Childhood Love Trials

Cressida could not believe her eyes, she looked at him widely as though to hit him back. While they both stood up to put on their shoes, Cressida threw the wooden tool at Stefan's back.




" What was that for? Stefan, who paused what he was doing, asked.




" You're not agile,pick it up." She gestured with her eyes.




"What are you doing?" While he bends to pick up the tool, she does the same. She equally carried her own tool.




" Let me see how good my pupil is so I can forget how miserable I feel." 




" What?"  

Cressida makes the first martial flip of her tool and begins to engage Stefan in a fight. Stefan tried his best to dodge her tools in an amateur way until finally hit him on his buttocks. He felt the pains of the wood.

" Why did you hit me?" He said, rubbing his hands on his button.




Cressida already dropped her tool afterwards.

"You have no swordsmanship. Then show me how you fight."




Stefan went closer to her again and began to throw punches. She fought back, hitting him on the chest.

" You little… that hurts." He said holding his chest. However he went back in anger to throw more punches at her which she resisted continually and finally threw him on the floor. 




" You fight poorly too. You are worse than what I had expected." She said




" That is because I never learned properly.




Cressida was disappointed by this information, she shook her head in disgust.




While the both left the river bank and took a walk home through the thick bushes. Cressida asked if he could have had twelve masters but never got trained well.

" You had 12 masters. You may not have been able to learn how to cast spells, but you could have learnt basic martial arts.




" I did not feel motivated to do so. As you already know. I need to feel motivated to do something before I can do it."




" Hmmm.. because you're lazy. I have noticed that you never do anything around the house.




" I know everything by heart. Test me. How did you think I recognized you? It was because I saw you using Tansus, I know it all.



" You're all talk". She mocked.



" I can do anything other than talk now." He raised his eyebrow.




Cressida threw two brooms at him and he jumped to dodge them.

"Did you just see that? I'm a fast learner. I will quickly master Jipsu, how long does it take? He said proudly.




" I was a fast learner,but it took me five years to learn it. Those who are slow take 22 years, as for you… you may master it very quickly since you're Daniel Donovan's son."




" What does it have to do with this?"




" He was a genius who took only a year to master Jipsu. If you master that, rumours that say you're not his son will subside. But of course I doubt it will be possible." She said, looking away.




" If he took a year, I will do it in six months. No, I will master it in three months." He was affirmative.




" You're bluffing."




" I am determined, so do not discourage me."

When he attempts to leave, Cressida holds him back.




" Maidservant Kim asked me to sweep the entire

yard. You have recovered a lot, and you seem to be doing better, so help me out."




" What?.. he shook his hands away from her.

Cressida, I am a lazy guy who does not do things he is not motivated to do. Good luck! " He smiled and jetted off.




" What arrogance?" She grinds her teeth.

*****************************************

Maidservant Kim and Petrova seem to have had their romantic fantasies at their younger age. These two sit under the thatch roof by the river bank talking about Stefan's gate of energy and their reasons for being single all these years. They sat facing each other on the table.




"Master Ramirez Lewis has made herbal medication for Stefan. It seems to be very effective now that the young master's gate of energy is open." Maidservant Kim said with excitement demonstrating it with her fingers going round in circles.




"Maidservant Kim, you seem very delighted." Petrova said with a sigh.




" Are you really that upset that his gate of energy is opened? Kim asked. " You didn't do anything even when he was about to die,if not for master Ramirez, young master Donovan would have died." She continued.




" He should have looked for a way to save him without opening his gate." Petrova said, almost upset.




" How cold of you? You have always kept your distance from young master Donovan, is it… because of the rumours?"

Petrova who was looking away the entire time she spoke turned to look at her in shock.




"What rumours? He asked.




" Of course, you would know. You know they are rumors going around saying you're the father of young master Stefan" Kim kept being teasy.




" Do not dare to… speak of such absurd rumours." Petrova becomes hyper and stammers.




"It is not completely absurd, let us be honest. You used to fancy madam Isabel before she got married. You used to write her poems and give her gifts. I am a living witness. People say you're still single because you're not yet over her." Maidservant Kim continued to tease Petrova while making demonstrations of the things she said with her body language.




"What about you Maidservant Kim? You're still head over heels for Daniel Donovan. Is that why you're unmarried and still living in his house? Petrova teased her back.




" What?" 




" I know very well how much you used to like him. When he told you that he liked acorn Jelly. You climbed mountains to collect acorns like some kind of a squirrel." He continued.




"A squirrel?" Kim was shocked as her own jokes could easily hurt her as well.




"I saw you going around collecting acorns."




"Uuh,uuh." She was gobsmacked. " What is your profit? Are you making fun of the fact that I went around collecting acorns?

" Fine! I admit, I went here and there to collect acorns. Making acorn jelly was the only way to express my feelings for him. You can mock me all you want." She was screaming and amidst her tears.




"I am not mocking you, seeing you make all that acorn Jelly… made me feel sad. I know how it feels, being in a position where you cannot do anything for the person you love. Other people can say what they want to say about us behind our backs, but let's not do the same to each other. It is obvious to us both that the passionate love we had when we were Young only ended up leaving a scare in our hearts."Petrova was sober




" I got too worked up over young master Donovan and said things I shouldn't have said forgive me." Kim apologized.




" I also care about Stefan greatly, I am just afraid that opening his gate of energy might have broken the barrier that is protecting him. It will just make him feel anxious. I will have to break his will and stop him in the future, please do not resent me for that. Let us see how things go." He beckons.