"Even though we commit all our effort towards something, it all ends up being for nothing. Even though we do all we can, it really doesn't matter. Damn." – a sonorous philosopher

The sound of breaking glass. A single arrow protruding from his chest. His dying breath. His blood. These thoughts all cycle through Alex's mind for a moment before he shakes and pulls himself together.

'I cannot, no. I will not allow it to happen again.'

Determination fills Alex's eyes, and his consciousness fully returns to his surroundings.

"--something good for once is going to come from my father's cowardice is coming, Alex?"

'It's the same, shouldn't it be different. No, it doesn't matter."

Alex looks straight into his father's eyes, "I'm not leaving without you, we will go together."

A flash of confusion, something almost becoming common to the duke's expression, flashes across his face, "Son-"

Before his father has a chance to try to force him off, Alex grabs his hand and starts dragging him out of the room.

"Albi, bring us to the cellar."

"Alex, I don't know what you are trying to do-" says Walter as he is being dragged along by his son.

Albi takes a moment and looks to the duke.

"QUICKLY, and If you won't, I'll find someone who will," Alex says forcefully.

The duke manages to retract his hand, "Alex, a ruler should never abandon their position, I would think you would have learnt this in your classes. Albi, bring Alex to the cellar, I'll be in my chamber coordinating the defense effort."

'This is barely different from the first time, though this way, I have some time, and he won't be struck with an arrow…'

'I've got to convince him.'

Alex looks at his father, "Father, don't you also have a responsibility to me, if not as a duke as a Father."

Walter starts to shake his head.

"And if we retreat now, you can still lead the province, leaving it in their hands will do it no good."

Walter still refuses, "It does not matter. They will look for us if they don't find me, while I've taken great measures to hide your existence because of the curse. You can still live, Alex."

'He's still not coming? I can't let him die here, so what can I do.'

'…'

'Wait, maybe that could work.'

"Why don't you use the same magic you did for your father?"

Walter looks at him, inquisitively.

"To replace your body, and to escape with me?"

Walter looks hopeful for a few moments before shaking his head. "Even if that is so where are we going to find a matrix to lay it on, I used a pig's head, but I see no such substance here that I could use. Even more so, it would be wrong for me to leave my servants and subjects."

Albi buts in, "Um… sirs, at the rate the army was going, they should be entering the manor any moment, you need to make a decision sirs. Now."

"Go now, Alex. I will stay behind. Go, I will meet you there."

'Well, it doesn't seem like I'll convince him in time, but at least he won't be shot… I still have to try, though.'

"Well, if you're staying, I'm staying too."

"Alex, you go with Albi this very instant!" Walter yells, trying to get Alex to obey.

"Father, I would obey in almost any other instance, but not this one," Alex says, stubbornly refusing to move.

"Well sirs, it looks like we're all going to die then," Albi says, giving a massive sigh. Not a moment later, footsteps can be heard in the room, along with the clanging of plates of armor.

Walter looks at his son, and sighs, "Well, while I have to commend you in your spirit, I am not happy with your decision."

"I know," says Alex without a pint of remorse.

Then the doors burst open and soldiers dressed in red and gold, In the front the duchy's own army commander.

"So, Gerald, you betrayed me? That explains quite a bit," Walter looks saddened by the realization but also determined.

"This duchy never belonged to an usurper like you. It belongs to the rightful king you slaughtered." Gerald starts while drawing his sword.

"Alex, Albi, get behind me," Walter says while drawing his.

"In order to get rid of you and your filthy blood we even had to submit to a foreign power, do you see what you made me do?" Gerald starts laughing at a joke that no one else heard.

"How much did they pay you? Did it only take a few coppers to sway your allegiance, a few pieces of gold to betray your people?" Walter says, feigning mockery in the attempt to gain an advantage.

Which works. Gerald lunges at Walter scratching him with the blade, but Walter takes a quick strike with his flowing sword style. It only took a few minutes for the battle ended, Alex was surprised that all the soldiers were staying out of the battle, but they remained on the sidelines. Thinking back, Alex thought that maybe this satisfied the requirements for a sacred duel. Sacred duels were battles often fought in cases of contested succession. All they required, though, is that the two participants share the same blood. Since Gerald is technically his (distant) uncle, he should satisfy that requirement. The main reason for them from what he could remember is that all the kingdoms ( even if they weren't called that ) have a beast at their call. This is usually what would prevent, or in the worse case, put down a rebellion. If the reigning king were to be killed without a successor, the beast would be let loose on the land. But, in the case of a sacred duel, the beast would not interfere, as all it cared about was fulfilling the contract with the blood. It's probably what the public thought had happened with his father and grandfather, isn't it? Sacred duels are dangerous though, they are always to the death, and no outside interference would be allowed by the beast, which was why Alex was surprised when a different soldier stabbed his father with a spear through the heart.

And then the soldiers killed Albi, who died trying to protect his master.

And then he was killed as well.