†††
THAT decides it, I thought. Well, not that I expected any other outcome.
“Looks like he might be able to make it to the final match,” said Evan beside me. He, too, was focused on Shaghad’s match.
I wonder what Aisha thinks?
I found her immediately since I’d already checked where she was sitting. I could see shock in her at Ismail’s loss, as well as some panic.
This was not the result they were hoping for during their studies here. They’d only been able to build connections with low-ranking nobles. Those nobles weren’t going to be the backers they needed. Aisha also failed to charm Evan. I could understand why she might panic. Nothing was going well for her.
I think she might try something soon.
“Right, I should get going,” said Evan.
“Another match?” I asked.
“Indeed.”
“Good luck, Your Highness,” said Scarlanette.
“Thank you, Lady Jordan.”
Based on what I saw of Evan’s abilities, he would have no problem making it to the final match. I’m looking forward to seeing how he’ll fight against Shaghad.
✦ ✦ ✦
†††
Side View: Ismail
“No matter how proud you are of your blood, you are no match for me. I am royalty. You are a boy from a viscount’s house. I acknowledge the effort you have put in, but we are not in the same league.”
God dammit.
“And the winner is, Prince Shaghad Rienbul!”
God dammit.
“Not the same league?”
God dammit.
“He’s a damn abandoned brat! He’s below me!”
I watched him walk away, telling me that he was royalty with his back to me. That he was different from me.
“Ismail, no matter what anyone tells you, you are the crown prince. You will be king of this land. You and no one else are right for the throne.”
That’s what my mother would say to me, her fingers gripping my arms so tight her nails dug in while she stared at me with bloodshot eyes. As she was trying to impress that fact into me, it was like she was trying to impress it into herself as well.
My mother chased away the princess consort, Shahrnaz, and married my father. That was why Aisha and I were mocked wherever we went for being children of an affair.
If I had power, if Shaghad didn’t exist, if Grandfather just accepted my parents’ marriage as legitimate, then we would never have had to suffer this way.
If only he didn’t exist.
I left the tournament grounds, grinding my teeth as I did.
“Brother, how could you lose?!” Aisha ran up to me and didn’t hold back her anger, but I didn’t hear anything. “Are you even listening to me?! Don’t ignore me, answer me!”
✦ ✦ ✦
†††
THERE was hate burning in Ismail’s eyes as he left the tournament grounds. His clenched jaw told me his loss to Shaghad was quite the insult to his pride.
I hadn’t directed Shaghad to insult Ismail, but it seemed Shaghad picked up on my intentions anyway and did a good job of whipping him into a frenzy. It’s a good thing Ismail was even simpler than I anticipated.
Next, we just wait to see what Ismail does. Rick can handle the reconnaissance for that. I just have to make sure Ismail can easily do what he is planning, whatever it is.
“I’ll prepare the stage for you, Ismail Alaban,” I murmured.
I will give you whatever you desire: people, weapons. I’ll set a perfect stage for you to dance on.
But that’s all I’ll do for you, Ismail. The rest you’ll have to do on your own. If you want to kill Shaghad and take his place, then you have to kill him. Let your will be what ends his life.
“And, Shaghad, the finale is about to begin.”
You seem to sympathize with Ismail, but, if you are lenient with him, I will cut you down and toss you aside. I have no need for those who allow defiance. Those people don’t want to dirty their hands, to take responsibility, to shoulder the sin, that’s why they let that defiance slide. But I will not put any more effort into an incompetent man incapable of fulfilling his role.
“Shaghad, do not disappoint me.”
✦ ✦ ✦
†††
Side View: Evan
I continued to win my matches with no major incident and made it to the top where, as expected, my opponent was Shaghad. My father told me Selena was training him, and this must be the fruits of that.
My father has a man in charge of the kingdom’s shadows and skilled in information gathering. It irritates me that he knows more about Selena than I do, but right now, I need to focus on Shaghad.
“You’ve changed a lot in a short time,” I said.
“I met a good teacher.”
Selena, you really are an enchantress. Not that I can comment on others since I’ve already decided I’m fine with you lying to me.
“It makes me happy as crown prince of your allied nation that your coming to Astra has proven beneficial.”
Selena is beneficial to my country, as well. And even though Shaghad seemed to get my implication that I would not allow him to take Selena with him when he left Astra, his expression didn’t change.
It seems suppressing your emotions is one of your fortes.
“Thank you,” he said. “I did meet someone incredible. Someone strong, inspiring, and who could never be bound by another. I am fond of this person.”
Never bound by another? Is he trying to say the decision is hers?
If Selena doesn’t come to realize her own charms soon, I will have a lot of trouble. I don’t want even more competition. Even with the few who are interested at the moment, it’s essentially like taking on a life-or-death mission.
“Let the match begin!” cried the referee.
I dashed forward in time with that signal and attacked. Annoyingly, Shaghad easily guarded against it.
But first, we’ll gauge him, using some simple attacks to see what happens.
Based on what I saw of his matches during the tournament, he was quite skilled. Considering how he could anticipate all his opponents’ attacks, I couldn’t win with the style I learned from the knights.
“How about you try attacking rather than just defending?” I suggested. “If things continue like this, the match will be decided in no time.”
But he didn’t respond, refusing to rise to my bait. He was always calm, it seemed, and not only observing me. He watched to see where his opponent’s center of gravity was. Selena must have drilled that into him in a short time. It wasn’t a skill you could gain with an average level of effort.
During combat, your attention was always drawn towards your opponent’s attacks; even if it wasn’t a real fight or you knew your life wasn’t in danger, there was an animalistic instinct that honed your attention onto attacks. Shaghad was holding back that instinct with the logic part of his mind.
He’s not too bad. And Selena was certainly not your average person if she could teach him that. I want to learn more of her secrets, but she won’t ever open her heart again to me if I do, will she?
“Lost in thought? You must be able to take more,” said Shaghad as he turned to the offensive. The attacks themselves weren’t that powerful. Muscle was the one thing you couldn’t develop quickly with training. Not even Selena could do something about that.
And it made even more sense when you considered Shaghad was tormented by the people around him when the king wasn’t looking. He was small in stature compared to others his age, which made me think people often even took his food away from him.
“I could say the same about you,” I said. “You’ve changed a lot in a short time. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to come this far.”
“A gentleman must live up to a lady’s expectations.” The path his sword was on changed; it was coming from below now. “Well done guarding that.”
That was an intentional move. Selena wouldn’t teach him to change tracks like that in a way that was so easily read. Is he testing me? Baiting me without using words? This cowardly sheep has transformed into a predator. Selena, you have an effect on others, for better or worse.
“You really have done well to change this much in this short a time,” I said. “Which means I don’t need to hold back anymore. I’ll be taking the win.”
“Urk!”
I applied more pressure to my blade, forcing Shaghad to dig his feet into the ground to hold his lighter body as he was desperate to endure my attacks.
But stubbornness can’t make up for a lack of muscle.
It was a simple matter of course that I could push him, forcing him off balance, then follow immediately with another attack that sent his sword flying from his hands.
“And the winner is, Prince Evan!”
“It was a good match,” I said.
“Next time, I’ll be the victor,” said Shaghad.
The match ended with us praising each other’s skill. In the end, I was the champion of the tournament, and Shaghad took second place.