Chapter 2
"Yes, my lady," Asleem responded in a mocking voice. Roksolana let it slide, knowing that she started it. "Princess Roksolana Selim." He shouted as much as his lungs would permit.
Roksolana summoned her best smile, held her hands in front of her, and squared her shoulder high. When the door opened, she walked as gently as she could bring herself to. She didn't want to mess up, especially not today. She knew just how much her father had gone through to make her get a chance to do what she truly loved doing, which was dancing.
She smiled her greetings at the people standing as custom demands. She paid her respect to the elites seated at the high table close to the Sultan. When she got to her seat, she ruffled Abaan's hair which got her a scowl from the twelve years old man. She smiled at her father, who nodded his head slightly as a sign of acknowledgment.
She and her father had come to a compromise back then, six years ago, after giving him and her tutors trouble her first year of training. As long as she was obedient and practiced sword skills, he would let her dance every year at the hall of fame. It was a compromise that Roksolana wasn't ready to accept, knowing that women were not allowed to participate in anything according to the law. But, when her father had made it possible the first year, she had agreed faster than a moving ball of cannon fire.
When she had asked her father why he was breaking protocols for her. He had told her it wasn't just for her, it was for every girl child in the Dar Sila tribe. He told her that through what he was doing with her, he hoped the other parents would let their daughters be someone fulfilled by doing what they wanted to do, not just being a housewife.
So, Roksolana had turned into a rebel this year after getting approval from the Sultan and convinced some other ladies to join her in dancing and some of the others in joining the competition. It took her a lot of effort and cajoling to get them to change their minds. She hoped that doing this would help men realize that women aren't just good for marriage alone. She also hoped that the women themselves would be fulfilled by the end of the day.
"Assalam Alaikum." The Sultan greeted everyone.
Everyone stood up and responded, "Wa Alaikum Assalam," bowing their heads as a sign of respect to their Sultan. Her father gestured for them to sit down.
"Everyone. We are gathered here today for our one day of the test. As we all know, it is a day we test our strengths in our chosen fields to know our strengths and weaknesses. I hope everyone will join in. Allah's blessings are upon us." The Sultan finished.
Everyone moved out of the hall to the training ground where the first competition would take place. The rules of the game were simple. There were 20 competitors in the game and they were divided into groups of two where they were to fight amongst themselves until only two people were standing to compete. The last person standing would be the winner of the year and bestowed upon the title of the fiercest fighter.
The younger generation was allowed to start with the competition. It was a fight of honor between them all, as they consider it an initiation into adulthood. Abaan came first and Roksolana smiled as she saw her father ruffled the young man's hair, which got the Sultan a scowl. Then, it was the turn of the adults.
General Asleem was the first to compete with his opponent and it was a quick match. Everyone already knew the other man would never have been able to even scratch a single hair off the general's head. Three more matches followed in quick succession, and it was Roksolana's turn.
Her opponent was a man who resented her fighting among men, so she already expected a tough match. As they drew their sword, Roksolana could see the killing intent on the man's face and she smiled. The smile must have made the man even more furious because he rushed forward, uncalculating. Roksolana dodged the first attack with her sword and jabbed the man in his stomach with her left hand at the same time. While that wasn't supposed to affect the man, he still staggered a bit backward because he wasn't expecting it.
The man kicked her in the stomach with his legs and Roksolana doubled over. Her opponent took advantage of that and slashed her right arm with his sword. Roksolana didn't have time to think about the wound as she saw the sword hovering over her head. She quickly halted the harsh move raising her sword over her neck, and the result was a clashing sound.
Surprised by her action, the man repeated the frontal attack which gave Roksolana the advantage she needed. She rolled over and slashed the man by his thigh and his left arm. Roksolana heard some of the women cheer for her and chuckled. She brought her focus back on the man now standing again.
The man threw his sword away and rushed over to Roksolana. He held her right hand at the site where she was injured and she cried out in pain, nearly dropping the sword in her hand. And that was when the man's plan made sense to her. He wanted her to drop the sword. Roksolana smiled and did exactly what her opponent wanted.
Before the sword could get to the ground, she grabbed it with her left hand, and tilted the hilt forward, smacking the man's head with it. Her opponent was unconscious in a matter of seconds. Roksolana allowed the sword to fall and grabbed her injured arm. The shout of joy from the women made the pain a little bearable.
The competition continued and they got thinned out until it was just her and general Asleem left. As she moved into the ring demarcation, she swallowed some saliva. This was the first time she would be formally competing against Asleem. They had always fought against themselves, but it was for practice purposes. And as far as she knew, he was the strongest among their groups. The general had always stayed away from competing. Roksolana wondered why he chose differently this year.
"I had hoped that you would come this far, my lady," Asleem told her, circling the ring.
"Why?" Roksolana asked, copying his action.
"Sultan said I can only marry you if I overthrow you in this fight. And just so you know, I won't go easy on you." He explained to her.
Roksolana threw a glance at her father and frowned. Her father had promised to let her know who he would choose for her and let her decide if she wanted him. But with this action, an alliance had been agreed upon by the Sultan and his best friend.
"Watch out," Asleem warned her just before he attacked.
Roksolana dodged the sword waving itself at her. Before she could balance herself, another sword slashed her arm. She had forgotten that Asleem used two swords in fighting. When she looked at the cut he had made, she noticed it was a very light cut. It was like he hadn't wanted to hurt her more than he needed to.
"Told you I wouldn't go easy on you," Asleem told her.
And then, it was a matter of dodging and attacking for both of them. About 20 minutes into the fight, Roksolana realized she wouldn't be able to defeat the man. Nevertheless, she wasn't willing to give in to him that easily. She saw an opening and slashed his arm. Asleem looked surprised that she was able to get a cut on him, she smiled. He threw a sword at her and she waved it away with her swords. He was in her face before she knew it and stamping her hard on her foot, she fell. She felt the cold steel of the blade on her neck and knew she had lost.
"You cheated," Roksolana told him.
"You mean I did good planning? Sometimes, being the best is not a guarantee of winning. You need a strategy, Roksolana." He told her, holding out his hand for her. She shook it away and got up on her own, which made him smile at her.