by Guy Antibes
“King Leon lost his temper and engaged Pira in an argument in front of everyone. The Fisttian king turned around, and once he saw too much, he ordered the queen to run from the room, exposing even more of the awful truth of her inner self.”
Saganet couldn’t restrain himself anymore and shook his head. He heaved with laughter and tears came to his eyes. “So that was what happened,” he said. “We wondered why no information was available during that trip.”
“Right. It’s a state secret because Princess Pira in her tirade revealed the two kings’ plans to invade Cralt in front of the Craltian ambassador. Both of them had to pay off the man to keep him quiet. Enough others heard the plot, so the alliance never formed. When we returned to Sealio, I nearly lost my life, along with the rest of the bodyguards, for following Pira’s orders. That was when I decided enough was enough and left her service.”
“Tell me you didn’t laugh along with the other bodyguards in private.”
Effie blushed. “Well, it was a very good story, wasn’t it? I swear it is all true.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Saganet said. “Did you receive anything for your silence?”
Effie shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly poor when I arrived at Doubli, was I?”
They all laughed. Effie brought out wine, and they even permitted Ricky to share a glass.
“You can’t tell anyone the story. If it gets back to King Leon, I may lose my head, after all.”
Saganet hugged Effie. “Would it be permissible if a rumor circulated with the facts so exaggerated no one would possibly think it came from one of the bodyguards?”
“Can you do that? King Leon deserves that and much more.”
“My lips are sealed. Right?”
Effie pursed her lips. “I hope not,” she said. She turned to Ricky. “Isn’t it time you returned to your dormitory?”
Ricky quickly returned his switch to his old room and said his goodbyes. He laughed all the way to his room and slept well.
~~~
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
~
E FFIE WALKED INTO THE PRIVATE STUDIO FOR WEAPONS PRACTICE. Ricky looked up. “Can we talk?”
She smiled. “I don’t have another story to tell you, today. Most of the others aren’t meant for sharing with impressionable young men.”
“No, I’d like a woman’s point of view.”
Effie’s eyebrows went up. “On what, exactly?”
“You know Princess Pira…”
“No one knows Princess Pira,” Effie said.
“You know her well enough. I wanted to understand what makes her different from Mara and Loria. It’s not just Princess Pira. I’m afraid Jac might do to Mara what he did to Loria.”
“What did he do to Loria, exactly?”
“He dumped her,” Ricky said.
“Why are you asking me these things?”
“You’re more likely to tell me the truth than any other female,” Ricky said. “At least any that I know.”
“Well, your answer isn’t going to be particularly accurate, nor will it be simple. My understanding of Loria’s relationship with Jac was that it was deteriorating before Winter Break. Loria made certain demands of Jac, and he was unwilling to fulfill them.” Effie raised a hand. “Don’t ask me what they were. I don’t go spying around for student gossip, but I did pay attention to Loria’s behavior since it impacted you. My impression was that there was no girl in Dimani. Jac used that as an excuse to keep from having an even worse conflict with her.”
“So Jac lied?”
Effie nodded her head ruefully. “People do in relationships all the time, unfortunately. I doubt if Jac would call his behavior lying, but letting her down more gently, although I don’t think extracting oneself from Loria can be a gentle undertaking. Usually, it is Loria doing the dumping.”
“So I don’t have to worry about Jac and Mara?”
“What are you, Mara’s big brother?”
Ricky frowned. “No.”
“Then stop acting like one. Are you jealous?”
Ricky paused and inhaled. “No. We are friends, but I don’t regard her like I once regarded Loria.”
“Do you want to remain friends with Jac?”
“Of course I do.”
Effie took Ricky’s hand. It took Ricky some effort to let her hold it. “Do you object to my relationship to Saganet?”
“Not at all. Saganet is happier since you’ve been together. He always had a tinge of sadness around him.”
Effie smiled. “Tinge of sadness. I like that, and I think you are right about Saganet. Mara likes Jac and Jac seems to like Mara. Just let them work things out between them. There is no reason for you to intervene unless you will be directly affected.”
“Princess Pira intervenes,” Ricky said. “Is she always wrong?”
Effie let Ricky’s hand go. “The princess is about your age, Ricky. She is often wrong, but her viewpoint is broader than yours. I don’t always condone what she does, but she lives in a hostile environment. She does what she can to those she perceives as wronging her or the kingdom.”
“Like when I had to do things I didn’t like at the Home?”
Effie nodded. “In some respects, I think the Applia Juvenile Home is a more apt comparison to life for Pira than Doubli Academy.”
Ricky had to think on that. “I’m pretty sure I agree with you, but I’ll have to think more about it. So, Princess Pira and Loria are not alike. I was wondering if they were.”
The statement made Effie laugh. “They are both strong-willed young women with a tendency to rebel. They have both been damaged in different ways. In my fully-biased opinion, Princess Pira has risen above her circumstances, although the stories may not indicate it. Loria Mansali, on the other hand, is trapped by her younger years. She reminds me of myself, as I struggled to learn arms. I succeeded to cast off the slights and mistreatments, but I seriously doubt that Loria will ever manage to do that.”
“So she is pitiable,” Ricky said.
Effie just nodded.
Ricky still winced inside that he had called her vile. If Effie was right, she was damaged. Calling her names was dishonorable. He didn’t think Loria would accept an apology, but his impression of her had fundamentally changed. With this new perspective, Ricky was struck by Baron Mansali’s request to be friends with his daughter, nearly a year ago. He guessed that his daughter still needed all the friends she could get.
“That’s enough talk,” Ricky said. “What do we work on today?”
“Candlesticks.”
“With or without a candle?”
“Either,” Effie said. “I’m talking tall candlesticks, as long as your forearm. They aren’t pleasant offensive weapons, being like weighted clubs, but let’s begin on the defensive aspects…”
~
The Doubli Broomball Team uniforms began to look less sharp as the toll of a succession of games began to permanently take on the color of the grass and dirt of the field. Sippa had arranged one last game with their first opponent of the season, and their opponents’ black jerseys also looked a little worse for wear, but their white pants had lost their white long ago and looked as gray as the Doubli pants.
This time Doubli played at their opponent’s field on the western side of Tossa. Ricky spotted the two attackers who were still on the opposing team. Jac, Benno, and Ricky walked over to them.
“We protect our players,” Jac said, with Benno nodding. “That includes Ricky. Do you understand?”
The pair glared at Ricky, but with both Jac and Benno taller and bigger than both of them, they reluctantly nodded their heads.
“A fair game, all right?” Ricky said. “If you want to hurt me, play your best and beat Doubli.”
He turned around with Jac and Benno following him to their side of the field.
“Well said.” Jac took off for a quick jog to loosen his legs. Ricky watched him stop where Mara stood. They both looked happy to talk to each other.
Sippa
tapped Ricky on the shoulder. “What was it with the three of you?”
“We didn’t want a grudge intruding on our game. Those two hit me pretty hard in our first game.”
“Oh, I remember the attack, but not the faces. That’s the right way to take care of such things. Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again and we have to retaliate.”
“Retaliate? That might lead to a brawl.”
Insippa Baldico grinned. “Sometimes fights are good.” He shook his head. “Forget I said that.” Ricky got another pat on this shoulder as Sippa moved on to talk to other teammates.
Ricky had no idea what Sippa meant, but he would have to remember the context of his offhand comment. In his mind fights were never ‘good.’
With Ricky starting at point for the past few games, the teams met on the field as the referees went over the rules. Typically, the words didn’t vary much.
“The first time both teams met, there were some altercations on the field. That won’t be tolerated in this game. Purposeful aggression will result in ejection. Is that understood?”
Ricky looked at the others on his team, who looked surprised by the remark. The other team took the warning in obvious stride. Something seemed to be wrong, but Ricky couldn’t tell what it was.
The game wasn’t as easy as before. Ricky didn’t know if it was the better playing conditions or if their opponents had just improved. It wasn’t the play, exactly, Ricky thought. He called the same plays that had worked before, but it seemed his teammates weren’t into the game. Ricky remembered the talk in the gymnasium and his carriage when they rode to the site of the game. The team thought this would be an easy warm-up for Applia.
Just before the half, Ricky broke through and found himself with the broomball and a clear path to the goal. He sped ahead and scored, breaking a tie. The Doubli spectators let out a roar. Play continued until the half.
“You’ve got to play harder,” Sippa said to the players, sitting on the turf in front of their coach. “One goal is never enough to ensure a win. Our last goal was only because of a single fortuitous moment.” Then Sippa described each player’s work during the game. Most of the comments came down to trying harder, running faster, and getting into the game. “Walk around for a few minutes.”
Saganet waved to Ricky from the sideline. “Great goal. All you have to do is play a bit harder, and the game is yours.”
Ricky shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong.”
“It happens in sports and battle,” Saganet said. “You lose a little bit of your edge, and that letdown gives your opponents opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”
That brought out a nod. “Like swordplay. I didn’t make the connection.”
“Make it, and get your players to increase their effort. It’s obvious Doubli is the better team, but your foes are playing harder.”
That made sense to Ricky. It wasn’t that his teammates were lackadaisical, but they weren’t giving the game their all. He walked back to the team and passed Loria, who looked like she had a black cloud over her head.
“Enjoying the game?” he said.
She ignored his gaze. “How can a vile person do such a thing?” she said.
“When she isn’t playing at being vile,” Ricky said. He nodded to her and their eyes finally met. She looked confused, but Ricky decided not to say anything else and left her with her friends excitedly talking about the players. He heard Jac’s name as he walked out of hearing range.
Ricky sat out the start of the next half. Sippa wanted him at his side as the play started. He kept talking about the game and asked him about placements. Sippa hadn’t ever sought out Ricky’s advice before. Ricky gave the coach as much support as he was able until an opposing team member sprawled out on the grass. The whistles blew.
Ubbo stood over the player, one of the two noble thugs. “I didn’t touch him!”
“My shoulder, my shoulder!” the downed player said. “He hit me with his stick. Look.” The player struggled to take off his jersey and showed a purpling bruise.
“I didn’t do that,” Ubbo said, his hand stretched out towards the referee, pleading with him.
“Ejected!” the referee said.
Sippa pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. “He should have been warned, not ejected like that!” Sippa yelled at the referee, which was impolite in broomball play.
Play started up again, with Ubbo frowning next to Ricky. “I was set up.”
“We’ve been set up,” Sippa said.
A few minutes later, another player rolled along the ground complaining about a Doubli player. The same referee ejected a second Doubli player.
“An unconventional attack,” Sippa said, only within Ricky’s hearing.
With two players out, Sippa walked out to the referee and punched him in the mouth. The man’s eyes rolled, and he collapsed to the field. The other referee ejected Sippa.
“Stay away from the field. You can’t coach your team for the rest of the game.”
“Are you in league with him?” Sippa pointed to the unconscious referee.
“What?” The referee looked genuinely perplexed, but it looked like he caught on. “I see. The game will be called fairly from now on, but you can’t look on. Understand?”
Sippa nodded. “I do.” He turned to Ricky and patted him on the shoulder. “You are the coach, now. Bring home a win,” Sippa said as he departed from the field and pushed his way through the spectators.
The Doubli players looked angry. “If I have to coach, I’ll do it on the field,” Ricky said. “With the ejections,, that leaves us with only two substitutes.”
“We’ll get them!” Other players picked up on the emotion, and they ran to their positions.
Ricky put himself in at the point and play got underway again, and Doubli made two quick scores. The slower play had gone. The team had renewed focus until one of Ricky’s former assailants fell to the ground after bumping into Ricky. He wailed, clutching his ankle.
“Play on,” the referee said.
The Doubli players whooped it up and got back to work. The outcome of the game wasn’t in doubt from that point on.
Sippa joined in after the two teams met to congratulate each other on the game. The crooked referee stood on the sidelines. Sippa shook a finger at him from a distance. “He was certainly paid off by the opposing team.”
“That’s not fair,” Ricky said.
“Life isn’t fair,” Sippa said. “That’s why you have to take charge at certain junctures if you want to affect the outcome.” He grinned as he left Ricky and congratulated each player, one by one.
Sippa’s comment about fights being good clicked into Ricky’s perspective. The team needed a spark, and Sippa provided it. Once he had Ricky paying attention to the game, he could leave knowing Ricky could direct Doubli to victory. Jac walked along the spectator line, shaking hands and accepting accolades. He had led the scoring in the second half.
Ricky couldn’t take in all the lessons he had just learned. Sippa and Jac had different approaches to leadership and diplomacy. Sometimes you had to fight to get your point across, and sometimes you smiled and charmed your way to get what you wanted. Was that something Princess Pira had learned at a very early age? Was her approach a kind of diplomacy?
He saw Loria leave with her friends. She didn’t look quite so disgruntled, but she didn’t look his way, not that he expected her to. He hoped he had done the right thing. Ricky didn’t feel for her the way he had before, but he didn’t enjoy seeing her in pain.
Saganet and Effie came up on either side of him. “Congratulations!” Effie said. “I heard your little exchange with Loria Mansali.”
Ricky began to blush.
“You handled that well.”
Ricky ground his teeth. “I’m not interested in starting anything.”
“I didn’t say you were, but she was affected by what you said. Even if it wasn’t a full apology, I think you made her feel a bit better,” Effie said.<
br />
“That’s all I wanted to do.”
Saganet put his arm around Ricky’s shoulders. “Congratulations on helping your team. There is more than one way to win, and you accomplished that.”
“I only did what I can do.”
“Your awareness of what goes on around you served you well. Anticipation helps as well. Those are good sword skills and good broomball skills,” Saganet said.
Ricky smiled and accepted the compliments. “Now, on to Applia. I don’t know what will save me there.”
~
At dinner, just before Ricky was about to head to the ancient library, a messenger delivered a note to him at the commissary.
“What is it?” Jac said.
“I have visitors. They are waiting for me in the visitor’s room.”
Ricky rose.
“I’ll put your tray away,” Jac said.
Ricky didn’t reply. The note distracted him. Baron Mansali and Mirano Bespa had come to visit. What could they possibly want? Ricky wasn’t particularly fresh, just finishing a late practice, but the two men were waiting. They would have to take him as he was.
Mirano stood when Ricky entered the room, but Baron Mansali remained seated.
“It has been awhile,” Mirano said.
“Since Winter Break,” Ricky said. “How is Siria Lonsi?”
Mirano blushed. “We are both enjoying Sealio at present.”
Ricky nodded, not knowing what else to say.
Baron Mansali peered at Ricky. “Bespa says you exceeded yourself in Applia. I hadn’t heard a detailed report. I only knew you must have been part of the boys who sided with the Royal Army.”
“Boys and girls,” Ricky said.
“Taught yourself to fly,” the baron said flatly.
“He did. Ricky demonstrated his ability to Siria before the fight, but no one knew he would do so well.”