No body dies, that counts for something right

Asune and Anastasia stare each other down waiting for Stephanie to signal the match has begun. The audience is quiet as baited breath turns more than a few people blue. Asune is unblinking but she hasn't taken a combat stance, her swords pointed down at her side. Anastasia has hers up in a defensive posture.

You feel your mouth dry out and lick your lips. The tension has been building and while normally someone in a non-aggressive stance would remove some of it, not when that person is Asune. Anastasia's eye lids flutter for a moment and you look at Stephanie from the corner of your eye expecting that signify the beginning but there is no call.

Both hold their stance unmoving for long minutes. Surprisingly it is Asune that moves first, a slight tilt of her head.

"Begin." Stephanie called out.

The pair didn't move. Asune still looked like she wasn't going to fight but Anastasia didn't lower her guard.

"Your left foot is too far forward." Asune said plainly. Anastasia flinched and her foot shifted slightly. That is when Asune advanced. Unlike every duel so far she was using a completely different style. With magic she relied on speed and slashes backed up with her power to cut. This time she had turned her side to Ansatasia and led with a thrust, her unused arm behind her back. It was a proper duelist stance and it set Anastasia back.

The foot that had moved put her off balance and she had to step backwards. Her sword being ready for defence meant she was able to batter Asune's sword out of the way but she couldn't take advantage of the position.

Asune didn't give her time to recovery her foot, advancing with a shallow thrust that was battered aside. The shallowness only meant that Asune was able to bring another thrust to bare. This one scored a hit, glancing across Anastasia left shoulder. Anastasia let out a soft grunt but didn't show much evidence of the pain.

The audience had been silence until then but seeing their Princess injured **** a reaction. "You can do it Princess!" The cheer started from somewhere suspiciously close to Clare but it quickly spread.

"You got her Your Highness!"

"She can't beat you!"

"Kick her ass!" That last one came from Vatarie who was grinning, her ill feelings towards Asune might not have been totally expunged.

Anastasia rallied under the cheering and found her footing. It was her turn to attack and Asune felt the shift in the fight. Anastasia opened with a slash at her stomach that was easily avoided without the need for a sword. Anastasia was still fighting as if she had magic which meant she was leaving most of her body exposed, facing her opponent.

Asune ducked and weaved out of the way of several more slashes until she countered, a thrust slipping past Anastasia's defence and dragging an enchanted edge along her left shoulder once more. Anastasia let out a much louder grunt and backed off.

The audience's cheers while she had the momentum swiftly ended as worry overcame them. Just because there was physical damage didn't mean hearing a Princess make a pained noise wasn't unsettling.

Asune paused for a moment as Anastasia recovered. You doubted that pause was for her benefit and sure enough right before Anastasia advanced Asune thrust. The sudden movement caught Anastasia off guard and the tip of Asune's sword touched her stomach before pulling back. Anastasia's free hand shot to her stomach. It was only a shallow touch but you didn't know enough about the swords to know if shallow would make a difference to pain.

It was becoming apparent that Asune was better at this than Anastasia and the audience was aware of that as well. The crowd was decidedly squeamish, they didn't want to cheer for someone who was going to lose and be in pain but they didn't want cheer for someone who wasn't the Princess.

"You should turn to your side, give me less of a target." Asune said tilting her head with eye frowned. Anastasia stood up and after a breath copied Asune's stance. Her sword was held in a grip for slashing not thrusting but she had the form. Asune raised her sword to a forty five degree angle.

Anastasia raised hers to the same and their blade crossed. "Thank you Asune." Anastasia said with a smile ignoring the pain she was still in.

The two waited for a moment before beginning anew. This time the thrusts were much easier for Anastasia to deflect but she was being cautious because of the unfamiliar style. Asune was moving slower than she had been but she didn't look tired.

The two kept up their duel without either scoring a hit. The lack of pain was encouraging the crowd back into a more positive mood. "Stab the bitch!" Someone called out very enthusiastically.

Asune's head snapped towards whoever said that and you saw a circle around the shouter lean aware from them. A gulp audible around the arena was actaully louder than noise that came from Asune. Her momentary distraction opened her up and Anastasia's sword lanced along her ribs.

Asune looked from the audience down to her ribs and tilted her head again then looked up at Anastasia. The good cheer that Anastasia scoring a hit should have caused was defeated by Asune's indifference to it. Anastasia withdraw her sword looking a bit concerned.

Asune looked at Anastasia for a moment then at you. Your eyes met and you saw her evaluating something. You weren't sure what it was but she quickly came to a conclusion. She raised her sword to Anastasia who cautiously raised hers in kind. The two were still for a moment as their blades touched. Anastasia moved first moving to stab Asune in the chest again. Asune leaned out of the way and stabbed at Anastasia's calf.

A shout of pain and Anastasia hopping back on a now weakened leg once more killed the audiences mood. Asune advanced, fending off Anastasia **** slashes without difficulty and pointed her sword ready to stab at Anastasia's throat.

"Enough." Stephanie said. Asune let go of her sword at the word. As it fell to the ground Anastasia stood more surly and let out a breath.

"You're a better swordswoman than me." She said offering Asune her hand in congratulations.

Asune looked at the hand the at Anastasia. "I am, sorry for hurting you." She looked at you once she finished talking to judge if she had done the right thing. You nodded and gave her a thumbs up and she turned back to Anastasia taking her hand. The pair walked back to the stands and as they sat you heard Asune whisper. "I could make it feel better." Anastasia didn't react to the suggestion and you wondered if Asune meant helping to get rid of the enchantments after affects or to teach her to enjoy pain.

"Fighting while in pain is hard, if you have no other option learning how to ignoring it will save your life." Stephanie said looking down the line. "Magic will not save you if you cannot use it. Asune," Asune stood up, "tell the others how you ignored the pain."

"It doesn't matter. If you are aware of the damage then pain is pointless and can be ignored." She said plainly. "It can however."

"That's enough." Stephanie said, thankfully cutting off Asune before she tried to convert everyone present into masochism. "If you can see where you have been cut you don't need pain to tell you." she repeated, "It is a difficult lesson and one that is easily forgotten. Eleven." Stephanie walked down the line to the girl who still looked more than a little shaken. "You did well and should be proud." There was a cheer from the audience and the Eleven looked up smile a smile, the after affects wearing off much faster. "Twelve, you handled yourself and your pain well." She walked down the line making positive comments to everyone as she went but your mind lingered on Twelve. Now that you think about it, her fight with Three lasted for almost exactly the same length as her fight with Eleven, she had lost both but similar times is unusual.

Stephanie stopped in front of Vatarie. "You're furiosity and speed are exceptional, I expect you'll be a better raw combatant than anyone else by the end of my class." Stephanie looked at you and you weren't sure what to expect. "You're improving." Her eyes looked up and down your body and her mouth tugged into a smile for a moment before she moved on to Asune. "You're an exceptional duelist, likely the best in some time." She moved on and Asune seemed unmoved by the praise. Standing before Anastasia Stephanie paused for a moment. "I taught Princess Mary," that is Anastasia's older sister, the leader of the kingdoms army, "She cried when I brought out the swords. Enjoy your weekend." Stephanie said nodding down the line and walking away. There was a pause before the audience started to applaud once more. Following the praise from Stephanie this made everyone puff up their chest. Even Asune looked a bit proud but she was looking at you so she could just be mimicking whatever you were doing.

The audience came down from the stands to applaud their friends who had just suffered pain rubbing at uninjured spots. You couldn't help but notice that a few of the girls were putting on a bit of show when a guy went to them, encouraging them to rub the sore spots.

Anastasia was swarmed by a crowd with volume enough to make hearing what they were saying impossible. Vatarie stayed by your side and you heard more one growl as an audience member got a bit too close to you. When Clare and Edin approached there was still a growl but it was far more demure.

"That was fun." Asune said from your other side as Clare jumped into your arms.

"You are fucking me so hard tonight." She whispered into your ear before pulling back off you beaming at you. The others hadn't heard her or decided to not make contact.

The five of you waited for Anastasia's adoring fan to dissipate enough for her to join you. She was looking very happy at all the attention she had just gotten. "I have dinner at my estate for you all." She said taking Asune's place at your side and waking your to her estate. The five of you made your way over to her estate, as you walked you tried to keep in mind that most of them wouldn't be able to spend the night having sex since they had other commitments on the weekend. But Vatarie's hand was firmly on your ass each step got her more bold. By the time you arrived at Anastasia's estate her hand was under your pants grabbing as much of your cheek as she could.