"Then shall I remind you of the fact that I am, above nothing else, your ruler? And of the fact that when I give you a command, you obey it? If you give me reason to believe that you will not follow orders, I shall have your head delivered to me on a silver platter by the end of today. Are we clear? You are not to question my judgment," The Regent stood back up straight and smiled.
Vincent grudgingly bowed his head, "Yes, my Lord." He did not smile back. "I take my leave. Or am I forbidden from that as well?" He turned on his heels before any answer could be formed and walked out of the room in a cloud of torrential anger.
William reached for the familiar wooden feel of her bow. Its soft, curved shape soothed her mind as she then groped for the matching quiver of arrows. Throwing it to her back like a sack of potatoes, it slung loosely into place. She took a stance and eyed her target thirty paces away; far enough to squint her eyes, but close enough for her arm to pull back on it, the limbs bending flexibly under her pressure. She quickly pulled an arrow out of her quiver and lined it up correctly with her grip. She inhaled slowly, and exhaled, releasing the arrow. It shot forward with a whoosh and penetrated her target mercilessly with a 'thud'. Eying the damage done, she grinned, satisfied.
Another violent swish of air blew passed her face, causing her hair to whip her cheeks. She whirled around in a panic to see her older sister brushing imaginary dirt off her shoulder in an attempt to look awesome, that it was no skin off of her nose. Looking back at the target, a thick dagger had embedded itself in the dummy's chest adjacent to William's arrow.
"You could have warned me that you were here," She said angrily, "Had your aim been slightly off…"
Richard shrugged, "And yet, it wasn't. I'm not here to fight with you, William. I just need to work off some pent up…emotions," she carefully chose the word and unsheathed a sword from her weapons belt.
William nodded, seeming to understand, and pulled another arrow out, "I can sympathize. You seem to have made peace about it."
"The engagement?" Richard asked.
"Yes…" William stated, as if it was obvious, "Unless…unless you haven't–"
Jutting her sword forward in a hook like motion, Richard gutted a different hay bale, watching the straw spill out and to the ground, "I have."
The two words were awkward and abrupt, but Richard did not care to reply with a usual furthering statement, to William's surprise. Her younger sister opted to continue practicing in silence. But it didn't last.
Richard bared her teeth at her target and slashed at it once more, pretending it was retaliating as she jumped this way and that, "I have no reason not to come to peace with it," she pommel-struck the dummy's head, "Victor is obviously a good man, from what I've heard," Richard impaled her sword into its chest with a grunt, "He's rich, a duke, has a fiefdom, all the riches in the world that a girl could ask for. He'll make a fine husband!" she pulled out another hidden dagger and stabbed the dummy roughly where its eye should be. Pausing to realize what she was saying and what she was doing, noting that they looked very different, laughed in spite of herself. There was a certain bitterness she could not hold back from it.
William's face twisted into a knot of frowns, "Is that what you think, or is that what you want to think?"
Richard ceased dismembering her target and glanced back at William. Her expression was easy enough to read that Richard was miffed for being pushed further. Even without a response, William got her answer in seconds and nodded sadly.
"Forgive me, sister," William apologized, "I did not mean to pry."
Richard turned back to the bale and sawed its arm off, "You are fine. You are not one to judge," she grinned, "After all, it has become quite obvious that you have feelings for Pip."
William lost her balance and shot the arrow straight into the grass a couple of feet in front of her. Her cheeks instantly felt hot as she reflexively reached up to cover her blushing face to hide the evidence, "What?"
To that, Richard laughed raucously, "Do not play innocent. I see the way you look at him when he escorts us places. I see the way he looks at you, as well."
William turned swiftly around and allowed her curiosity to win over, "What did you see? What does he look like? Does he even look at me? He never looks at me, nor deigns to talk to me on the way over! What if he hates me? How would you know anything?"
The elder held up a hand, which finally caused William to stop talking, "I don't need to answer all of these questions in order for you to know that he feels something for you," she paused, "Now, what you do with this is up to you."
William double took at her statement, "What, no warning? No chastisement? Not even some parting words of wisdom?"
Richard closed her eyes as she felt a breeze play with her hair. Its soft and warm caress sweetened the sad moment as she swallowed. "I have no wisdom to give, since I am as guilty and naive as you…"
When William was about to ask what she meant by that, they both heard someone shove open the secret door to the target range. Both girls frantically raced to the covered ivy sides for safety and hid themselves amongst the greenery. The person kicked the door once more and watched it crack open with a jolt. William and Richard looked on curiously to see a castle guard enter, suspiciously glancing around him.
"That's Pip!" William gasped in complete disbelief, "What is he doing here?"
"I don't mean to point out the obvious," Richard reasoned, "But he looks more like he should be here than we do."
William shushed her when another person stepped through the portal. His maroon cape and gold tassels swishing gracefully across his collar bone as his plated shoulders swayed confidently side to side. Vincent tossed his black shoulder-length hair aside and stepped closer into the field, muttering something softly about the sun's brightness. He stalked a few steps into the high grass when he halted and sniffed the air. Richard and William held their breaths as his head turned slowly to face them, his eyes trailing the ivy and bushes that they were concealed with. He took a few steps in their direction, much to Richard's dislike, but fortunately, Pip called out to the man.
"Vincentislaus, can you teach me now?" Pip pressed. He stationed himself next to the hay bale that Richard had crippled.
Vincent blinked and glanced once more at the bushes, then continued his way to the guard. He paused again, and this time inspected Richard's dummy, taking acute interest in the dagger buried in its head. He reached for the hilt and gently grasped it. Upon meeting contact, he withdrew his hand as quickly as it had reached out.
"Vincentislaus, now is it? Not Ottoman? Or even Wallachian? We're on a first-name basis? Oh, how touching," he chuckled.
Pip rolled his eyes, "Forgive me, Oh Segregated One, if I do not wish to anger my teacher on the first day."
Vincent unsheathed his sword and fought the urge to smile, "Then arm yourself, my student."
Pip unsheathed his own sword and examined it for a moment, "These…are blunt, correct? We're only dueling, right; so that I may better hone my skills at reading my enemy's moves?"
Vincent did not reply and only stepped closer to Pip. The guard nervously watched the soldier's eyes darken at Pip, his new target. They saluted one another and readied their stance. Each man stood unflinchingly still as he watched the other to move first. Vincent jerked his sword to the right side, causing Pip to fling his weapon in that direction. Vincent quickly took advantage of Pip's mistake and jutted his sword left, into the tip of the man's chest, leaving room for the width of a fingernail. Pip held his breath as he stood still and eyed the sword.
"Amateur mistake," Vincent shook his head, "Never be startled by another's moves, and never take your eye away from your target."
Pip righted himself and leveled his sword again, "Yes, of course. How stupid," he said with honesty, shaking his head in embarrassment.
Vincent crossed his footsteps and watched as Pip matched him. "Good, you're mirroring what I do."
Pip jumped out at Vincent, and as Vincent took the bait,
Pip twirled to the side, missing the soldier's blade and whacked at Vincent's backside. But Vincent was quicker and ducked to the floor, rolling into a crouching position agilely and sweeping his weapon at Pip's feet in an arc that split the leaves settled on the ground. The guard jumped up to avoid the sword and lunged for the man again. Vincent leaned back as the guard grazed his metal chest plate with the tip, engraving a nice horizontal line in it. For a moment, Pip looked at it satisfactorily with a smug grin when Vincent growled softly and clashed weapons.
The sound of metal hitting metal rang through their ears, but it was a familiar tune that Vincent welcomed. Finally, there was an outlet he could use in releasing his anxiety and anger.
Adrenaline sang through his veins as Pip desperately tried to keep up with the soldier. Just when the guard had deflected a near crushing blow, Vincent answered with another relentless stab. And yet, when Pip glanced at the man, he seemed generally content; Pip could go even further to say 'happy'. But that was Vincent's extent. Just happy-looking. No doubt, hundreds of calculations were running through his head as he watched Pip's moves in order to figure out his own next move.
Pip feinted right and juked Vincent, confusing the soldier for a moment. Pip then watched Vincent make up for it by thrusting his sword forward at the man; but the guard was two steps ahead, for once, and ducked himself beneath Vincent's arm. To Pip's utter astonishment, Vincent rotated his sword and slipped it underneath his arm to stab Pip behind him square in the chest with the tip facing the opposite direction Vincent was.
"Where in the Hell do you learn to fight like this?" Pip laughed, exasperated, as he backed away and watched Vincent turn around, spinning his sword back to his side.
"I was bred to kill," Vincent said without much emotion, "When your life depends on how good you fight, usually the poor ones do not last long."
Pip somberly nodded, "I see."
Vincent's face animated back to its charming brilliance once more, "You're doing better than I could have imagined. There is one thing, though. You are trying to hit where I am, not where I am going to be. And it takes an especially trained eye to read your opponent's moves like that."
Pip's face fell slightly. "I knew it. It's not worth the trouble, is it?"
Vincent snorted in derision, "I did not say that. I think, with some training, you could be the next best duelist in all of Hungary."
"Whaaaat?"
The soldier sighed, "Do not make me say it again, guard."
Pip's Cheshire grin seemed to split his cheeks in half as he sheathed his sword and fist-punched the air, "Alright!"
Vincent sheathed his own weapon and leaned against a dummy, "What with the Turneul Cavalerilor, you may have a chance of at least impressing William in the Grand Melee."
Pip jerked his head to the side, as if the words 'William' and 'Grand Melee' were two separate slaps to the face, "W-what?"
Vincent nonchalantly raised his eyebrows and laughed airily, "Oh, that's right. You do not yet know the news. The Regent is hosting a celebration of sorts for his birthday, and is also intending to marry William off to some knight who registers. Everyone in the kingdom is apparently invited."
Pip shook angrily, "Mon dieu, he plans on selling her to the highest bidder like a heifer."
Vincent blinked at the first two words out of his mouth but then heard a faint gasp in the corner by the bushes he'd looked at earlier. He turned to Pip and decided to slowly approach the area. Pip followed in his footsteps soundlessly as they came closer…closer…
Vincent began to hear sniffling and whispering as he armed himself, unsure if a spy was hiding or not. Recognizing one of the voices, he grinned and parted the greenery with his sword. Richard was wiping tears off of William's cheek, probably from what Vincent had just stated. Watching the backs of two lovely young women turn around and look at him in shock was all too rewarding.
"My Ladies…" Vincent concealed his weapon and held out a hand for any of the two to pick.
They both looked at each other and then at his intrusive appendage with severe distrust. They stood on their own. Richard was the first to speak.
"It is not…It is not what it looks like," she tried, half confused if she should even be attempting to defend herself.
She knew her face was probably red with embarrassment, but the origin of the feeling was not born from getting caught here, in the target range. It was from the last time she had seen him, from the last time they had spoken; the time that she spewed her guts out and over the second balcony for all to see, with him holding her in that soft yet strong embrace to ensure her balance and safety, no doubt the heroic act grounded within his own selfish gains. Even now, with the memory still fresh in her mind, Richard felt the barely-healed scar of her dignity tear once again as Vincent's body language exuded pride. She met his gaze with her own, all the same. She could exude pride too, if only externally.
"Of course not," Vincent enveloped his words in sarcasm, "It does not look like you were spying on us in curiosity at all. It's clear to me that you wish to know how to improve your skills, or did you think I was not aware of the fact that you constantly sneak out to this place?"
Richard's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly controlled herself and shook her head, "You think I want to improve my already exceptional skills by watching you?" she said with evident disgust, "Heaven, forbid me so! You lack a particular…grace…that is needed to be a true duelist."
The soldier recoiled slightly from her comment and frowned, "Then perhaps you wish to show me just how superior you are," he challenged.
William jumped in between them for a moment, "Richard, sister, we really must be going! If father sees you and I here, he will chain us to the walls of our rooms before dinner! And what's worse is that it will be on Walter's head! You know this! Reason with yourself!"
The elder princess felt her mind gain back the reins of her sanity for a fleeting moment as William looked up into her eyes. They begged her to reconsider Vincent's challenge, and based on their sentiment at the moment, she nearly forfeited. But as Richard watched Vincent control himself from snickering, her blood boiled with rage once more. She pulled the tassels from her shawl, draped on her collar, and let it fall to the ground. She stepped out of the safety of the bush and straight up to the soldier with an air of arrogant confidence.
"Let us not keep a girl waiting," Richard walked to the center circle where Vincent and Pip were not five minutes earlier.
"As you wish, my Lady," Vincent winked and headed over to the circle with her.
William and Pip watched on in horrid fascination as both people saluted each other, and the duel began.
William scooted over to stand next to Pip, just as confused and baffled, both wondering how they were going to possibly explain themselves if someone did happen to stumble into this fight. She nervously glanced up at him and watched his eyes wander to her own, only to flick back to the battle.
"My Lady," he nodded, "Are you alright?"
William cleared her throat; it suddenly felt dry and scratchy, "I'm well, thank you. I was not aware of my father's intentions. I apologize for my sniffling outburst earlier."
Pip turned so swiftly to her that she nearly jumped, "Never apologize. You have every right to feel what you feel, I think."
William shook her head, "As it turns out, I will not be able to escape nobility politics. I face the chopping block right behind Richard."
Pip sighed in frustration and inched closer to her. He was itching to reach out and grab her into a hug, but he knew it wouldn't be appropriate. Even if she were dying in his arms, it would not be appropriate. He was a simple guard, without higher status or noble or even royal blood. He was a commoner, and such idle fantasies of being with William had no place amidst the reality. He knew that much. And yet…
"Are you alright?" she asked this time.
"Yes," he lied and turned back around. Looking at her intensified his feelings tenfold.
Richard and Vincent
were circling one another like two rams about to butt heads to the death. She glared at him something fierce, and his twisted smile was a match to the tinder of Richard's rage.
She kept her sword at her side and continued to watch her opponent. He looked at her with equal interest, not forgetting to distract her by generously stopping his eyes at every accentuated part of her body. Richard seethed at his outrageous and completely shameless behavior, but she made sure that he did not compromise her concentration.
"You may stare at me to your heart's content," Richard reinforced, "Such acts of regression do not sway me."
"Then you truly are mistaken, because the blush on your cheeks tells a different tale," Vincent grinned even wider and readied his weapon.
The princess unsheathed her rapier and let the comment ride off of her shoulders. She was repaid with the honor of seeing shock flash across his facial features for a split second at her lack of emotions to his tantalizing previous comment. In a blink, it was gone faster than it had come. In return, Richard smiled triumphantly already, figuring out how to defeat him simply by having no physiological response to his words.
He jerked towards her in an attempt to make her flinch and raise her weapon in defense. It failed.
She laughed at him.
"Do you really think rudimentary tricks are going to fool me?" her eyes sparkled with superiority.
Vincent shook his head, "No, it was a test. You forget that this is not only a battle of physical strength, but a battle of the minds as well for who is the cleverest."
"I never forget," Richard slashed out at him and watched him easily dodge, "You are the one who is forgetting the fact that I lived in the presence of nobility my whole life. Fools were shucked off quickly."
"Then why do you bother wasting your time by talking to me?" he asked, and this time she twitched. Vincent gracefully spun in a circle and lunged for her backside.
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