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him turning the other cheek from a certain romp or two in the hay, he thought, tossing one last glance at the wenches looking crestfallen that he was ready to leave.
    It was of no matter, he decided. He wasn't in the mood for any of them. The Royal Contest still plagued his mind and he doubted the frustration he had been carrying for his father and Alexandra would put him in the mood for the pleasures he was certain these wenches would provide.
    Malek rose. "I will take my leave as well." He turned to his men. "Return within the hour. We have an early start in the morn."
    "Aye," was the collective response around the table.
    Vasilis left the tavern with Malek, Ortega and Krako following them. A few minutes later, they were at their campsite and Vasilis stopped dead in his tracks, his body stiffening violently.
    He sucked in a harsh breath. "Holy Mother of God!"
    Sitting on a small boulder was Ariel, clapping her hands in glee and squealing with delight. "Alex wins!"
    Vasilis stared at his two guards, Nolan and Falk. They lay on the ground at Alex's feet, looking up at her with a mixture of shame, respect and awe. She planted her hands firmly on hips, her legs apart, her back straight and she was looking down at them with a huge grin on her face.
    "See? Now that proves size doesn't count. The secret is discipline and focus of not only your mind, but of your body, too, specifically your arms and legs."
    Vasilis was too shocked to move and judging by the dead silence beside him from Malek, Oretega and Krako, they were as dazed as he was.
    "Do it again, Alex!" Ariel cried.
    Nolan and Falk rose. "You must show us how you did that, Milady. It will come in handy out on the battlefield," Falk stated.
    "Aye," Nolan added slowly, his expression still in awe. "You must show us how to leap in the air and spin using your legs as weapons."
    Alexandra smiled. "All right, but it will take a lot of practice on your parts to get it right. I've trained for years to perfect this routine." She turned around, her back facing them and let her arms fall to her side. "Okay. One of you charge at me."
    "We cannot. We will harm you," Nolan said gruffly.
    She laughed. "Trust me. You won't."
    Vasilis would have liked to explore why the sound of a woman's soft laugh warmed his gut, but he was in too much shock as he watched Nolan charge her from the rear.
    Vasilis snapped. Had his guard lost his mind? She was still recuperating and he was charging at her like a ferocious lion attacking a young antelope.
    He sprung forward and managed to land himself between her back and Nolan's stampeding hulk. Immediately, Nolan stopped dead in his tracks as Alex felt behind her, spun around and grabbed Vasilis by the arm. She vaulted through the air above his head, taking his muscular frame along with her as she flipped him to the ground.
    Stunned, he heard dead silence except for Ariel whispering, "Uh oh."
    * * * *
    Alex ignored the pain in her leg. This exercise was good for her. What was it her dear mentor, Hiroshi Tanaka, had always told her. No pain meant no gain. If the stiffness and soreness in her muscles were any indication, she was healing very nicely.
    She straightened from the ground and extended her hand to the warrior she had just felled. She wasn't sure which one it was because it felt like both guards had gained mass in the last few minutes.
    She winced at the shaft of pain in her shoulder and turned around. She froze, staring at the furious and stunned gaze of Vasilis. She snapped her gaze to the side and saw the rest of the guards watching her with mortified fascination. Slowly, she brought her gaze back to Vasilis who was rising from the ground.
    "Funny you should drop by," she offered feebly, attempting a smile.
    He gave her a glowering look. "I was in the area."
    She hid her surprise at his comment. "I…I was teaching your men…a…" She couldn't finish. He was looking at her as though she'd sprouted another head.
    She waited and he remained silent,