My dancing classes doubled in length. I always thought of myself as a guy who had two left feet. But that seems to be nothing that hours of grueling practice can't fix.
The next three weeks went by very quickly. When I wasn't dancing I asked Madeline if she could arrange for more sparring training. I wanted to fully explore the ability of my new swordsmanship skill. I still wasn't all that good compared to the guards, but I could see improvement.
Soon it was the day of Madeline's 18th birthday. We didn't get to see each other at all before the celebration as she was far too busy attending to other matters. As for myself, I was with my older female teacher having a cram session about what I was and wasn't allowed to do at the event.
It was stuff we've been over before many times by now but I wasn't about to complain about the refresher. After that I was taken to a tailor that took my measurements about three weeks ago. I was fitted for my outfit. He spent two hours making last minute corrections that I believed were in no way needed.
I was then taken to have someone do my hair, give me a very unneeded shave, and spray an ungodly amount of perfume on me. The process did not make me feel particularly masculine.
Once everything was done, I put back on the tailored suit and looked into the mirror. It reminded me of the Beatles on the Sgt. Pepper album. The only difference is the metal around my wrist poked out through the cuff slightly. I hoped everyone would be dressed the same or I would feel incredibly stupid.
I waited in a chair for Madeline outside of her room. My job was simple, I was to escort Lady Madeline as she walked down the stairs. Once we reached the bottom I was to let go but stay in earshot. If she motioned me to come over, do so. If not, I stay away and keep silent.
If any lady asked me to dance I would. I was not to ask any lady to dance myself. If I have to make conversation then be short and always defer to the opinions of others. I'm not to ask for any drinks or food unless a guest insist I try it.
There were 100 other rules as well but I think the general idea has been made clear.
All the other guest were arriving as I waited outside Madeline's room for her to finish getting ready. As the young lady of the house, she is to be the second to last to enter, only preceding her father and mother.
As the door opened I stood to greet her. While I always thought she was pretty I knew she never played it up or tried to dress overly attractive. At heart she was more of a tomboy and I found it to be part of her charm.
The way she looked now made me reconsider that opinion. Her blond hair which she usually let fall straight down or put up in a simple style was wavy and feminine as it caressed her face. A face which now actually had more than a minor splash of make up.
Her chest which she almost always kept covered and tucked away was now on display and pushed up. The dress hugged her body all the way down to her waist as tightly as a corset. The bottom of the dress fell gracefully to her ankles while keeping her high heels visible. The first time I've seen her wear any.
“Lady Madeline, you look beautiful tonight”. It was what I was told to say. But the way it came out and the look I'm sure she saw me give her was in no way proper.
“Well someone certainly thinks so.” I held out my arm. She put hers inside and we started walking. I Don't know if it was planned or not, but our outfits matched. I would only know for sure when I see the other attendants I guess.
We went down the hall towards the stairs that led down to the giant ball room. Lady Madeline was announced, I wasn't, not that I wanted to be. We walked down the stairs at a painfully slow pace. I'm pretty sure you're suppose to go slowly, but not this slow. She was taking her time to milk the moment.
I hated being up on these stairs longer than I had to be. She Smiled as she saw more looks like the one I gave her.
“What are you thinking right now?” She quietly whispered to me.
“Don't trip.” We had a small laugh at that.
Finally we reached the bottom. The lord and lady of the house were announced and came down fairly quickly. Probably because they got tired of standing at the top and waiting for their daughter to finish.
Madeline let go of my arm and started to mingle with a group of young ladies she seemed to be friendly with. I looked around and noticed other attendants like myself trying to stand in the background. I tried to work out who was with who by their outfits but there were too many people.
Madeline formed another group with a friend of hers and 2 gentlemen. She waved me over. One of the men in turned waved his own attendant in. A cute looking girl about the same age as the rest of us.
“William, these are lords Timothy Banister, Micheal Addly and lady Arlene Lancaster.” I was pleased to meet their acquaintance, of course.
I frankly didn't care much for the conversation. I nodded along as did the young attendant lady. I noticed the lord's hand seemed to wonder to her lower back constantly. She didn't look to be a fan of it but didn't say anything or outright show her discomfort.
Eventually the conversation got to swordsmanship, in no small part due to Madeline. Timothy was talking about how he just achieved level 4 in swordsmanship recently. Very impressive for someone at the age of 17 he told us. I thought a soldier or adventurer may well laugh at that but I had no idea.
Madeline didn't talk about her own ability, a proper lady shouldn't even practice the sword, but she was happy to talk up mine.
“William has great talent for the sword too. He's been practicing for under 4 months but already he's a level 2 swordsman. You better be careful or he'll pass you in no time.” She loved to push buttons, didn't she?
“Level 2 in less than 4 months? Very doubtful my lady. He likely practiced before hand. You know how slaves can be. You can't always trust their word.” Timothy waved his hand dismissing her comment. Madeline didn't care for her word to be questioned.
“As I said, Level 2 in only 4 months. There's no mistake. I know for a fact he didn't learn before hand. Furthermore, I believe he may be getting close to level 3.” Madeline crossed her arms as if daring him to say she was lying.
“I guess anything's possible. But no matter what his skills say, he's still just an amateur. It takes years to master the sword. To say something like he has a skill close to level 3 in 4 months is a bit over the top my lady. If you will permit me to say so.” She wasn't in the permitting mood, but when was she?
“Do you care to test that? Why not see for yourself then if you're so confident?”
“This is hardly the time and place for that my lady.” Timothy tried to laugh off the situation while giving a smile. Madeline was having none of it.
“You made the claim. Either admit your error or back up your words.” The smile dropped for a moment and then came back, but a slightly different kind. It contained a mix of cockiness and condescension.
“Fine, if her ladyship wants a show, I'm happy to oblige.” Was anyone going to ask me how I felt? I guess not. The young lord whispered to his attendant who quickly ran off.
Our little group walked out towards the back and on to a balcony that faced the gardens. We were now out of view of the ball but close enough to still hear it. A few other groups who were near enough to hear the argument decided to come along.
No doubt they thought this sounded more interesting than the usual ballroom activities. Soon the young mans attendant was back along with a guard holding a long wooden box. He placed it on a nearby table and opened it. Within were 2 training swords.
Seeing as I didn't know what to do in this situation Madeline waved me over to her. She hurried to help me remove some of my more restrictive clothing. As the guard came to hand me a sword I saw Timothy already holding his and practicing with it.
No one was in close earshot of Madeline and myself so we were free to speak.
“Thanks a lot for the ass kicking. It's not like I don't get enough of it at sparring practice.”
“Stop being a baby! Just do what you've been trained to and it will be fine. But you'd better at least win 1 point or I'll be very crossed with you.” I shook my head. He's a level 4 swordsman, what the hell did she expect? Oh well, I knew levels here helped but it wasn't like they meant everything.
I picked it up and tried to get use to the weight. It was a bit heavier than the ones I'm use to. I gave it a few swings. It seems kind of unfair that we had to fight with the swords Timothy used.
“He's just a slave so take it easy on him Tim”. A friend of his shouted from the small crowd. Tim gave off a laugh at that.
“Don't worry. I won't damage the merchandise, much.” He was a bit pissed at first when this situation came about. Now that he realized he had the chance to show off his skills he was in a better mood. Still angry, but better.
Tim signaled he was ready. I would have liked a bit more practice but I didn't get much of a say in it. I held up my sword and took my stance.
The guard who brought the swords now took on the role of some kind of official. He told us that he would over see this duel and make sure that no one got hurt. Or at least Tim didn't. I was optional I think. He then spoke to both of us to explain the rules.
“Standard sparring rules. The best of 5 wins the match. If I say stop, I ask that you please stop immediately. Hits are allowed to any part of the body except the head. Are you both ready?” He looked to each of us and we nodded we were.
“Begin.”
Tim wasted no time. Damn he was fast, even with a heavier sword. I blocked and parried but his movements were strange to me. All the guards in the Armingtage house used a similar style. This was far different than anything I've ever seen. A hit landed hard on my side.
“Stop!” Yelled the guard. Another hit landed
“Stop I said!”Tim walked away as I held my ribs.
“1 point Timothy.” What a little asshole. He knew it was over but he did it again anyway. I thought of getting him back if I got the chance, but decided against it. I held up my sword to show I was ready.
“Begin”. The guard yelled again.
He used the same move as before. I saw it better this time. It was just a more angled slash that was designed to slip through a standard side guard. If I wasn't mistaken, the way he did it put him a little off balance. It was good for a surprise attack, but if seen through it could leave you open.
I tried to take advantage of it but missed. His sword came down on my arm hard which caused me to drop mine.
“Stop!” Tim laughed at seeing me drop my sword. Well if I hit you like that then you would too Tim you jerk.
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“2 points Timothy”. Madeline was not happy. I needed to get at least one hit or she would lose face. Well that wasn't my fault, I didn't set up this duel. Sigh. Either way, I wanted to smack this asshole at least once.
I took my stance.
“Begin”.
Again, it was the same move. How many times was he going to show this to me? Was he stupid or just arrogant? Being confident in a skill is one thing, but you need to mix it up. This time I knew what to expect. The experience from my last miss made sure I wouldn't miss this time.
I ducked and parried his sword, forcing it to go downward and across his body. My sword then found it's way home to his wide open chest.
He let out a gasp and rubbed where I struck him showing a wince of pain. What a god damn pussy. As he backed up he looked at me like I did something I wasn't suppose to. I gave him more of a smug look than I should've. But fuck him.
“1 Point...” The guard looked at me. It took a moment before I realized he didn't know my name.
“William.”
“1 Point William. 2-1 Timothy.”
I took my stance again. At this point he knew I did the same move back to back to counter him. I won't be a moron like him and do the same thing 3 times in a row. Maybe if I fake like I’m going to do the same counter I can use that against him. It's worth a shot.
“Begin”.
Again he started with the same move and I started with the same counter as the last two times. His opening strike was a faint and he immediately countered to where he thought I was going. But my response was a faint too, and I immediately countered to where I thought he was going.
My prediction was off slightly but I was able to adjust. It wasn't a good hit but at least I got him in the arm.
“Stop!” Tim's face showed a look of disbelief. The jovial mood in the crowd was now silent. This supposed one sided match would come down to the last point. The crowd buzzed with anticipation to see the conclusion.
“2 Points William, 2-2.” Tim's face showed doubt and hesitation. I had no idea what the hell he was going to do now. I've managed to out think him but his skills were clearly above mine. The only chance I had was to use his hesitation against him. My thoughts went back to one of my lessons.
“If you're in a bad situation, then attack with all you've got and hope that creates an opening.” I recalled the guard telling me when we trained. Well, Tim has been making the first move all night. It was time to put all the pressure on him and see if I could make him crack under it. We took our stances.
“Begin”.
I sprung out at Tim like a pissed off jack in the box. Tim, who was about to attack, was forced to defend. I kept using my strength to try to knock him off balance then attacked again. It was so different from what he had seen from our past clashes that he wasn't sure what to do. More hesitation.
He wanted to take a swing at me, but I tried not to give him a chance. I kept attacking and forcing him back. He wasn't someone use to dealing with brute strength as a tactic. While I was on the offensive so far, I hadn't been able to find any holes I could exploit. His defense was too solid.
During my all out attack he tripped on a pebble while going backwards and was knocked slightly off balance. That was all I needed.
“3 points William. Winner William 3-2”. Timothy looked at the ground and then to the guard.
“Hey wait, I tripped on a pebble. You all saw that, right. I want a do over on that last point.” The guard shook his head.
“There are no do overs in a fight. You either win or lose and it won't always be fair. This is a good time to learn that lesson my lord. Better now than when your life is on the line.”
He looked around at everyone else and then glared at me like it was all my fault. I guess it was. And I was glad that it was, you spoiled asshole. He walked up to me pointing a finger in my face.
“You dirty little fucking cheating slave. You did that on purpose didn't you. Who the hell do you think you are? I'll have you whipped for this!”
“You will do no such thing.” Madeline put her arm through mine.
“Come William, let's go back to the party.” She gave me a sweet smile while completely ignoring Timothy.
“Yes Lady Madeline.”
[Skill Level up: LVL 3/10 Swordsmanship]
And I thought I wouldn't like this ball.
As we walked back together I could feel Madeline's exhilarated breathing. She brought me to the center of the floor to share a dance. I tended not to like dancing, but it was pretty fun this time.
It's a bit odd to say, but I felt like a victorious lion who just fought off a rival and claimed his woman. Not that I had any deep feelings for Madeline, but it was a nice feeling in any case.
As we danced she talked more about the match telling me all the things I did that could be improved. Even as she went over my mistakes, there was an unmistakable cheerfulness to her voice. She insisted I try some of the food, which is great cause I was starving.
After the dance we went to talk to some more of her friends, one of which I was sure saw the match. When Madeline went off to talk to someone else and left me for a moment her friend asked me if I wanted to dance. With the way she looked I would have said yes in any case.
Once we were done we made small talk until Madeline returned. It would've been nice to talk to her friend some more, but she said she had to be off to see another old friend. Checking that we were out of earshot, Madeline spoke softly to me.
“I think my friend is interested in you. If you want, I can arrange a little meeting somewhere more private. It's not unheard for someone to loan a slave to a friend that fancies them you know.” I would say it was a 50/50 bet that she was serious, but decided to play it off as a joke.
“I'm just here for the party. Besides, I have enough to keep me busy with you here.” She gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Fine, don't say I never tried to do anything nice for you.” The rest of the party was fairly uneventful. The really eventful parts came the next evening.
I was with Madeline helping her decide on how to redecorate her room along with another serving girl who was showing samples.
“Madeline, your lord father wishes for your presence.”
She dropped what she was doing and left the room with me by her side. We entered her father's room. And who else would I find there but my old friend Susan, looking far too smug for my liking.
“Hello daughter. You look wonderful today. Everyone thought you were truly the bell of the ball. The event came off as a great success for the Armingtage house.”
“Thank you father. I'm always happy to do my part for the family.”
“It's good you say that, because that's why I summoned you here today. It's about high time you did your part for the family.” She gave a confused look. Her father ended the confusion.
“We have received a proposal from a suitable family.” She could hardly get out the words. This was much too sudden. She clearly hadn't even considered this.
“Who?”
“The Banister house.”
“Timothy Banister?”
“Yes, that young man you talked to last night. His father and I spoke at the party. The Banister house has been doing very well these past few years since that boy's father took over. He's even agreed that his son would take on the Armingtage name since he has older sons who are already fathers to carry on the family name. It'll be a great match for us.”
“Father, I'm not marrying him. He's a fool, foul tempered and arrogant. Why not just let me choose my own suitor? I could find you a much better son in law than an idiot like Timothy Banister.” Her father's mood changed.
“Now Madeline. I've already turned down one match for you in the past to a very respectable family when you were 16. I will not turn down another. I will not let chance after chance slip to indulge this ridiculous fancy. You're not getting any younger and our house is in need of direct descendents."
“So that's all I am to you? A broodmare to sell off for the best deal you can get? How the house of Armingtage has fallen.”
“You will watch the way you talk to me child.” He pointed his finger as his tone turn dangerous. Madeline was about to say something else but under his glare she went silent. He continued on.
“We've been over this. It'll have to happen sooner or later. It may as well be now. The Bannister house has offered us a good deal.”
“You want the Banister house's smelting plants to match our blacksmithing operation you mean.”
“Enough! I will hear no more of this. You will be married to him and that's the end of it. I didn't bring you here to ask your opinion but to inform you of my decision.” He looked at me and then turned back to Madeline.
“Also, your slave insulted the young lord I was told. He's no longer to be your attendant and will be reassigned to Susan in the morning.” Susan couldn't hide her smile as she stole glances at me. Madeline looked at me and then to her father.
“That isn't possible. First off, he never offended Timothy, he's just being a sore loser. Secondly, I've given my word to him that he can continue to be my attendant as long as he lives up to the standards I've set, and so far he's exceeded every one.” Her father flicked the comment away with his hand.
“He's a slave. You don't need to give your word to him. No one cares and he has no say. He will do as he's told and so will you.” Madeline looked daggers into her father.
“How many times have you told me father, the Armingtage house doesn't go back on their word or let others go back on their word to us? Do you really believe that or only when it's convenient?”
“Enough of this. The marriage will happen at the end of summer. You can either go willingly or unwillingly. I suggest you don't make this harder than it has to be.” He turned to me as an after thought.
“You're dismissed.” There was nothing to be done about it. After all this time and all this planning, it was a damn sparring match that ruined everything. Life really is a fickle bitch.
I wanted to convince myself not to give up, but that was feeling pretty hard at the moment. I went back to my room and sat on my bed, trying to think of what to do. Nothing was coming to me.
Hours passed as I sat unmoving until I heard a soft knock. I opened the door to see Lamaria standing there looking concerned. For the first night since coming here I've failed to knock on her door.
“Is everything okay William?”
“No, no it's not.” I told her everything. About my dismissal, how my plan to escape was ruined, how Susan would no doubt plan to torture me for the rest of my life, and how I'll never get to see my sister again. Then I cried like a baby. I must've looked like a pathetic mess. She held me in her arms.
“It'll be fine. I always thought you were too special to be cooped up here. And here you were scheming a way to escape all this time without me ever knowing. You're a smart guy William, I'm sure you'll find a way out of here."
“Thanks for the comforting words. But tell me how that's suppose to happen now?”
She stood there not knowing what to say. We sat in silence for awhile like that, until I heard another small knock on my door. I opened it and there stood Madeline in a brown cloak with a large bag in her hands filled with god knows what. She rushed in and closed the door behind her.
Only once she was inside did she notice Lameria.
“Whose this?” I shook my head to get over the surprise of Madeline coming to my room.
“She's my friend. Never mind her, why are you here?” She looked nervously at the beastkin who looked even more nervous than Madeline, not knowing if she should bow or run.
“Do you trust her?” I looked to Lameria then back to Madeline.
“Yes.” Madeline hesitated for a moment but let out a huff and spoke.
“Fine, I decided I'm leaving tonight. Do you want to come with me? Since I couldn't keep my word to you I think I owe you that at least. Plus, it be nice to have someone to travel with.”
Everything froze as my brain kicked into overdrive. If she was willing to help me escape then I was pretty sure we'd have a good chance to get out of here. The down side would be that I knew her father would stop at nothing to get her back. After going through the pros and cons, I knew there was no other choice.
“Yes, I'll come with you. And so will she.” I pointed at Lamaria. She looked at me and then looked at Madeline. Her timid nature started to show as she played with her clothes.
“I don't know. What if we get caught?” I grabbed her trembling hands.
“If you stay here you'll have nothing different than what you've had all your life. I know it's scary, but that's the price for freedom and it's worth the risk. It may end badly. I won't lie to you about that. But if you stay here then you'll regret that you didn't try for the rest of your life."
I expected her to not be able to commit to it. Instead she got control of herself and summoned up a strength I was a bit surprised to see she still had after all these years.
“Okay, I'll come with you.” With the decision now made we started to move quickly. Madeline opened the bag and pulled out a dagger, a purse full of coins, a cloak and a pair of traveling boots. She also had one set of less eye catching clothes for each of us, I told her to keep them in the bag for now.
Sadly Lameria wouldn't get any of those things. There was a question of if Madeline should look to get a few more things for her, but we quickly decided against it. It was best to get moving as soon as possible. I thought of something as I took the dagger and put on the boots.
“So no swords?” She shook her head.
“They wouldn't fit in this bag and a bigger one would just look more suspicious and slow us down. If we're seen we don't want to be carrying swords around as we would lose any chance to talk ourselves out of it. We can just buy them when we get out of here.” True enough.
We quickly planned our escape. Between us we knew where all the guards would be, how often they rotated, and how long the window would be between those rotations. We'd have to move slowly and silently until we got to the stables and then we could steal a few horses.
Lameria didn't know how to ride, so I told her she could ride with me. I thought of Lameria clinging tightly too my back as we rode. Her soft and generously proportioned body being pressed against mine. No no, escape now, fantasize later. With everything decided there was no point in waiting.
Just as we were about to head out we heard yet another knock on my door. Well, I was all out of friends, so this one couldn't be good. I opened it to find Susan standing there. She took a small step and stood under the door frame. Her eyes turned to Madeline.
“And what's all this? You almost gave me the slip young miss. I thought you were acting suspiciously, it looks like I was right to follow you. But I didn't expect to see this.” She looked at the cloaks and then the boots. She shook her head as a wide smile went across her face.
“Thinking of going on a little midnight expedition are we? Well, you're father won't like the sound of that. No, I think it would be best if he confined you to your room until your wedding day.” She looked to me and Lameria.
“And you two. Trying to run away? Well, I always knew you were a trouble maker William, but I thought at least you knew better you filthy beastkin. I guess all those punishments never got through your thick dumb beast head did they?” She focused on me.
“Oh, I've been looking forward to this William. First, I think I should talk to the guards and make them give each of you a permanent limp. That will help keep those notions of ever running away out of your silly heads. Then a good long flaying for you both until you finally learn your place.” The smile on her face went wider as she pictured it all in her mind.
Maybe I should've tried to convince her to come with us. Tell her that I understood that all these years of serving have turned her bitter, and that she didn't need to live that way anymore. Maybe I could have restrained and gagged her. Maybe.
I grabbed her arm and with a strong pull forced her inside the room. Before she could scream I took out my dagger and stabbed her through the heart.