Re: Mary and Elizabeth
"Suppose you must take advantage while you still can." She couldn't be sure how far along the woman was, but even she knew that soon enough she would have to be even more careful then now.
"Yes," Elizabeth smiled. Perhaps she should be tired of people assuming that she was unskilled in combat-and in a sense she was-but she wasn't so tired as to not discuss skill. "Since the age of six, I have trained in how to use a dagger and fire-arms, and when I was eight, my sister and I were sent to China to train in the martial arts and conditioning of the Shaolin monks."
And had done so since her younger sisters each reached that same age. Even now, thinking back to those first few months, she still hurt with the same residual pain that came with the exacting nature of their master. "And, I also trained with with samurai sword to make mother happy-Japan is seen as more fashionable."
The last was said as a sort of afterthought. For all Elizabeth did appreciate the art of kendo, she still felt more for her shaolin training.