Eduardo waited for her. Lita thoroughly enjoyed the annoyed frown that crossed his face when she stepped into the gymnasium, emphasized by the sharp taps of his heels as he started across the polished wood floor to meet her. He obviously saw her as a mere boy, an intruder, and intended to keep her out. She bit her lip against laughing aloud and pulled the cap off her head, letting her ponytail fall free. Eduardo stopped short, his mouth dropped open and his eyes widened almost as large as his mouth. Lita pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

Then, to her delight, Eduardo grinned and executed a fancy bow to her. She didn't miss the way his gaze traveled over her, noting the lines of her legs in her baggy pants. As she followed him to the cabinet holding the fencing equipment, she decided she rather liked his appraisal, and that had never happened before.

"Esteban will be disappointed you can take care of yourself so well," Eduardo remarked, once they had chosen their weapons and picked through the padded jackets and face guards to find something that fit.

"Why?" She laughed, then felt that dropping sensation in her belly. There was always a dark side to every humorous remark, she had learned. She was heading into a totally new, unknown situation, after all. She could trust no one and nothing until they had proven themselves. Until she had proven herself capable. Until she had proven herself worthy. Until the people of Los Cielos had sworn loyalty to her.

Why did she have to marry Esteban? Why couldn't she pick from the remaining brothers? Lita would take Eduardo in a heartbeat. But it wasn't her heart that had to be satisfied. It was the needs of the valley, its people, and the heritage her father had entrusted to her.

"He will want to show off the efficiency of his soldiers, of course," Eduardo said with a grin, unaware of the turmoil of thoughts spinning through her head. "He has a decidedly twelfth-century view of how noble women should behave, how they should be treated. They do not include a woman who wears trousers and can fight off her attackers instead of swooning Ð a real lady never screams."

"Not even to summon help before she swoons?" Lita chose to take his words as he seemed to offer them Ð humorously.

"It's not delicate." He sighed and took a few lunging steps forward, sighting down the length of the foil. "I'm afraid my brother equates physical delicacy with mental delicacy, too."

"He won't be happy at all with me, will he?"

"No. Ah, but I pity him. You're going to turn his world upside down and inside out." Another lunge, then he saluted her with the blade. "Call on me for whatever help you need to make him totally miserable, Princess."

Lita laughed and saluted him back. By unspoken consent, they settled into the standard posture and routine for fencing practice.

To her delight, Eduardo was her match and didn't hold back anything as they proceeded through warm-ups, then slid into a true duel of skill. She licked her lips, tasting sweat, and muffled laughter that threatened to steal her breath. Eduardo presented the perfect test of her skill, and her stamina. Too bad he hadn't asked her to dance at the beginning of the evening last night. They could have danced all night without a glimmer of fatigue.