THE FLOWER AND HER BLADE Duchess Merellis Armelia, mother of Iris Armelia, is the Flower of High Society, a gorgeous woman known for her unmatched skills on the social battlefield. Now begins the untold tale of her girlhood, during which she wielded not her charms but her blade. Introduced to the ways of the sword by her father after losing her mother to a violent bandit attack, Merellis quickly showed great promise. But in the kingdom of Tasmeria, women are barred from the knighthood. How can she remain true to herself and still protect the people of her beloved home?