Chapter 21 –Advancement

Gregor hopped into his bed, lantern already lit despite the sun still being up. Tonight he wanted to interruptions, no reason for pause. He was itching to get through the journal, and he made sure everything was perfect before hunkering down to read. Almost perfect. He eyed his cup of tea that he had left on the edge of the side-table, as if staring at it would bring it closer. If only. Stretching out his arm he barely managed to reach the teacup’s handle with his fingertips. With a sigh, he scooted over, losing the position he had just started to feel comfortable in.

Now he was ready to read. Door was locked, sun was going to set in maybe an hour, tea was in his hand. He sipped the red sugary goodness. Putting aside his worries he picked up the book.

-

I woke up with the most awful headache the next day. I could not open my eyes, but something felt off. My bed was… soft? Since when? Maybe I was dead. Would I get to see Aryel now?

I was not, in fact, dead. My stellar performance and unbelievable show of perseverance had wowed the crowds. More importantly, it impressed Chereba’s coliseum administrators (and a few other, more important individuals, which I only learned of later.) Due to winning the tournament, I had been granted more luxurious accommodations. I slept in a proper bed, with proper blankets, and a proper pillow. None of the straw filled, thread-bare, bloodstained cloth which I had put up with in my cell. Sunlight streamed in through a barred window and the room was empty. The door was closed, probably with at least two guards outside of it. With a groan, I moved my arm and felt at my ribs. Bandages covered it all, but underneath them, small bumps protruded where stitching held skin together.

As I studied myself, the door opened and the older woman from before rushed in.

“Behave, a pri-” She did not have a chance to finish was she was going to say before purpose walked into the room. A young woman. Perhaps around my age, but walked with chin held high. She wore a silver dress that came down to her knees but split at the side below the hip. Underneath the dress she had a matching pair of close-fitting white pants. Above her dress, she showed off a well-fitted dark blue coat that reached her midriff and was held together with a simple bow-knot just under her bosom. Silver embroidery swathed the deep blue and the inside of the long sleeves were opened, letting her arms move freely. Her soft brown hair was pulled back and braided from her left ear to below her right, interlacing in a diagonal across the back of her head. The braid opened near the bottom, and the hazel, auburn waves decorated her right shoulder.

More impressive were the rest of her features. She held herself with overwhelming dignity, making me want to sit up straight in her presence. Her arms were toned with visible musculature compared to other women. Lips stood out ever so slightly, perfectly shaped, but they were pressed into a thin line. I looked up at her eyes and saw the distaste and disappointment in her brown irises.

Who was she to judge me?

“On behalf of Queen Lidja, I congratulate you on your victory.”

With that clipped praise, she turned and walked out faster than she had entered.

“What’s her problem?” I mumbled hoarsely.

The older woman, still in the room, hissed. “Watch your tongue! That’s Queen Lidja’s sister you are talking about! This princess is one of the most powerf-”

A knock outside the door interrupted her and Terlan cautiously edged into the room. He offered a short bow to her, “Lady Bedia. May I?”

She nodded and continued from where she had left off. While she spoke, Terlan medic pulled back the covers and began unwinding the bandages.

“She is one of the most powerful women in the Queendom. I told you to behave, and instead you stare at her for over three minutes? Not even acknowledging her with a small nod?”

“Surely it had not been three minutes?” I asked.

“Three minutes at the very least! Like you were going to fight, or you wanted to fuck. I thought your parents taught you better than that. Do you want to be stuck in this pit? I promised to get you to Katentin, but it sure does not look like you want to go there. Show some class!” She lashed back immediately.

My face began to color and Terlan felt at my forehead for signs of a fever. I brushed it away.

“I am sorry, I did not know…”

Her eyes pierced mine for a moment longer before she sighed. “No, I suppose you did not.”

Terlan remained quiet through the entire interaction. Now he glanced between us, waiting to see if either of us was going to speak up again. When neither of us filled the silence, he softly spoke up, “Well, you seem to be in okay shape, all things considered. Congratulations on your victory. Truly. I know it could not have been easy fighting the lion of the arena.”

“That was the lion? Why had no one warned me I was going up against a monster, not a man?”

It was the older lady, Bedia that replied, “Coliseum policy. Contestants are to go into each fight blind.”

“Why?”

“To prevent fights from happening beforehand.”

Made sense. It also explained why everyone had been segregated, and why guards beat anyone who attempted to converse in between events. They turned it into every man for himself. It worked better for me. I had no compunction to interact with those lunatics.

“Is my family still here?”

“Yes, you will be free to see them after lunch.”

I nodded slowly and spaced out. What was it going to be like? It had been a year, but it felt like so much had happened. I was seventeen, but felt simultaneously older and younger. How many seventeen-year-old young men had killed adults both bigger and stronger than themselves? How many seventeen-year-old young men had been separated from their family thanks to their violence? Lady Bedia walked out, leaving me with the medic, but still lost in thought, I hardly noticed. How many boys languished in a prison for a year, only to rise to the top of the arena and be selected to fight in the capital coliseum? But conversely, how many young men robbed themselves of the opportunity to make friends? How many missed out on the chance to play Small Ball with others?

Terlan interrupted me, “You will want to take care when you go to the Katentin. Things are different there, and keep in mind, you are no longer a criminal. So, you cannot fight like one.”

“I am always car- I am no longer a criminal?”

“I suppose they would not have told you that either. But yes, you heard me. That is how it goes. On paper, you are no longer a criminal. Of course, this does not apply in practice. When you are taken to Katentin you will be escorted by guards. And your story has already been spread, so good luck finding any work aside from fighting. All the papers bear illustrations and descriptions of you, shoddy as they may be, they still get the impression across. Mind you, it is not that difficult to identify a man with only one ear.”

I reached up to my head and felt at the bandages around my skull. Gingerly I traced the place my ear used to protrude. It was not the first time I searched for a missing piece of myself. I had licked at my gums for weeks, feeling where I was missing a tooth. Now it was an ear. How much more was I meant to lose at the world’s violence?

But respite was beyond me, as Terlan had no difficulty pointing out in his ongoing speech.

“So competing in the coliseum is your best bet at achieving any degree of normalcy in your life. But there, you must fight with dignity. Those who make it to the position to duel in the Queen’s Arena are often individuals who have been training from a young age. The sport is often bloodless, or at least non-lethal. You have distinguished yourself as capable and gifted. Now is your opportunity to make it seen. I don’t need to be the one to tell you not to let it go to waste.”

And I did not let it go to waste.

My time spent in Katentin was both frustrating and enlightening. I was given the chance to learn from where my mother’s teachings ended, and I relished those lessons. True problems were presented. I learned to lead and manage. I learned to stand tall and to empathize. And I did this thanks to my teachers, wife, and mentor. But I only wish things could have stayed that way. Then things may have been different for us.