"Celia, I'm telling you this isn't a good idea.. I could really hurt you!" Nicholai pleaded with me earnestly
"No, you promised!.. besides I can handle it.. I used to train with my dad when I was younger.." I retorted

"Yes, I know.. but that was different.. you were a vampire back then.. and I know technically you're still one now, but without any abilities whatsoever you're basically like an immortal human. Why is this so important to you?!" He asked exasperatedly,  for the millionth time.

"Darling I understand what you're trying to say.. but first of all, we have a vial of ephouri. It heals just as well and as quickly as vampire healing abilities. Nicholai, I'll be fine, and this is really important to me.. I hate feeling so helpless in all this, I want to learn how to defend myself." I rose to my tip-toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips, smiling winningly into his eyes. "You're not gonna let this go are you Celia?." He sighed as I nodded in response.
I pumped my fist in the air as I saw him relent and concede defeat.

"Ok, first your weapon." He strode over to the servant who was waiting obediently in the corner of the dark room. Taking something out of his outstretched arms Nicholai turned back to me and unsheathed possibly the most beautiful sword I'd ever seen from it's casing.
"I had this crafted specially for you.. it made of pure silver, which as you know is highly poisinous to vampires. also it's made from a highly rare type of silver not found in the mortal world, and for that reason it is almost weightless." He handed it to me.
"wow.." I breathed,

"well when we're training you wont be using that sword on me, for obvious reasons.. Instead you'll be using.. this one." He said as he received a second sword from the same servant. This one was dark, but otherwise Identical to the silver one.
"This sword was crafted in the exact same way as the other one.. It is the very same, simply with the silver extracted." He said exchanging the dark sword with the silver one in my hands.
He handed the silver back to the servant and turned to face me.

"Now, I am going to train you rather differently than your father did... he taught you how to duel, facing your opponent head on and all that.. am i right?"
I nodded in response.
"Well, we can't do that because if you attack a vampire head on, sword or not .. you will die." He stated in a matter of fact tone, in the same way one would say the sky is blue. I swallowed and nodded again.
"The only way you could fight a vampire as you are now, is if they were caught un-awares. If they do not know you are armed or trained, they won't see an attack coming, so you have an oppurtunity to pierce them with your sword, and that's all you need to do..  the sword itself will do the rest."

He must have seen the confusion in my face because he went on to explain.
"See everytime you pierce somebody with your sword it leaves a large amount of silver residue behind when you pull it out.. so basically, your tactics will always be, pierce and run. The silver residue in the vampires bloodstream will slowly poison it till it dies, some vampires - only extremely powerful ones of course - can continue to battle even as the silver is killing them.. regardless, they will probably be too weak to catch up to you. So, the most important thing we must do is work on your agility"

"And now, we begin." with that he tossed aside his swrd and flew at me, fangs bared. I quickly sidestepped the attack, but not quick enough, he still knocked me to the groung and pinned me down.
"So if I were an attacker, what would you do now?... " He roared harshly, deep down I knew it was part of the training, but him being so vicious frightened me regardless.
"What will you do, lay there and cower  in terror while they devour you?!" I flinched at the venom in his words. Unwittingly, I began to cry.
Sighing, he released me.. his fangs receding. He lifted me from the ground cradling me to his chest while I sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry, I was simply trying to show you what I've been saying all this time.. it's far too dangerous, a real attacker would have been far more brutal, vampires are cruel creatures, we like to rip a victim to shreds before even touching them. Darling, I know you want this so badly, but I'm sorry.. I don't think you can handle it..." He said softly as he stroked my hair.

I looked up at him. "I can.. no - hear me out!..
I can do this, I know I broke down, but this was my first time.. Nicholai..I need this.  I need to know that if it comes down to it, I have some hope of defending myself..
I know you're hesistant about this whole thing mostly because you think that I f im trained I'll beleive I can handle anything I go rushing into something that is way out my depth.. but I wont!.. I promise, It will be a last resort.. please Nicholai.. just trust me, I can do this!"

He sighed wearily, then after a few moments, nodded his assent.
"Ok, but we shall begin... tommorow, you've had enough for today.."