The crowd gasped as the invitation to the challenge was passed towards the minstrel. Uncourt whispers filled the room, as Lux simply shook his head with a smile on his face. Turning towards his ensemble and muttering a couple of unheard words, he gently placed his lute down on his chair and slowly joined the prince. The cavalcade of murmurs ended, as nobody had expected the poor musician to give in to the prince’s wishful demand.

Lux’s slow, yet assured steps echoed throughout the marble floor, as Edward’s eyes followed him intently. With the two swords pointed down, his posture was reminiscent of a paladin, although his eyes were burning with the thrill of the fight rather than conviction. As the minstrel got within swinging range, the prince threw the sword in his left hand up in the air and caught it by the dull part of the blade. With a short thrust that stopped inches from the minstrel’s stomach, he handed him his weapon. Lux chuckled amused at the prince’s intimidation.

“My, what a beautiful claymore,” Lux exclaimed as he admired the way the lights danced on the slightly curved blade. He played with the blade a little, passing it from one hand to another, spinning it clumsily and almost dropping it and doing a couple of practice swings at an imaginary opponent. The prince smirked.

“If that were a claymore, you couldn’t wield it with such ease. This is a scimitar,” he proclaimed proudly as he raised his weapon to his face. “Notice the gentle curve where the blade is sharpest and the relatively flat upper edge to provide for greater defence,” he continued, as he mimicked the minstrel’s game.

“I see. Not big with blades, so pardon my ignorance.”

“Do you have any experience with sword fighting?” the prince asked, smiling to himself in anticipation of the answer.

“Not much. My father taught me a little when I was a kid, but I liked music more,” Lux beamed back, as he lowered his weapon to his thigh.

“I’ll take you easy then. This is just a display fight, after all. Let’s both give these people a show to enjoy,” the prince ended proudly, as he motioned for a servant. With one swift movement, his cape dropped from his shoulder in the hands of a maid. Sheathing his sword momentarily he took off his blazer and tie, leaving only his tight-fitting white shirt on. Lux followed suit, removing his loose jacket and pouch and passed them onto the butler that joined his side.

Taking a couple steps back from one another, the two duelists sized each other up from a distance. Lux’s gaze was bemused more than anything, as his eyes frolicked around the prince’s sculpted chest and his biceps. A subtle glance downward revealed a pair of worked calves that ensured Edward could thrust towards him like a bull.

In contrast, the prince merely glanced at the weak-looking minstrel in front of him, his eyes shining in condescendence and contempt. Lux was frail as a candle wick, his arms swimming around the sleeves of his loose blouse. He stood on two legs as twiggy as a calf’s and slightly crooked, making him sway with every step he took. Edward didn’t drop his guard, though. As frail as he looked, this man took him down with one short attack.

“Ready when you are, minstrel!” the prince said, striking an offensive pose.

“Go ahead,” the minstrel replied, copying his opponent’s stance.

The prince rushed across the small distance and swung overhead, as Lux sidestepped and jumped back. Spinning on his heels, Edward delivered another powerful swing, met with a parry on Lux’s side. The savage force of the attack made Lux strengthen his defence by using his free hand to hold the blade steady. However, it wasn’t enough, as his own physical prowess was greatly inferior to the prince’s. Knowing that it wouldn’t hold for long, he deflected the attack to his side and pushed the prince away.

Instantly regaining his footing, the prince turned around and charged again, but this time instead of one powerful swing, he decided to unleash a barrage. Side to side, from below and from above, Edward pushed Lux time and time again, forcing his opponent to back down and play by his own tempo. The relentless pursuit continued as Edward’s speed and tenacity intensified. At some point, a cleverly timed fake exposed the minstrel’s flank and, spotting that, the prince swung mercilessly.

Lux didn’t have enough time to dodge perfectly. His sidestep was efficient, but his shirt bore a long scar, dampened with blood at the edges. He bounced on his feet and landed a couple steps away from the prince. During this whole time, his smile never fled his face, in spite of his eyes twitching ever so slightly in discomfort. The prince’s smirk turned grim, as he rushed at the minstrel, unleashing another barrage of attacks, the crimson blades sparking at the force of the impacts.

The king’s gaze harshened on his son, as a weary and disappointed sigh left his throat. Laying his elbows on the table, he leaned his head on his intertwined fingers, his eyes scrutinising the two fighters. Meanwhile, Ari’s ears twitched as every metallic clink stole a soft whimper from her throat. She couldn’t bear to watch her companion narrowly avoiding the wild-looking, sharp metal, as the prince’s attacks continuously drove him back.

Ari sheepishly tapped the King’s rugged hands, as he shot her a gaze that could cut through flesh. However, as soon as he noticed her distressed expression, his face softened, as he reassuringly grabbed her hand.

“Oh my, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I must...apologise on behalf of my son. He is hot headed and proud to a fault,” the king dejectedly described his son, pain evident in his tone. “His loyalty to my kingdom is second to none, but alas... if only he knew how to behave like a true heir and not like a spoiled child…” As he felt the girl’s hand clenching his even harder, as Lux failed to dodge another swing, he added, “Don’t worry, dear. I won’t let you friend there get hurt, I promise.”

Julius’ grandfatherly smile served to calm down Ari momentarily, but her discomfort and worry were still strewn all over her face. The king looked around, seeing as some of the guests watched the fight with an expression similar to hers, but with the majority leaning more towards his son’s expression: excitement and joy. Some people seemed to share his annoyance to such an extent that they simply upped and left, their seats now empty spaces in the row of spectators.

Lux’s shirt was in tatters, as he managed to deflect a devastating blow to his side, letting the momentum of the swing carry the prince forward. A strong push on the minstrel’s behalf halted the prince’s so-far flawless execution, as he stumbled for the first time. Panting heavily, the prince paused to think of his next move, as he eyed his opponent. Even though he was clearly exhausted, his bird-like chest pumping under his blouse, Lux’s smile was still present, but the intent behind it was unknown to him.

“I must say, you’re a much more formidable opponent than I predicted you’d be,” the prince said, sweat dripping from his forehead.

“If your highness thinks so, then I’m flattered,” Lux replied in his cheerful tone that could easily be mistaken for mockery.

“Heh...such arrogance,” Edward said to himself as his hand clenched his sword. “However, there’s more to sword fighting than agility!”

The prince charged at the minstrel, his speed maddening as his blade fell behind him. With a leaping strike, he swung, forcing Lux to drop to his knees in order to parry. But, even though his powerful attack was successfully defended, Edward smiled wickedly.

“Do you know what’s so special about these two blades? Why our people have fought a war for them?” The prince’s words carried a sarcastic tone, as a soft sizzling came from his sword. Seeing Lux’s unfazed smile, he continued, “Warus steel is a material not like any other. Easy to cast, highly resistant to corrosion, blunt force and scratching...But its most interesting property is its affinity towards aesther.”

The prince’s weapon started glowing a faint crimson light, as Lux felt himself forced down even more. He could feel his strength fading, as his sore muscles couldn’t help him resist any longer. The sizzling sound turned to a continuous cracking, as a hellish flame engulfed Edward’s weapon. With a grunt, the prince pushed even harder, as his blade started to cut through the minstrel’s.

“So where a regular sword could never be infused by a powerful warrior, this beauty can mould itself into whatever the user wants. Not to mention the strength I can imbue my attacks with…”

“That’s enough, Edward!” the king yelled as he saw his son’s blade cutting through half of Lux’s. Ari’s lips quivered as she saw the terrifyingly threatening situation her companion was put in. More so, she could feel the strength of the prince, the raw energy that flowed out of him, all channeled into this strike. “Let him go, now! Whatever score you had to settle is now even,” the king added admonishingly.

Murmurs were heard throughout the room, as many of the guests threw glances at the two fighters. Pity, disgust, contempt, shame, disapproval, all were found amid the plethora of nobles, that all shared the same sentiment. After all, it was quite obvious what had happened. They knew the prince’s nature, but they had hoped it would be contained in such a formal setting. More seats emptied, as the crowd grew more displeased with the entertainment.

The prince’s smirk turned to a disappointed frown, but he didn’t move one bit. Looking down at the pathetic insect he was so close to squashing and at his insufferable smile, his blood couldn’t help but boil. However, he knew that if he ended it here, the consequences from his father would be dire. He hesitated for a second, torn between his lust for this weakling’s blood and his fear for the king, but in the end…

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“Don’t worry about me, sire! I can keep going,” Lux replied, his voice obviously strained from the effort. Hearing that, both the prince and the king looked confused at him, the former with a hint of disdain, whilst the latter with a touch of concern. Just after he said that, Lux tumbled forward, letting the prince’s sword scrape over his as it dug deep into the ground. The impact shattered the beautiful white marble, leaving a long dent in the floor, as well as the surrounding tiles severely cracked.

The prince pulled out his sword with a heavy grunt as he looked at his opponent once more. For the first time, he noticed a difference, a difference that at first put him off, but then only served to fuel his rage even more. Whereas his smile was still etched on his lips, his gaze didn’t spread the same sense of calm as before. Lux leered at his opponent, a flame of determination burning defiantly in his eyes, as his posture tensed up.

Edward couldn’t stand this open mockery anymore and forgoing any sort of royal etiquette he barbarically stampeded towards Lux. Gathering aesther in his feet he leaped high into the air, leaving a small crater behind him. Bending his back and charging his attack, he careened towards Lux, his entire body clenched as his strength focused on one thing: damage. He looked like he was about to dislocate his shoulders, his body becoming nothing more than an extension of his blade, a guillotine that was about to cut through anything. The king instantly jumped from his seat and rushed to the two, but as he leaped over the table, the blow landed.

The floor was turned to dust, as the impact’s shockwave reverberated throughout the entire room, shaking the plates and the glasses out of the guests’ hands. An uneasy silence settled across the room, as all eyes were drawn on the cloud that engulfed the two fighters. Ari’s ears were still ringing from the blast, but she didn’t care. Unable to contain her worry, she hopped from her seat and landed next to the king. She clapped her hands together, a blue gust blowing from her fingertips. The scene she unveiled caused an uproar of gasps.

Lux stood tall, his blade defending his head, his blade’s purple light mingling with Edward’s red to create an ultraviolet glint, illuminating his triumphant smile. The prince was suspended in the air, his face contorted in a grimace of pain and rage, as he wiggled around, trying to dislodge his blade. However, every movement ripped a groan out of his throat. The sheer force of the impact was reckless enough to damage his wrists, to the point the tendons were stuck to his skin.

Lux chuckled as he concentrated more Aesther into his blade, intensifying the glow of the two conjoined swords. The prince tried to unclench his hands, but he couldn’t move a finger, not even if he wanted to. The minstrel’s sword slowly expanded before his squinting eyes, as its purple flame devoured the crimson steel. As soon as the two were conjoined, Edward and his blade were swung back, as Lux seemingly prepared for a smash. With one last wicked smile thrown to him, the prince knew his fate was sealed. He closed his eyes and braced for impact.

An impact that didn’t come. The prince felt the hilt of his own sword flee from his fingers as Lux’s Aesther began corrupting it. With a small shake, Edward fell to the ground with a thud, his weapon remaining suspended in the air, impaled by the minstrel’s sword. Stumbling, he got to his feet and tried to move his arms, but they wouldn’t respond. Instead, they clung uselessly to his torso, void of energy, red as a crab’s dead legs.

Lux quickly infused the two blades with his Aesther, separating them with ease. Without being set ablaze anymore, the two swords dimmed down, returning to their original shape. The prince’s hatred burned in his eyes, as his opponent approached him, both of his weapons lowered but smile raised on his face again.

“Looks like I won.”

“...”

Having said that, he dropped the two swords at his feet and turned around to face the king and Ari, who both sported a look of worried surprise. However, the girl instantly got over her disbelief as she rushed to her companion’s side. Her keen eyes instantly got drawn to his wounds, as she inspected them with the tact and care of a veritable medic.

Lux tried to stop her from worrying but before he could even say anything, an azure flame engulfed the girl’s hands. Without hesitating, she ran them over his sides, both shallow and deep grazes caused by the prince’s attacks disappearing as fast as they were caused. As soon as she was finished she stepped back, shyly looking up with a coy smile on her face.

“Huh...so you know how to heal. Good to know,” he said with a praising smile, extending his hand to pat her head. After the scare she’s been through she welcomed the loving touch and didn’t even try to keep her eyes open or ears steady. However, the same atmosphere wasn’t carried over to the other duelist. The king stared at the prince with parental disappointment, while his son tried to avoid his gaze at all costs.

“Why did you do that?” he asked simply and monotonously.

“...”

“I asked, why did you do that?!” the king repeated. A heavy slap echoed through the room, as the prince staggered on his feet.

“I...wanted to demonstrate the weapons. I knew the minstrel from the bar before. He proved to be a better fighter than most people here, so…” the prince mumbled under his breath, under his father’s scrutinous gaze.

“So he beat you up in one of your drunken quarrels and you wanted revenge? Am I right?” the king shouted over him, his tone loaded with anger and shame. “Is that correct?!” he repeated, his yell thundering across the silent room.

“N-no…” The king sighed dismayed.

“...Even now, you can’t be honest. In front of all these guests, all your friends and his own companion, you decided to try and kill him,” Julius said, emphasising every attendee. ”And for what?! For a petty feud you lost! A sad, pathetic tavern brawl!” the king raised his voice, then turned around, his hand rubbing his wrinkly forehead.

All this time the prince hung his head low, much like a child being scolded as he listened to his father’s tirade. Ari slowly backed towards Lux, as the loud voice of the king scared her. She couldn’t imagine the jovial, caring old man acting in such an enraged and aggressive manner. She gazed up at Lux, whose smile devolved in a look of pity, his eyes looking empathetically at the young heir.

“You’ve destroyed my ball room, you inconvenienced my guests and you’ve made a fool out of yourself. But…” the king trailed off, trying to recollect his thoughts. “But most importantly, you’ve turned a feast thrown in the honour of our victory only about you and your selfish goals. Using these precious swords to settle a score, shame on you...” the king added disgusted. With a gesture he beckoned to some servants.

“Escort my son to the infirmary. Doctor, pardon me for ruining your fun but could you fix my idiotic son’s arms?” Julius turned to face Edward. “You will stay in your quarters until tomorrow. We will talk about your punishment then.” Another gesture dismissed the two, as the maids helped the prince walk. The young heir didn’t look back once. With his eyes on the floor, he was promptly escorted under his father’s stern gaze. After the door was closed behind them, Julius looked at Lux and Ari, his disappointment turning to embarrassment.

“Minstrel and young lady, I am terribly sorry for the situation my son has put you through. If you need any medical assistance, please…”

“No, I think she’s got that covered,” Lux interrupted the king, as Ari’s ears perked up proudly.

“Ah, wonderful!” Julius’ face lit up. “Again, my sincerest apologies. Will you still join us? Dessert hasn’t been served yet…”

Lux looked around a little, counting the empty seats. At this point there were almost more people that have left than remained. His eyes widened briefly as he noticed some of the vacancies, but with a smile he replied, “Of course!” The king smiled warmly.

“Then let the celebration continue!” he yelled, turning to his audience.

The three returned to their seats, as desert was brought up. Lux didn’t have any, but Ari’s eyes widened as she was presented with a plate of brown fuzz. Cautiously she prodded it with her fork, only to see little pricks in its surface. She tried to taste it, but she couldn’t seem to get it to stick to the cold metal. Both the king and Lux laughed.

“You use the little thing that looks like a palm you drink water out of,” the minstrel interjected. “Just try to scoop it up!”

Ari did as instructed, managing to fill her spoon with the chocolate mousse, but she was a little too ambitious. She shoved the entire thing in her mouth, however a lot of it stopped on her nose and upper lip. Still, the taste was amazing, the other two unable to help their laughter as the girl turned around, smiling widely with her face muddied by chocolate. With Ari focused on her dessert, the king turned to Lux, leaning over his chair.

“Say, may I ask why did you accept my son’s invitation?” he whispered subtly.

“I’ve never wielded a blade like that before. I just figured it would be an unmissable opportunity,” Lux replied without looking at Julius.

“I see…”The king shot him a look of mistrust. “Regardless, I just want to thank you for not hurting my son.”

“Don’t mention it. I don't hold any ill will towards him, anyway. I’m simply hoping that he will learn his lesson, soon,” Lux continued, his eyes glued to the window.

“You and me both… I had hoped that he would grow a little, that war would mature him, but, alas… See those empty spots? Most of those that left are people who don’t hold me in high regard. They’re most likely gone to plot how to turn this little outburst against me. They’ve all got sons more befitting the role of heir than my dear son…” The king suddenly stopped, his words turning bittersweet.

“May I trouble you with a request?” he resumed, seemingly on another train of thought. “I know my son offered you a room for the night. Would you like to have it for a little more?”

“Hm?” Lux replied, his attention elsewhere.

“For one, I would like to talk more to your companion here. It’s not often you come across a Lapin, let alone one as sweet as her,” the king chuckled giddily, but stopped shortly after. “But I would also like you to meet with my generals.” As soon as he heard that, Lux turned around to face the king’s serious expression.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I know that wasn’t the first time you’ve wielded a Warussian blade. No one is that gifted, son,” the king said with a soft smile. “I don’t want to pry, I don’t want to know your secrets, and I’m sure you don’t want me or her to know them. All I ask is that you consider…”

Without warning, the windows that Lux has been eyeing so intently shattered, as a deafening noise disrupted the music of the feast. Ari’s frail constitution paired with the excessive noise and her keen hearing left her falling to the ground, squirming in pain. It didn’t take long for her to pass out, and as she did a thick mist infiltrated the room, from outside, but also dripping from the ceiling, as well as spreading from inside the castle.

Lux looked to the king, who in turn looked back at him and they exchanged three swift gestures. Following them, their quick plan was set in motion. Julius grabbed the girl and draped her in his blazer, as Lux got up and rushed to the middle of the room where the swords rested. Grabbing them both, he returned to the king with the two moulded together in a makeshift guiding rod. The mist had already devoured the room, when the three fled the room, disappearing without a trace.