Page 54 of Till Kingdom Come

“If that’s what you want, then you’ll have it. But don’t count on winning,darling,”I said, mockingly, using the word he’d used for me. “There’s not much chance of that.”

I glared at him for another few seconds and then I wheeled my stag around and rode away. I never looked back at him, though I wanted to, and though I could feel his gaze boring into my back.

Chapter Seventeen

Killian

Only a knight was supposed to participate in the games, and none of us were knights, but perhaps Fae royalty was almost as good. After all, I knewwhatto do. I watched many matches, and I used to melee with my brothers and my friends. Sometimes our side would even win. I just wasn’t sure I could win against Bracca. I knew I could never hurt him in a fight, so if we did melee and he came at me, what was the point, really? He could injure me badly, and I knew it.

He was a big, powerful warrior and that would make up for any lack of experience on his part. He was stronger than I was and much more skilled with a sword and a lance. I didn’t think I would stand much of a chance against him. Or against Larek, for that matter, and there would be little to stop him from coming at me too. It was clear how much he hated me and blamed me for all that had gone wrong with his plans to take Daeneid.

Between the two of them, I didn’t expect to survive for long. Bracca had said he’d keep me locked up for the rest of my life, but I’d seen the look in his eyes after I told him he’d have to leave if we won and never return. He hated me now.

Mid-morning would be here soon, so I had little time to prepare. I knew what clothes to wear under my armor, as the tournament clothes were all highly symbolic. White clothes, signifying freedom from sin, a red tunic representing the willingness to shed blood, and black shoes symbolizing the readiness to face death at any time.

These clothes were covered by metal armor that Hendris had sent to me. It was only a helmet and a breastplate—all the Elves usually wore when they fought in battles. I’d have a heavy shield too. The Elves wore this heavy armor to protect themselves, and I’d been told that the Fairies would have similar equipment.

The designated area where we were fighting was by the gates, or just outside, and the time to meet was traditionally at mid-morning, which was almost here. My coronation had been early that morning. They had put the crown on my head and pronounced me, King Killian.

The signal for the tournament starting, which was usually a horn, would be given once things started, and the two sides would ride at each other and meet in the middle ground to fight.

I heard someone at my door and went to answer it. Hendris was there, so I stepped aside and let him come in. He saw the bed loaded down with all the armor and looked at me and shook his head.

“Are you reallythinking ofgoing through with this? As the king you don’t have to fight.”

“Yes, I do, Hendris. What other choice do I have?”

“You don’t have to do it at all!”

“If I don’t fight, then we forfeit. It would be considered unchivalrous, and he’d attack us.”

“We’re not mortals, Killian, and we don’t have to follow these silly rules. It’s not too late to call this whole thing off. We’ll fight them in the usual way, and you’ll be safe, directing the army from behind the lines. ”

“No. I won’t forfeit, and I won’t hide. This melee has to be better than real battle. It won’t be to the death, and I have to at least save some of the people if I can. This is all the fault of my parents anyway. They should have found a way around this stupid curse years ago.”

Hendris shook his head. “Once it took hold of them, they couldn’t escape it. Just like it’s taken hold of you and Bracca. There is no escape.”

“I don’t accept that and Bracca doesn’t understand about the curse, Hendris. Did you see his face when I told him we had to separate and not see each other again?”

“I saw it. He intends to punish you for that, Killian.”

“Punish me? How could he possibly hurt me worse than he already has?”

I took off the elaborate crown, put it down on my dressing table and turned to put on my breast plate, sticking my helmet under my arm. “It’s time to go and get this over with,” I said to Hendris. “Promise me you’ll leave Bracca to me.”

****

Killian

The field was full of painted shields and waving plumes and flags. If not for the nature of this melee it might have looked festive. Then again, the weather didn’t help.

The field in front of the caves was almost clean of snow, and especially after the cold, drizzly rain started. I suspected the Fairies had used their magic on the ground to ensure their footing would be at least somewhat secure. About a hundred or more Elven soldiers, mounted on stags had taken their places at the farthest part of the field and the same number of Fairies were on their own side. Most of the time a melee was a no holds barred kind of fight, with any hand-to-hand combat weapon a fighter wanted to use—swords, battle axes, maces or lances. Today seemed to be no exception.

Lances were the most effective at unhorsing an opponent, which after all, was the real goal. In this kind of fight, however, the foot soldiers would come to beat on the armor of any unhorsed man they saw to encourage him to give up his weapons, armor and his stag for themselves. I’d done that often for my stepfather when I lived in the mortal world and had never liked it. One important caveat though, was that we had agreed beforehand that the weapons would be blunted.

In other words, a lance would not have the pointed metal tip that could easily pierce armor and flesh alike. Instead, it would be a three-pronged affair that would easily knock a soldier off his stag but wouldn’t be nearly as lethal to the soldier.

I had yet to see Bracca or his father and I thought they must be at the other end of the field from me. I had sent Hendris away after he hovered around me like a mother hen, and I was waiting for the battle to start when I saw a rider riding at me fast from across the field. I thought he would soon veer off, but he came steadily on, and I realized he was coming for me.

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