Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long for another official to come and to collect us.

A tall man with a well trimmed goatee bowed deeply to Elora, his hand to his chest and left hand extended in a practiced manner. This one seemed a step above the bored looking bastard who'd reluctantly given instructions to Lencel, his eyes fixed to Elora as he bowed formally, “Princess Elora, a pleasure to meet you. I am Mathias, staff head for Challenges. If you and your husband will follow me, I will show you to Arena One.”

Elora nodded politely, taking my hand in hers as she made to follow the man. The rest of our entourage began to join us only for Mathias to raise a hand to stop them in their tracks, “Apologies, but I'm afraid only the combatants are allowed access to the red room. If you would like to wait here, I will send someone to escort you to the Arena for the coming battle.”

Lencel was already nodding along before the official had stopped speaking, seemingly aware of this fact, before turning to the others, “They have box seats available for the family and friends of each fighter. We'll be able to watch from there.”

I narrowed my eye at the man, my jaw clenching and soul flames flaring as I glared. The same rage that had taken a hold of me during my fight with Berthold reared its ugly head once more as I felt it spread through my body like a poison. The man before me wilted before such a stare, a flash of fear in his eyes as he took an involuntary step back, “Tessa comes with us.”

The words were charged with primal instinct, a guttural growl that made the man's face grow all the paler. My sudden emotional shift took everyone by surprise, including both of my Smiths, who exchanged a look before turning their worried eyes to me. Elora tightened her grip on my hand, pulling my attention off of the official and back to her. As soon as her face filled my sight, the anger began to wane, though it was far from sated, “Orin, are you alright?”

“I... I don't know,” I frowned, looking inward to the raging black flames that still sputtered silver sparks and rippled with destructive lightning. In an instant, my emotions had become completely disrupted. The thought of being away from either Elora or Tessa right now was enough to raise my ire, was enough to make me want to snap the neck of the man in front of me for daring to suggest it. What the fuck was going on with me?

“A moment, please,” Vera said to the official, who was still looking at me with no small amount of anxious terror. The sound of the First Knight's voice made the man flinch, but he quickly bowed as he retreated back a few steps. Vera placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, “We need to talk.”

I hesitated, still ruminating on the reason for my sudden and drastic change, but nodded as Vera gently disentangled my hand from Tessa's arm. I hadn't even realised I'd grabbed it. My savage Smith looked at me with concern written plainly across her face.

“Is everything alright, Lady Vera?” Lencel asked as he looked from me to Tessa, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing you need concern yourself with, kid,” Boldrin grumbled as he grabbed a hold of Lencel's shoulder, leading him back over to Rig and his sisters, “Lad just gets protective at times, is all.”

As soon as they were out of earshot,, Vera turned to me, “The Bonds?”

“Aye,” I said grimly, my hand trembling before being stilled by the touch of my Princess as she gently wove her fingers through mine, “At the market... Shit, I would have lost myself if it hadn't been for Tess touching the Bond. I could've killed Bertrand.”

My mercenary touched my sleeve, the contact brief but meaningful enough to soothe some of the worry that ran through my body, “We are safe, Orin. You don't have to worry about us.”

My Princess nodded her head earnestly, the serious look to her eye speaking to her own unease, “You should have told us, Orin. Gift or not, if you're in pain, you have to tell us.”

“I wasn't in pain,” I replied to my Smiths as I shook my head, “And worrying you is exactly what I wanted to avoid. I mean, it's rare that you two conspire against me. I didn't want to ruin your fun.”

“We weren't conspiring, idiot,” Elora rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she gave me a hug, “Tessa wanted to get you something, that's all.”

“Ah, yes, the mysterious gift. What did you say it was again?” I asked my savage Smith with a coy grin.

Tessa flushed, though with anger or embarrassment, I couldn't quite tell. Perhaps a combination of the two, “You'll find out soon enough. Either way, it doesn't matter. Elora's right, you should have told us. Me buying you a fucking present isn't a good enough reason for you to suffer through that alone. We can't be there for you if you don't tell us what's wrong!”

She all but shouted that last part, drawing concerned stares from the other members of our group. I noticed Lencel and Rig exchange a look even as May and Sara did the same.

“It was a stupid idea,” Tessa berated herself, placing her forehead in the palm of her hand as her steely eyes stared at nothing at all, “What the fuck was I thinking? I shouldn't have left you alone. I was being selfish.”

I snorted in disbelief, wrapping an arm around Tessa's shoulders and bringing her into a sideways hug that was in no way reciprocated. Some of the tension did leave her though and her gaze sharpened once more, so at least it worked in that respect, “I'm pretty sure buying me a gift is the exact opposite of being selfish, Tess. Thank you, in advance.”

“You're welcome,” She muttered after a moment of silence, so quietly that I thought I hadn't heard her at all, “Still not good enough.”

“I wasn't in pain,” I repeated as I raised my voice to address all three of them at once, “It felt like... I don't know, it felt like there was something I was missing. This wasn't like the gazebo or when Tess attacked Elora. Not quite, at least. My soul felt like it was reaching out to me, trying to force me to remember something I'd forgotten, a threat that I couldn't recall. It wasn't Zelato, nor Samuel or the Hall. No... It felt older, more dangerous, I guess. Fuck, the more I speak, the more ridiculous I sound.”

“I don't think it's ridiculous,” Vera said gently, “I do believe your soul was trying to tell you something, but I doubt it had anything to do with a threat you couldn't remember. It was probably due to you being in such an unfamiliar place. Yelmora is hardly Myrin and letting your Smiths out of your sight would be almost certain to cause discomfort. You have to remember that your Bond with Tess is only a couple of weeks old and Elora's isn't much older. It was insane for us to think that you'd have complete control of your emotions, especially given recent events. Even I felt a twinge walking through that crowd and I'm a Master, Orin. You have to cut yourself some slack. You've come far since the day you and Elora were joined, but you're still a young Knight. Sometimes these things can only be resolved with time.”

Time. Something that we just didn't have, annoyingly enough. Vera's argument was sound and one which was backed by her own immense experience as the First Knight of Venos. But even still, the thought of a foreign threat, hidden and unseen, wasn't completely banished from my mind. I knew what I felt wasn't the crowds or the city of Yelmora. Maybe it played a part in bringing forth my possessive rage, but it wasn't solely responsible.

I looked from Elora to Tessa, taking in the crinkle of their eyes, the concerned curves to their mouths as they sought to comfort me at the expense of themselves. I needed to get a handle on this for their sakes. I didn't want to make them worry about me, didn't want them to constantly live in fear of causing my soul to react negatively to their absence. It was just frustrating. It had been difficult to let Tessa and Elora leave without me at the market, but now it felt like it almost felt impossible, a heavy weight on my chest that refused to shift no matter how hard I tried. I narrowed my eye and gritted my teeth, clamping my will down upon my soul with everything in me as it roared within my fragile grip, protesting my decision. I'd long since reached the point where I allowed my own soul to control my actions. Never again.

“I'll see you after the fight,” I said, trying to sound as normal as possible, to hide the pain even saying the words caused to shoot through my heart.

Tessa's eyes narrowed at my attempt at subterfuge, her steely stare looking right through me and into the sea of black that lay beneath. Elora, too, looked equally unconvinced. It seems I wasn't quite as good of an actor as I thought.

Vera interrupted our stand-off with a touch to my arm, her eyes moving to each of my Smiths in warning before fixing themselves on me, “I swear, Lord, I will protect her. You don't need to worry for her safety.”

“I know,” I whispered, my eye not leaving both of Tessa's, only half believing the First Knight's words. I knew she meant them, but keeping her oath was another matter entirely. My soul, however, seemed to be eased by her promise. I remembered feeling much the same while on stage after my first Bonding with Elora, though Vera's words hadn't been quite enough to allow me to release my wife at the time.

“Excuse me, Princess,” The official had crept up behind us while we were distracted, jumping back a step as we turned our collective attention to him, “W-we really must be off. The crowd has already began to gather for the bout.”

“We will be with you presently,” Elora replied politely, inclining her head, “We must speak with our group for a moment.”

“Of course, Highness,” The man bowed and backed away even as the rest of our entourage approached. Boldrin, Alden and Deirdric all looked like they already knew what our talk was about while Lencel, Rig and the August sisters seemed just as confused as they ever were.

“Are you well, Lord Orin?” Lencel said quietly, doubt shining on his face, “You do not have to do this for us. Rig and I can fight in your stead.”

I sighed and shook my head with a wry smile. The lad had taken my hesitation to leaving Tess for anxiousness. I wouldn't correct him, I was just glad he hadn't discerned the truth. Not because I believed he would report our presence to the Hall, that ship had long since sailed, but mainly to stop any harm befalling the swordsman or his family after our departure, “Don't worry, Lencel. I'll fight.”

The young man frowned, “If you're sure, my friend.”

“He is,” Tessa said gruffly, “He will fight and he will win. I'll be nearby. Always. Understand?”

It wasn't a question, not really. She wanted to soothe my nerves, to make me feel better about leaving her behind. I hated that we had to do this, had to hide the fact that I was an Heir, but I understood the reasoning. Even the common people knew that a Knight and Smith pairing was just that: A pair. To show we were different could promote fear and draw the attention of the Hall to us that much faster. We couldn't take that risk, not with Samuel on our tails. I didn't want to make his job any easier than it already was.

“Understood.” I said as I took Elora's hand in mine before turning to the official, “We'll follow.”

“I'll send half of my Legionaries with you, Orin,” Lencel said with an authoritative wave of his hand. Five of the legionaries broke off to provide a bulwark from the crowd, “They'll make passing through the Senate Square easier.”

“Try to avoid his strikes,” Boldrin said as he patted me on the shoulder, “If his Gift is Resonant he'll be monstrous because of his size. Use your speed to your advantage.”

I nodded at my mentor's advice, failing to point out that Tessa was my Speed. Without her I could use the Sight aspect of Storm but was without access to the full extent of the power my second Resonant Gift could provide. I'd just have to make do with what I had available.

“Don't take chances,” Vera said by way of farewell, “Put him down hard and fast, before he can build up momentum. Annabelle and I will be watching in case there's trouble.”

I grunted an acknowledgement, knowing full well that I wouldn't be doing that. While I believed that I could, or at least suspected I could without knowing the true extent of Berthold's power, I still wanted to measure my own Resonant Gift against his, to see what he was truly capable of. How many more chances like this would present themselves? How many opportunities would I get again?

A lot was the answer to that question, considering just how many people were trying to kill me, but I decided to ignore that fact in favour of a good fight. It wasn't like it was to the death, after all.

Tess was the last to say goodbye, looking to my Princess, “Kick her ass. Keep him safe.”

“I will,” Elora promised, a serious look to her eye, “I promise.”

Elora did something then that took both myself and Tess by surprise. She hugged Tessa. The second time in two days. Tess rolled her eyes in embarrassment and awkwardly patted her Sister-Smith's back as Elora held her tightly before separating. I was genuinely touched by the moment they shared, even more so than the night before. It showed just how far they'd come since their fight in Estalin, “Speak with Sara and May. They'll show you what to do.”

“What?” I asked, confused.

My mercenary looked just about as unsure of what Elora was talking about as I was before her expression cleared and she nodded at my Princess eagerly, “Don't worry about it, Orin. You have more important things to think about. I'll be watching.”

I smiled at my Smith and turned to follow the impatient official, who hopped from foot to foot a few feet away. As soon as Tess was out of sight, my soul began to grumble, though it was far removed from the fervent screaming which had all but consumed me a few minutes earlier. The more I learned about the ball of black flames inside of me, the less I felt I knew. I was beginning to realise that I was naïve and arrogant to believe I had a handle on something so unknowable after only a few months. Masters took years to hone their powers, walking long paths to reach the apex of Knighthood. I'd only taken a single step down that road.

Why was my soul fine with leaving Tessa now, but it wasn't before? Did it have something to do with Vera's oath? Her word as a Knight? Once again I found myself with more questions than answers. I was just glad that the compulsion to stay with Tess was manageable now, made all the more so by the feel of my Princess' hand in mine as we walked quietly amidst the masses of Yelmora.

“You don't believe Vera.” Elora said softly, the question rhetorical and not requiring an answer.

I grimaced. Of course my Princess could see right through me. She'd been able to do so almost since the moment we'd met. Those golden eyes of hers missed little. I squeezed her hand in mine, trying and failing to hide the tremor that had decided to make a reappearance, “I don't really know what to believe. I thought we were past this particular part of the Bonding.”

“We shouldn't have gotten ahead of ourselves,” Elora said kindly, “Mastery takes time and you've had a lot to deal with, Orin. We haven't had a moment's rest since Myrin, and even then we could never truly relax. Last night being the exception, of course.”

I grinned at the reminder, looking to my Princess who stared at me coyly, her cheeks flushing, “Aye, last night was quite something, wasn't it?”

“Quite something,” Elora murmured, kissing me quickly before retreating, trying and failing to hide the fact that her rosy blush had bloomed to full on crimson, “But we can't dwell on it now. We have a giant to topple.”

“Oh, I don't know,” I said as I slipped a hand to her waist and pulling Elora closer to me, “I could stand to dwell a while longer.”

“You are impossible, Orin,” Elora laughed, slapping at my hand, “At least you seem in better spirits. How is your soul?”

“Manageable,” I said as we approached one of the large arenas, the thickening gaggle of people around us pressing against our five guards as they strained to hold back the tide. I narrowed an eye as a man spotted us, nudging his friend and pointing in our direction. Before I knew it the crowd became a melting pot of hushed whispers as onlookers strained to see past the steel wall encircled around us, “Maybe Vera and I were both wrong.”

“Possibly,” Elora said as she too realised just how much attention we were getting, “But I trust your instincts, love. If you say you sensed something, then I believe you.”

Before I could reply we passed into the shadow of the arena. Looking up, I could see the stands overhead, the wood creaking ominously as though threatening to break apart at any moment. The relief from the heat of the Yelesi sun was almost worth the chance that they would collapse on top of us. Almost, “They don't look too sturdy.”

The official perked up at my words, turning to us with a practised smile, seemingly over the fear that had gripped him, “Have no fear, Count, the stands are constructed anew every year by the finest carpenters in Yelmora. We have yet to have a single incident or death from shoddy workmanship and that's with hundreds of people present for every match.”

“Do you expect many people to attend our own fight?” Elora asked curiously as she too eyed the arena.

“Oh, yes, Highness,” The official said with a greedy glint to his eye, “The head of the Gaius household has made sure to spread word as far as possible. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole city knew by now.”

“A lot of people means a lot of coin,” I said musingly, an idea forming in my mind, though it was quickly shot down by Mathias before it could be fully realised.

“Apologies, Count, but fighters are not allowed to bet on their own fights,” He said easily, “I'm afraid we've had more than one incident of corruption in the past and that is a method of quelling it.”

A shit method, I thought. Just because combatants couldn't bet didn't mean that fights couldn't be rigged, “A shame. I'd probably make quite a bit of coin. I suppose Berthold is the favourite?”

“Ah, we are unsure as to odds at the moment, sir,” Mathias lied, laughing as he touched his face in embarrassment, “You are relatively unknown in Yelmora, though word of your exploits has reached far and wide. Berthold is a known quantity, having only recently returned from the border with Fero where he assisted the Third. He also had quite the showing last year, winning eight consecutive matches. The thinking was that Lencel August would be his foil this year, but it appears that momentous task has fallen to you.”

“Seems so,” I grumbled, still rather put out by the fact that I couldn't bet. I looked to my Bond with Tessa out of habit, to see if she was okay. She seemed nervous but safe, which finally caused my soul to settle back down to its normal self. A sigh of relief left my lips as the tension left my body, “So where is this red room?”

“Under the arena, sir,” The official pointed at a small door under the stands and built into the stone wall that ringed the arena. It seemed to be well guarded, with four legionaries already standing at attention outside the door.

The also did quite a bit to soothe my fragile nerves. I didn't know Roman Gaius, but I had the distinct impression that he wasn't the kind of man who put too much stock in words like honour or chivalry. If it had been a bunch of toughs hired on for security, I would have thought twice about walking through those doors. The Legions, however, were lauded for their loyalty to the Republic as a whole, as an idea, more than any one man or woman. Roman Gaius wasn't even a Senator, I doubt he had any method of corrupting warriors who were so famously incorruptible.

As we approached the doors, both of them painted in a bright shade of red, Mathias turned back to us, bowing to Elora and I humbly as he meekly stared up at us, “I'm afraid I must ask you to leave your guard here. I can promise that you both will be quite safe in the red room. The whole festival is overseen by the Legions, each sending numbers to reinforce order in the city. You will be quite safe there.”

Our guard didn't put up much of an argument, simply speaking for a few moments with those protecting the entrance before nodding at us and being on their way. I could understand their need to return to Lencel's side. We weren't their priority and, really, we didn't need a guard. I could kill anything short of an experienced Knight and the Legionaries would be royally fucked if one of those made an appearance.

It was cruel, but true. Even an untrained Knight would be more than a match for five Legionaries. Only the Vigilant would stand a chance in such a battle and they had Inscribed weapons, armour and experience at their disposal. Besides, even if a Knight I couldn't beat made an appearance, it would only be a matter of time until Vera arrived to freeze everything in sight. They'd said they would be watching and I believed it. I had not doubt that Vera's soul sight while Bonded would cover at least half of Yelmora, if not more.

Mathias beckoned us forward, going down a set of spiral stairs built into the earth itself, the damp interior lit by lamplight. I held Elora close as we went down and deep into the ground beneath the arena.

“At least we get out of the sun for a while,” I whispered into my Princess' ear, the sound carrying far further than I wished. The heat, the noise of the crowd, all of it vanished in an instant as the large doors were closed behind us, locking us inside with Mathias. I have to say, I rather enjoyed the chill that the packed red dirt around us exuded.

“I know, isn't it lovely?” Elora said with a beautific sigh even as she wrinkled her nose, “Though I could do without the smell.”

I laughed as we continued down, Mathias walking at a leisurely pace, as though he had done this a thousand times before and he possibly had. Perhaps this was his job every year, ferrying young warriors to their waiting rooms before they all beat each other to within an inch of their lives.

There are worse ways to make a living, I suppose.

The stair terminated at the beginning of a long corridor that seemed to run under the arena itself. The roof above us was held up by thick wooden beams that seemed to have been recently replaced and I intuited the reason why a moment later. We had to be at least six feet beneath the surface and yet I could feel the hum of the crowd, the sound causing the hairs on the back of my neck to rise as I recalled Andapa. The feel of the sand beneath my bare feet, the splash of blood on my face. Not a memory I'd like to remember anytime soon, if ever.

“This reminds me of the secret tunnel out of Myrin,” Elora whispered to me, the excitement of the moment getting to my Princess as she all but jumped in place. I was feeling much the same, the pregnant promise of combat was infectious, “We're off on another adventure, my Knight.”

“Seems so, Princess,” I replied, “I wonder how this one will end?”

“Love triumphing over all?” Elora smirked as she touched my scar affectionately, “Much like ours did.”

“That would be nice.”

“We have arrived, Highness, Count,” Mathias said with a bow as we walked up to another set of red doors, “Welcome to the waiting area for Arena One. It is still early, so you will have the place to yourselves until the beginning of your bout.”

We passed through the old doors and into an even older room, one which seemed to have been hastily carved and patched together over the course of a hundred different Festivals of Chivalry. The dank smell of damp filled my nostrils, causing me to cough as the sudden explosion of light allowed me to see clouds of dust billowing through the air.

“It has not been cleaned since last year,” Mathias said apologetically, “We didn't have the time to do so before Roman Gaius contacted me with his requested match.”

“It's quite all right, Mathias,” Elora said, covering her mouth delicately with a hand, “I assume the doors at the opposite end lead to the arena?”

“They do, Highness,” Mathias said, visibly relieved as he bowed so low his head very nearly touched the floor, “A Legionary will come to collect you when it is time to do battle. If it pleases you both, I must be away. The day of the Festival is-”

“That's fine,” I said with a wave of my hand, “And...ah, sorry, about earlier.”

Mathias bowed once more before he left the way we had come, moving so quickly you would have thought he was sprinting. I never thought someone could move so fast while appearing to walk.

I turned back to our temporary home, taking in my surrounding as Elora and I walked further into the red room. It was long, with solid benches of oak sitting in the centre, enough to accommodate at least a dozen people at a guess. They must host quite a few combatants down here, which made sense. The Festival was the one day of the year when challenges couldn't be refused. I'm sure many took advantage of that fact. The wall to our right was lined with a deadly assortment of killing tools. While the rest of the room looked rather musty, the weapons did not. They shone as shimmering steel, each looking newly polished and sharpened. They didn't have time to give the room a quick dust, but they did find a few days to make sure their deadly armoury was up to standard. The opposing wall was covered in armour, which looked just as well cared for. There was even a suit of full plate which seemed to be oddly out of place. Only an idiot would wear such heavy armour in this intense heat. The appearance of the protection, though, did bring a question to my mind.

“Do you think I should wear some armour for the bout?” I asked my Princess as she walked over to the racks of swords, touching the hilts of each as though testing their weights. It seems my Elora was becoming quite proficient indeed.

“You can, love, but how effective it is will depend on the strength of Berthold's Weapon,” Elora said as she turned to me seriously, using her 'teaching' voice which for some reason I found incredibly attractive, “Rionna could cut through any of these suits in moments. We should assume that his can do the same.”

“I wish we had Armour,” I grumbled, flicking a breastplate and listening as the steely echo filled the room, “I don't mind getting cut up. I can handle it better than most, but I seem to be getting stabbed a lot lately. I'd rather it didn't become a habit.”

“Tessa and I asked Annabelle, but she said we weren't ready for such an advanced Forging yet,” Elora said comfortingly as she walked over to me, taking me by the hand and leading me over to one of the spider web covered benches, “I have to admit that it would be pretty handy, though I didn't think you would want it anytime soon.”

“Why?” I asked with a raised brow.

“'Fire is effective, but I've been burned before,'” Elora said in a deep voice, laughing adorably as her eyes lit up, “Sound familiar, my Knight?”

I flushed, “Was that supposed to be me?”

My Princess nodded, “When you fought Alden.”

“It's an effective tactic,” I mumbled rather uselessly as I scratched at my scar, “People freak out when you don't show pain. Doesn't mean I don't feel it. Getting burned fucking hurts.”

“I know, Orin, I was there,” Elora said as her eyes suddenly went absent of mirth, her hands clasping together as she sat down. I took the seat next to her, “I can't feel your pain when you fight, though I've forgotten how many times I wished I could take it in your place. It's there, but I see it through our Healing Gift. It's always distant, far away.”

I wrapped a gentle hand around my Princess' shoulders, “I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm fine, Elora. You don't have to worry about me.”

“I know, Orin,” Elora smiled suddenly, looking up at me, our noses near touching, “You always are. That's one of the many reasons I love you.”

A shift happened then. The red room falling away as Elora leaned closer. Her breathing became husky as she brought her lips close to mine. The heat of her breath on my face making me glow red and causing the air in my lungs to suddenly still, “Are you trying to seduce me, Princess?”

Elora chuckled as her hands came up to hold my face in place, both of her eyes meeting mine, “I am. Is it working?”

I took a deep breath, clearing my suddenly dry throat, “Very much so, yes.”

It was in that perfect moment, as our lips were about to touch, that some fucking asshole walked into the room.

The set of doors at the opposite end of the room banged open, revealing a tall woman in shining Legionary armour. I glared at her over the top of my Princess' head as Elora sank into my chest, holding both hands over her mouth as she tried to quell her raucous laughter.

My soul was angry at the interruption, spitting silver sparks in indignation as though that would in any way make a difference. For once, I was actually in full agreement with the little bastard, “Could you come back later please?”

That only caused my Princess to laugh all the harder, which in turn made me laugh, as it so often did. The legionary standing there, stoic and unmoving, didn't help things none. I couldn't look at either my wife or the solitary guard without pitching a fit.

It was the moments like this that made it worth all the heartache, all the pain, all the loss. Just me and my Princess.

'First Sword'

The whispered reminder caused me to frown. That was interesting. Why now? Before I could explore the thought any further, however, the woman before us finally spoke, “Princess Elora of Myrin, Count Orin of Myrin, the time has come for your bout to begin.”

“We gathered that, thank you,” Elora said, jumping to her feet. Her dress was a little dirty but that was to be expected. I brushed some off of her elbow as she stared at me fondly.

“Well, let's get this started then,” I said with an excited grin. I was already robbed of one pleasure, I sure as shit wasn't going to be robbed of another, “Let's fight.”

“Follow the stairs up to the arena floor,” The guard said, standing aside and pointing up the long, steep stairway. I could see a glimmer of light at it's peak, “The official for the match will introduce both fighters. After that, the fight will begin. Good luck.”

“Don't need luck, I'm the chosen one,” I said airily, feeling oddly euphoric, “But thank you anyway.”

“Orin!” Elora laughed, just as excited as I was, it seemed, “Thank you, we understand.”

“Princess, Count,” The Legionary nodded to each of us in turn before standing aside to grant us entry back into the world above ground.

Elora took my arm as we went, the opening just wide enough to accompany the two of us. I felt strangely bad for Berthold in that moment, the poor lad would need to duck his head for most of the way.

My Princess and I sauntered up the stairs without a care in the world. For some reason, this fight felt different. Maybe it was because we had chosen to take part rather than have that decision be made for us. Whatever the reason, our current predicament was hardly comparable to storming the fortress at Dunwellen or fighting Craven in the darkened woods as yellow fire flared around us. I think Calliston was right after all. This was going to be fun.

We walked into the light, each of us taking a deep breath and exchanging a look as we did so. Elora looked to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Her smile enough to light up any room without the sun, yet adding it only made her look all the more radiant as we walked through the arch.

We were greeted by the stamping of feet, the thrilling roar of the crowd and the punishing heat of the Yelesi sun. I raised a hand to wave, more out of habit than anything else, before my eyes had fully adapted to the sudden glare of light. I looked to my side to see Elora doing the same, her charm on full display as she greeted the masses arrayed to see us fight. I should have expected she would be a natural at this, she'd been speaking publicly since she was eight years old, after all.

My vision finally cleared and I caught sight of the area around us. The arena itself seemed far larger than it had initially from the outside looking in. A sea of sand lay beneath our feet, unmarked and ready for the coming conflict. The stone walls of the arena looked weather worn and hardy, able to put up with the punishment that Knights could inflict on a whim. The stands were fit to bursting and I wasn't sure why I was so surprised. Hundreds waved at us, each cheering with cherry red faces. Flowers began to rain down, dozens of them, of all different shades. I returned their adulation awkwardly, moving my hand around in what I hoped was a decent enough fashion. There wasn't much of this ceremony in Andapa. Usually you started fighting as soon as your feet touched the sun soaked earth, but here it seemed to be a requirement.

“There are so many people, Orin!” Elora had to yell in my year in order to be heard over the yells of the crowd as I nodded in reply.

You couldn't have fit more people up there if you tried. They weren't baying for blood, as I had expected them to. No, they just seemed happy to see us, which was quite different to my own experience with arenas in the past. But then, this was a day to honour the fighters of their country, of course they would show respect and adoration to those with martial prowess.

I turned my eye to stare across the arena sands to find my gaze met by that of Berthold Gaius. He looked nervous, his face slightly sweaty as he threw glances up to the stands on his right. It almost looked like he was looking for something, or someone. Kidis, tiny in comparison with her monstrous brother, stared forlornly at the sand beneath her feet. Her hands clenched and eyes touched by tears as she ignored the roar of the audience around her.

Was she truly so certain her brother would win? Elora had said that to have a Resonant Gift required belief, not idiocy. The youngest Gaius didn't know what I was capable of, but she must have heard the stories of my exploits. Those alone would have made a warrior wary and yet she seemed resigned to never seeing Rig again. All of this coalesced together into a feeling at the centre of my chest, one which couldn't be denied.

I grabbed my Princess and pulled her close, drawing more approval from the crowd around us. I leaned down to mutter into her ear, “Berthold is planning something. Don't know what, but I don't think him and his sister are planning on playing fair.”

Elora frowned as she leaned into me, her eyes ablaze as she brought her imperious stare to bear against our distant opponents, “Are you certain.”

“No,” I replied grimly, “Just a feeling.”

“We'll be careful, my Knight,” Elora said seriously, “Whatever they planned, it won't be enough.”

I have to say, I was kinda liking this more violent side to my Princess.

I glanced up at the stands that ringed the arena, trying to filter out the flailing masses as I focused. I wanted to see Tessa before the fight began, so I at least got some kind of visual confirmation of her safety.

At the very peak of the northern and eastern end of the arena, there were two raised wooden boxes perched precariously over a near thirty foot drop to the Senate Square below. The first one I checked had only one inhabitant: Roman Gaius. The huge man wasn't even looking at me and seemed to be just as unaware of the screaming crowd around him. His focus seemed to be on Berthold and him alone, his cold eyes examining his son closely, as though he too were waiting for something. Eventually, his gaze drifted over to me. He smiled smugly, though it was closer to a sneer. He leaned back in his opulent seat as someone approached him and poured something into the glass that was sitting on the small table by his side. He wasn't even pretending to play the part of the worried father.

I shifted my attention to the opposite side of the arena, finding the opposite box much more filled. I noticed Boldrin first, because it was near impossible not to. He was yelling something at me, but his words were lost to the noise around him. The grin on his face was enough to stir my spirits as I returned his smile in turn, waving up at him with an embarrassed laugh. Vera gave me a little nod of support, Annabelle doing the same. I couldn't quite make out her expression from this distance, but she seemed to be fairly worried about something. Lencel, Rig and May were all yelling at Elora and I as well, their shouts of support bolstering our spirits as I touched my Princess and pointed up to the box. Alden and Deirdric sat near the back, half hidden in the shade, not seeming to be too interested in coming events. Their focus was still on Nian, on Ragora. They thought staying here was a waste of time and they hadn't bothered to hide their feelings on the matter, but there was little we could do about it. They'd have to suck it up for a while longer and what better place to do it than here? Everyone liked a good fight, after all.

I shifted my gaze around the box, my grin wide as I sought out the eyes of my savage Smith. My smile slowly began to fade as I did another sweep and then another. She wasn't there.

My soul spat lightning.

I growled, my good humour fading as I reached inside of myself, towards the Bond I shared with Tess. I couldn't pinpoint her exact location. I still wasn't as good with the technique as Tessa was, not in crowds this large and dense. She was close though, within a couple of hundred feet at a guess. If it had been Tessa looking for me, she would have been able to point me out in an army of thousands without a seconds hesitation.

Just as my anxiety reached a fever pitch and began to slowly morph into an all-consuming rage, I caught sight of her. She stood near a small staircase into the arena, Sara by her side and surrounded by about a dozen other young ladies, each of whom were dressed prettily in dresses. My Smith stuck out like a sore thumb and yet I saw only her. I would've laughed if I hadn't been close to having a panic attack.

Tessa was looking around in disgust, arms folded and flatly rejecting any of the ladies that dared to try and talk to her. What the fuck was she doing there? I tugged on the Bond, grabbing her attention. Her eyes widened slightly as she turned to me, her hostility draining as she smiled shyly. She gave me a little wave, her arm barely moving as I tilted my head at her in question. She just shrugged in response, chuckling with a shake of her head as she pointed to the small man who was currently moving into the centre of the huge arena grounds.

The small man was wearing the same clothes as Mathias, so isn't wasn't hard to guess that he was the official who'd be overseeing our match. I found myself wondering what he would do if the fighting got out of control. He didn't look like much of fighter. In fact, given the paunch around his waist he didn't seem to like moving, let alone doing battle. He was already out of breath before he made it to the halfway point. I looked to my Princess, seeing that she too had spotted Tessa. Something passed between them that I didn't recognise before my Princes smiled at me.

“Ladies and gentlemen of Yelmora!” The official said, his booming voice a match for Boldrin's. I suddenly realised why he had been chosen for such a task as this, “Welcome to the Festival of Chivalry!”

The cheer that arose from the spectators put all others to shame as the whole fucking place shook, the sand beneath our feet trembling violently. My Princess winced as I did the same. Spirit, but could they make some fucking noise.

“This is our first match of the day in Arena One! The first of many! And what a match it is!” The man continued, revelling in the attention as he spread his arms wide, “May I first introduce the son and daughter of Roman Gaius. The towering terror that is Berthold and the Flower of Yelmora, Kidis!”

“Flower of Yelmora?” Elora blinked as the man continued to wax lyrical on Berthold's prowess in warfare, “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

“If he doesn't use your title, I think it will supposed to have been,” I said, trying not to smile at my Princess' confusion, “Roman's idea, I'd wager.”

“I always hated being called the Flower of Myrin,” Elora admitted as she checked the dagger at her hip, so out of place against the pale blue of her dress, “There were far more young Ladies in court deserving of it than I was.”

“Now you're just being ridiculous,” I said as I took her hand in mine, “Because there are none more beautiful than you, my love.”

Elora rolled her eyes, but smiled regardless, “You always say the right thing, Orin.”

“I try.”

“...Saviour of the west river and the man who won eight consecutive duels at last year's Festival!” The official finally finished his little speech and the mob was suitably impressed, cheering for Berthold with everything in them as the giant gave a small, half-hearted wave. Kidis continued to do nothing, “And now for their opponents. We have a rare honour here, ladies and gentlemen, a rare honour indeed. Presenting the Princess of Venos herself, Elora of Myrin, and her husband, Orin of Myrin!”

I waited with bated breath for him to continue, maybe talk me up a little, but nothing else came as he stared at Elora and I snidely.

...That was fucking it? Shit, fucker didn't even call me the Scarred Knight. I couldn't say I was very fond of the title, but come on, he could've tried a little harder. At the very least, I now knew from the rather tepid introduction that Roman had paid the man off in some fashion. It was among one of the pettiest slights I'd ever received. It was made all the funnier by how impressed Roman seemed with himself, as though he'd just destroyed us before the fight had even begun. Well, at least we got some applause for our troubles.

“I think it was an insult,” Elora whispered to me.

“Aye,” I said, faintly surprised that I was right, “Seems so.”

“Now for the favours!” The official roared, causing the audience to settle once more, “Who would like to offer these two young men their vows of support? Each is deserving! Who will they pick!?”

My stomach dropped, “Shit, we have to do this? I thought this was only done at tourneys.”

“It might be good, my Knight.” Elora said.

“I'm married, Princess... to you.”

“Hush, here she comes!” Elora said excitedly, pulling on the sleeve of my tunic.

I looked to where the Princess was staring and stopped, shocked. My eye not quite believing what it was undeniably seeing.

My Tessa was walking across the sands towards me, her eyes low and to the ground as she played with something in her hands. I could see how much she was shaking from here and I immediately began to walk towards her, Elora following after me. Tess hated being the centre of attention. Having this many people looking upon her at once must have been agony and yet she was doing it anyway. But why? It was then that I got a closer look at the fabric held delicately in her grasp.

For some reason, my mind hadn't jumped to the conclusion that she was giving me a favour. The golden piece of silk in her hands was touched by white streaks seemingly at random. White lightning against golden metal: The colours of her Throne. She came to a stop before me, wincing as she looked up at the curious crowd.

“This is fucking stupid,” Tessa murmured as she glanced around her. More than a few members of the audience were staring down at us, “Did you see that two of those fucking sycophants tried to follow me over here? Idiots. I had to chase them away.”

I didn't reply. Honestly, I couldn't even if I wanted to. If you had asked me when I woke up this morning if Tess would take the joke I made the night before and run with it, I would have laughed it off as insane. Yet here she stood. Realisation hit me like a hammer blow, “That's the gift. You bought me a favour.”

“Aye,” Tessa grimaced, “Give me your arm, Orin. I have to tie it on.”

I did as she requested, offering my left so she could securely wrap the handkerchief around my biceps. I could feel the cool silk through my tunic, the feel of it calming my troubled soul, which had settled once more at her proximity, “You didn't have to do this, Tess.”

“I know,” She shrugged, double checking to make sure her favour wouldn't fall off during the coming fighting, “But I wanted to. I can't fight with you, not today. I understand why, but it fucking infuriates me. So, I decided to give you something to carry with you. I may not be able to Bond with you, but I can do this at least... or something like that. I don't know, it's pretty, I guess.”

I chuckled at my Smith, my fingers coming up to touched the golden fabric as Tessa's fell away, moving to her belt to play with the hilts of her daggers.

“Looks like both of our fighters have received favours!” The official yelled with all his might, drawing gentle murmurs from his enraptured audience, “Sara August, daughter of our great Senator Calliston August, has put her faith in the mighty Berthold Gaius. As for Orin of Myrin... Who are you, young lady!?”

I raised a brow at that, turning to catch sight of Sara already walking away from Berthold with the others whose own oaths had been rejected. A green favour firmly tied to his arm as he watched her leave longingly. Well, seems that I was right about their relationship, after all. Though why she would support Berthold now at the expense of her brother and his Smith was a bit beyond me.

“None of your fucking business,” Tess hissed at the man, showing a flash of steel as she partially drew her dagger, forcing the small man to jump back in panic and drawing laughter from the crowd.

“Thank you, Tessa,” I said, drawing her attention back to me. I pulled my Smith into a hug, which drew asinine gasps from the crowd, but I ignored them in favour of the mercenary in my arms. I held onto her until she finally hugged me back. Her hands holding me tightly.

“Just kick his ass, Orin,” Tess said after we separated, a small grin on her lips and a touch of crimson on her face, “I'd wish you luck but you two don't need it.”

Without another word, my Smith turned and headed back to the stands. I watched her leave with a difficult expression on my face. I don't think she could understand just how much this meant to me. It showed just how much she'd changed, how much we'd all changed, since Bonding, “I didn't expect that.”

“But it was a nice surprise?” Elora asked, watching Tessa proudly as she stepped out of the arena, “She came to me this morning with the idea. She hates not being here with us.”

“Hopefully this will be the last time I have to fight without both of you together,” I said to my Princess as I kissed her cheek, “Thank you for helping her, Princess.”

Elora shook her head, “This is a big thing for Tess and I'm her Sister-Smith. We are not one, or two, we are three. Family takes care of each other.”

I didn't deserve my Smiths. That was the one thing in my life that would never be in dispute.

“Now, favours have been given and the fighters have been introduced!” The official said with a spin, really putting a dramatic flair into his performance. “It's time for our match to begin! Combatants, take your positions.”

I didn't really know how all this worked, so Elora and I followed our opponents lead as they walked forward until we were about ten feet away from each other. Kidis put her hand on Berthold's sleeve, her face sick with worry. Berthold's eyes were narrowed, his jaw clenched as though he was fighting against some unknowable inner turmoil.

“I'm sorry, Orin of Myrin,” Berthold called across to me, the crowd unable to hear his words, “You should have left well enough alone.”

I smirked at the giant, “I've never been one to do that. Just ask my wife.”

“Combatants, Bond!” The official shouted.

Elora became light, flying into my chest as I felt my Knightly power unlock, filling my body to the brim with a Strength that made me laugh out loud as I clenched my hands. I don't think Bonding with either of my Smiths would ever cease to amaze me. It was also rather gratifying to see that Kidis was much slower at Etherin than Elora, taking three more seconds than my Princess to embrace the transformation.

“Prepare yourselves for combat!”

Berthold snapped a hand out to his side. A green tinged light rippled from his palm and took the form of his Weapon. A giant spear, which seemed to be carved from a piece of jade, half again as tall as the man himself. Berthold took a breath and slid a foot back as he settled his massive spear against his arms, his body taking on a thrusting stance. I nodded at his form. I could tell he was more than familiar with the spear. The sheer size of it was a little intimidating, but that did little to put me off. If anything it just stoked the fires of my soul all the more.

A hand drifted to my hair, checking to see that it was securely tied with the piece of Elora's wedding dress before I double checked Tessa's favour on my arm. I carried a part of both of them now. Tess was here with me, and not only in spirit as she believed. I still had her Gift, her promise, her belief.

That thought made me smile and aim my eye at the box where she stood. She met my gaze with hers, a predatory grin stretching to match my own, the shine of anticipation and eagerness on her face.

“Orin, you should summon Rionna.” Elora chided me from within my inner soul.

“He's going to thrust,” I said by way of reply as I examined Berthold's stance once more, “He's definitely skilled. What does green mean, Princess?”

“Wind,” Elora said musingly, “A powerful affinity and almost unheard of in those who rely on pure physical strength. He'll be a tricky one. You should call to Rionna, love.”

“A straight thrust over a distance of ten feet,” I said, my heart beginning to pound within my chest, “He's going to try the end the fight quickly. He doesn't know what I'm capable of, so he wants to put me down hard. I say we let him.”

“Weren't we just talking about this in the red room?” My wife asked, slightly frustrated.

“I'll catch it,” I promised, still standing at ease. The official was watching me, as though waiting for me to call my own Weapon. I shook my head at the man, “I want to see whose Resonant Gift is stronger.”

I could feel Elora's smile, could see her golden eyes, “I trust you, my love.”

“Begin!” The official screamed, as did the crowd. Berthold moved before the word had even fully left the small man's mouth.

The giant crossed the space between us in an instant, his Speed Gift must have been incredibly powerful to accelerate so explosively from a position like that. The sand erupted around him as a flash of emerald light shifted across his torso. Berthold Gaius roared as he brought his insane Strength to bear, the air screaming as his huge jade spear was thrust forward, the blade aimed directly for my heart.

At the last possible instant, I stopped him.

My Gift of Thought was fully active as I reached up with both hands to grab the shaft of Berthold's Weapon. My own Strength coming to the fore as I gritted my teeth, feeling my feet being driven back by the tremendous force generated by his flawlessly executed attack. I pushed further into the sand as I sought to find my balance. Small blades of wind whipping off of the Weapon in my grasp and cutting into my skin. The spear was more elaborate than I first thought, with complex carvings running its length that I believed were meant to evoke feelings of the wind itself. The cuts left by the Weapon's energy were minuet and not a threat. My grin grew all the wider as I took the entirety of Berthold's weight, straining with everything in me to hold him back and finding myself coming up short.

His Gift truly was Resonant. Even someone like Alden, a trained graduate of the Hall, couldn't hope to match my Strength and yet Berthold was overpowering me easily. I tightened my grip and exhaled, my Princess feeding me from our own Resonant Gift as I pushed back against his still charging form, large legs pumping against the sand as he sought to drive me into one of the stone walls at my back.

“You really are strong.” I huffed as he strained, his face red as he aimed to overwhelm me, utterly and completely, “Stronger than me.”

I summoned another burst of Strength and my Princess answered. It wasn't always about how much you threw behind a blow, it was also about how you directed it. I slammed an elbow down onto the flat of his spear head, sending the monstrous Weapon shooting down and into the sand beneath us. Berthold came to a dead stop, his grip on his own spear loosening and eyes widening as tremors ran the length of his Weapon, causing his fingers to weaken. I slipped forwards and punched him in the jaw, throwing a considerable amount of power behind the blow. Berthold flew backwards, an arc of sand rising to follow in his wake as he flew through the air, landing in a heap near his starting position.

The crowd went silent, their jaws dropping in disbelief as they watched the impossible take place. Just from looking at the two of us, one would assume that Berthold held all the advantages. If this was a fight without Smiths, then he would. My skill could make up for a lot of my own deficiencies, of course, but one blow off a man that size would be enough to floor me. Not so in a battle of Knights. With my Princess to guide my power and my own experience as a warrior, I was more than up to taking down a colossus like Berthold.

The man pushed himself to his feet in an instant. I could see that he'd barely felt the blow. If there was a wound, it had already closed up. I didn't punch him with the aim to win the fight with one strike, it was more to prove a point. He had a Resonant Gift, one which was stronger even than my own, but that didn't mean he'd find this easy.

I could see the cautious look to his eye, which had been absent a moment before. He'd heard the stories about me, but that's all they were to him: Stories. He seemed the type not to believe in myth and rumour. I had just given him the facts. I didn't want to beat the man while he was half-blind. I wanted to fight him when his eyes were open, so that he couldn't just chalk this defeat up to underestimating me. That would be no victory at all.

“That was a good opener!” I said with a cheery wave as I extended my own hand, calling to my Sword of Stars and willing her to form. Rionna sprung silently into existence, the silver hilt settling in my hand as her black and indistinct blade swirled wistfully through the air in joyful motions. I tapped against the soul metal, enjoying the feel of my Weapon in my hand once more, “What do you say, Berthold? Lets give the people what they want.”

Berthold raised his fingers to touch the side of his jaw that I'd struck, the smallest of smiles on his face as he did so. The melancholy that had seemed to take a hold of him in the market and the square was still present, but looked to have been dampened by the excitement that gripped him, “You weren't lying, Orin of Myrin. Your Gift of Strength is like mine.”

“Not quite. I think you're a little stronger,” I said with a chuckle as I swung Rionna, marvelling once more at how well she fit my hand.

“Let's see by how much.” Berthold growled as he reached out to the side, re-summoning his beautifully destructive Weapon and spinning it causally.

We met at the centre of the arena. My sword of stars singing as she collided with the immovable jade of Berthold's spear. The sand shook as our fight truly began.