The knights allowed Henry to take the day before the competition off so that he could rest his muscles and heal up if he had any bruises or cuts left over. Instead, they told him they would meet in the evening to go over how the next day would play out.
With his extra time after waking up, Henry decided he would visit the stable bright and early in order to make up for the next day. He was going to have to take the day off because of the sword-fighting competition.
Leo had been spewing words of doubt the last couple of weeks in order to try and keep Henry from competing, but it wasn't working.
Henry was determined to be more than someone's stable hand. He felt he had much more to offer the world.
As he finished raking hay and cleaning up the mess on the cobblestones, he wiped his forehead and decided there wasn't much more he could do around the stable to be useful. The sun was still high in the sky, so he decided he would head home and get washed up as fast as he could before seeing the knights.
He always wanted to put his best foot forward in front of the knights so they couldn't use anything against him.
To his surprise, Leo was standing outside the stable, waiting for him to complete his work.
"Good luck," he said to Henry. "You've been working hard. Robert would be proud of you." Leo offered his hand to the younger man to shake.
Robert Gregory. That was his father's name.
Henry's eyes widened. It was the most positive thing he had ever heard come from the old man's mouth since his father's death.
Leo and his father were old friends. They both grew up and grew old in the same place. There was something that changed in Leo upon Robert's passing. He seemed to have aged ten years, and he became more irritable.
Despite the shock of Leo's words, Henry clasped the older man's hand and shook it, not letting go for a moment.
"Thank you," Henry responded finally. "I'll make you proud."
Leo only silently stared at Henry's retreating form as he walked away.
He had a feeling it would be one of the last times he would see Henry. There were too many times he saw the younger man daydreaming on the job. His overactive mind was just like his father's. It was always spurred by Celia's storytelling.
Each time Henry returned from training, he seemed to be stronger, and his confidence seemed to be building, whether the younger man realized it or not.
The older man shook his head and walked into the stable. He was going to have to find a replacement for Henry before he lost the boy completely.
+++
After washing up at home, Henry returned to the makeshift training grounds, where he found the knights in casual attire waiting for him.
"Are you nervous, Henry?" Maximus asked the younger man, who stood at about the same height as him.
"Of course I'm nervous, Sir Maximus," he responded quickly. "I appreciate all the training you two have given me, but I can't imagine facing someone who has been training their whole lives for this."
Trenton, who was listening in on the conversation, clasped Henry's shoulder.
"Training can only do so much against natural talent," he reassured. "They may have the technical ability, but I can tell your instincts are good."
Trenton had witnessed Henry's reactions firsthand. A lifetime of physical labor and relying on himself for protection had done him some good. All Trenton and Maximus had to do were come in and hone Henry's skill and make his swordsmanship more accurate.
They had confidence in his abilities. Aside from his skill, he was tall, which gave him a better reach. Beyond that, he was among apprentices who ranged anywhere from age 15 to 21, with the highest concentration of participants being on the younger end. An older apprentice would try harder, having a lot to prove.
"Are either of you going to participate in the knights' bracket of the competition?" Henry asked the knights.
Maximus spoke up first.
"Three years ago, when we were first knighted," he explained, "I was in third place."
Trenton wasted no time butting into the conversation.
"I was second," he said with an amused smile, causing Maximus to roll his eyes.
Henry felt like he was looking at celebrities. He couldn't believe the men who had been training him this entire time had actually placed in the competition. His insecure side was concerned that they had already wasted so much time on him, especially if he didn't place.
"More experienced knights will tell you that only the new knights want to participate in such events," Maximus explained. "There's no reason for someone well into their career to care about the competition or recognition it could possibly bring."
"In that case, who took first place?" Henry asked.
"I was," a voice walking up to the group said.
Henry turned to see Alix approaching them. His blonde hair was falling into his face. It was the first time Henry had seen him in such casual wear and without armor.
He stood between the heights of Maximus and Trenton, but his posture was better than both of them.
Henry always speculated the man was from some kind of royalty or another wealthy family in power.
"Y-you were?" Henry couldn't help his amazement.
"Just as Sir Maximus said, there's no reason for older knights to participate," he explained. "I was awarded my title soon after winning the competition."
"It has nothing to do with your father being Duke of Sadiv," Trenton joked, nudging Sir Alix with his elbow.
Henry could see that the comment irritated Sir Alix and raised his dark eyebrows in curiosity.
Suddenly, Alix unsheathed his sword and pointed the end at Trenton's chin. Maximus nudged Henry to step backward.
Henry looked over Alix's large sword. The silver metal was shined to perfection all the way from the tip to the handle. There were intricate designs and gems on the hilt of the sword. Not only did it look strong, but it looked expensive as well.
"If you need to test my skill, spar with me in front of Henry," Alix warned Trenton. "Or do you not want to disappoint the one who's competing for the opportunity to be your apprentice?"
Trenton's eyes were glistening with amusement as Alix pointed a sword at him. He only raised his hands in response, showing he meant no harm.
Maximus put a hand on Henry's shoulder and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Alix is the Duke's second son, so he won't be seeing anything from his father's title," Maximus explained.
Henry only nodded in response.
He had heard of the Duke of Sadiv before, but it was never anything good. His ruthlessness and quick temper spoke louder than his political influence. The peasants only knew to avoid nobility, though they never had opportunities to face nobles anyway.
Once Alix's sword was sheathed once again, the group returned to the huddle they had been standing in before, and the knights explained how the next day would pan out.
All three of them would meet him on horseback at the gates of the wall that split Hydrogia between the working class and the peasant class. From there, they would go to the arena.
He was instructed to get a good night's sleep and have a good meal. They would bring him more food in the morning.