by Billy Wong
"Not the same you as in practice, eh?" he said in between gasps for air.
She twirled her spear. "I didn't want to go so hard as to be discouraging. And besides, I'd hardly show all my cards."
Understanding now just how out-skilled he was, he realized he needed to take a different approach. He knew she wouldn't want to seriously injure him, much less kill him. If he pressured her with more reckless aggression, might her ability to counterattack be hampered by that? It wasn't entirely fair, but if he didn't take advantage he wouldn't stand a chance. He rushed hacking away, showing as little respect for her naked steel as he dared. Her eyes widened for a moment while she guarded his wild strokes, then narrowed. She brushed his blade out to the side with her shaft and leapt forward, snapping his head back with a jumping elbow that bloodied his nose. A followup kick to his solar plexus hurled him to the ground, wheezing for breath.
"I told you, I don't have to kill to beat you. I'm starting to feel like maybe we don't belong together. You couldn't save me from your parents until my body wasted away to this point and what happens when you get a chance to somewhat redeem yourself against me in battle? You show that you have nothing for me. Nothing."
Theo lurched upright. "I know you're angry. But you hardly have to take it out on the entirety of my homeland. Take it out on me, if you must."
Claire blinked and gazed down. "Your mother and father are more to blame than you, and they're the ones who'll pay. Besides, we've already started this fight. I'm hardly one to let myself lose."
"Then somehow, I'll beat you." He charged again, his sword and her spear meeting with loud clangs. But she was ever a step ahead, his weapon usually moving in reaction to hers rather than the opposite. He tried to mix in unarmed attacks as she had, throwing a punch at her face, but she dodged it with ease and brushed her cheek purposely against his fist as he retracted it. Whether she did it mockingly or out of affection, he couldn't say. She intensified her assault, backing him up with less and less room for him to retaliate. Her pole smacked his calf, making him hop on one foot. She pinned his sword arm against his side with her crossguard and pushed him around on the end of her shaft for a bit before he lost his balance and tumbled in the dust. He wasn't going to win this fair and square, he accepted. He would have to make a gamble, all or nothing. As he started to get up facing away from her, he shouted and grabbed his arm, dropping his blade.
Claire put a hand exasperatedly on her hip. "Theo, stop faking." He reached for the hilt, then his hand shook and he stopped. "Gods, this is so obvious." She advanced. "Get ready to defend yourself."
He waited until she got almost within spear range, then snatched his sword up and turned throwing the dagger he had stealthily drawn. She batted it aside with a calm expression while he lunged after it, thinking to take advantage before she could adjust her guard. Then he realized she had already repositioned her spear so it pointed towards him and if he pressed on, he would throw himself onto it.
He didn't stop. If he did, he would forsake his one chance at attaining victory. Maybe if he got stabbed, he could press his blade to her throat while she stood frozen in shock and make her yield. He steeled himself for incredible pain... her spearhead shifted aside, Claire reacting fast enough to not skewer him. He continued onward and his sword, pointing forward in his hand, drove into her body. She gasped, as did some of those who watched.
"He's willing to kill the woman he loves?" Sophie asked in disbelief.
"He belongs to his country first," Gunther said sadly.
But he hadn't meant to... His momentum carried Claire a few steps on the end of his blade. "I told you I didn't want to kill you," she whispered. She stumbled back off the sword, then snapped a leg up in a kick at his head. He reflexively tried to block, but was too slow as her shin slammed against his skull. His knees buckled and his face smacked the ground. As he tried to push himself groggily up, cold metal touched his neck. "I also told you I would beat you. This match is over." She clutched the hole in her stomach. "It's good, though. You finally showed me your heart."
She limped over to the Hierarch and looked up at him. "As the victor, I implore you to allow me to decide the consequences. Please treat it as if I'd lost, and spare the king's crown."
"And what is the reason for this request?"
"I..." She glanced towards Theo and he suspected she wanted to say because of him, but feared it wouldn't go over well. "Considering the fate of this kingdom was at stake in the duel and I won it, I could say I've won this land. I want to keep it." For an instant Theo was confused. But leaving the kingdom in his parents' hands instead of the Hierarch's would give her no personal benefit. What she said, she did only for his sake.
"I understand your intentions. Bold of you. Very well, I will humor your whim." The Hierarch retreated into the mass of his troops, who turned to leave.
Before she followed, Camilla said, "You should come with us. This place isn't where you belong."
His father pulled her along by the arm. "No need to pressure her. We'll see if this small prince and country continue to hold her interest."
"They're wrong," Claire said to Theo as they walked away. "I don't see you as just a diversion. They probably think you're too weak for me, and I'll grow tired of you. But I know physical strength isn't the only thing to value." Then she collapsed.
Theo ran to her and cradled her in his arms. "Claire! Somebody help!"
She grinned, blood visible on her teeth and the inside of her lips. "You got me good. Don't worry though, it takes more than a little stick to finish me off."
"I believe you. You're amazing. But did you really change your mind about dethroning Father during the fight, or was that ending your plan all along?"
"I changed my mind. I was legitimately outraged at my imprisonment, but your passion convinced me that path to vengeance wasn't worth it. Besides, we're family now, and family should be able to work things out in lieu of taking drastic action against each other."
He looked to Darius. "Now do you believe she didn't kill Damon?"
His father sighed. "I suppose it does seem unlikely at this point. The charges against her are hereby dismissed."
"Do you hear that, Claire? You aren't accused of murder anymore. Now we're finally free to be together."
She coughed, red leaking from the corner of her mouth down her cheek, and Theo stroked her face gently. As tough as she was, he recognized she must be in agony with a wound that deep. "I'm glad," she said. "But Manuiel is still out there, no doubt plotting against us with King Grail."
"We'll have to keep an eye out for whatever Ailune might do in the future. I'm glad to hear you say 'us' though."
"Huh?"
"You said Manuiel and King Grail are plotting against us. That means you finally accept this as your home."
Claire laughed. "I didn't think about it that deeply. But you're right. I want to be with you, and if that means Egrent is my country now, I'm just fine with it."
"At least you get to be the strongest warrior here."
"Hey, since when was I established to be less than those three?"
"I didn't say you were. But you're already known to be a clear number one here."
"I don't know, I like the sense of competition. Sophie gives me a decent run for my money, though." She winced as at a sharp pang, but shortly collected herself. "Anyway, when are you going to help me up?"
#
After patching her up as best they could, Theo had Claire ride in front of him on horseback as they traveled home. She swayed in the saddle and he held onto her to make sure she didn't fall, greatly concerned at how pale she'd turned and the blood still soaking through her bandages and clothes. But she assured him she would be fine, albeit in a now tiny voice. When they arrived at the castle, he let her dismount into his arms and carried her to her room. She soon fell asleep, and he got Rory to watch over her before going to see his mother.
When she opened the door of his parents' room, he asked, "Has Father told you w
hat happened?"
"Your father is busy dealing with other matters. But yes, I've received word of what transpired."
"Do you get it now? You were wrong about Claire, she saved our independence! Even after all she suffered because of us, she still pulled back from the brink when she saw how her revenge would hurt me."
She didn't reply right away, and he feared she would accuse Claire of playing a trick again. Then she exhaled and said, "I acknowledge I was mistaken. If she did kill Damon with the intent of taking over the country, it wouldn't make sense for her to act as she did. I hear you struck her a grievous blow. Is she all right?"
"She's hanging on. She is as tough as she is fast and strong... though her weakness on the way back worried me. And she's so thin now, I don't know if her constitution is what it was."
"I'll send for the best medicines available. Since this happened to her because of us, we should do everything in our power to correct it."
"Thank you, Mother. I'm glad you and Claire could finally put your differences aside after all this."
"I'm not sure she won't hold a grudge against me."
He smiled. "I wager she won't. She said we were family, you know."
Talia averted her gaze, as if a tad remorseful about how she had treated Claire. "She did hold your child within herself. That changes a woman, even if it wasn't for long."
He wondered what future she had imagined then, for them and their baby, and how crushed she must've been inside when that future became no longer possible. For her to show her heartbreak as little as she had since... he found himself admiring her inner strength anew. "I won't disappoint her dreams about her and me. After she recovers, I'm going to marry her."
"But your arrangement with Sophie-"
"Sophie is a fine person, and I'm sure she'll make a great partner for someone else. Yet after everything Claire has endured because of us, you have to think I should give her something in return. That something will be the family she pictured."
She didn't argue as he left, and he figured he had at least won some measure of understanding from her. But he wasn't naive enough to believe everything would necessarily go smoothly from here on out.
#
Theo lovingly took care of Claire, helping her to sit up when he fed her and changing her bandages as needed. She recovered quite well given the severity of her injury, which would have likely killed most. Within a couple days she was speaking normally, and expressed her enthusiasm for their future together. She did seem to grow anxious when he brought up her switching loyalties to Egrent from High Waloros. He knew her original plan had been to continue working on behalf of the Hierarch here, trying to improve the relationship between their nations. Now that she'd apparently cut ties with her homeland, she wondered how she might find purpose in her day to day life. He reassured her she would no doubt find some cause to serve, although he had no idea what. She sent a letter to Lily, telling her what had happened and that she was free to join her in Egrent or not.
Theo met with Sophie in the familiar garden to inform her of his intention to marry Claire despite her no longer carrying his child. "I know you love her," she said in response, "and in addition feel a need to pay her back for her troubles. But you shouldn't rush to make this important a decision. Haven't you considered this might not be best for her?"
He had been prepared for her to protest on the basis of doing what was best for the kingdom, but this was an unexpected approach. "How so?"
"She says she's happy to be here, right?"
"Yes, and?"
"Of course she'd say that to you, and I'm sure she takes some happiness in being with you. But you've known her for how long, while the Hierarch and his daughter have known her for years? I get a sense maybe they were right. Claire's a free spirit, a bird that desires to fly. I wouldn't be surprised if at this point in her life, being tied down would soon wear on her."
Theo shook his head. "I'm not going to impose unreasonable restrictions on her. I'd let her travel as she wishes, and undertake whatever projects she needs to feel fulfilled. Why would I try to keep her under lock and key? As remarkable a person as she is, I certainly wouldn't want to ruin her."
Sophie took on a sympathetic look. "I'm sure you wouldn't. But if you two were married, don't you realize there'd be expectations thrust on her that would compel her to act in certain ways? Being a princess is a different role from being an envoy to foreign nations or a 'Princess of Spears.' Besides that, what about you? Can you really say you might not be displeased with her going away too much, and that guilt over you won't keep her from spreading her wings as she would?"
"Maybe I wouldn't like it if she wasn't present enough, and she might compromise for the sake of my feelings. But you're perfectly aware compromise is a big part of being in a relationship."
"Of course there's compromise in any relationship. What I'm saying is, the amount required by yours in particular, should you get married, might not suit her at this time."
He spread his hands. "Well, how am I to know whether or not it would be acceptable to her before we actually try?"
"You can't. But you should at least make sure she understands what might be involved before egging her on into it."
"She's a smart girl, I'm sure she's thought about it." In fact, it had probably come up in her mind when she considered what purpose her future would hold. "We'll talk about it and see how she feels." He strongly hoped she loved him enough to change that much for him.
#
When Theo brought the matter up with Claire, she nodded. "This has crossed my mind too. I know life will change now, and it might not be convenient for me to have as many adventures." She perked up. "But that doesn't solely have to do with us getting married. Just by virtue of not working for the Hierarch anymore, my life will be different. And I'm okay with that. A new life with you, I can consider in itself an adventure."
He hugged her. "If you put it that way, I'll be happy to brave its perils with you."
She was soon well enough to move around. They had her measurements taken in preparation to make her dress and began to plan their wedding. Despite not longer mistrusting Claire like she had, Theo's mother continued to show signs of being apprehensive. He couldn't help but admit he too worried a little about how Sophie's family would react once he officially called off the arranged marriage. But he wasn't going to let that stop him from seeking true happiness.
"I do still feel kind of bad about Sophie," he said to Claire one time while eating dinner with her. "The way I dismissed her, and never gave her a fair chance... I wish there was something we could do to make it up to her."
She bit her lip. "I understand what you mean. You ignored her for so long, and knowing what you've learned about her now feel you should have acted differently. But I don't see any way to turn back time. When we make mistakes, we have to live with them. The only thing you can do is to treat her better in the future."
"You're right. And I'll definitely try my best to be a good friend to her from now on."
"I'll do what I can for her too. I'm the reason you committed to breaking your families' agreement, after all."
"You shouldn't put too much blame on yourself. It might have been inevitable, considering our seeming lack of compatibility... unless she revealed her secrets for some other reason."
They both fell silent for awhile. Claire's actions had caused Sophie to show her hidden depths, but she might have done so later anyway when faced with the threat of Ailune. If Claire hadn't been there then, maybe she and Theo...
"Do you regret us meeting?" Claire asked at his frown.
"No, of course I don't! Just because I'm sad about how somebody has been hurt, doesn't mean I would rather we not be together instead. I think you're perfect for me, and I hope you feel the same about me. Our happiness is as important as anyone else's, and we're in the right to pursue it."
She surprised him with a kiss, making his eyes widen. "I find myself agreeing. I was going to ask if the consequences
of displeasing Sophie's parents would really be so grave, but I guess we'll just have to trust we can assuage them somehow."
"There is something which encourages me regarding that," he said with an optimistic grin. "Sophie already became the king's champion, a pretty respectable position in its own right. So that might help take some of the brunt off her not marrying into royalty, and if it isn't enough, maybe we could give out some more titles to her kin as recompense."
"Not bad ideas. I hope things will work out."
"And if not, you can always let yourself get stabbed again in order to try and move them."
"I... don't find that very funny."
They went to meet with Sophie's parents at their seaside home. Knowing what they would ask of him, the broad-shouldered earl looked rather imposing under the high ceiling of his dining hall. His doughty wife sat beside him, and the sight of her kind face made Theo feel bad that he would soon disappoint her. Still, he had come too far to not go through with it. "With apologies beforehand, we would like to request my marriage with your daughter be dissolved. With her being the king's champion, your family should already gain respectable prestige, and I'm willing to work with you on further benefits."
"I'm afraid we can't accept that," Sophie's father said. "You have been bound by this pledge since you were a whelp, you cannot break it at a moment's notice over a woman you have not even known a year."
"I may not have known her that long, but I know as much as anything that we love each other. I'm going to marry her with or without your approval, and you could at least save some face if it's with your blessing."
"You realize that without the backing of our house, the royal family's power will be significantly weakened?" The earl paused. "However, a rift between us would not be beneficial to either. I have a proposition for you. How about if I allow you to marry your foreign lady... in exchange for marrying Sophie as well?"