“Huh?” why are they stopping the fight!” Ravina called out, suddenly aware she was on the edge of her seat. It was the first time there was an intervention in the arena. A piercing whistle echoed across the field, six men hurried from the sidelines to stop the fight.

“They went too far.” Varis said, though perhaps it wasn't a reply to her question. He was positioned a short distance away. Seated beside him was Gregor, an administrator of the order introduced to Ravina earlier as the right-hand man of the Order itself.

“Khareem has only gotten worse after his defeat.” Gregor sighed, his voice tinged by overuse. “I thought we were watching them closely but it seems as if we missed something.”

“No, there hasn't been much movement. The Graphin’s might have been upset by the loss but the families have cooled down some.” Jarona Madeen quickly added.

Varis turned his head at the words, “the Malthite’s have been calm?” he inquired.

Jarona Madeen nodded, “Yes, in fact they have been focusing on their eldest acceptance into the Limbor Academy.”

“The eldest, that's… Darmick isn't it? Why are they sending him to the Academy? He's well over 30.” Varis’ eyes narrowed, bringing a hand to his head in thought.

“Hence why they have been quiet. Their youngest is going to take over the family it looks like.” Fraven added with a shrug.

“Youngest? Out of seven sons…” Varis’ eyes returned to the arena, unfocused as they stared into his thoughts.

“The Nachtschatten Order has a lot of members in odd positions.” Gregor noted. “I believe Belvis was also removed from his household not too long ago.”

As Ravina listened intently she was nudged by Elysia nudged her, drawing her attention to the women with blue hair entering the field.

“Look familiar?” the battle mage mused.

Puzzled, Ravina tilted her head. It was Aurelia of course but the bemused smile spread on Elysia’s beautiful face that betrayed there was something more. Pulling up the Karmen Box’s screen with a flick of her wrist, Ravina zoomed in on the blue eyed girl.

She looked as she always did, but perhaps something was different with the way she held up her hair? “Ah,” the sound of understanding fell from her lips. Ravina turned to Eylisa, “She's wearing it!” she cried with a smile.

Ravina glanced back, her smile fading slightly. "But it's sort of..." she hesitated, her gaze fixed on the gem in the woman's hair. Although the silver accents caught the sunlight beautifully, the gem seemed to get lost amidst the woman's radiant blue locks. "Blue was not the best choice."

It was hard to see the hairpin from a distance, even with the help of this magical world's zoom and enhance features it was lost unless you knew what you were looking at. The gem might not have been there at all. Ravina felt the heat of embarrassment flush her cheeks. She couldn't believe her first gift had been so bad.

Elysia couldn't help but snicker. “Yes, I was wondering why you would pursue that. Sure it looks as if it would match her well but both her hair and eyes are sharply blue.” The red haired woman brought a hand to her chin. “Actually,” she mused aloud, “I would have to say that she might have Varavine blood in her, perhaps even an Escarion.”

As Elysia tilted her head to her wonderings, Ravina parroted the unfamiliar terms. “Escarion?” she said, mouthing the more familiar Varavine, trying to recall if she had heard of it before.

Elysia turned her head to Ravina. “You don’t- ah, right.” she nodded to herself as if confirming something, staring at the confused girl before her. “That's right.” she said finally. “You don't know. Well… ah first let's enjoy the match. Elysia nodded her head to the duel that was just starting, in the beginning.

As the men continued there discussed about the Khareem’s fight, the girls watched the first bout between commoner and knight…

☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

Aurelia stared at the unassuming hair ornament in her hands. The hairpin wasn't exactly an accessory a noble would have. Rough, well-worn, and cheap as well. Then again the little girl wasn't a noble either. Though she did have a member of the famed Einzfeder Order acting as her guard. It was healed but only on the surface. Deep inside the broken skin and worn hands spoke volumes of the girl's true origins.

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But… Why did it bother her so?

“Aurelia!~” the sing song voice of Joena Bellarion entered into the room, much to the annoyance of the women he was calling out to. “It's time for your third debut!~”

It would be easy for her to slit his throat, making sure he wouldn't be able to sing out his anything tune once again. With a breath Aurelia quickly pocketed the clip before he could spot it. “It's not a debut.” she snapped at the man’s annoyingly large grin, her annoyance evident she shivered at the handsome twinkle in his eye.

“Oh honey, life is one grand debut, you just have to know where to look.. Now, now- the finale of the knights is currently happening so we don't have to run!~” he called out as Aurelia pushed past him and made her way to the blue room.

Painted with only a blue stripe the blue room was blue only as a way to identify it. The Raven Wing Arena had sixteen colored rooms. Each and everyone of them was a large open hall where combatants would prepare for combat and test the supplied equipment. Each of these rooms held 12 combatants comfortably but this one was empty. A comfort offered to him by the man who followed her inside.

"Now, darling, you're going to be facing a knight from the Siberwache Order. A true, bona fide knight. Isn't that thrilling?" Joena's voice was filled with excitement and anticipation as he shared the news with Aurelia.

Aurelia's slender fingers reached for a dull-bladed sword from among the countless hung on the wall. She had decided to retire her own blade after the initial bout. The weapon was dear to her, and an important tool in her fighting.

After the first fight she realized how dangerous it was to her blunted friend. A nick, a scratch. That would be easily fixed. But a break? It was a struggle using the provided weapons. They lacked both balance and refinement that fit her style of fighting. However, she had already accomplished both her goals in this tournament.

The third blade she selected received a few testing swings. Like its predecessors, it was slightly overweight and its balance wasn't the best, however. It was good enough.

“Jason Lachute, a minor noble family, no one really noteworthy,” Joena continued his chatter as Aurelia armed herself. She gave him only half an ear, well aware of how the man could go on. Picking up her opponent's name and order, she felt she got everything she needed from him. The Silberwache was one of the top three orders in Ravyin, so he would be the strongest she ever fought.

“Whatever,” she said, shaking her head, “I just need to lose gracefully.

“Lose gracefu- darling! You need to win!” Joena responded in alarm.

“Why?” she asked, bemused by the horrified face of the arena manager.

“Oh, child.” Joena looked around, his face turning serious for the first time since she knew him. The stark contrast, so uncharacteristic of the man she'd come to know, sent a shiver of dread down Aurelia's spine. She paid rapt attention to his next words. “There are some people looking to hire a female knight”

Aurelia could hardly believe she had taken this jester seriously. "So what?" she scoffed, exacerbated.

“So what? Did you think you met that little lady for show?”

“The one with the Einzfeder knight already guarding her?” Aurelia queried. What use did that order have for a commoner?

Joena chuckled. "My dear, that was a battle mage, who as you well know, hardly matches up to a knight." He shook his head, managing to appear both amused and serious. "Aurelia, you can pretend to be a soldier for the rest of your life, but all you need to do is win this one battle. After that, you can become a knight. The first commoner knight in history.”

"Why should that matter to me?" she responded, unimpressed. She made decent coin, had a full life and was getting closer and closer to her goal? Why would she care about becoming a knight? It wasn't even a dream of people like her.

With a breath Joena looked her clear in the eyes. “Why do you think we opened this tournament to the commoners?” His question housed a certain treachery that dare not be spoken.

“Because money? Isn't that how it always is?”

The man shook his head, his brown hair fluttering with the action. “No darling. It's much worse than that.” he sighed, “every noble was against it but all we needed was one to tell us to do it and its done. Now I am sure you know who that is.”

Aurelia's azure eyes narrowed at his veiled implications. "Count-" but he silenced her with a raised finger.

“That's not the question you need to ask. Why? why, why, why, why, why." Another shake of his head turned his hair loose. “Look, you are the only one here who has a chance to win the fight against the other knights. That is why I gave you the weakest knight to fight first. We need you to win.”

"Need?" she echoed.

“Yes.”

“Then why not just fix the fight.”

“It has to be honest. A true bout. Something to showcase that a common man can best a knight- we only need one.”

As if on cue, a horn sounded outside, reverberating through the room as the arena door swung open from the blue room. Her match was about to start.

The once dim room filled with sunlight. She turned to the light, as it crept through the opening door, chasing away the darkness of the musty room with quick and deadly action. The woman was bathed in this light as the man in the darkness called out to her.

“Win well darling,” he called to the silhouette of the women.

She stopped and turned around. “I won't do it for you.” she affirmed, “after all - I'm pissed at you. You had the audacity to admit you're pitting me against the weakest knight for an easy win." Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved the small trinket gifted by an innocent child. As she secured it in her hair, she turned to face her awaiting challenge, a wicked smile carving into her face. “I’ll win the whole damn thing.”