“Lord Jake Grey,” Jake replied, taking the hand and shaking it firmly, “Like wise.”
“I am sure that you have been asked this question numerous times, and may well be many more tonight, but if I may be so bold to ask, how did you come about your Title of Lord?” the man asked, Jake scowling slightly as he saw the slight smirk on his face, “It is not often that a Traveller of all people may enter into nobility, after all.”
“Circumstance,” Jake replied, “I acquired a Title for a plot of land and was Challenged for it. Obviously, I came out the victor, and gained the town my opponent wagered.”
“Oh? And this opponent? Who might they be? Anyone I would have heard of?” Antoine asked.
“I doubt it,” Jake shook his head, “It is but a small town in the Wilds, I would not think that you would see it worthy enough of notice.”
“In the Wilds?” Antoine gasped, “A truly barbaric place, indeed. And what of this opponent of yours? Forgive me, I am rather interested in their fate.”
“Dead,” Jake replied flatly, “By my own hand in an official Challenge.”
“I…I see,” Antoine muttered, the crowd around them murmuring, “Well, I must say, it has been a pleasure to meet you, though now I have other business to attend to. Business that seems to be approaching as we speak. Esme, my dear, so good to see you again!”
“Antoine,” Esmeralda hummed as the two women drew near, “I see you have met Lord Grey. Has he told you of how his comrades saved me from a vile bandit attack?”
“A bandit attack?” the young man gasped loudly, “How could something like that happen? I will have my father search for the perpetrators immediately!”
“There is no need for that, Antoine,” Liena said, “I have already informed my own father of the incident, and he shall have a troop of soldiers combing the lands around Eversun by the morning.”
“I…I see,” the young man deflated slightly, “Well, that is good. But how are you, Esme?”
“I am well,” the young woman hummed, obviously distracted as she looked around, turning to Jake, “Lord Grey, do you happen to know where Ser Strongarm has gone? I would talk to him.”
“I believe he has gone to the tables to acquire some food,” Jake smiled at her, “I can go fetch him, if you would like?”
“That is quite alright, I shall find him myself,” Esmeralda said happily, starting to walk towards the tables.
“Ah, Esme, I would escort you,” Antoine said as he hurried after her, catching up quickly and talking animatedly.
“Ah, poor soul,” Liena sighed, making Jake and Sophie look at her in confusion, “It is obvious that Antoine is enamoured with Esme, yet he is but the third son of a minor Earl, while she is the first daughter of a Duke. He reaches too high for his station.”
“Ah, that is true,” Jake nodded, looking after the pair as they arrived at the tables, Esmeralda quickly finding Andy and talking to him, all but ignoring the other man, “A sad fate, I suppose.”
“Yes,” Liena sighed again, before speaking more jovially, “But tonight is a night of celebration, not of spreading rumours! Please, you are the guests of my dear friend, I would have you enjoy yourselves. Eat, drink, dance to your hearts content!”
Jake and Sophie nodded as they watched the young woman walk away, quickly joining another group of nobles and talking amicably.
“So, what now?” Sophie asked Jake, the taller man looking down at her, “She did tell us to enjoy ourselves.”
Jake nodded, looking up as the band changed songs, a slight smile on his face.
“Can you dance?” he asked.
“Of course, can you?” Sophie chuckled.
“I was taught when I was younger, but it has been quite a few years since I last actually did it,” Jake hummed, stepping back, and bowing to Sophie, holding out a hand, “May I have this dance, my lady?”
“Of course, my lord,” Sophie giggled, taking his hand as he led her towards the crowd of dancers.
“So, a waltz?” Sophie asked as she listened to the music, “Easy enough. I’ll follow your lead.”
“If you’re sure,” Jake laughed, the pair taking up the correct poses.
They started slow, getting a feel for the music, before they began to properly dance. Their feet moved rhythmically to the beat of the song, picking up speed as the pace of the music started to increase. They both moved with practiced ease, soon twirling around the dance floor as the crowds around them quietened, the other dancers stepping back without their knowledge. And suddenly, the song came to an end, Jake breathing slightly heavily, Sophie almost panting as they looked at each other and laughed.
“Did you also just get a notification asking if you want to learn the [Dancing] Skill?” Sophie asked as they both stepped back, Jake bowing to her as she curtsied back.
“Seems like it,” Jake chuckled as he spotted the notification symbol blinking in the corner of his vision.
The sound of clapping startled the pair as they looked around, suddenly realising that they were standing in the middle of the empty dance floor, the rest of the party watching them. Jake quickly bowed to the other guests, Sophie curtsying, before they hurried back into the crowd, trying to hide their blushes.
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“My, what a show!” Esmeralda gasped as they watched the two Travellers hurry off the dance floor, the band starting to play again as other dancers stepped up, “Do you dance, Ser Strongarm?”
“Oh, uhm…unfortunately not, my lady,” Andy said, blushing slightly, “I never learned.”
“Oh! Then allow me to teach you,” the young woman said happily, taking his hand, blinking when another hand was placed on top of them.
“If you wish to dance, Esme, I would gladly do so with you,” Antoine said as he smiled widely, “It would be my honour, in fact.”
“That is quite alright, Antoine,” Esmeralda said quickly, a pleasant smile on her face, “I wish to teach Ser Strongarm at this time. Perhaps later?”
“Of course,” the young man said, his smile becoming forced as he watched the pair walk off, clenching his fists as he spun on his heel and walked away.
Across the room, Jake frowned as he watched the young man stomp off.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
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He was furious.
Antoine had planned out everything, a simple yet elegant plan, yet it had all been ruined. All that was meant to happen was that Esme, his beloved Esme, was to be captured by that group of bandits he had paid with a good portion of his father’s meagre funds. Then he would swoop in, a knight in shining armour, and save his dear sweet Esme from their dirty clutches, earning her heart in the process, and probably a decent monetary reward as well. But they had failed, all because of a group of gods forsaken Travellers, one of which was obviously trying to steal the heart of his rightful love out from under him.
Antoine stormed through the hallways of the manor house the party was taking place in, pausing as he found the door to a study, throwing it open and stalking in. A pair of servants gasped as he appeared, darting back from each other as he glared at them.
“Get out,” he barked, the two nodding as they hurried past him, the young man balling up his fists again as the door closed behind him, before letting out a furious scream.
“My, that was quite the shout, young master,” the familiar voice said, startling Antoine as he looked around, spotting the cloaked figure as they emerged from behind the curtains.
“Nyx,” he grunted, “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, just came to give you an update on that bandit troop you hired,” the figure said, holding up a crystal orb, “Oswald himself had a message for you.”
“Greetings, young master,” the voice of the man hummed out of the orb, the sarcasm in the words obvious, “Just letting you know that the job went south. Turns out that a bunch of Travellers killed almost half the men and women I took with me. As such, I’m quitting this job of yours, not worth the money you promised.”
“Whoreson,” the young man snarled, “I’ll…I’ll…”
“You’ll what, young master?” the figure asked softly, a slight hint of joy in their voice.
“Nyx, go kill him!” Antoine barked, glaring at the figure as they laughed.
“Oh, young master, you know you cannot order me to do that,” they said, “At least, not yet. So no, I shall not clean up your mess for you. But I will help you clean it up your-.”
Antoine blinked as the figure suddenly fell silent, looking at the door behind him, before shooting forwards and yanking it open, looking out into the brightly lit but completely empty hallway beyond.
“Strange,” the cloaked figure muttered, slowly closing the door behind them as they re-entered the room.
“What was that, Nyx?” Antoine growled, “You scared me half to death!”
“Just thought I felt a presence, young master,” the figure replied, “Someone listening in on our conversation. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“Well, I don’t pay you to be wrong, Nyx,” the young man grunted again, “Now, what was that about helping me clean up this mess?”
“You don’t pay me anything, young master,” Nyx chuckled softly, “And you shall know in time. But why not return to the party for now? It would seem your beloved is growing ever closer with that one Traveller, even as we speak.”
“I cannot allow that,” Antoine snarled, quickly storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Nyx watched for a moment, before slipping out the window again, their job for the night far from done.
In the hallway, Jake gasped as he dropped his Shadow Mantle spell, reappearing in his armour and cloak as a sharp pain lanced through his head. He quickly took a drink of Mana Potion from one of his bottles, the pain subsiding soon after. Shaking his head, he started to follow after the other young man, his clothes glowing as he quickly reequipped his party outfit.
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“Andy, we need to talk,” Jake said as he found the pair on the balcony, Esmeralda laughing as she tried to teach the Defender the steps to a simple dance, Andy struggling quite a lot.
“Huh? Jakey?” Andy said, “What’s up?”
“I know why we were attacked by those bandits,” Jake said quickly, “I saw that noble boy leaving earlier, and had a bad feeling about him, so I followed him.”
“Who, Antoine?” Esmeralda asked, chuckling at Jake, “Please, he’s harmless.”
“Perhaps, but I know what I heard,” Jake said seriously, making the other two go quiet, “He hired the bandits to kidnap you, Lady Dusk.”
“What?” the young woman gasped, “But that’s impossible! There’s no way that the Whittenger family could even afford to do something like that. They aren’t in the best of financial situations at the moment.”
“Would there be a reward for saving you? Like money?” Andy asked, Esmeralda blinking for a moment, before nodding slowly, “Then he was probably planning on paying them with that. This isn’t good, Jakey, we have to tell someone!”
“But who? This is all conjecture,” Esmeralda said, “And, even as a minor noble, very few would take your words as more than hearsay, Lord Grey.”
“Then we should at least try to keep him away from you for the rest of the evening,” Jake sighed, “Perhaps we can talk to someone like Lady Dawnmaker about it, she is sure to believe you if you tell her.”
“I am not even sure I believe you myself, Lord Grey,” Esmeralda said, shaking her head, “No, you would need more evidence than just your word to sway even me.”
“But this is dangerous, Esme,” Andy said, “We don’t know what else he could be plan-.”
“Esme!” the call came from the door to the balcony, Antoine strolling out casually as he smiled at the young woman, “So, this is where you disappeared off to? Come back inside, it is cold out and you would not wish to fall ill.”
“It is the middle of summer, Antoine,” Esmeralda chuckled, “It is quite warm out, I am sure I am perfectly safe.”
“I find that hard to believe,” the man sighed, shaking his head as he glared at Andy, “Whatever would others say, if fact, are already saying, should they know that you are out here alone with another man? Especially a Traveller. Who knows what he might attempt.”
“Ser Strongarm is honourable,” Esmeralda replied flatly, “I have nothing to fear from him, or his fellows.”
“Again, I find that hard to believe,” the young man said, striding forwards and reaching out to grab Esmeralda’s arm, “Come, let us go back inside away from this…ruffian and his ilk.”
“Hold it,” Andy growled as he grabbed the man’s arm by the wrist, holding it just short of the woman’s arm, “She already said she doesn’t want to go back inside, so leave her alone.”
“You…you would dare touch me?!” Antoine shouted, yanking his arm back as he clutched it to his chest, several guests looking out from the ballroom at the noise, “Of course you would resort to violence! It is all you Travellers know! No, I shall not allow Lady Dusk to remain in your presence! Begone, cur!”
“Antoine!” Esmeralda shouted, “Enough! I do not know why you are acting this way, but it is ridiculous!”
“Ridiculous?” the young man almost screamed, “I am trying to protect you, Esme! Just as I have all these years since we were children! Did you not promise me your hand in marriage when we were of age?”
“What?” the young woman blinked, looking confused for a moment before gasping, “Wait…you couldn’t mean? But we were children, barely five when I said that! And my father would never approve.”
“And he would approve of you…cavorting with a Traveller?” Antoine shouted, the crowd that had gathered at the doors gasping, “I would think not! This man already has two wenches under his thrall, as you have seen! Cease this farce and come back to your equals, Lady Dusk, leave this cretin and his whores in the dirt where they belong!”
“Enough!” the shout echoed over the murmuring of the crowd, everyone turning to look at Andy as he all but snarled at the other man, “You can say what you like about me, but you insult my friends and you make a big mistake, buddy.”
“I am no friend of yours,” Antoine spat, “In fact, I Challenge you to a Champions’ Duel!”
“What?” Andy blinked, looking at the screen that had just appeared in front of him as the crowd gasped again, “What are you talking about?”
“Simple,” Antoine sneered, “We each shall name a champion, and they will fight in our honour. I choose my servant, Franz. Come out, Franz.”
The crowd parted as a large man, easily over six foot tall, walked out of the ballroom, a twisted grin on his face as he approached the four of them. He was heavily muscled, so heavily, in fact, that it looked like his clothes were straining just to keep all the muscles in. He quickly moved to stand beside Antoine, the young man crossing his arms as he smirked at Andy.
“And who is your champion, Ser Strongarm?” he sneered, “Take in mind that you must be their equal or better to even ask them, and they have the right to refuse.”
Andy looked around, spotting Holi, Shadow and Sophie watching from the doorway, before looking at Jake. Jake just gave a short nod, Andy returning it as he looked back at Antoine.
“I choose Lord Jake Grey as my champion,” he said, Antoine immediately laughing.
“I said that you had to be their better, you invalid! He is a noble, of higher standing than you could ever hope to be!”
“I accept,” Jake said, stepping forwards as Antoine looked at him in surprise, “Goldrun is my friend, and I value my friends above any Title or accolade I may receive. You say he must be my equal? Well, he most certainly is.”
“Pathetic!” Antoine spat, “Fine, if you wish to stand for this…fool, then let us get this farce of a fight over with! As the challenger, I shall name the first condition. When you lose, you will cease all contact with Lady Dusk until your final death!”
“Fine by me, and it’s if Jakey loses,” Andy growled, “And I say the same to you, if your champion loses, then you will never so much as look at Esme again.”
“You…you whoreson!” Antoine snapped, before seeming to get himself under control, “Fine, I accept your condition. It shall be a fight to the death, so I hope your friend is prepared to perish.”
“I wouldn’t count Jakey out just yet,” Andy laughed, “I would be more worried for your own man.”
“The conditions are set,” Antoine growled back, “Let this fight begin!”