"C'mon, focus! If you keep holding back I'll just keep beating you without ever breaking a sweat."
>You take a step towards where you son lies sprawled on the floor and offer him a hand, pulling him to his hooves.
>Patting him on the shoulder, you hand him back the training longsword that you'd wrenched from his grip before knocking him down.
"Make your strikes count, lad."
>Radiance pulls his mask from his head and takes several deep breaths, clearly growing tired.
>"It's hard... I don't want to actually hurt you."
>You chuckle as your boy takes a drink of water.
"Trust me, I've had far worse than a knock on the head with a wooden sword. You should see how hard your mother kicks when she's sleeping."
>That was true, your wife did tend to have what you'd taken to calling horsey dreams in which you expect she believed that she was running.
>In a way she reminded you of a dog, not that you'd ever tell her that.
>Still though, you'd quickly learned that Celestia's hind legs were a menace to a good night's sleep and more than once you'd been rudely awoken by a swift hoof to the kneecap or lower back.
>Thank the powers that be that she preferred to be the little spoon most of the time.
>Sighing tiredly, your son pulls his mask back over his face and assumes the ready position.
"Remember, one hand just below the cross-guard and one on the pommel. The power of your swing should come from the later and the former should be for control... Now this time hit me hard."
>Seeing your son go in for an obvious strike to the head, you step forwards and parry his blow before ramming into him with your shoulder and knocking him off balance.
"Again, and this time don't make it so easy to predict what you're going to do."
>"This isn't fair, you're a foot taller than me and weigh a whole lot more than I do."
>This time you knock your son's sword to the side and catch him on the back of the neck with the point of your cross-guard as he attempts to catch you with a surprise thrust.

"Fights aren't fair, Radiance. In reality there are no rules of chivalry or honour on a battlefield."
>Trapping the boy's blade under your foot, you use your bodyweight to prize it from his hands before knocking the wind out of him and causing him to double over with a swift knee to the gut, followed immediately after by a strike to his undefended back.
"In an actual fight you punch, kick, claw, gouge and do whatever you need to to make sure you'll be going home and the poor bastard that made the mistake of facing you won't be. 
>Your boy once again picks up his sword and gets into the ready position.
"Fighting in the mud? Good, then get a handful and throw it in his eyes. Is he already injured and bleeding? Even better, play it safe and keep your distance then move in to kill him when he's so weak he can barely stand, or preferably leave him alone to bleed to death. Get into a fight you don't stand a good chance of winning? Then run away."
>Once more avoiding Radiance's strike, you this time grab his wrist and kick him in the groin, earning a pained yelp from the lad.
>Good thing he was wearing a cup, after all you do want grandchildren one day.
>Despite failing to land a single successful hit on you, you really had to admire your son's perseverance and ability to keep on trying.
>You can tell he's still holding back and that simply wont do.
"Imagine I'm a Minotaur berserker. A great big, lumbering, hairy beast here to rape your mother and sell your sister into slavery, and only stand before me-"
>"Ahem." 
>Interrupted halfway through your speech, you turn to see your wife standing in the doorway of your private training room with a small smirk on her lips.

>"What was that about me being raped by a great big hairy beast, sweetie?" 
>You give a nervous chuckle as you pull your own mask from your face.
"Just trying to give the boy some encouragement, dear."
>Making her way over to you, Celestia wraps a protective wing around Radiance before frowning at you slightly.
>"Does this 'encouragement' include having our son collapse from exhaustion?"
>You shrug.
"In a real fight his opponent wouldn't stop and let him take a breather when he got tired, he needs to learn to push through-"
>"All in good time," Your wife interrupts again, "but for now he's still young, dear."
>You simply nod, knowing you won't win this debate.
"Whatever you think is best, Celestia."
>Smiling softly, your wife leans in and places a kiss on your lips that you eagerly accept.
>"Do you mind not doing that when I'm here to see it?" Asks your son, noticeably cringing beside you. 
>He's rewarded for his comment by a playful shove from Celestia's surprisingly strong wing.
>"Oh hush, if it weren't for a little romance you wouldn't even be here," she teased.
"Come now, don't nauseate the boy. He doesn't need to hear about how much you and I-
>"Stop, I don't want to know!" Exclaimed Radiance, pulling free from his mother's grasp and making hurriedly for the exit.
>Your wife laughs softly before calling after him, "go get ready for your magic lesson, I'll expect to see you there in an hour."
>You wait for several moments after the door swings closed before again going in for a kiss.
"So you have an hour free, hmm? Well you know how a good sparring match gets my blood all fired up, perhaps you and I could find some way to burn off all this testosterone?"
>Oh yes, by the look in those half lidded eyes you were going to have a real good time.
>"Oh, I'm sure we could," spoke the mare in a seductive purr as she leaned in close, "if it weren't for the fact that you smell like you just crawled from a swamp."
"What?"

>Celestia chuckles as she pulls away.
>"You're all sweaty, dear. Go take a shower and maybe tonight we can see about having a little fun, okay?"
>Looking down you see that you are indeed soaked with perspiration.
>Huh, well you'll be damned. 
>Looks like sparring with Radiance can make you break a sweat after all despite what you'd said earlier.
>Heading towards the door, Celestia looks back at you with a smirk and her tail held provocatively high.
>"Better hurry, sweetie. You wouldn't want some big, hairy Minotaur to beat you to it."
>Damn, it's good to be the king.