Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 50: Sparring

Chapter 50: Sparring

The two girls changed together in Meili’s room. She didn’t have a privacy screen in her room. She’d never needed one before.

Manni had laid out a martial arts training outfit for each of them. Light pink for Meili and light blue for Sofya. They were both slight and very similar in height, which meant that Meili’s clothes should be a good fit on the Princess. Meili was much curvier than Sofya, who was slim and lithe, but because Meili generally wore a tight chest binding, her top was roomy but not too oversized for the petite princess.

As they were changing together, Meili didn’t want to bother with her chest binding, which took time and was too embarrassing to do in company. Her grassland friend had no modesty whatsoever in her presence. She was used to communal women’s bathhouses. She watched Meili turn her back to her with interest.

"Are you shy? I guess you’ve been locked up in here, so you haven’t been to the women’s bathhouses. How fun, we must go together so you can experience one for the first time."

"I don’t think my mother will let me, and I’m too shy anyway."

"I’ll teach you not to be, but we can take it slow. We’ll go when you feel ready. Let’s start with bathing in your hot spring together."

"No! We’ll be spied upon. That’s happened to me before," Meili blushed furiously.

She was very self-conscious about her body, which she considered to be ungainly, and something to be disguised as much as possible. Meili turned back around now, tying up her top.

Sofya pealed with pretty laughter. "Where have you been hiding those? You must be binding your chest, are you? Don’t do that anymore," she shook her head in disapproval. "It’s not good for you. Why would you hide them anyway? They’re just a natural and lovely part of you. Men love such things; you should take every advantage the heavens have given you."

"No, no, I feel like an elephant, and they get in the way of my archery and my dancing. I thought that binding them might slow their growth, but it seems to have had the opposite effect," she said sadly.

"You, are nothing like an elephant. If anyone has told you that, it’s rubbish. From now on you must be proud of the beautiful young woman you are."

"That’s easy for you to say, look at you," Meili gazed on Sofya’s face and graceful figure with envy.

"You overshadow me entirely Meili, but I know you don’t like to talk about that, so let’s go," she took her new friend firmly by the hand.

When they arrived at the training ring, Meili saw with a sinking heart that the Second Prince was here today, training with her brothers. He looked across at her, smiling slightly as he nodded in greeting. She couldn’t help but blush as she remembered their last meeting at the fa gao fight.

Now she was really missing her chest binding, and she crossed her arms across her chest protectively. With just her brothers and Sofya, she hadn’t really minded, but the Second Prince was an entirely different matter. That man was a wolf and a philanderer who liked to toy with innocent women.

"Hello Uncle Wentian," called Meili. "I’ve brought Princess Sofya to join martial arts training today. She’s been looking forward to joining us."

"Princess, it’s my honour to meet you," bowed her Uncle. "May I know what level you are?"

Sofya inclined her head in return, greeting the Mei brothers and the Second Prince at the same time.

"I know all 24 stances Uncle. I’m considered an expert among the women in our tribe. I’ll admit I’m not as good as the best men though."

The men chuckled at the idea that a tiny woman, built as lightly as the princess was, could be any match for a male sparring partner. Sofya pulled her shoulders back, determined to prove them all wrong.

"Alright then ladies, please join us on the mats," said Uncle Wentian. "Princess, you pair up with Mei Renlong, Second with Third, Fourth with Fifth and Second Prince with Mei Meili."

"Uncle," said Meili uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot. Meanwhile Sofya ran across to stand opposite her First Brother.

The prince arrived to stand in front of her before she could take her protest any further. He gave her a wicked grin, sending shivers down her spine.

Then his eyes dropped to her chest, where she saw them fix for a few long seconds, and widen. The man had no shame! She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Jesus Christ, he thought. Where did they come from? She must have been binding her chest. She needed to! He wiped his brow which was suddenly sweaty. Was there no end to this woman’s charms?

This sparring was going to be very difficult for him. He must look in her eyes, only look in her eyes, just her eyes, he chanted to himself. ’The Master said, "In the Book of Poetry are three hundred pieces, but the design of them all may be embraced in one sentence – Having no depraved thoughts".’ He reasoned that quoting the Confucian Analects would aid in reducing the salacious thoughts that were running rampant in his head.

Meili noticed that he had the good grace to look sheepish now. At least he had some conscience, she thought. How dare he!

Uncle brought around wooden staffs for everyone, and the four matches started. The aim was to attack as much as possible and avoid always being on the back foot in defence.

Sofya moved rapidly after First Brother. He was at least a foot taller than her, and didn’t want to hurt her, but she was relentless in her pursuit of him. He chuckled as she fought with a ferocious intensity, which, while good for a girl, was nowhere near a match for him.

"Don’t patronise me Mei Renlong," she panted, chasing after him.

"I’m not patronising you; I just don’t want to hurt you. You’re very good ... for a woman," the man calmly met her blows, not a hair out of place.

That, was one of her most hated phrases. "Don’t hold back Mei Renlong. I can take whatever you throw at me."

"I don’t think you can. Let me be the judge of that."

"Mei ... Renlong," she gritted her teeth in frustration as he continued to lightly parry everything she threw at him, like he was batting away a fly. "Stop holding back on me. You’re looking down on me."

He smiled gently, as he continued to meet her, blow-for-blow, without so much as breaking a sweat. "I’m not looking down on you Princess, I’m respecting your skills, at the level that they’re at."

"Oh! Is that so! How can we know if you hold back like this? Respecting me would be showing me your best."

"I’m not sure your ego can handle that, Princess."

"Let me worry about my ego, Mei Renlong."

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