What has to come will come.

It didn’t take more than four days for Alastor to come by and casually ask me for a spar.

It didn’t take more than a few eloquent minutes for him to leave cursing me for a shameless Balakash in his head.

But finally, an opportunity he did get as we ran into him along with his father.

“Leonidas! It’s been a long time since we could speak so casually. Have you been well?” Thundered the King.

“Your... majesty. It’s an honor and yes, I have been well.”

“I’ve seen this young lass before at the welcoming ceremony... Alessia, was it? My son talks to me about how brilliant her swordplay is. Who is this lad, though, the one behind your back?”

“This is... Count Callum’s second son, Faustus Drayke.”

Sir Leonidas hesitated before continuing, “He’s also my second disciple.”

Raising his thick brows, the King exclaimed, “You never told me you had a second disciple!”

“What rank is he now? To be a disciple of yours, he must be a rare talent indeed!” mused the King, while tugging his wild beard.

Coughing, Sir Leonidas muttered, “He hasn’t awakened yet,”

Eyebrows shooting up, the King asked, “Come again?”

“He hasn’t awakened yet,” Ground out the knight.

Examining me with sharper eyes, The King observed, “He has the aura of a fighter and yet he hasn’t awakened. But he’s your disciple and hence he must be remarkable.”

Clapping his hands, the King said, “Since war is coming and even the young ones will march, we should hold a tournament that will show our power to the people and reassure them!”

“My King, that would not be wise…”

“Oh, why do you say that?” The King asked as he trained his lion-eyes on Sir Leonidas.

“Because if there are any injuries, the benefits will be outweighed by the losses - especially as at the ranks of the outstanding fighters, winning and losing cannot be decided without the use of lethal force.”

“What you say is right-”

“Father, forget about the tournament. I just want to see how remarkable Sir Leonidas’s second disciple is, especially since Alessia has already beaten me.”

Cursing at Alastor in my mind and applauding Sia for beating what I hope was the snot out of him, I faked a smile before stepping forward and saying,

“I will not refuse the Young Highness if that is his wish. It’s just that I am afraid of offending His Majesty by putting on a childish show,”

“This-” The King spoke, vexed.

“Even children can display magnificent performances and a disciple to a man as formidable as Sir Leonidas will definitely display a most extraordinary performance.” Alastor rebutted with a smile.

Left with no choice, I could only assent and the King and Sir Leonidas stayed together as we walked towards a practice field.

Looking to the side, I could see Sia’s worried look and her mouthing, “He’s awakened 5 stars”

Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I continued to the field while playing out scenarios in my head.

Finally deciding on one, I relaxed as we entered the field.

Shedding his cloak, Alastor cracked his knuckles and stretched his hands and feet.

With a friendly smile at me, He dashed forward onto the field before standing there humbly.

With measured steps, I walked onto the field and as we faced each other, the tension between us was palpable.

We walked forward until we were face to face before bowing to each other.

As we bowed, Alastor whispered in a low voice, “Stay away from Sia if you lose.”

I replied with a single word, “No.”

Then we headed back to our respective positions before the signal to start was given.

Then we charged at each other.

Colliding in a tangle of limbs and launching into a flurry of attacks, I reeled back with blood dripping from a blow to my nose.

Jumping back to gain distance, I was aghast to see the prince follow me like a ghost that was intent on possession.

“Which, in a way, he was, just that I wasn’t the one he wanted to possess,” I idly thought.

Bam.

My body tumbled backward as a punch, and a kick connected in succession.

Rising and spitting out blood, I raised my fists in a defensive posture while swaying slightly.

“Good work,” I cheered for myself.

Only to see Sia frowning as she threw me a glance as if to say, “what are you even doing?”

Sighing, I changed my plan and this time; I took the initiative to change from defense to offense.

My assault was simple.

No kicks.

No fancy tricks.

Just punches.

One after the other.

But each punch elicited a grunt out of Alastor, who soon had to use both his hands to defend against me.

Eventually, he lost his patience and kicked out - only for me to grab his leg and pin it against my body.

Caught off guard, he levered his other leg into the air and into a scissors kick, only for me to grab it too, and then, in the position of a man holding a shear, I began swinging him around and around before letting go and watching the prince of the Kingdom fly off into the distance.

Then I promptly fell down while clutching my sides and vomiting blood.

Speechless, the King and Sir Leonidas - who was trying to cover his face - stared at the farce that had happened.

Far away, the stunned young highness of the Kingdom was on his feet, crimson-faced but outside the bounds of the field.

He lifted a trembling finger and pointed at me only for words to fail him and then shooting a glance at Sia who was trying to hold her laughter in, his face turned blacker than a kettle’s pot before he stormed off in abject anger and hate.

Still coughing out blood, I lay where I was before weakly saying - “Did I win?”

Tight-Lipped, the King nodded before leaving with quick steps.

As for me, I gestured weakly to Sia to carry me away, which she quickly did while her sides heaved with suppressed laughter.

“Why did you do that,” Asked Sir Leonidas.

“I couldn’t have beaten the prince of the Kingdom into a patty just before the war, could I, Teacher?” I asked righteously.

“You didn’t have to beat him into a patty but your acting skills-,”

“Quite good, weren’t they!” I said as I preened myself.

Coughing violently, Sia dropped my wounded body onto the stone tiles as Sir Leonidas’s face turned as black as the prince.

“This won’t end well,” Leonidas said worriedly.

“Alastor is a vindictive child, and he holds grudges. I would ask you to be very careful of what you do and where you go in the future, Faustus.”

Surprised, I turned to face Teacher and exclaimed, “But we’re on the same side and surely he won’t try to get revenge for something as small as this?”

“He wouldn’t have if this was a small thing, as you said. But you humiliated him in front of the King and in front of Alessia, the woman he likes. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t hate you to the core right now.”

Shuddering at the thought of that shameless prince sitting somewhere thinking of ways to mince me up, I spoke, “Even if he comes for revenge, what’s the worst he can do?”

Sir Leonidas didn’t answer, but his eyes were dark.