The Half-Blood Princess by Mihaela Bogdan (best books to read for self improvement TXT) 📖

grab my left arm and when she was about to beat me to the ground, I stood strong on my feet and hit her on the cheek, making her to crush on the ground instead of me.
  -Finally, you attacked me princess, but it wasn’t enough. If you want to make your opponent stay on the ground for longer, you must hit him/her with all your strength.
  This time, I was the one being thrown to the dusty ground. My dress was full of dry soil and pieces of grass. My hair was also a mess and I could taste the thin blood bits in my mouth. My bones and muscles hurt so bad that if they had a mouth, they would have said nothing but curses towards me for letting them get beat up this badly. And I don’t hold a grudge on them.
  What was I saying?! I guess my mind is beat up as well if I came to talk about my bones and muscles as if they were human beings.
  -What do you intend to do? Are you going to continue the fight or do you give up? Miranda asked me, seeing how heavy I was breathing.
  -Let us continue tomorrow. I need my energy at full capacity.
  -If you say so.
  -I want to know something before we go: How did I do in our first fight?
  -For a beginner, not bad, but you could have done better. I know some useful moves for you, for a woman!
  Miranda pronounced the word ‘woman’ loudly than the other words.
  -What do you mean ‘for a woman’?
  -Let me show you. Cornelius come over here!
  Cornelius was standing near the back door, watching my training. He wanted to help me when Miranda had thrown me into the wall, but he managed to stay there, knowing that if he occurs, Miranda will get upset.
  -Yes, my lady?
  -Let us show the princess how a man’s moves are different from a woman’s in a battle.
  -As you wish, if it is for the princess’s sake. He added looking at me with a smirk and full of himself.
  Was it bad that in my mind I wished that Miranda would ‘cure’ his arrogance with a strong kick or some other powerful move? I think not!
  At first, Miranda and Cornelius had the same moves, but as I watched them, I noticed something different. Miranda was attacking hard and merciless, but her moves were graceful and so light that I thought she was a ballerina or even a swan.
  Cornelius, on the other hand, had calculated and very precise moves, like a true soldier. I used my imagination to picture in my head a ballerina fighting with a soldier. This thought almost made me laugh, but I control myself and tried to learn Miranda’s moves.
  The fight finished with a tie, because the sun was about to rise any minute now and judging by their performances, Miranda and Cornelius were both equally strong and agile.
  Night came the next day, and this time I managed to reproduce some of Miranda’s fighting moves, some better, some not so good. She defeated me again, of course. After that she helped me practice the moves I was good at, to improve them and adjust them by my personality. The last few days flew like seconds. A day before the duel, a vampire from town came to the castle. It was Henry.
  -Princess Valentina, you must come into town quick! He said with a paler skin.
  -What is it? I asked worried.
  -Dragomir Ivanov is in the town’s center, he wants to say something to you before the duel.
  I looked at Miranda and Cornelius and they both agreed to come with me. The town changed completely in the last month. The colorful houses were now all painted in black or dark colors, in a gothic style. The rooftops had ugly statues representing mythical creatures such as dragons, snakes or even devils. The devils had the creepier appearance of them all. The church and the school were the only buildings left unchanged.
  That was a sign that even if I’m not the ruler yet, the vampires followed my order. Dragomir was talking to some of his faithful companions, when we arrived in the town’s center. Henry stayed at the castle to rest and Scarlet and Rose were his care givers. I bet he feels like in Heaven right now.
  -Dragomir Ivanov, you wanted to see me? I asked looking suspiciously at him.
  -Ah, the princess has arrived, followed by my son and sister-in-law! How nice! Do you see that, my good friends? Valentina Dracula is stealing my family since she’s a vampire now. Dragomir said with an evil smile, looking at his friends while pointing towards me.
  -I didn’t steal them from you, you lost their trust and respect when you murdered your best friend, my father and their king! I responded, feeling my eyes hot as flames, guessing that they are, most likely, glowing stronger than the sun.
  -She is right! Cornelius added and came near me. He then put his right arm around my shoulders.
  -As for me, I never liked the idea of having you as part of my family. Miranda said standing next to me.
  Now I was between the two of them. They said that they would be my bodyguards in case Dragomir tries to hurt me before the duel.
  -I see you two made your choice about who’s side you are on. Very well! See you tomorrow, princess Valentina Dracula!
  After this, Dragomir and his friends disappeared.
  -Why on earth did he want to see me? I don’t understand! I was really confused right now.
  -Maybe he wanted to see if we changed our minds about helping you; Miranda responded bored. Let us return, we wasted precious time here.
  Cornelius kissed me slowly on the cheek and said:
  -Don’t worry love, I believe you could win!
  It was an hour before the sunrise, after that the duel was near. Henry and Cornelius were sleeping in the same bedroom. Miranda, Scarlet and Rose went to bed early as well. Only I wasn’t tired at all. In hope to get sleepy, I start thinking about my outfit for tomorrow. My wardrobe was full of dresses that weren’t fit on the battlefield.
  I decided to go see my father’s bedroom at the end of the corridor. Come to think of it, since I came at the castle, I never went to see father’s bedroom. Now I had the occasion. When I opened the door, the room was exactly like the one mother described it in her dairy pages. I went to the wardrobe and checked father’s clothes.
  To my surprise, they were nearly my size. I guessed his diet on animal blood made him this thin. I took a pair of black pants and a red blouse with loose sleeves and tried them on. They fit me perfectly, like a glove. I went to my room and checked my new outfit in the mirror. My curved body parts looked beautiful in those men pants and blouse.
  My hair was too long though. The clothes and hair were the only things seen in the mirror, but I was pleased. I took a pair of scissors out from a drawer and began to cut my hair. After I have done cutting, my hair was short, it reached my neck.
  With my father’s clothes and hair cut short, I felt like a man. This sensation gave me courage and self confidence. My feet got cold so I had to search in my wardrobe again for the perfect pair of shoes. A pair of black summer shoes, with no heels matched perfectly my new clothing.
  Now I was prepared, physically and mentally, for the duel with Dragomir Ivanov.
  ”Do not worry father, I rather die than letting that traitor to take away your crown and throne. By law, they belong to me, since I am your only inheritor! And if someone tries to take them away from me, they have to kill me first!
  Father, where ever you are now, I hope you’ll be with me tomorrow on the battlefield, helping and protecting me. I love you, daddy!” XXV/25

The night of the decisive duel has finally arrived. After a month of hard training, many nights when I never stood in one place for even a second and many days of heavy sleep, all made my muscles stronger and harder. My being also changed, my pitiful personality vanished a little, I felt my heart as cold as a winter night.
  As I arrived in the library, the others were there drinking the last drops of blood from the basement. At my view, they stood speechless seeing my new outfit and hair.
  -You are wearing your father’s clothes? Scarlet asked, looking more impressed than surprised.
  -And you cut your hair? Rose asked, looking as if I had cut an important part of my body.
  -My wardrobe is full of dresses and they are useless on the battlefield. But my father’s clothes fit me nice, don’t they?! As for my hair, it was too long. This short, it makes me look like a serious and brave fighter.
  -You are right, princess. A dress would have been an impediment for you. You thought well. Miranda approved me.
  -Cornelius? Don’t you have anything to say? I asked looking curious at him.
  The moment I set foot in the library, Cornelius has been staring at me with his eyes wide open, and a half opened mouth. After I asked him, he shut it. Only when Henry hit him with his elbow in the arm, he managed to say some words:
  -I ... you ... you look ... a-amazing.
  -Forgive him, princess Valentina. He is surprised by your new appearance like the rest of us. Henry said, trying to be as polite as he could.
  -Henry, just call me Valentina. I already forgave you when I threw you into that tree.
  -Thank you prin... I mean Valentina.
  He blushed when I reminded him of how he got punished in front of everyone for not being polite regarding to father’s funeral. Rose giggled looking at his blushing cheeks and Scarlet just rolled her eyes in the other direction.
  When we arrived in town, it looked deserted. Everyone had gathered in one place: in the town’s center. It was a huge round empty place, perfect for an arena. Besides it, there where put many benches and between them and the arena, a high fence wire was placed. Here and there, tall torches were placed with blue flames burning on top of them, making light all over the place, because the moon was too small to make enough light by itself.
  The vampires were sitting on the benches, some climbed on the