Sir Verret and Rebecca both pressured me to tell my father about the Oath. They said they won't go against my wishes or tell him secretly but that I should inform the Duke about such an important decision in advance next time. I finally yielded to their pleading a few days before the challenge would occur.
I had heard growing rumors running around the campus that I would be challenging Braiden Dreman during Sir Verret's class, occasionally interspersed with whispers of people wanting to skip to watch. I couldn't prove who spread them but I could venture a guess based on the topics that often followed the rumor. Things such as me cheating in class, bullying other students, or even that Sir Verret helped me.
I've begun to notice that I'm fairly tolerant of insults against myself but when it comes to my people I'm a little more vindictive.
So I put in more effort to train just to humiliate him further and push myself even harder during the race. The bigger the difference between us that I can show, the easier it will be to break his spirit and pride.
This meant I went through some more unconventional training methods. When I experimented in the past I discovered that healing circles were good for more than just what's conventionally accepted, allowing me to push my body to the breaking point only to bring it back in just an hour. I even discovered that if I can continuously heal my muscles as I run I can prevent injuries and promote muscular growth.
I won't be using any circles during the run, obviously, but I did make more progress in a week than I've made in the last few months.
Despite becoming stronger the growth wasn't very noticeable. I hope this makes his crushing defeat all the more surprising and sweeter.
Two days before the date I noticed a subtle shift in the discussions that were going on around the campus. There was talk of classes being suspended for a public event and the rumors about my challenge became open arguments about the truth behind my abilities. Apparently some of the people who had attended Sir Verret's class and my training the following morning had defended me.
I'm still not used to open praise but there were some people who spoke of me with admiration; I found I was more comfortable with it than in the past.
Rebecca had also told Venna about my Oath, so I had to endure her scolding and a long lecture about being practical and safe. She wouldn't stop until I proved to her that my five kilometer run times were close to Academy records for our age group… In the men's category.
After that I had to consider that my training method with the healing circles might prove dangerous later so I'll have to keep it secret. I'm surprised no one else has thought of it.
On the morning of the event Sir Verret was waiting for Rebecca and me outside the dormitories.
"M'lady, as you've probably already figured out classes are cancelled for the day and there will be an event centered around your friendly competition with the Young Master Dreman."
He was trying to keep his face schooled but I could tell that he was brimming with mirth just from how he said Braiden's title.
"I was hoping that it was just more rumors. I'm not excited that it's become like this but I can't say I didn't expect him to make something out of it."
Rebecca piped up behind me.
"Oh, it's not the Young Master that did it. The Duke contacted the school announcing his intention to attend your event and the Headmistress worked with him to budget for a sort of school festival."
What?
"What?"
My mind and my mouth are both broken at this point. Why would they go this far?
Verret continued by ignoring my rhetorical question.
"Baron Dreman has been invited on the pretext that this could determine the marriage of two families. Anything related to the Oath has been kept secret from everyone except for your father, the Headmistress, and probably the Baron. Though we can't be absolutely certain of that."
This has become so much bigger than I anticipated. But that's good. The more people witness this, the better.
All for a simple five kilometer race. I guess I should ask Sir Verret how things will be done.
"If everyone from the Academy could be watching I imagine that someone has arranged for a better way to view it?"
"Yes, the Headmistress has made it so that the entire event will be projected in certain areas of the Academy that were previously designed for things like this. Not everyone will be at the track watching the race but seating has been arranged for your family and the family of Baron Dreman."
"I guess I can't disappoint my father, now can I?"
_________________________
Even if I had prepared myself for it I still couldn't help but be surprised by the effort that had been put into everything.
The track had been freshly cleaned and new white lines for lane markers could be seen shining in the sunlight. There were streamers run along the edges of the track held up by new poles placed carefully at the distance markers. There were two people, one on each side of the track, in official looking uniforms with stop watches.
The uncomfortable bleachers had been replaced with flat stadium platforms, the chairs from our admission exams dragged out for everyone in attendance to sit on. My family and the Baron's were all seated in a special area covered with a canopy to keep them out of the sun.
It looked like the Baron was trying to engage my father in conversation but judging from his frustrated expression, things probably weren't going well for him.
The Baron's appearance was… nothing like the books had portrayed the parents of someone like Braiden to be. He wasn't obese and sweaty; he just had an average build that didn't look out of shape. His hair wasn't greasy or slicked back. He had black hair peppered with a bit of gray that gave him a distinguished look. He wasn't tall and imposing, standing at just a little under my father's height. His gaze wasn't creepy or cruel. He actually had a friendly smile when talking to his family. Well, until he tried to talk to the Duke.
Without much left to prepare I decided to stop by to see my family. My father's expression was grim and I could see that he was holding his anger back. What was surprising was that my mother looked angry as well.
"Marisilea, this decision was reckless and I wish you hadn't made it. Because you're an adult this isn't something I could have a say in but going behind my back and doing it was the wrong choice. I could have provided advice at least."
Father's attitude was incredibly frigid. I've always thought that I understood his anger but this is probably the first time I've experienced it. In the past I was only ever told that 'your father is upset with you' and never tried to see him myself.
Mother's anger was different.
"Mari, of all the things you could have chosen to do, agreeing to marriage because of a bet is the stupidest thing I could think of. What possessed you to do this?"
"Mother, I made the choice rashly and I promise never to do something like this again."
I bowed my head a bit and accepted her lecture after that. Even if I had thought everything through and planned everything out perfectly I can still recognize that I did this out of annoyance with the boy. There were probably plenty of better ways to solve this than making an oath to be his concubine if I lose.
But I have committed myself to this and I will follow it through. I'm not worried about failing and I won't regret it no matter the outcome.
"I'm aware that you might be questioning my decision here but I can promise that I have everything under control. I'm fully aware and have thought through all of the possibilities."
The Baron, who is behind my father and trying to hear everything we're saying, had his eyes widen a bit when I said that. I wonder what he thinks of all of this and how much he knows.
"If you know what you're doing then I will put my faith in you Marisilea. Go and get ready, the race is about to start."
I left and approached the starting markers for the race where Braiden was already waiting. He leered at me in the same disgusting manner that I've been seeing him do lately.
"Did you need to say goodbye to your family so soon? They'll still be there on our wedding day to see you off!"
Everyone near the starting line heard him, including our families, and I saw a lot of people go pale with fright at the Duke's reaction.
"Young Master Dreman, if you continue to insist that you will win before the event has even started I will take that as insult to the Duchy. While I am willing to accept any outcome to this race I will not tolerate you insulting the abilities of my daughter."
The Baron was glaring at him as well and he visibly paled at their looks. He might not have heard that the Duke had recently changed the way he treats me. Maybe he thought that because I'm a firstborn I wouldn't be protected from that kind of slander.
"You should focus on the run instead of the result Young Master Dreman. I will not tolerate you giving less than one hundred percent."
It's fun to see someone who's normally a braggart and cocky struggle to keep their mouth shut because of the situation they're in.
Since I've had my fun I'll line up and wait for the start. It appears that Braiden managed to fight down his desire to argue with me as he finally lined up as well.
When the signal to start resounded I immediately started at a measured pace necessary to finish quickly. I wasn't pacing myself for a warmup today, I was competing.
Braiden was apparently shocked at my start as I didn't see him at first. I wasn't going to look back to see where he was as I was only focused on my own run. It didn't take him long to catch up and I saw him overtake me.
But he had to move at nearly a sprint to do so. He's not going to be able to keep that pace for the entirety of the run.
And sure enough, at about the first kilometer he started slowing down. I easily caught up to him, passing him on the inside. At this point I could hear him breathing a bit heavily but I still didn't glance back. My goal was to put as wide of a margin between us before we finished as I could.
I did just that. By the second kilometer I could see he was almost a half a kilometer behind me. By the third I had lapped him.
On the start of the fourth kilometer things changed. He came up from behind me at a brisk pace, easily overtaking me.
I had lapped him but at his current pace he'll finish before me. I wasn't worried. I had expected this might happen.
Despite predicting his behavior I was still surprised by what I saw next. As he started his fifth kilometer on the track he began slowing down and showing visible signs of strain. I took a glimpse back at him as I was getting closer to the finish and I noticed that there were small golden chains flowing around his legs.
I didn't have time to pay attention to him as my goal was in sight and I wasn't going to slow down.
After crossing the finish line, however, I noticed that things were too quiet. I turned around and saw that Braiden was now covered in chains and immobile. He had only gotten about halfway through the fifth kilometer and he was crying and straining against the chains.
The hush of the crowd told me that something had happened. I glanced around and saw that some people weren't looking at the track but at a part of the seats. It was there that I saw another boy surrounded by chains as well.
It was then that I figured out what was going on. He had someone else cast a circle to help him cheat. It's a pity that he didn't think about the words in the oath: 'with no one allowed to use circles'. Before I could move to get more information Braiden started screaming.
"She's cheating! She had to have used circles or had someone else use them on me! I was going to win and she couldn't take it so she used a circle to chain me here and humiliate me! I knew she was doing it in class and her knight Sir Verret was probably helping her. He's probably the one who's helping her do it now too."
No one opened their mouth to defend him, not even the Baron. Observing the stunned crowd and occasionally seeing a few people whispering I went over to my father to confirm my suspicions.
"Father, are those chains related to the oath we took?"
He nodded to me and gestured that we should follow him out to the track. I saw the Baron stand up looking like he was being led to the execution block. So even he knows what this is.
We met the Headmistress in the field at Braiden's location. Someone else was sent to see if the other boy in chains was okay.
Mrs. Lomaunt formed a circle around us that amplified our voices to the crowd and then approached Braiden.
"Young Master Braiden Dreman, do you know what these chains are?"
"Of course, they were put there by that firstborn daughter of Arkesh! It's her way of cheating!"
It was my father who approached and asked the next question.
"If my daughter was casting this circle specifically to hold you in place can you explain why there's a student in the audience with the exact same chains around them?"
A confused expression crossed Braiden's face before it finally shifted to fear.
"I.. I don't know why she would do that! And who was unlucky enough to make her angry?"
Finally the Baron stepped forward to confront his son.
"Braiden, those chains are used by the God of Oaths when someone violates the terms agreed upon by the two parties at the signing."
His expression collapsed at that, his struggle against the chains finally stopping as he noticed the crowd was staring at him in disdain.
My father turned to the Headmistress and the Baron to seek permission for me to speak.
When they nodded I stepped forward.
"Young Master Braiden Dreman, according to our agreement you have lost this wager. You will announce here and now what was contained in our oath, in its entirety."
His head whipped up to face me and he sneered.
"We only agreed that I would announce that I would use the oath to bind us in marriage."
"We did, but now that you have violated the terms of the Oath I believe the God of Oaths will humor me."
As I finished saying that the chains around Braiden broke apart into golden flakes and faded out of existence. As everyone else gazed on in wonder Mrs. Lomaunt spoke up again.
"The will of the Gods has showed that Princess Arkesh is in the right. I will arrange for you to step forward and recite your Oath on the podium in the center of the track."
At her words a few guards came forward to escort Braiden and the other boy who had helped him from the audience onto the podium.
When everyone was in place the Headmistress cast her circle to amplify his voice and then gestured for him to continue.
The oath was long and boring but since it was bound to the core of our magic it can be easily recalled word for word without any effort.
Braiden did just that, rambling on through each clause, section, and paragraph. Until he got to the one that mentioned the word 'concubine'.
He had arrived at the part where I defined 'marriage' in the document.
His hesitation had everyone looking at him in anticipation. Because everything he had said up to this point was predictable and boring, his pause brought everyone's attention back to the situation.
When he finally spit out the words that he didn't want to say the entire crowd erupted in boos. Some people started throwing books towards the podium. The Baron had a terrified expression on his face as he dropped to his knees. This was a severe offense according to the kingdom's laws and because I was the Princess of a Dukedom the punishment could even be death.
The only saving grace was that he was considered an adult under the law and he had not inherited the title of Baron yet. So if the Baron renounced him then the rest of his family could be spared. But if he didn't then I would take anything that Braiden would receive as an inheritance after they were punished. Braiden had either condemned himself or surrendered the Barony to me.
Surprisingly the Baron stepped forward to stand before his son. He looked at the crowd and then back at the Duke. I could see he was summoning up his courage to make a decision.
"I, Baron Dreman, renounce my title and surrender all lands and wealth to the Princess of Arkesh. We will henceforth be commoners and I will plead for the mercy of the Duke to spare our lives."
My father looked at him and nodded.
I had hope that this debacle would prevent anyone else from acting like a fool towards me or my people.