The second stage of the competition was fencing. The art of swordsmanship was also important for a warrior. This was going to be one of the hardest competitions for her. Alexander and Ethan can only pray for her training to be sufficient and not to lack.
Isabella's first competitor was a well-built man. He looked at her with a smirk across his face. Isabella was small in height. She hardly comes up to the shoulder of his competitors.
"Go back in the kitchen where you belong."
Isabella kept her eyes focused on her opponent. Her opponent is over-confident but Isabella refused to acknowledge it. He was trying to provoke her by looking down upon her but she will not be provoked. Her father had taught her how to keep thoughts and desires in control.
"A leader is not a mere warrior who fights as desire or as a command. But one who knows what is for the betterment of followers. No matter your hurt, sad, anger or happy. Never lose your cool."
Isabella kept her emotions at bay and kept her attention on the actions of her opponent. Her father has taught her well to hide her facial expressions when asked for. She was still the girl who wears her heart on her sleeves but also the same who had knocked out a rogue and got injured to protect the pups.
Her opponent laughed nervously seeing her concentrated look. He could not stop the shiver that ran through his body. He then strikes from the left side of her. Isabella saw it coming down and jumped back in the main moment and strikes back on his right side which gave him a wound on his arm.
With one hand on the wound, he turned back to look at her but she used that one moment of surprise in her favor. Without giving him a chance to heal she twirled and strick again in a swift motion. It made him lose the sword.
Isabella stood straight while he was down. Blood was still gushing out from his wound while she stood spotless. His wide eyes met her calculative. He was one of the best in-training warriors but seeing her won against him made everyone realize their mistake. Her motion was so swift and they were laughing so much that they saw nothing more than a wounded person and heard the clanking sound of the sword.
Everyone was frozen to their respective positions. Her opponent looked at her stone-face and then his wound and last once again back at her face. No one expected a female to carry a sword let alone use.
Isabella won against her every opponent and she was going to compete against her last competitor. Her face was covered in sweat, feet, and hands with dirt. Looking at the front she realized it was now or never.
All the males who have been defeated by Isabella were being teased. Some felt a bit ashamed after losing while some felt encouraged after getting a fair match. Her fighting skills were far better than they have ever seen. Never in their wildest dreams, they have ever thought of finding a female warrior.
"I never wonder a maiden to get to end... Do you talk? No wonder they lost."
Her last opponent has seen her fighting. He was amazed to see her swift moves and precise attacks. He saw how she had a counterattack for every attack she faces. But she lacks muscle power.
What she lacked, she covered with it with her speed. Even after fighting against so many opponents, she was not tired. Meaning she has stamina too.
Suddenly a smirk was plastered on his face. He has found how to defeat this trouble which seems to be undefeatable.
He encircles her and expects her to attack while she keeps her eyes focused on him. He wanted her to attack first so he could counter but she completely refused to acknowledge his trials. He tried to provoke her but it was as if she was not there she did not react.
Finally, he could not hold it and strikes at her. The clashing voice swords echoed through the silence on the ground. Alexander's eyes were cold and emotionless but his hands were tightly placed on the arms of chairs. Ethan and his other friends who helped in training her were worriedly looking at her.
Suddenly he raises his sword at once over her to which she twirls but got a wound on her arm. She paid no attention to it and blocked the next attack with her sword. He puts his body pressure which makes her a little bend backwards. Their height difference and now him putting his whole pressure was making it harder for her to stand.
"Surrender. I hate to see such a pretty maiden die."
Isabella did not give him the satisfaction of her being in the pain. But it was also becoming harder to fight back. Suddenly a memory flashed in her mind.
*
"Isabella. Let go."
"But father, brother is heavy. If I let go I die."
"Sometimes one takes one step back to take ten steps forward. Let go when this happens and then you know what to do. Let go."
*
"I do not surrender. It is win or die."
"Then, die."
Her opponent was furious listening to her words. She spoke like a true warrior but he does not desire to lose. She will give up. He will make her.
He puts more pressure than already and suddenly Isabella lets go and slides outsides. When she moved away he falls on the ground due to her weight and before he could get back up he feels a cold pointed thing at the back of his throat.
He closes his eyes in frustration and grits his teeth together. With a heavy sigh, he lets his sword go and says, "I surrender."
It was quiet, and silent on the ground. No one could believe how the tables turned in the main moment. They were still grasping the situation when a loud clapping voice echoed through the ground. Her last opponent now knew that her opponents did not lose from a maiden, but from a warrior.
"My name is Xavier. I have never seen a warrior fighting the way you did. It was great."
Xavier has spent his life on the street. Without shelter, father or mother. He was on his own. If it was not for Alexander who gave him money for food and shelter he would have probably been dead. He wanted to repay his help and thus he came palace to be a warrior and maybe a friend. But seeing her fighting he could not stop himself from bowing at her.
"My name is Isabella. Would you like to be my friend?"
Xavier is a warrior. His aura is kind, strong, and loyal but also lonely. She does not want someone to feel lonely. Besides, he could be gamma and protect her.
"I would very much love that."
Many clapping sounds follow afterward. This was truly the best competition they ever saw. Ethan was laughing nervously and hugged his friends while screaming loudly. They had happy tears in their eyes and wolf-whistling went around the whole ground.
Their body was shivering because of the nervousness and happiness in the same time. They could not believe what just happened, how quickly the table turned and the result changed. It was a moment of glory, celebration but someone was not happy and that person was not willing to let it pass so easily.
Alexander leans back on his chair and lets out a heavy breath. A small smile along with a chuckle escapes from his face. His hold on the arms of the chair loosens. A spark appeared in his eyes and his face brightens with happiness. Throughout the competition, he has kept a cold facade and a hard expression.
He got up and walks towards the crowd. He clears his throat and keeps his facial expression cold and hard. With shoulder back and chin up, he walks towards the crowd with rigid steps. Expression was neutral but his steps were light. It was almost as if they developed their own emotions and refuse to listen to him.
His steps halted in the middle of the way. He heard a high-pitch sound before seeing another female in a gown.
Princess Claire did not pay any attention to Alexander or to the people surrounding her. She directly stood up and walked to Isabella. It was totally unacceptable to her for a girl to touch a sword let alone do the jousting.
"What use do sword has for a female? You should serve your man and care for your family not carry a sword. Where is your gown? Where is your dress? You dirty no wonder no one to marry. You leave the sword to the man and look pretty."
Uh-oh... He has not trained her for this.