"What kind of training did you have in mind?" I ask.

  "Why, you must study the blade, my love. What else?"

  I laugh at her phrasing. "Who's going to teach me, you?" Reka knows a lot of things, but somehow I don't think swordplay is one of them.

  Reka studies me intently, holding her chin and cutely tilting her head. "If you wished to walk the path of magic, perhaps. Though I confess, whether someone of your origin might show aptitude is a mystery."

  "You mean someone from Earth?"

  She nods. "Just so, my love. Your world is dead to magic. In time, you might be able to absorb the ambient energy of this plane and wield it like a native, but not as you are now."

  I confess, the prospect is interesting, but I've always been more of a "generic human fighter with a sword and shield" type guy. "Do you have guards? Knights sworn to you? I didn't see any when we arrived."

  "They are deployed on a long-range patrol," Reka informs me. She rises from her seat, and I join her at the window. "They scour the countryside to make sure none may approach without my leave. Refugees are allowed through, but no others."

  Dawn breaks, and more of the landscape is visible than yesterday. This castle dominates a valley with foothills surrounding it and a mountain range in the far distance. "Do we have enemies?" I ask plainly. This is an oddly defensive posture to take for a new isolated realm, in my opinion.

  "Only in the general sense. Some would object to us taking possession of these lands and fortifying them." She smiles wickedly. "Good thing no information is allowed to escape! The kingdoms of the south think these lands a barren waste; more fool them."

  "Can your knights really patrol all of this?" I indicate the sweeping vista with my hand. "It doesn't seem humanly possible."

  "Who said anything about humans?" Reka asks innocently. There must be some skepticism on my face because Reka has that look she gets when challenged by an arrogant student. She takes my hand and starts dragging me out of our "solar".

  "Hey, what about the dishes?"

  "Lords don't do dishes, dearest," she corrects me. "Your serving me was pleasing when we shared an apartment, but as my lord husband, it's beneath your dignity. Now come along."

  With no modesty whatsoever, Reka flings the robe aside and puts on another dress. This one seems more practical, like a working dress, no long droopy sleeves this time. There is a built-in corset that she has me lace up for her. The girls need their support, after all.

  As for myself, Reka picked out a combat outfit: boiled leather with a quilted gambeson over it. There's even a nice little sheath on the belt for the dinner dagger she gave me at the feast. My clothes, armor really, are surprisingly comfortable and fit perfectly. Was she really sending my measurements across dimensions? It's difficult to contemplate.

  As we walk through the castle, I notice how much bigger I am than the other humans, not just in height, but in muscles. I'm no Adonis, but I'm physically fit and did work out back on Earth.

  "By the goddess, what a lord," I hear someone mutter when we pass by. Do I really look that crazy? I thought I was normal!

  Reka squeezes my hand to get my attention. "Brad, you are very likely the biggest, strongest man in the world right now. With proper training, you'll be invincible."

  Can she read my thoughts? Terrifying, if true. I try to clear my mind as she leads me through a postern gate into an enclosed sand-and-gravel pit, with wooden dummies standing on the far side and a weapon rack on the opposite end. A training yard!

  My girlfriend, no wife, I correct myself internally, looks directly at the sun. "Nyte will be here by Terce, that is, the third hour, equivalent to nine AM or so."

  "Nighty?" Is that a person's name?

  "Nyte, Brad. N-y-t-e, Dame Nyte, the captain of my guards. She will be your instructor."

  Oh, a female knight! This should be cool. Two bells have struck since breakfast, so Terce should be soon. Time in this world isn't that hard to understand. "I'll start warming up then," I say, doing some jogging in place, followed by a few agility exercises I remember from high school football, just to break a bit of a sweat. It's hot out here, so it doesn't take long, especially since I'm wearing leather.

  The sound of gravel crunching beneath my boots is satisfying as I move around, getting a feel for the place. I hear something skittering behind me, barely audible, like a breath on the wind. I turn around to see what it is.

  "Holy shi-" The chime of a bell drowns out my expletive. Stumbling back in alarm, I nearly trip over my own feet. Quick as a flash, Reka is at my side, steadying me. When she has a mind to, she can move faster than you'd expect, even in heels.

  Goth girl, I think, wearing armor like a black knight, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

  "My lady." Nyte curtsies, bending her legs, her six spider legs on her spider lower body! Not human indeed!

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Yes, you heard that right. Reka's guard captain is half woman, half spider, better known as an Arachne!

  "Hello," I say tightly.

  Reka smirks at me, as if to say, "I told you so."

  Nyte watches our interplay with cold, emotionless, purple eyes. Long black hair drapes over half her face, but somehow both eyes stay visible, and locked on me. "This one is your mate?" she asks. Her voice is higher and thinner than her size would imply, almost girlish.

  "Just so, Dame Nyte. Brad is beyond precious to me. You will make him a proper killer, more than a match for some foppish Elven knight or two-bit Orc chieftain."

  The spider woman inclines her head. "As my lady commands." She bows to me in turn. "My lord."

  "Thank you, uh, Nyte, I'm eager to learn," I say with forced lightness, like I'm not talking to a spider monster.

  Nyte doesn't respond to me directly. "He looks sturdy enough, my lady, more than any man I've ever seen. Mayhap he'll prove capable, but no promises."

  "Don't mind her, Brad. Nyte has always been negative."

  "Losing a war will do that," Nyte replies, almost bitterly, but it's hard to tell with her unemotional delivery, or maybe spider girl emotions are different.

  Oh! She must be a veteran of that big war Reka told me about, I realize. Nyte looks young, but who can tell with other species? At my side, Reka stiffens slightly, must've touched a nerve.

  Nyte skitters to the weapon rack and returns with two swords and two shields. She really is nearly silent. On any other surface, she would be. "You're warmed up already," she says with grudging approval. With her two human arms and six spider legs below, Nyte makes minute adjustments to my body, showing me how to hold my sword and shield and take a fighting stance. "You can bear the weight, and that's more than most can say. Now maintain that stance and defend yourself!"

  Thwack! I intercept a sword slash, catching it on the shield, while keeping my feet planted.

  "Very good, now the other side!"

  Clang! Our swords clash, and I fend off the blow, the force of it jolting up my arm, but I hold. She's strong, though, stronger than I imagined.

  "Keep tracking me," Nyte instructs. "Hold your stance while turning to face me, and keep defending!" She moves laterally, with creepy, jittering, herky-jerky movements that flow without rhythm. Fast though! I try to keep her in front of me, but I can't turn as fast as she can move, not with those spider legs.

  Thwack! I just barely catch her sword on the lip of my shield. Thwack!

  "Oomph!" Raising the shield to guard against her high attack leaves me vulnerable below, and Nyte nails me with a thrust to the ribs, making me stumble backward.

  "Mind your strikes, Nyte, Brad is more durable than most men, but his hide isn't as thick as a demon's," Reka calls from the sidelines.

  Nyte raises her sword in acknowledgement. Thanks, honey, that one really smarts.

  The pattern continues. Nyte cuts from side to side, sometimes changing direction on a dime, trying to get an angle on me. I try to keep her in front, maintain my stance, and defend myself. A few times, she stops attacking, approaches, and creepily adjusts my stance with her front two spider legs. Up close, they look pretty hairy. In fact, they can grip like human hands. One leg grabs my sword arm and shows me how to parry in slow motion. We repeat it several times. Then her attacks start coming faster.

  Tang! I deflect her blow, doing my best to parry as she taught me, then rapidly sit back into my stance. Our practice continues for a while, and I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. Whenever my form slips, she corrects me. Today is pure stationary defense, which makes sense as a starting point. It's hot, I'm drenched in sweat, but this is actually kind of fun!

  "Enough!" Nyte calls. She glances over at Reka, who is looking smug again.

  "Well?" Reka inquires.

  Nyte grunts, her spider legs kicking up dirt. "Quick and strong, a fast learner too. His lordship is a worthy mate to you after all." The words sound like they cause Nyte physical pain as they leave her mouth.

  "Oho, my Dame, I do believe you haven't seen anything yet." Reka approaches, rubbing my temples while chanting a lullaby.

  "Reka, I'm all sweaty," I say, shying away, but she holds me firmly. I feel a sense of deja vu. Reka would often do this little ritual before I had a big test back when we were in school.

  While she does her little pep talk thing, I hold my sword at my side. It's blunt for practice, a one-handed arming sword, or just "sword" here, double-edged, for cut-and-thrust fighting. It feels perfect, natural, and the more I hold it, the more natural it feels.

  Reka has some watered wine brought up by a servant, and we have a little break together. "This time, really press the attack," Reka tells Nyte. She wasn't before? Oh boy, I'm in for it now.

  Even though I'm nervous, when we start back up, I find I'm having an easier time of it. This is a lot like Muay Thai, I realize. There are only so many angles Nyte can attack from. My movements are shorter, more focused, and I require less energy to fend off Nyte.

  Thwack! My shield blocks another blow, and I have to stop myself from instinctively counterattacking. This is defense, just defense. I can practice swinging my sword later.

  Something in Nyte's expression changes, and her purple eyes narrow with determination.

  Thwack! Thwack! Clang! She's throwing combinations now, and I have to seamlessly transition between using my shield to block and my sword to parry. The intimidating speed actually makes it easier for me. The faster Nyte moves, the faster I learn, it seems. It's almost like I settle into a flow state where I can anticipate her blows, moving to block before she even gets off her attack. My arms, though, are not having a good time at all. With Nyte going to town like she is, I'm starting to go numb.

  Nyte doesn't have to correct me anymore. I can feel my body instinctively holding the right position. I have no idea how much time has passed. Did a bell chime? Two? Who knows?

  "My lady plays dirty," Nyte says bitterly, and withdraws after one last furious attack that leaves my arms shaking.

  What? How? Did Reka buff me with magic? I look at her questioningly.

  "Just mind acceleration," my girlfriend says, clapping and cheering for me.

  I take a deep breath and wipe the sweat from my brow. "Mind acceleration?"

  "A spell that improves, ah, how do you say it? Neuroplasticity, I believe, as well as reaction time."

  That would do it. The longer the practice went on, the faster I learned. So much makes sense now. No wonder my grades went up after we started dating!

  "Still playing dirty, I say," Nyte complains.

  Reka laughs. "Cheer up, Nyte. You'll be glad of it when everyone praises you for training such a fine swordsman, and train him you shall. Every morning from now on. Make my Brad a peerless warrior, and I'll find you a mate as well."

  Nyte perks up. "Truly?"

  "Aye, and for all your sisters in my Black Widow Knights. More men will come to these lands, and I'll teach you the ways of love."

  The spider woman doesn't look convinced. "What about..."

  "No eating!" Reka punctuates the command with two claps, a very Earth gesture.

  Nyte looks like she wants to disagree, but lowers her head submissively. "As my lady commands."

  Dame Nyte