and a thought is weighing on your mind.

Obviously you're waiting for Princess Chen to rescue you. She's beautiful and warm and has a smile that's just - so! She's your [i]girlfriend[/i], she said so, and not once has the Countess ever contradicted that. Every one of her statements has always been in reference to your mistress, without ever suggesting that she is your mistress. She is simply training and taming you because it is correct for her to do so, and so that when you are with your mistress you'll be ready.

But Countess Keron is so [i]good[/i] at it, though! She knows exactly what you want and what you're ready for and how to make you feel safe even with her hand around your throat. She's as confident as fire. But still she's been keeping you at a distance because you're not [i]hers[/i]. Yet. She's also keeping you at a distance from Jessic, and not once have you been asked to wait on the Princess.

You must be getting very confused and very torn, Rose. It would have been easier if Chen had just saved you right away, but now you're wondering what she'd look like tied at the base of the throne alongside Cyanis. Tell us a little about the struggle in your head.

[b]Yue![/b]

The crowd is cheering. They have seen many things but they have never seen this.

Fighting like this is riding a wave. It's about falling in love. It's about not letting your adoration for your opponent drown out your own voice and style. Tianic is trying to tell a story about distance, reach and stability - a figure like an unapproachable castle, long blade rotating in advance of whichever direction you try to reach her. If she can tell the story her way she will shine all the more beautifully, fending the wolf off and keeping it at bay with a blade that spins in concert with impeccable footwork. If she tells her story it will end with her untouchable, a worthy custodian of the blade she carries.

But that's the difference between her and a more experienced warrior, a better warrior. Her story doesn't have a place for you in it other than 'defeated'. She is doing her best with the skills she has, she is doing her best to make you admire her, but when she admires you it is despite herself and the persona she is trying to wear. Her smiles, while genuine, are slips. She's still trying too hard to copy someone else's style. She's fighting with her mind more than her heart right now and, if you could figure out just [i]where[/i] to push her, wouldn't this be so much better?

You'll need to Entice her to get her to see what she's really capable of - but the how for that won't be hard. Your joy is infectious and she's already willing to fall. The risk here is that her hidden potential may be more than you're currently ready for.