crossing the line AU

Chapter 1

Cassandra

I race through the castles corridors, sword in hand, wearing black leggings and some red turtle neck top. I apologise to every member of staff I knock over, feeling bad for causing the piles of clothes or trays of tableware they were carrying to crash into the floor.

Today I'm supposed to be attending my first ever training session with the royal gaurd, but I'm gonna be late if I don't get there right away. This took me so long to get, trying to convince my parents to actually let me do this was not in anyway an easy task, so I can't mess this up.
I've been training so hard for this very moment, and being late isn't giving me a good first impression.

I will not fuck this up.

"Careful princess, gosh, why are you in such a rush? And dressed like that?" a handmaiden asks me while we both pick up her pile of sheets I accidentally scattered.
"Sorry, I'm just on my way to the training ground. I'm going to train along side the gaurd today and training starts soon." I brush off simply, acting as if it's totally normal for a princess to be fighting along side her own gaurd. The handmaiden gives me a look, but tells me to go, that she's got the rest. I thank her and continue my way outside, being a little more careful this time.

***

"Cassandra. Your late." the captain says the second he notices me approaching them. I speed walk my way over, trying hard to catch back my breath while I talk.
"I'm sorry Cap, I won't make it a habit. I was just swamped with princess stuff and-"
"It's whatever child. Your hear now. I guess being late is better than not attending at all, but you better not push your luck if I agree to keeping you on the unit." he says in a hollow voice, his eyes glaring in my direction. I brush my short black hair out my face and put a hand on my chest.
"I promise." He let's out a loud sigh, then gestures for me to stand in line with the other guards. I feel a string pull at my spine, making me stand tall and confident just like the other men.

Now, time to become the first female on the royal gaurd.

Everything is riding on the moment.

"Ok men, and women," I feel the other guards eyes on my as he spoke. "today we will begin with warm ups, then jump straight into sword fighting. Your technique has been slacking a lot recently, and I need you perform at nothing but your best constantly. Got it?" They all speak a string of 'yes sir's and I follow suit.
Then, once the command is given, we start going through our warm ups. I stand in a fairly open spot beside two older looking men, both towering over me. I try and ignore them and focus on my warm ups, but there conversation strikes my interest.

"Hey, what's the princess doing here? I didn't know they were allowed to play with swords." One of them says, sweeping his blonde mop backwards, revealing his eyes. I can't help but swing around my sword and point it in his direction.
"Why? You got a problem with it?" My voice was harsh, low, while I stared daggers with my eyes. Both the men stare down at me, their eyes wide and their expressions frozen.
"No, I'm just saying that girls aren't made for fighting, especially Princesses. What? Did you just go up to your parents and just ask to fight for fun? For something to do? I bet you haven't even touched a sword until now. There's no way you can actually-" I lifted my sword to his neck and clenched my fist.
"Watch it." I warn, feeling something like anger boil my blood. I see him swallow hard.
"Cassandra. Your supposed to be warming up, not threatening my men." I hear Cap say from across the field. Reluctantly, I drop my sword to my side, causing the guy to give me a smug smile. I let a string of curses escape my lips.
"Sorry sir."

I know to everyone here I'm nothing more than a spoiled princess, a girl that's here only to sit on a throne and look pretty doing so, but I'm really not.
Little do they know, I stole this sword when I was 6 and have been secretly training with it in my bedroom ever since. I'm not here just because I'm bored, I'm here because I believe I deserve to be here. I believe I'm enough, that I deserve a chance on this team.
I didn't ask for a crown, the only thing I've ever wanted was to weild a sword in public, serving my people by protecting them from any threat that may affect their safety.
I want people to trust me, to let me help them, but not in the way a royal would, in a way a gaurd would.

After we'd all warmed up, we were set in pairs and told to spar. Cap would watch us and correct any of our mistakes that he spotted.
I don't know who I was paired with, but I really didn't care. I'm confident I could show any of these guys up, I doubt anyone here could give me a real challenge.
Though, it was funny watching him try and go easy on me.

"Oh come on, you really going all soft on me?" I ask innocently, batting my eyes while blocking yet another one of his pathetic attacks. He let's out a chesty laugh.
"You wouldn't be able to handle anything else I bet." our blades collide once again, and I take a minute to think about how exactly I'm going to mess with this guy. I could show him up in so many ways, but I'm leaning towards the option that says I completely destroy him.
Not only would I put him in his place, probably embarrassing him in front of his friends in the process, but I'd also show off my skills to the captain. Maybe it might earn my a few brownie points, and I could use as many as I can prodsibly get.

The minute I feel Cap's eyes on me, without any warning, I pull back, taking a swing that ultimately sends his sword flying in the air, and effortlessly jump over his head, grab his sword in my free hand, and land perfectly behind me. Leaving not even a scrape.
He spins around and looks down at me in estonishment.

"hm, you know, I'm starting to think you couldn't handle me." I reply smugly, smirking as I point his own sword at his chest.
I stand up and take a glance over at Cap, but instead of looking impressed, he let out a sigh and walked off. The guy snatches back his sword while I'm distracted, scoffing in my direction.

Did that seriously not even slightly impress him? Am I really that bad in his eyes. Seriously?

I go about the rest of the training normally, assuming my tricks aren't worth doing if no one is in any way impressed. I guess acting like the rest was my best way on the team.
Though, I was the only one who wasn't given a single correction.

But maybe I was the only one who realised that...