In a flash, Mei Renlong switched to attack mode and pushed the princess into defence.
Within seconds, he had disarmed her, and her staff flew into the middle of the match between Second and Third Brother, who kicked it to one side and kept sparring.
She ran over to collect it, flying straight back into the match with First.
"You see Princess," he said. "That's the kind of thing I was trying to shield you from."
"Again!" she commanded him.
He attacked her again, and this time he swept his staff under her feet, and she fell to the mats on her bottom. Okay, her ego was starting to get bruised, she thought, along with her dignity, but she wasn't ready to give up.
He reached his hand down to help her up, and she clasped his hand with a flush of pleasure. He had been thoughtless to grab her hand like that instead of her wrist. He felt the arc of electricity between them as he did it, and he did not fail to register the look on her face. He must be more careful with her.
