by Billy Wong
"I know it might seem like I've become greedy for power," he said after a while. "But I just want to make something of myself. Fate set me up for greatness so perfectly, I can't waste the opportunity."
Indeed, he'd gone from a common soldier to king through the unlikeliest of circumstances, and Rose knew that in his shoes, she would also be reluctant to throw away such a chance to do something great—at least, if great deeds hadn't already become so commonplace to her as a warrior. She'd given up the crown readily enough when it came to rest on her head, and would prefer if Sean could do so too for the good of the land.
But she told him sincerely, "I won't try to force you to do anything. But I'd like to point out fate didn't make you king; I did. I wish you'd listen to me more."
"Yes, you made me king, but wasn't it fated that you become queen?"
"No, Gregor chose to make me such. Anyway, we could keep arguing about the nature of fate all day, but let me just advise you to avoid starting unnecessary violence for the sake of your ambitions—like the men who killed your fathers did."
"I'd like to." She felt he was still the Sean she'd grown to like, who fought when he had to, not because he wanted to. It was just that he'd gotten a different idea of what he "had" to do. "I just don't think Danica will give up her piece so easily."
Remembering the duel she'd fought with the proud Prince Wilner years ago for the fate of the province their countries warred over, Rose smiled and joked, "Maybe you could challenge her to duel you for the whole kingdom. She is a pretty proud warrior." Of course, if Sean did challenge Danica, he would lose badly, and he had to know that.
"I'd get slaughtered for sure!" Sadly, he said, "There's really no way I'm going to get all of Terlon under my control, is there?"
"Probably not. Just give up your little bit to your sister. It's the smart thing to do."
"I don't want to. I still wish to make this nation into the kind I dream of."
"Maybe you could work something out with her, let the country be united under her and get some say in the government in return?"
With a nervous twitch, he reminded her, "I'm not exactly on great terms with Danica. I barely know her, and she's... scary, especially since she's mad at me for holding onto Belar. Besides, why didn't she come back earlier? If she'd been there, maybe we could have saved our father."
All that was true, and Rose continued to suspect Danica's motives for her less than quick return. But though she nodded slightly in acknowledgment of his points, she said, "You should still try and make peace with her. What's past is past, and she's your family no matter what."
"I don't need her. I can take care of Terlon just fine."
"Or get it destroyed by an insane emperor."
"You'll help us if he tries, won't you?"
She wouldn't look forward to it, but neither would she shy away. "Yeah, I would. And you'd help if needed, right Finn?"
"If you're involved? Of course!"
Sean clasped her hand then. "It was good to see you again, Rose. You too, Finn."
"Likewise," Rose said.
"Don't you be dragging Rose into any unnecessary wars," Finn warned.
As they turned to leave, Rose put her hand on his shoulder and pointed out, "It's my choice. Besides, I like helping out the underdogs."
"But you don't like getting stabbed like you were."
She shrugged. "Acceptable risk."
"So that's it?" Finn asked in a somewhat flustered tone. "We wasted all this time for a little talk?"
"Better than a big fight, right?"
"Yeah, I suppose... let's enjoy some of the exotic foods of Terlon before we go home though, okay?"
"Sure."
They spent two days exploring the dining options in Belar before Rose got too impatient to return to her children and they headed back. But when they returned to Polier, they quickly learned that Sean had challenged Danica to a duel for the undisputed rulership of Terlon. How could he even consider such a thing, that Rose had brought up as a joke? He'd get himself killed!
At least, that was what she thought until she overheard the details of the contest from a loud woman on the street chiding her companion about his stance on females participating in battle. "Oh, don't be such an old sexist! The fate of our very nation is going to be decided by two women warriors, don't you know? Our Queen Danica against the pretender king's foreign champion, Rose Agen!"
Well, this wasn't good...
Chapter 9
At first, of course, Rose was outraged that Sean would pick her to fight on his behalf without asking her permission first. But then she realized the opportunity she now had to resolve the conflict in a desirable manner, and visiting Danica's manor caught her after her morning weapons practice.
"What the hell do you want?" the queen snapped.
Rose couldn't suppress a smile in anticipation of the shocked look no doubt about to appear on Danica's face. "To concede the fight to you."
"What?! What kind of trick is this?"
"It's no trick. I don't want to win." After letting the other woman stare blankly at her for a short while, she continued, "I didn't choose to represent Sean; he named me his champion without my consent. Even though he's my friend, I think you'd make the better ruler for Terlon at this moment. So I'll hand you your crown. How about it?"
Danica frowned. "I'd rather see whether I can beat you for real than have you purposefully lose. It'll please me to face a warrior as good as yourself, one on one with no interruptions."
"You want to have a real fight instead of getting a free win? You could lose your throne."
"It'd be too much of a disgrace to cower from fighting you. I'm not a weakling who dreads the possibility of defeat so much as to run from it."
Her pride wasn't unexpected, but Rose didn't want to risk the future of the nation for its sake. "If I wanted to, couldn't I just forfeit the match before it ever starts?"
"Of course you could. But I really don't want you to." Danica looked almost pleadingly into Rose's eyes. "Everybody would know you're not scared of me, but throwing the fight for some other reason. I need to regain my crown with a show of strength, not just have it handed over without a struggle. I want you to fight me."
It was true that Danica would gain more respect by defeating Rose for the throne than by having it given up willingly, but then, it would also hurt Rose's reputation, wouldn't it? Then again, getting a "loss" on her resume seemed a small sacrifice to make to help a country. She could probably hold off Danica for a while with some effort before letting herself be put at a disadvantage and conceding. Hopefully, she could play it well enough that nobody knew the difference.
"Alright, I'll fight you. May the best woman win." Rose had considered letting Danica in on her plan, but doubted she would go along with it. She didn't look forward to having to hold back against such a strong opponent fighting to their full ability, but she'd have to make do.
Danica called everyone she wanted to watch, and the two faced each other in the manor's great hall. Servants moved tables and chairs aside and rolled up the fur carpet as they prepared to duel under a high ceiling adorned with frescos of battles and political dealmakings from Terlon's history. Sean was there, having traveled to Polier beforehand to witness his final triumph at Rose's hand. She wondered if they would still be friends after she disappointed him.
"Kick her ass," Finn said with a wink. When she hadn't even tried to back out of fighting on Sean's behalf, he'd immediately realized what she meant to do.
The combatants started out slow, testing each other with quick feints and probing attacks. Danica felt a little like a mix of Regis and Julian, almost as strong as the former and just as quick as the latter, and Rose realized she had probably only lost to them due to the distractions. Without warning, she began to attack with full force, and Rose was legitimately forced to backpedal a few steps. But she quickly adjusted, and with fast, short but strong cuts of her broadsword made Danica retreat in turn. She struck the queen a rin
ging blow upon the breastplate, sending her off her feet, but she rolled away and up easily.
Danica smiled. "You really are that damn good."
"I never hold back," Rose lied, as she was doing it now. Only a little, though—even if she went all out, Danica would still be a formidable opponent. She just didn't want to risk seriously injuring her.
Danica didn't share the same concern for Rose, and attacked more frantically in an attempt to overwhelm her with speed. It got tougher and tougher to maintain her controlled rhythm against the queen, who pushed forward with constantly varied attacks in an attempt to find an opening. She lunged slicing at Rose's legs, making her jump back in the nick of time, then brought her halberd up in a thrust at her groin. Though Rose spun aside, the edge of the axehead grazed her hip and drew blood. Angered despite herself and knowing her opponent to be very tough in her own right, she answered back by slashing Danica heavily between her shoulder blades. Though blood poured down her back, Danica looked over her pauldron at Rose and grinned.
They both charged and met in a thunderous clash, their weapons slamming together so loudly many in the room clutched their ears. Though Rose still didn't want to kill Danica, she began to forget she meant to lose, and hammered away at the woman's guard like to overpower her. Even as she struggled to stand her ground, Danica's eyes lit up with joy. She ducked a slash from Rose and stepped in, piercing her side with the halberd spike. Rose elbowed her, a blow that could have shattered a lesser person's skull. Though it made her stagger aside, she merely flexed her neck and came on again. They cut each other repeatedly, making blood fly through the air. Their weapons locked and Rose snuck in an uppercut to Danica's jaw with her shield, hurling her onto her back. For a moment she lay still, and Rose remembered she was supposed to throw this fight. If she had knocked Danica out...
Of course she hadn't. The queen pushed herself up, if a bit slowly, and smiled with mouth dripping from her lips. "You're so strong, Rose. When I beat you, I'll call myself the greatest warrior in the world."
She'd heard that before. Only this time, it might prove kind of true. When they met again, Rose drove Danica back almost to the wall. She sliced Danica down the arm, but then gave her an opening to stab her in the shoulder. She let her own attacks grow slower and less powerful. Now they stood still and exchanged strong blows evenly until Danica struck with a powerful overhead swing. Rose stumbled away as she blocked with purposeful clumsiness and glimpsed Sean staring with concern. Now it was her on the retreat, as she wanted to set up Danica's victory in dramatic manner, but she caught the exuberance in the woman's eyes and it worried her.
They fought back across the room the way they'd came, Danica pursuing this time around. Her assault had grown so intense, Rose started to wonder if she would be winning even if she tried to. She thought to drop to one knee and concede pretending she had no strength to fight on. But her stumbling retreat made Danica overzealous, and she did something Rose had never before seen in a real battle. The queen screamed and somersaulted high, her halberd blade flashing through the air. When she completed her flip, Rose would be on the receiving end of a downward blow meant to cleave her skull or shoulder in twain.
Of course, Rose couldn't allow such an attack to land. A cloven head would kill even her, and so could a cut through her shoulder which reached down deep enough. She had a few options, which included dodging, parrying, or blocking. But Danica was trying to kill or at least inflict a horrible wound probably to make her victory more impressive, and in the heat of battle Rose's instincts demanded a punishing counter. Without thinking she jumped and stabbed up while the queen's body rotated to face her, spearing her out of the air.
Nobles gasped as the huge blade punched through Danica's armor, and her eyes bulged as Thorn went deep into her abdomen. Horrified at what she'd done, Rose swung her sword down when she landed, throwing the queen off. She hit the floor hard, a great shower of blood splattering down before her. "W-well struck," she gasped weakly, and tried to stand. She fell on her face, blonde hair coming to rest in the red puddle that had sprayed from her wound.
Rose stood frozen with fear and dread. She didn't wish to kill Danica, and even if her injury wasn't fatal, the fight seemed very over. Danica wasn't getting back up, and Sean would gain the responsibility Rose now knew he wasn't prepared for. If only Danica was conscious, she could still concede the match—although all pretense of not throwing it would be ruined—but...
Danica's hand still gripping her halberd moved and she shoved herself to her knees, covering the gaping hole in the side of her stomach with the other. "Good. You finally show... your true strength."
Rose blinked, hoping Danica didn't realize her true motives. "I wasn't holding back."
"Really now. Maybe not so much earlier on, but why else would you start weakening so quickly but to throw the fight? I didn't seriously injure you."
She raised her sword and made to advance on Danica, but then clutched her side and put the blade to the ground as if to brace herself. "You... ah... got me better a few times than you thought."
"Almost got you really good the last time, though I took a big risk. Just didn't expect"—she coughed, spitting blood—"such a painful counter."
"Danica, hold on, don't die! Someone help her!"
The royal doctors started to step forward, but Danica raised a hand. "Why would I die when our battle isn't over?" Using her halberd, she dragged herself to her feet. "I won't lose."
But Rose couldn't possibly prolong the fight anymore, when Danica bled so badly and might be in danger even with immediate treatment. "No, you won't. I yield."
Confused muttering filled the room while Sean's jaw hung open with shock. "What?" Danica asked.
"You deserve the crown. If we keep fighting, then by the grace of the just gods, you'd win." She prepared to evade and run if the queen's bloodlust wasn't sated.
Danica didn't attack her, but sneered. "I still would prefer to settle it conclusively. But I'll accept this."
Rose turned to the watching crowd, keeping her shoulders slumped and trying hard not to flash Finn a smile. "Well, what are you waiting for, doctors? Your queen just got skewered!"
They rushed to aid Danica, who limped away with their help, still refusing to look vulnerable by being carried. Under her breath, Rose added, "At least I got to be the one doing the skewering this time around."
Before leaving the room, Danica turned back to her with a weak, bloody-lipped grin. "Good fight. Much better than if my supposed half-brother had dared to challenge me on his own."
"Yeah," Finn agreed, "but I thought there wasn't quite enough scratching and hair-pulling involved."
Most in the room laughed, Danica included, and the doctors finally led her out.
#
Sean caught Rose in the hall outside Danica's room after she visited to check on the queen's condition. She still displayed surprising energy, which made Rose optimistic she would recover.
"What did you do that for?!" Sean snapped. "I know you could have won that fight easily!"
"Easily? No. She's a worthy opponent."
He pouted. "I meant at the end. You had her all but defeated, and then you let up!"
"She's your sister. Would you have me kill her?"
"No... but I'm sure there are nonlethal ways you could have subdued her at that point. She had no strength left."
"It may have looked that way," Rose said with a shake of her head, "but I know these things better than you. She wasn't going to lose that fight. She would have died first."
"And I should believe you, that an invincible person who'd barely been wounded couldn't have put a half-dead woman into a choke or something and put her out?"
"She'd probably have found a way out of the hold and kept coming at me until she dropped dead." Danica's determination at the end had really convinced her. She gave Sean a chiding look. "Besides, you shouldn't have named me your champion without asking me first."
"You were the one who suggested I c
hallenge her."
"It was a joke! And besides, I suggested that you duel her, not make me do it for you."
"I would never have won."
She sighed. "And that's why it was a joke. Now look what you've done. Danica could have died because of you."
His eyes grew sad. "I don't want her to die. But I didn't expect the fight to get that brutal. So you quit because you didn't want to kill her?"
Rose thought about whether to tell him the whole truth, and decided knowing it would more likely discourage him from trying for the throne again than not. "Partly yes, but also because I don't want you to be king. I don't think you're the best choice to rule Terlon. Maybe someday you will be, but even then Danica would have do some pretty awful things to justify violently removing her."
Stubbornly, Sean growled, "I'm not giving up my kingdom."
"But you promised to honor the results of the duel. You'll lose what supporters you have if you break it."
His eyes narrowed. "I promised thinking you would support my cause to the best of your ability. You betrayed me, and I won't abide the outcome."
"But you shouldn't have picked me."
"Well, now I know," he said scathingly.
"Danica's the better choice to be Terlon's ruler, not the least reason being that people will actually accept her as such. Can't you see that?"
"I suppose I could. But what ever happened to trust between friends?" He quickened his pace into a run, leaving her behind with Finn.
"That's one selfish boy," her husband said. "He could have gotten you killed. How were you ever friends with him?"
"He wasn't always like this. I don't know if we should place as much blame on him as the position he's found himself in. It'd probably mess with most people's heads, even people as worldly as us. This is a terrible situation, though."
Finn patted her shoulder and reminded her, "Hey, at least nobody's dead yet. You think Danica's going to make it?"
She nodded slowly. "I wager she'll be okay. She's a lot like me; has a constitution of iron, and already survived some nasty wounds. I stabbed her good, but I bet she'll live."
