Hundreds of records from multiple houses showed that the prince Arthur and the legendary Excalibur was based off a real living record of a prince that fought alongside the so-called “Black Prince” Edward. This prince supposedly inspired a blade that glowed with fire, and supposedly fought with a fierce ferocity. There are no more accounts of this king except from old journals and even then, they come from lower houses and Lady Wystan.

--Excerpt from historian Istor Graios.

Bright beams of golden sunlight fell onto Arthur’s eyes, making him wince as he walked down, the armour he wore clinking as he moved. Arthur held his longsword tight in his grip. Alright, me and Edward now.

The tip of the blade faced down, cutting at the grass-green grass. Arthur strided, holding a heater shield with his noble insignia of a rose and dandelion mixed into one, with a bright and loud colour theme to it. Arthur’s breath was stable but shaking.

Arthur saw the opponent of his, Edward.

As tall as him, wearing a similar armour yet with a mantle of his family crest to it, a roaring lion of blue with a sky of yellow and three clouds of white dotted around. Edward had a longswords like Arthur’s filled with intricate tapestry, shouldering it and without any shield on him, with a shimmering armour with intricate art on it. The helm shaped like a horned devil too, with curled goat horns and the eye slits shaped like demonic slits with a mouth of the helm shaped like a mouth of a beast.

All anathema to Arthur’s simple armour yet filled with fine engineering.

Arthur turned, seeing Edward just standing around, just shouldering the hammer as he walked towards Arthur.

“Hey,” Edward said, his voice muffled yet echoish with his helm, “Good luck, Arthur.”

Arthur smiled under his helm, saying, “Thanks”

“No problem,” Edward said, walking to a distance from Arthur.

Taking a stance as Arthur twirled his blade around, he turned, his blade close to the chest, Arthur distanced his feet a bit, his grip anything but soft on his blade.

Hearing Galnor shout: “Start!”

Arthur and Edward stood on a stand-still, waiting for the other to make a move, Arthur immediately rushed in first. Turning his hand, the blade horizontal, Arthur charged, his shield protecting him as he charged, Arthur thrusted the blade.

Edward striked at Arthur’s thrust, throwing it off its mark, Edward spun, slicing at Arthur.

Using the butt of his sword, Arthur hit the blade, the blade parried as he jumped back to thrust again.

Another thrust! Edward thought, jumping back as their blades locked for a second to disperse in another.

Edward’s fast but he’s not a thinker, more a fighter. Arthur thought.

Arthur’s second hand flew away from the longsword, now Arthur held it in one hand. My trump card.

Running forward, Arthur ran at Edward, his shield front and sword behind.

He’s one-wielding his blade! Edward thought. He’s special with that and since I’m piss-poor with shields, I’ll be forced to be passive!

Striking at Edward, Edward in turned raised his blade, the left hand near the tip to form a bar to stop Arthur’s swing. As Edward’s breath dropped, ready to embrace the strike, he heard Arthur grunt, seeing Arthur bash with his shield as the blade swung back.

I feinted him and bashed him, now swing again. Arthur thought.

Swinging the blade at a horizontal level, near Edward’s ribs, as Edward fell, the blade inched closer and closer at quick speed.

Edward grunted, thrusting his left elbow down and hitting Arthur’s blade, sending it down instead of hitting Edward as he rolled away.

Smart. Arthur thought, looking at how his blade was stuck in the dirt, his grip still tight even when the blade was two-handed. I’ve used this a lot, I have an advantage, Edward sucks with shields, but I can one-hand a longsword or even a greatsword and hold a shield in the other, if it is of small to medium size.

Turning his head, their gazes locked for a second as Arthur’s night-black eyes met Edward’s happy crystal-blue eyes.

“Edward, are you fine?” Arthur called out.

“I’m fine!” Edward shouted back, “You?”

“I’m fine too!”

Arthur swung his blade in the air, letting the grass fly off as he walked forward slowly, his breath unstable. Best conserve energy.

I feel amazing. Arthur thought, his lips curled to a grin with a few soft chuckles under his helm.

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I need to make my move now! Edward thought. No way am I gonna lose to Arthur! He’s the same guy who apologizes for every hit, well back then.

Arthur shuffled, his feet steady on the grass as moved, circling around Edward as he got closer and closer.

I need to fight! I am not losing! Edward thought.

Bending his knees, Edward stared at Arthur who circled around, twirling his blade every few seconds.

Instantly, Edward charged at him, his blade positioned for a swing, Arthur ran at him too, their blade nearly met until Arthur jerked his head to the left, feeling the blade split the air around him. The blade to Arthur felt like death even though they were practicing.

Arthur’s breath stopped for a second, before continuing as he jumped to his left, lowering himself as he did.

Edward smirked under his helm. “Gotcha.”

“You’re just lucky,” Arthur said, “I’m just playing around.”

“Yeah sure,” Edward said, “Maybe with Ciphas.”

Arthur chuckled. Touche

Circling one another at the same speed, their circling more like short jumps or little repeating hops instead of running or walking.

Their blades clashed, orange sparks flew off as their blades locked again, grinding against one another, Edward held his with two hands while Arthur one handed it, pressing their blade on one another.

Moving his blade, Arthur kicked at Edward’s shin, tripping the prince. Even if you can one-hand it, your focus is too much on the blade than the surrounding!

Arthur paused his breath in an instant, he held his shield up as Edward striked down as he exclaimed: “I won!”

Spinning, Edward rolled up, striking at Edward’s thigh to lock blades as Arthur pulled it back, dashing back and getting up, bouncing as he recollected his breath.

Fidgeting his hands on the blade, Arthur got up. Flexible.

Edward exclaimed, “Whats the matter oh strong one?”

Arthur grinned under his helm, not bothering to respond to Edward’s exclaims as he got up, ignoring the dirt and grass on him as he took a form, dropping off his shield. My shield makes me a bit slower and more focused on the blade rather than the full picture.

The shield dropped, hearing an old voice say, “Arthur, you dropping your shield?”

“Yes, sir Galnor,” Arthur said.

Edward paused as the two spokes.

“I told you to just call me Galnor, but give me the shield first so it doesn’t break.”

Arthur tossed the shield to someone Edward couldn’t see, as he took a stance again, his blade tip pointed behind to the grass. Arthur’s breath slowly became sharper instead of sporadic, as the two went silent, watching each other.

We’re stuck in a stalemate. Arthur thought.

Edward looked at Arthur, observing. The stance is either meant for a low-to-up or a diagonal to horizontal slash.

Just a hit, I can get it and I win. Arthur thought.

Shuffling his toes, bending the grass that bent to his steps, Arthur took a sharp deep breath, staring at Edward as if it were a duel to the death. Arthur angled his left foot to a diagonal direction, his right leg bent and posed for a jump.

Edward leaned back, his hands shivered, his teeth chattering. Don’t laugh.

Arthur’s thumb shifted on his grip, his chest sloped down as his neck became hunched, his eyes dry from not blinking, the echoes of his breath the only thing he heard under his helm.

The palm was sweaty, gripping even more, Arthur jumped first.

Dashing forward, the blade swinging forward as he pounced at Edward, Arthur held his breath, for a second as his perception slowed, seeing Edward duck down, avoiding the blade as Edward charged at him, the blade close to his chest. Arthur immediately twirled himself, striking a spark as their blades ran at each other for a second, before Arthur struck at Edward. The butt of Edward’s blade twisted up, bouncing the blade off its course as Edward brought the weight of the blade down to a slice.

Throwing himself left, Arthur and Edward’s blade clashed, Arthur held the blade up as he kicked Edward in the chest, pushing the son of the duke backwards. Arthur ran back, panting as he slowed down to a walk.

That was risky! Arthur thought, observing Edward stare back at him, the sword of Edward’s shaking. I need to be safer or something!

Edward panted, stiffening himself as he stared at Arthur, both of them panting, their armour shuffled and clinking as they panted. Edward laughed, his laugh loud as it was muffled with his helmet.

Shit! Edward shut off his lips, nearly cutting his tongue. I laughed.

Arthur stopped his breath, his eyes wide as he thought. Why? He laughed for what? He always laughs Arthur! Don’t worry.

Cutting the grass as he hauled his blade, Edward charged at Arthur, running to him.

Arthur stopped his breath, swinging the blade as Edward ran at him, only for Edward to run right, dancing around as he circled back to Arthur, striking at Arthur.

Falling down to avoid the blade, Arthur jerked his blade up, deflecting the strike as he kicked at Edward’s shin, bringing him to a fall.

Edward grunted, slamming his blade down as Arthur blocked it, running his own blade down to jab at Edward’s armpit.

Crap! Edward jerked his chest up, twisting himself as he pushed himself up with his right arm, letting go of his blade.

He lost his blade!

Arthur charged, tackling Edward as the blade made contact with the back of his helmet.

“Arthur wins!” A voice called out.

Both stopped in an instance.

Arthur got off, dropping his blade away as he fell down to lie on the grass, giving a long sigh.

“Man,” Edward muttered, getting up. “I almost won.”

“Yeah,” Arthur answered, his voice low as he closed his eyes.

I won.

An old man walked towards the two, bald and with a long shaggy grey beard. “Good job, that should settle it for today.”

Today? Arthur raised his head.

“Why, lord Galnor?” Arthur asked.

“I told you to call me Galnor,” The old warrior said. “Its because today your fathers will come—”

“What about Ciphas?” Edward bobbed his head up.

Galnor paused, his eyes blank.

“I…forgot about…” Galnor said, his voice more low, “He’ll go with John, Wether too.”

With father? Arthur thought. Would he accept him?

“Now you two get up and get cleaned.”

The duo got up, ripping off their helms as they picked up their blade, walking away from the field.

Arthur shuffled his black hair, moving his pale black eyes as Edward’s crystal blue eyes met, his hair a blonde opposite to Arthur’s melancholic black, yet still friends. Father’s coming today.

“Good job, Arthur,” Wether said, walking forward, a foot taller than Arthur, with the same blackened hair but his eyes a moon-blue. “You took out the fool.”

“Fool?” Edward chuckled, “Look at yourself.”

They both chuckled and then Arthur said, “Father’s coming today?”

Wether paused.

He didn’t know. Arthur thought. Did Lord Galnor only receive now or did he hide it?

Arthur asked, “Well now, brother.”

Wether just gave a soft chuckle, “Lets go get cleaned I guess.”

Arthur gave a soft nod. Will he accept me? Will he be cold? Angry? I wonder what he thinks of me, I haven’t met him in a long time. I don’t even remember how he looks like.

A image played in Arthur’s mind. A cold figure stepping through a door, shaded into darkness, a blurred shape of man that was silent to Arthur, in another he shouted and hit Arthur. Will he be like that?