A/N: I love Isabelle. She's such a badass!!!

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Karen's POV

We're all back in our bed, me leaning my back against the headrest with Iris resting her head on my shoulder. Kevin is sitting on the other side of the bed his legs crisscrossed.

"So, you are scared and you never bothered to tell us?" he asks. 

What am I supposed to say to that?

"I didn't want to discourage you guys-" I begin but Iris cuts me off.

"Discourage us? If we were scared of this whole thing, I would have had a whole panic attack the moment I reached here, you fool!" she yells, jumping off from me and crawling her way to Kevin.

"Tell me you didn't say about this fear of yours to Darius or Caspian." scoffs Kevin.

I look down. I don't want to face them. I kept it from my best friends and told to Darius whom I met today and now I am feeling guilty.

"Seriously, Karen? You told them?" demands Iris.

"I thought we had no secrets between us," mumbles Kevin.

"I am so sorry! Please...please I won't do it again! I won't hide my feelings from you!" I beg them. I really don't want any bad blood between me and my friends, and I hate it when it happens.

And I don't want any of that now.

They look at each other and then Kevin shrugs and Iris groans.

"But you need to have a punishment." Kevin dictates.

"What are you gonna do? Spank me?" I joke.

"I might do that to Iris, not you!" chuckles Kevin.

"Hey!" she yells and slaps his arm.

I sigh. "So am I forgiven?" I ask.

"Yeah..." whispers Iris. "But if you dare do that again, I will spank that fine ass of yours myself!" she threatens.

"Oooooh, kinky!" 

"First of all, there's no way you'll bend me, and second, yes Kevin, she loves kinky!" I say. Kevin smirks at Iris who gives me a death glare.

"How about I bend you and she can spank you?" suggests Kevin.

"Why the hell are you talking about spanking me?" I shout.

"Because you deserve it!" yells Iris.

I huff falling back to the bed.

"What do you think about Darius and Caspian?" I ask.

"I like Caspian but I don't know about the Darius guy....didn't talk to him." shrugs Kevin.

"I talked to him!" exclaims Iris. "He's a Potterhead. The last thing I expected to be in here," states Iris. "Our conversation was mostly about Harry Potter." 

"I have an idea! What if we make Darius spank you?" he smirks, my eyes widening.

"That would be a sight. I am literally imagining it right now." 

"You guys suck!" I scoff.

"I don't know but I think you would suck harder!" Iris smirks and Kevin gasps, getting his first taste of a kinky and dirty Iris.

The most innocent looking one has the dirtiest mind. A lesson that I learned after becoming friends with Iris.

"Drop it! No one is spanking me!" I yell.

"I'll ask Darius," she says quite seriously that for one moment I thought she would actually do that.

"We would start training tomorrow! Like use weapons, know about creatures and other dangers, and learn to speak whatever language they speak!" states Kevin dreamily.

"It's Latin, Kevin," mumbles Iris.

"So you understood the things he called me?" I ask.

"Yeah...he called you amare, which means love. Then he called you delicaie, which means darling...I don't know what bellator means." shrugs Iris.

"Oh okay..." I blush. 

Caspian called me love! Love! And darling! Okay, I am freaking out!

"Karen?"

"Let's go to sleep!" 

"Babe, are you thinking what I am thinking?" Kevin asks Iris with a smirk.

"I think so...but what are you thinking?" she asks. He beckons her to come forward and he whispers something in her ear and she giggles.

"Yeah let's just go sleep!" she says and falls back into the bed.

We all lay down with Iris in between me and Kevin and the three of us drift off into a blissful sleep.

******

"KAREN!"

My heart bounces to my throat as I jolt upright and frantically search for the source of the sound that woke me up as though a bomb just exploded inside me. I see Kevin standing to me, shaking my shoulder to wake me up.

"WHAT? What is it? What happ-what happened?" I manage to choke out, my voice is hoarse.

"Something is going on outside. You have to check it out!" he exclaims and then rushes to Iris standing next to the window, looking down as if she is seeing the coolest thing ever.

"That's so cool!" she coos apparently finding whatever sight below very amusing.

"They're gonna teach us that!" Kevin exclaims.

"What is it?" I groan, now fully awake.

"Come on! Look at this!" Kevin beckons me to them. He then huffs, walking over to me, and pulling my groaning self up by my shoulders, and slowly pushing me to the large window.

I smile groggily at Iris and then look down. At first, I don't understand what I am seeing but as I focus more I see numerous men midst of colliding swords, in the field. To the right side of the field, is a number of arrows flying in a direction beyond my sight. A truly amazing sight to see in real life as I have seen stuff like this only in movies.

"Look at Caspian!" Iris points out. She has taken a liking to Caspian ever since they talked and Kevin is not so happy about it. 

He is teaching some people to shoot arrows from great distances. One of his pupils even manages to shoot two at once.

"He so skilled at that! He's the first one I'll go to!" she rejoices.

"Iris, baby?" whispers Kevin, looking very jealous.

"Yeah?" she answers not taking her eyes off Caspian. For some reason, I cannot help but feel jealous although not for the same reason as Kevin. But I know she has no such intentions.

"Baby, I am here!" he says almost pathetically to her ear with his hands on her hips. He shoots me a pleading look and I chuckle.

"She is not looking at him that way dude, chill!" I nudge him. "She loves archery and therefore finds anyone shooting an arrow very admirable. She crushes on Katniss Everdeen and Alec Lightwood for god sake!" I chuckle.

 Iris turns around to face him. "You thought I was admiring him that way? Seriously? Why?" she pouts.

"He's a bit of the jealous type, get used to it!" I advise her and resume my scanning for my other friend, Darius.

But when I finally see him, my jaw drops. He is shirtless with only a trouser like garment hanging low on his waist, currently engaged in sword fighting with some other guy. 

If he is going to train us dressed like that, I strongly doubt if I can make through the thing. But it's not like I wouldn't prefer it that way.

I hear a small knock on the door and Kevin answers it. Minutes later he comes back, pushing in a rather unique serving trolley inside.

"We're having breakfast here, then meet Caspian and Darius," he informs.

"No breakfast with the queen, thank god!" breaths Iris mow making her way towards the trolley. She and Kevin opens up the food and serves it on three different plates while I stay there, still looking at the practice going on below me.

Caspian is skilled with the bow and arrow. He even shoots four arrows at once into the direction beyond my sight. And Darius is fighting with a sword and it is the coolest sword fight I have ever seen.

"Karen, come over! We have to get there quickly!" calls out Iris. They are very excited to start training. Iris was whining yesterday because she thought it's going to be all about exercise and work out. Now, after finding out that there will be sword fighting and archery, she cannot wait to get into the business.

I quickly brush my teeth and then make my way over to them. We eat our breakfast and then get ready for the training.

Once we get down to the field, we are greeted by Caspian and Darius. They might have been training for the past hour or more but they haven't broken a drop of sweat but I am sure I will look like a sweating mess by the end of the training.

"What do you want to begin with?" asks Darius.

"Well, we saw you guys sword fighting and shooting arrows...so that's cool..." I trail off. What do I want to begin with? I look into the air to think clearly and then my eyes shoot to a shirtless Darius in front of me and the answer is delivered to my brain like the damn mailbox.

"I like to give a go for hand to hand combat!" I announce. I see Darius smirking out of the corner of my eyes and I smile to myself.

"What about you guys?" Caspian asks Kevin and Iris.

"Can we do archery? I love archery!" says Iris shyly.

"Sure Iris, I'll teach you archery. Even I love archery!" he chirps. "Uh...why are you shy?"

"I'm not shy...I was...you know...nevermind!" she waves him off and we chuckle.

"What about you Kevin?" asks Caspian.

"Same as her," he says putting an arm around Iris' shoulders.

Darius slaps his hand together. "So, let's get to business!". Iris and Kevin goes to the other side of the field with Caspian; to the archery section and I go with Darius. Apparently, hand to hand combat practice is not done in the field.

"I just saw you fighting a guy, up from my room. Why can't we do it in the field?" I ask as he leads me to what looks like a modern gym room.

He chuckles but doesn't say anything and we enter the room. As soon as I enter it, I am pretty sure that this one has never been used. This room does not carry evidence of being used and smells like fresh metal and leather. The room is well stocked with equipment of different sorts, all making it look like a very lavish gym.

I admire the whole room making my way to examine all the powerful, heavy-looking equipment which surrounds me.

"Why does this look like a modern world, a lavish gym?" I ask.

"I knew that at one point, you guys will have to do the training and I suspected that you would hate the Eponian training rooms. Even I hate them. This," he motions the entire room, "I believe would be perfect for your training." 

"So, why are Iris and Kevin not practicing here then?" I ask.

"The archery section is not established yet...we're still working on that," he says and I nod, walking over to the big dumbbells arranged on the floor and various shelves.

When I turn to look at Darius, he is standing behind a glass door and behind him is a shelf stacked with bottled water. He drains a bottle of water, a hand placed on his hip and the other holding the bottle. I guess he senses me staring because he then suddenly looks at me and smirks.

If it weren't for that beautiful smirk of his, I would've scoffed away. But that wouldn't work with him. He disposes the bottle and then slowly walks over to me, bending down to the height of a very embarrassed me.

"How about we get to work, princess?" he whispers in my ear. His hot breath fans my neck as he speaks and I bet my face as red as a tomato.  I clear my throat and speak again.

"Why don't you put on a shirt, Darius?" I suggest smugly because I am not going to give in to him easily. After all, I'm a princess!

"Why, princess?" he folds his arms over his chest, flexing his biceps but I look straight at his blue eyes when I speak next.

"Because..." I whisper. "I don't want to touch your bare skin, while I kick your ass!" 

Let's see who can control for a longer time.

He chuckles. "Who said you would be kicking my ass, princess?"

"I said!" I sass.

"And why do you think so?" he asks grinning widely now.

"Because your ass looks very kickable!" I joke.

"Does it now?" he raises an eyebrow and begins to walk forward. I step backward but he seems to have no plan to stop.

"It always did!" I say and he chuckles again.

"So you checked out my ass, huh?" he smirks.

"I mean, it is not invisible, is it?" I tell. Just then, my back hits a hard wall, forcing me to stop moving back. 

Oh no!

Darius's grin widens as he moves closer and when he finally reaches me, he places his arms on either side of me on the wall, caging me between his chiseled body and the hard wall. All I hear is my heavy breathing now, and my breath hitches when he dips his head down.

"Tell me why I should put on a shirt, princess?" he whispers in my ear.

"Because...I said so!" I blurt out.

"You never give in, do you?" he asks, gazing at me through his beautiful blues.

"What answer are you expecting?" I raise an eyebrow.

"The truth." 

His gaze is so intense, that that one deep stare forces me to tell him the truth.

"Fine! You distract me, alright! Now put on a damn shirt and train me." I scoff and he chuckles. "And don't call me princess!"

"But you are our princess." he reminds.

"I have a name, Darius!"

"Okay, which one should I call you?" he asks cheekily.

"Karen."

"Okay...princess!"

He does as told, puts on a dark red t-shirt, and then we begin to train. And it's nothing that I expected. I thought he would go easy on me but he is very professional when it comes to stuff like this. It's like that initial teasing never happened.

Many times, as I try to punch him, he blocks me and spins my entire body in the air, with me landing on the floor on my ass. After he learns that I am only a beginner in this stuff, he teaches easier, simpler, beginner moves. Contrary to what I said, he is the one who is kicking my ass today.

"Karen, you need to build muscle. Focus!" he admonishes as I pant heavily.

"I...I need...I need a minute." I pant, trying to catch my breath. All my developed strength seems to go unnoticed under his control.

"Come on, Karen!" he insists.

"I have just begun training. You can't go this hard on me in the beginning! I need some time to catch up, Darius! I am not one of your bulky, strong soldiers. Don't be this hard on me!" I snap.

"You don't have enough time to go slow, Karen." he reminds.

"You say that I would be comfortable with this whole set, but you are teaching me very hard, rough moves. Teach me, the normal stuff...like boxing...or karate...kung fu...or something." I suggest and he shakes his head.

"That shit will get you killed in Eponine, Karen!" he hisses.

"Please, Darius! You're too rough on me! I'll pass out!" I beg him.

Darius watches me for what feels like forever before he speaks the words I long to hear.

"Fine! Take twenty minutes rest! Only twenty minutes!" he says and I nod vigorously in gratitude. I sit down on the floor and lay there just trying to catch my breath. We've been training for four hours straight with no breaks in between. If I hadn't developed that super strength, I would've passed out in the first forty minutes.

He is one ruthless trainer. I look at the ceiling and keep breathing while Darius is just sitting there, smirking at me. And this continues for the next fifteen minutes.

"You are so ruthless, Darius!" I comment.

"I want to toughen you up, pudding!" he says and I jeer.

"Did you just call me pudding?" I sit up.

"Yeah, you are as soft as a pudding. I want to make you as hard as...a nice crunchy cookie."

"And once I am hard, you'll call me a cookie?" I fume.

"Maybe!" he shrugs.

"Darius, I can't train anymore today!" I groan. "I don't even think I can walk. My knees are shaking, I am feeling dizzy." I almost sob.

"Stand up!" he commands. He sounds so dominating and it makes me want to do it but I am just...so... weak.

"I need some more time!" I beg.

"Karen, I said stand up!" he orders again, with more intensity in his voice and I want to just cry right now. I feel too weak to even force myself.

"Please, Darius, please...I can't!" I whine.

"Karen, if you don't do what I am saying, I'll punish you!" he warns.

"W-What punishment?" I ask planning to agree on whatever punishment he has for me because there is no way that I can continue the training.

"Your favorite..."

"Huh?" 

"You like being spanked, don't you?" he smirks and my jaw drops. 

What? What did he just say? Spank?

"What?" I choke out.

"I said, you like getting spanked, don't you?" he asks again and my eyes widen to the size of saucepans.

"Who the hell likes getting spanked?" I fume and he chuckles. I swear, if he doesn't stop laughing, I will kick his nuts even though, right now I am not able to move an inch.

"Well, your best friend Kevin told me that you like to get spanked. If you don't listen to my orders, I might as well do that," he tells. 

Kevin? He is so screwed today!

"I will kick you..... if you do that!" I bark and he laughs again.

"Stand up, Karen!" he orders again and I try to stand out of fear that he might actually spank me. Not that I am scared of it, it sounds quite hot, but it's not right!

But when I finally make it to my feet, my knees give out and I begin to fall down but Darius catches me from falling. He holds my shoulders and supports my waist with his other hand and I lean my head back on his chest out of fatigue and look up at him.

If I hadn't taken that rest, I could've at least be standing. The human body works in weird ways!

"I told you, Darius, I am not able to stand. I don't even know how I will walk back to my room." I whisper.

His eyes soften. "Okay...I am sorry...we'll stop training for today, okay?" he sighs.

"Don't spank me!" I mumble.

"Never, pudding," he assures and then slips his arm under my knees and picks me up effortlessly. I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head on his shoulder and it's pretty comfortable since I have plenty of space on his chest to lean my head-on.

I thought I would give in to him easily but I wore out today. But underneath all that toughness and ruthlessness, the way his face softened when I began to fall, proves to me that he has a kind heart. He carries me like I am a very delicate, small thing which I might be now.

"Where are we going, Darius?" I mutter slowly.

"To your room, pudding. You can sleep," he says smiles, and the prospect of the bed warm my heart. I just want to get beneath the covers and cuddle and sleep. Now I feel like Iris, small and delicate, and always want to cuddle.

"Should we train tomorrow?" I ask, dreading the prospect.

"Yes darling, we should. You'll be fine by then, won't you?" he coos, and I nod.

After entering my room, he slowly and carefully places me on the bed, sets the pillows, and puts me into the covers.

"I didn't shower! I am sweaty!" I inform. He smiles at me tenderly and then flicks his long fingers. The sensation I feel is indescribable as whatever he did makes me fresh like I just came out of the shower. A good long hot shower. Even my clothes are changed to fresh ones. I look up at him, utterly surprised and he smiles.

"I'll explain that later, pudding!" he winks and stands up to leave but I hold his hand back.

"Will you stay with me? Please?" I request weakly. For some reason, I enjoy his presence and I want it by my side more and I don't want to fall asleep alone right now. He sighs and then without a word, slides into the covers with me. I smile contently, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his broad, hard chest.

"I will leave once you sleep, okay?" he says and I nod. That's enough. That's more than enough.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"Shh...go to sleep, princess!" he coos, wrapping his giant arms around me and I drift off to sleep.   

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A/N: Phew! This is the longest chapter I have written so far. How do you guys like Darius? Comment below! And don't forget to put a goofy smile on my face by clicking that little star. Voties!!!!