“What are you doing!” Gideon was the first to respond. He shot forward and reached for Sonia’s raised wrist.
JP reacted instantly. He took a step forward and snatched Gideon’s arm before he could grab Sonia. His eyes darkened as he spoke in a low voice. “No one touches my sister, Your Highness.”
Gideon glared at him. “Your sister hit another student!”
“Then let that student fight back,” JP said. He released Gideon’s arm to the side and put himself between Gideon and Sonia.
Tori stepped around Ewan and moved towards Sonia. “Let me see your hand.”
Sonia was still scowling, but held out her arm to Tori. In front of them, Gideon was seething.
“Did you order her to do this?” he said, his violet eyes fixed on Tori with resentment.
She knew to expect him to blame her, but was too tired to care. Without looking at Gideon, she pressed her fingers gently against Sonia’s hand. “Does it hurt?” Sonia shook her head. “Don’t do that again. You need your hand for riding,” Tori told her in a soft voice. Sonia lowered her eyes and nodded. Tori’s expression hardened as she turned towards Gideon. “No, I didn’t order her to do this. If I wanted to hit someone, then I’d do it myself.” She took a step forward and met his gaze with an unfeeling one. “And they’d be on the ground, unable to stand, if I did.”
Gideon drew his head back and narrowed his eyes. There wasn’t a hint of a joke on Tori’s face. “Are you threatening me?”
“Do I need to?” Her eyes flickered to Alessa. “Class is going to start in an hour. Go and take care of your cheek unless you want everyone to ask why it’s red and swollen.”
Alessa swallowed and looked at Gideon. “Let’s go.”
Gideon shot Tori a final glare and took a step back. “This isn’t over. I’m going to report your friend.”
“Sure, you’re good at that.” Tori brushed him off. She stood there, hips over her knees and arms bent at her side, as if ready to defend if Gideon had any crazy thoughts. She watched the second prince and the protagonist head towards the west dorm. When they were far enough away, she turned towards Sonia. “Let’s go see the headmaster.”
“What?” Sonia blinked. Her eyes crinkled up. “Are you going to report me?”
“Yes,” Tori said. “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness if you admit you did something wrong. Besides, we need to tell the headmaster what happened before that jerk does. He’ll just make it seem as if you tried to beat her.”
“I wanted to....” Sonia grumbled.
“Ilyana, Ewan, Henrik, can you grab us some breakfast and meet us outside the administration building?” Tori asked as she took Sonia’s arm and led her away. “JP, come on.”
“Do you think this will work?” JP asked.
Tori nodded. “Maybe not as well as I’d like and Sonia will still be punished.”
“Huh?” Sonia frowned and tried to break away, but Tori held her firmly. “But what if he doesn’t report me? Isn’t this unnecessary?”
“Do you really think he won’t?” Tori gave her a knowing look and Sonia groaned. She lowered her head and sulked as she was almost dragged into the administration building.
As it was early, the building was still closed, but Tori insisted on waiting. Her patience paid off as, after five or so minutes, Headmaster Laurent, in a familiar hunter green Biancci men’s trench, arrived. He saw the trio on the steps and smiled.
“Good morning, students! Who do we have here this morning?” He climbed the few steps to the building and reached into his pocket for a crystal key fob. “Miss Guevera, Miss Vissage, and Mr. Vissage. Are you waiting for the administration to open?” He pressed a dark green stone against a clear crystal panel embedded next to the door frame and a moment later, the doors let out a ‘click’ and unlocked.
“We are waiting for you, Headmaster,” Tori told him. “I hate to take up more of your time, but we’d like a moment to speak to you.”
The old man looked a bit surprised, but nodded. “Of course. Let’s talk inside. It’s cold out here.” He ushered them in and waved his arm in the air as soon as they stepped into the foyer to illuminate the room. They followed him down the hall and back to his office, where he used his key fob once more to unlock the doors. “Have a seat.” He motioned to the chairs in front of his desk as he walked to a coat rack and began to remove his down trench. “By the way, Miss Guevera, I wore my coat to a dinner with Dean Njal of the Natural Sciences Department at Université and he was quite impressed. The old boy would’ve stolen it off my back if it wasn’t green. I told him he could custom order one. He’ll have to, with that strange taste of his.”
Tori smiled and gave him a thankful nod. “We appreciate your support, Headmaster. I’ll be sure to let you know when we release some designs for spring and summer.”
“Oh, I can’t wait.” The headmaster walked around his desk and took a seat. “Then, tell me. To what do I owe the pleasure of my students’ visit?”
He looked like he was waiting for good news and Tori’s eyes crinkled. “Headmaster....”
“I slapped Alessa Hart.” Tori snapped her head to look at Sonia, who was seated next to her. Sonia looked nervous and uncertain as she sat on the edge of the big, leather seat and gripped her knees.
Headmaster Laurent’s brows rose and he seemed stunned. “You...slapped Miss Hart?” he repeated, slowly. Sonia nodded. He narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. “Why would you do such a thing, Miss Vissage?”
Sonia looked at Tori with uncertainty and Tori gave her a small encouraging nod. The young equestrian then looked back at their headmaster. “Sir, she kept wrongfully blaming Tori. I couldn’t stand it.”
When she said it like that, it sounded as if her action was in excess. Tori scooted forward and tried to explain.
“Headmaster, last night someone broke into Lions Gate East and vandalized some of the merchandise before our guards could stop them. The patrol office was called and the vandal was taken into custody. He’s currently in holding in the eighth district’s patrol office. We found out this morning that the vandal is a friend of Miss Hart,” Tori said, keeping her words clear and unmuddied with needless emotion. “Miss Hart came to me this morning to try to release her friend from custody. The most I can do is waive the cost of damages, but as he was caught and arrested, it is beyond my hands.”
“Miss Hart continued to beg Tori and began to blame her for the vandal losing his apprenticeship and being banned from the city,” JP said. “This isn’t the first time that Miss Hart has harassed Tori and blamed her for something when it was Tori who was wronged. My sister lost her temper and made a mistake.”
Tori looked at Sonia, as if willing her not to say, ‘I didn’t make a mistake; I wanted to slap her’. Luckily, Sonia continued to act guilty and ashamed for her actions. She kept her head down and wore a tight-lipped frown.
“I will properly apologize to Miss Hart,” Sonia said. Tori tried not to grimace. Sonia sounded as if it would kill her to do so. “No matter how upset I was that she was slandering my friend, I shouldn’t have raised my hand.”
“That’s correct. I’m surprised you would, Miss Vissage.” The headmaster was disappointed as he leaned back against his chair and let out a heavy sigh. “You understand that we cannot stand by and allow you to go unpunished despite your turning yourself in.”
Sonia bit her lips and Tori grabbed her hand to try to calm her. Sonia nodded. “I understand.”
“She will accept the punishment given, Headmaster. I only asked for leniency as it was a first-time offense and it was in defense of a fellow student,” Tori said, squeezing Sonia’s hand.
The headmaster thought for a moment and then slowly nodded. “Physical violence against another student, for whatever reason, is prohibited. Miss Vissage will be required to write a reflection and apology letter to Miss Hart to be posted on the board. Second, she will also be prohibited from any after school activity until the end of the semester.”
Sonia gasped and sat up straight. Her brows knit together in worry. “But who will feed my horse?”
The headmaster raised his hand. “The exception will be to feed and care for your horse. However, you will not be allowed to participate in practice or competition exercises until next semester. In addition, once next semester starts, you will be required to fulfill a month of campus beautification duties.”
The name sounded much more pleasant than it actually was. It meant picking up garbage around campus and the grunt work of gardening.
Tori looked at Sonia and saw the hesitation on her face. Tori thought for a moment. “Headmaster, can Sonia be assigned a section of the campus for beautification duties and once that section is completed, her punishment will be over?”
“Yes, that has been done before.”
“Then, can I request to volunteer to help her with that section?” Tori asked. “This whole situation is partially my fault. Sonia was coming to my defense and I should’ve handled it better.”
At this JP straightened up. He looked at the headmaster, as well. “I’d also like to volunteer.”
The headmaster seemed to be trying to hold back a smile. His eyes crinkled a bit and he raised a hand. “One volunteer is more than enough, Mr. Vissage. As Miss Guevera volunteered first, I will allow her to help Miss Vissage in the beautification duties. The area will be worth a month of work for a single person and I will discuss with the grounds services which area is suitable for this punishment. Miss Vissage can come check with Mr. Legaspi at the end of the week to find out what section she will be assigned for punishment and drop off her apology letter then. I will inform Madam Autumndottir that you are prohibited from equestrian activities for two weeks starting today.”
Sonia grit her teeth, but nodded. “I understand.”
“Thank you for your leniency, Headmaster Laurent,” Tori said.
“Then, if there is nothing else, you are dismissed,” the headmaster said. Tori and Sonia rose from their feet. The headmaster stood up, as well. “Miss Vissage.” Sonia turned around to look at him as she was halfway to the door. “While I am very disappointed that you hit another student, even for such a reason as defending your friend, I am pleased you came to take responsibility for your own actions. I trust you will not do this again.”
Sonia took a deep breath and nodded. “I will not, Headmaster.” He gave them a nod and the trio walked outside. Once they were out of the hall, Sonia let out a groan and finally cried out. “Two weeks! How can I be banned from practice for two weeks!”
“That’s what you’re complaining about?” JP looked at his sister with a quizzical look. She shot him a glare.
“You’re not the one who can’t ride your horse for two weeks!”
“There are only two weeks left of the semester,” Tori said as she walked ahead of them. “This week is partially over, then next week is finals week. You wouldn’t have been able to go to practice anyway considering the school wants you to put priority on studying for the exams. Then the half week after that is for us to get ready to leave for the winter break, while waiting for the final scores to be released. Immediately after, you get to ride Ciel Noir home.” She looked over her shoulder and smirked. “And this ban doesn’t cross over into next semester, when you need to start focusing on training for the empire-wide three-day equestrian competition in the spring.”
Sonia’s footsteps slowly came to a halt. She stared at Tori. “That’s what you wanted to avoid?”
Tori nodded. “Ilyana and I are getting signs made to cheer you on for the competition. How can you miss it?”
Sonia’s eyes dampened and her lip trembled. She rushed forward and hugged Tori. “Thanks.”
“I think the hardest part will be the apology letter,” JP said with a smirk as he watched his sister cling on to Tori. “You’re going to struggle trying to make it sound sincere.”
“I regret slapping her, if only because of the punishment,” Sonia said with a scowl. “She deserved it.”
As they walked outside, they saw Ilyana and the others each holding what looked like cups of hot beverages and a bag stuffed with bread and whatever else Ewan likely grabbed at the dining commons. Ilyana took a step forward with a worried expression. “How did it go?”
Tori was about to answer when she saw an expected figure storming up to the administration building. She almost wanted to laugh. You’re too late! I got here first, sucker!
She moved to the side as the second prince arrived. He gave them a suspicious look as he passed and climbed up the steps. Tori smirked a bit.
“We’ve already received our punishments, Your Highness,” she said calmly as she accepted the cup of coffee from Ilyana and took a sip. “For an act of violence against another student, Sonia is banned from riding practice.” She turned around to face him and lifted her head defiantly. “And she will be required to do campus beautification for a duration of time. I hope you’re happy. You should know that she is here as a niche student for riding. This will severely hinder her progress.”
Gideon narrowed his eyes and stopped at the top step. He turned to look at them. “She should’ve thought of that before she slapped another student.”
Stolen story; please report.
“It won't happen again,” Sonia said with a frown.
Gideon seemed to want to continue arguing, but instead turned around and walked into the administration building. Henrik handed JP his mug and squinted. “Do you think he’s going to confirm?”
“Oh, yeah,” Tori said, as if there was no other option. “He'll be out in...less than five minutes.”
"I'm going to go more than five, less than ten," JP replied.
Tori gave an accepting nod. "If you win, I owe you a coffee. I'll throw in a pastry if he's trembling with rage." The group lingered by the steps, eating their breakfast in the cold, and waiting.
As expected, a still scowling Gideon marched out not long after. JP glanced at the clocktower across the courtyard and made a face. "Dammit."
Gideon stopped in front of the group and glared. “If it happens again, she’ll be expelled!” He then continued to storm off.
“We should check the school’s disciplinary guide,” Henrik said. “A single slap or two shouldn’t be worth expulsion.”
“They’re not,” Tori said. “But I do worry that niche students and commoners won’t be given as much leniency as academic students and nobles. I’m sure they’d try to keep it fair, but wealth and status does have a certain degree of pressure.” She swallowed part of her croissant. “Everyone should be careful. Don’t let Miss Hart get to you. If something happens, come to me.”
“You’re going to try to argue for us every time?” JP raised a brow, somewhat amused.
Tori shrugged. “Well, if His Highness the second prince and the Prime Minister’s son can always come to Miss Hart’s defense, why can't I come to my friends’ defense when they need me?”
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As expected, there were very few people who attended their after-class activities during finals week. Those who did seemed to only do so as a break from studying. Or in Ewan’s case, trying to avoid it.
Tori narrowed her eyes as he showed up at the practice grounds, cheerfully in his padded jacket and holding a helmet under one arm.
“I thought the captain said you need to study for finals and can’t come to practice,” Tori said as she stepped away from a few other first years she was guiding through cuts.
Ewan grinned from ear to ear. “I have been studying! I’ve attended all of Ilyana’s reviews so far.”
Tori raised a brow. “Really? And you’ve been paying attention?”
Ewan’s eyes darted to the side. “For the most part.” He laughed nervously. “I’ve been sitting for so long, Tori. I can use a bit of a stretch. Just for a minute.”
Tori crossed her arms over her chest. She kept her eyes on her friend, not acknowledging the figure that was coming up behind him. “Does the captain know you’re here?”
“He doesn’t have to know....”
“Ewan.”
“Ah!” Ewan’s helmet hit the ground as his brother’s large hand landed on his shoulder. He jumped and whirled around, paling at the sight of his older brother standing there, frowning. “It’s just for a minute, then I’ll go back!”
Captain Patrick gave him a dull look. “I thought we discussed that your scores are slipping. Mom and Dad agreed to let you come to Lycée as long as you’re able to keep your scores above the average of niche students. The midterm and last review exams were average at best. You should go back and study.”
Ewan looked pained to hear this and, despite herself, Tori wanted to laugh. So much for her friend’s little escape.
“Bro, I’ve been studying. You can check with Henrik. I even re-did all my notes and Ilyana and Henrik went through the points with me one by one,” Ewan said. “I’ve been in that study room for days; just let me have this. Look.” He pointed at Tori. “Tori’s here, too! She’s not studying.”
His brother gave him an annoyed look. “Tori is ranked third in the entire class of first years and she came in first during the midterms. Not to mention that during the past exams, she was also busy opening that store. Do you think you’re on Tori’s level?”
Ewan looked aggrieved, but couldn’t argue.
Tori decided to finally take pity on him. “Captain, it is good for a student to have a break in between study sessions. It helps settle any excess energy and can help them focus afterwards. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt to try to loosen his tension. Besides, Ilyana’s review sessions are very helpful.”
“She keeps track of her attendee’s scores and there is a visible improvement from their previous scores and rank so far,” Ewan added, hopeful. “I’m sure my scores will go up!”
His pleas fell upon his brother’s ears and the captain seemed to consider it. Finally, he let out a heavy breath and nodded. “Two hours maximum. Then go back and continue your review. Your finals start tomorrow. If your final scores aren’t above average, Mom’s going to make you quit the Sword Association.”
The fear could be seen all over Ewan’s face as he nodded obediently. “Two hours! Got it!”
He ran off to get a sword and Captain Patrick looked at Tori. “Do breaks really help?”
Tori nodded. “Yes, they prevent fatigue and help one keep focus. I had Ilyana incorporate ten-minute breaks for each hour of a subject in her reviews and she said the students were much better focused.”
The captain looked thoughtful at this. Tori returned to the three first years she was working with. All three were academic students who were interested in joining the association for fun and also came to take a break from studying. They were all new to the sword and after weeks of watching Ewan be personally guided by Tori, they finally approached her for help.
She was used to teaching smaller children sword classes at faires in her original world. It was something she really enjoyed, as the enthusiasm was high and children were earnest to learn. She’d even helped newer students at her sword school with basic cuts, positions, and steps. Tori was by no means a professional instructor, but she was able to break down the forms and directions in multiple ways.
Different people learned in different ways. It was the same when she was training a new employee. The process that worked for the last person may not work for the next, so she had to learn to be flexible with her teaching.
“Tiff,” Tori said as she stepped forward. “Come here. You’re doing a good job with extension, but I have to change the way you move the guard across your chest.”
The girl knit her brows together and looked at the cross guard of her wooden sword. “Am I holding it wrong?”
“No, you’re holding it well. It’s just that we must make a slight dip. It’s going to lose you a split second, but...first transition your guard.” Tori stood beside her and did a movement. The girl followed slowly and the very tip of the guard hit part of her protruding chest. “Did you feel that? It hits your breast.”
The girl’s face flushed and Tori smiled. “Should I bind?”
“You can, but you can only bind so much before it gets uncomfortable. You don’t want to be too uncomfortable when you’re doing this. It usually means something is wrong,” Tori said. “A slight dip when you’re bringing it across your chest will avoid your breast and still keep the sword in a good position.”
Even with a sports bra and a compression exercise top on, Tori had that problem when she was starting out. She didn’t really pay attention until her instructor brought it to her attention. The sooner the adjustment was learned, the sooner it could be made a habit. No more boob stabbings.
She went through the motion with Tiff a few more times until she was satisfied that the student was doing it right. Tori then went to check on the two boys.
“Good job, remember to keep your hips facing forward. Imagine the center line in front of you,” she said as she walked around them, studying their posture, and gently correcting them.
She was readjusting someone’s feet when she heard loud voices approaching. At first, she didn’t pay attention. Someone was always yelling around the practice grounds. It wasn’t until she noticed that several people on the grounds had stopped what they were doing and were looking towards the entrance that she realized there was an unusual disturbance.
“It’s Sir von Dorn. What’s he doing here?” she heard someone say.
Tori could sense the excitement in the air. Fabian was the first pick for the swordsman invitee position for the first years, but he apparently had no intention of joining the Sword Association. Tori figured this was because he wanted to always be with Gideon.
It was a different situation with Axton and Piers; while they lived together, Axton was usually sent off on errands and focused more on the ‘knight’ part of the personal aide requirements. After his second year, he transferred to La Garda and then went off with Piers’ uncle to fight in actual battle.
Tori couldn’t beat a seasoned knight like Axton if her life depended on it. When he came to help her let off some steam, she had struggled to get in hits. She had to be much more aggressive than normal and really focus on reading his movements to defend and get an inkling at an opening. In the end, her stamina was far below his and she could only lay panting on the ground, exhausted and hungry.
But Tori was curious about where she stood in comparison to Fabian.
He was almost a legendary figure amongst the first years. Fabian was primed for knighthood since he was a child and received private instruction since he could hold a sword. From what she heard, he’d participated in children’s tournaments and scored high each time, eventually dominating until the age of twelve and he no longer qualified.
Since then, he carried a reputation as being a gifted young swordsman and many swordsmen in the association talked about him. Tori had yet to see Fabian in action and was hoping to at least catch a glimpse.
She stood up from where she was kneeling and turned around.
She saw a pair of worn leather gloves fly forward and hit her chest with a dull smack. Tori blinked, surprised at the sudden action, but didn’t grab them. She watched the gloves as they slid off and plopped to the ground.
The entire practice area was silent. Tori stared at the gloves at her feet and then raised her eyes to meet the party that threw them.
Fabian stood a few paces from her with a darkened look on his face and his hands clenched at his sides. His eyes were set with a cold glare and his lips were a thin line as he looked at her.
I wanted to see a glimpse of him fighting, but not like this. Not. Like. This. Tori wore a wry smile. “I want to say that you’re challenging me to a duel, but I’m not sure if you’re challenging me or just clumsy with your things.”
She heard the gasps around her, as if shocked she had the audacity to say such a thing to Sir Fabian von Dorn.
Fabian’s look of utter anger didn’t falter. “Lady Guevera, I am challenging you to a duel.”
Oh shit, it’s happening. Tori raised a brow and drew her head back. “But why?”
“For the honor of Lady Alessa Hart!”
Murmurs from the students dotting the practice grounds surrounded them, as Tori felt the corner of her eye twitch.
Is he kidding me? She took a deep breath. “When exactly did I besmirch her reputation, Mr. von Dorn?” They hadn’t spoken for over a week, not since she came crying to her about her friend being arrested.
“Fabian! Fabian, don’t! It’s not her fault!”
Tori pursed her lips. Why was it that whenever she heard Alessa telling someone it wasn’t her fault, Alessa was actually telling them to blame her? Did she have such a strong bias against Alessa that was causing her to skew her rationality?
She watched the teary-eyed schoolgirl rushing towards the practice grounds with Gideon at her side. Tori shook her head slowly.
No. It’s Alessa who is wrong.
“Fabian!” Alessa broke protocol and rushed into the practice grounds without worry of being accidentally hit. She ran to Fabian’s side and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Stop! It’s not her fault!”
“No, let him,” Gideon said in a cold voice. “Because of her, you’ve cried so much the last few weeks. Your grades have even begun to slip and you entered ranked fifth. Then she had her friend slap you!”
Tori felt everyone’s eyes turn towards her. Some were confused, some were accusing, but most were silently asking if this was true.
She sighed. “Apparently, Miss Hart here knew the merchant who stole my vest and sleeping bag designs. She showed him the vest I lent to her during the excursion. Then her friend from her village broke into one of our stores, vandalized it, and was arrested. And I didn’t ask anyone to slap her. Someone got mad at her for blaming me, then slapped her.”
Upon hearing this, the gazes that were directed at her turned to Alessa and Gideon, as if they were insane. It clearly sounded like the person who was dishonored was Tori.
Alessa took a step forward with a pained look. “I know you blame me for everything that happened, Lady Guevera, but I am sorry!”
“I know,” Tori said with a casual nod. “And I said we’re fine and not to worry about it. Though, I checked with the patrol office and I can’t do much about your friend. He was caught and arrested, so it’s out of my hands at this point.”
The pretty young blonde sniffled. She wiped at her eyes before reaching for Fabian. “See, Lady Guevera checked. She can’t do anything, so just stop. I don’t want you to fight her.”
Her pleading got the exact opposite reaction from Fabian. One look at Alessa’s crying face and the would-be knight seemed to grow even angrier. He looked back at Tori.
“Lady Guevera, I demand a duel!”
Tori stared at him blankly before turning to Captain Patrick, who’d approached with a look of confusion. “Captain, are we allowed to have duels? What if someone gets seriously injured?” This was certainly a liability. She couldn't imagine that the school would be fine with this.
Captain Patrick took a deep breath. “There have been duels in the past, but it hasn’t been done in years. No one really does them any more...but there are procedures.”
That was fair. Duels did have rules, even if they were no longer common. Or made sense. “Do we need to fill out liability forms so we don’t blame the school if we are hurt? Call for a witness, perhaps have a doctor nearby?”
“We should check-”
“Do you accept the duel or not!” Fabian was fuming and Tori gave him a dull look.
“We need to verify the rules and regulations first, Mr. von Dorn. This is a duel, not a street fight.”
Fabian was trembling with fury. He reached to his side and pulled a metal sword out of its leather scabbard. It made a scraping sound as it was pulled out and he lifted it with one hand, pointing it at Tori’s face. She reacted as soon as she saw his hand reaching for his side and raised her wooden sword.
“Hey! No!” Captain Patrick immediately straightened up and frowned. He stepped forward and put his gloved hand out to move the blade to the side as several swordsmen around them began to yell out in protest. Ewan lifted his sword at once and prepared to do a cut at Fabian’s arm, but an upperclassman stopped him. “What do you think you’re doing!”
The disrespect! Tori narrowed her eyes as she held her sword on her left side, keeping it between her head and Fabian's sword. And when since did Fabian carry a metal sword with him? Did he carry it today just to fight her? How fucking dramatic.
Her eyes flickered from the sword that was now pointed over her shoulder. She took a deep breath and tilted her head to the side as she relaxed her stance. “I don’t have a metal sword.”
“Then get a weapon! Any!”
Hate was a strong word, but was applicable here. She could see it all over his face. Tori couldn’t help but wonder if this level of hatred was necessary in the game. She knew this was a pseudo-European-based fantasy world and she saw people carrying around weapons when they were outside the school, so someone must get into a scuffle every now and then. But it was still incredibly disrespectful to point a weapon at someone’s face when they were unarmed.
Not to mention dangerous. If that fool had decided to suddenly close the distance, she’d barely have time to lift her wooden sword to block.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Mr. von Dorn? If someone is hurt, we could face serious disciplinary action, if not expulsion.” And it was too early for her to be expelled. She still had finals and, more importantly, the post-finals dinner she planned with her friends. She had promised Ewan steak if his scores went up.
“If you agree to this duel, I will see to it that neither party suffers repercussions,” Gideon said. “Even if there is an injury, there will be no expulsion.”
Tori sneered. “Yeah, but I don’t trust you.” She looked back at Fabian. “Are you actually serious about this?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you’ve lost your damn mind.”
“Mr. von Dorn, we are still on school grounds and you and Lady Guevera are still students. Whatever grudge you have, this is not the place for it to be resolved,” Captain Patrick said, still keeping his glove against the blade to keep it from being pointed at Tori.
“Captain, it’s fine. I will make sure there are no repercussions for this duel,” Gideon said.
Tori rolled her eyes. “No oversight is how people die, Your Highness.”
“What’s going on here!” A man’s voice filled the practice grounds. Tori didn’t take her eyes off Fabian and his sword, but heard the Sword Association’s sword master and advisor approaching.
Master McDouglass was a big man. Tall and thick with a bushy beard and small dark eyes. He was a retired training commander from the O'Tuagh March and a La Garda alumni. He enjoyed teaching students the sword, so he became Lycée’s resident sword master. Tori had seen him do demonstrations and teach; he knew what he was doing and was a very good instructor. He’d helped her through some movements that were troubling her.
“Master, Mr. von Dorn has challenged Tori to a duel,” Captain Patrick said, remaining where he was standing.
Master McDouglass frowned. He looked at Tori. “Why is he challenging you, Tori?”
“He thinks I hurt Miss Hart’s feelings and wants retribution.” She didn’t care for any flowery words and just said what she saw.
Master McDouglass made a face filled with confusion, frustration, and disbelief. He looked towards Fabian, who was still holding the sword up and looked rather awkward at this point with Captain Patrick holding it away from Tori and Ewan still poised to strike him if he moved.
“Mr. von Dorn, put the sword down. Is this true?”
“Sword master,” Gideon said, stepping forward. He stood up straight. “This is an argument between students. I would like you to allow this duel.”
Master McDouglass’ face hardened. “Your Highness, I will not allow students to fight with sharp blades, duel or otherwise, on campus grounds.”
“Then what about a wooden sword?” Fabian asked in a low voice.
Master McDouglass shot him an annoyed glare.
“I’m fine with it,” Tori said. She shifted her weight back and lifted her sword, lazily resting it over her right shoulder. “How do you want to call the winner? Take the first fatal hit, torso only? First one to their knees? First one to drop their sword?”
Fabian finally lowered his sword. “First one to yield.”
Tori’s eyes sparkled as a bit of excitement shot through her. “Well, what a coincidence...,” she said as a predatory smile tugged at her lips. “That’s exactly what we Gueveras like to hear.”