Dinner had never felt so suffocating for Ildegard. Every bite lodged in her throat like stones, and the silence at the table only made it much more difficult to chew her food. As she ate, a single thought gnawed at her.
Where was Escoffier, her attendant? She hadn't seen him since morning, when she left for Larkinge. Surely her father hadn't done anything to him. Darius himself had said Escoffier would escort her to Agammemnon Imperium. But his absence gnawed at her nerves.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ildegard abruptly stood, her stomach churning, "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom," she murmured, her voice shaky as she hurried out of the room.
As soon as she turned down the corridor, her heart skipped. Walking toward her was none other than Escoffier. Relief flooded her, and without thinking, she rushed to him.
"Fier!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling as she nearly collided with him.
"Princess?" Escoffier grunted, steadying himself as she came at him full force, "Is everything alright?"
"I- yes, I'm sorry," Ildegard stepped back, her voice soft as she looked up at him, eyes filled with worry. "I haven't seen you since this morning. I was afraid my father might have…"
Escoffier gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "So you were worried, Princess. There's no need to be, I'm fine. Your father hasn't done anything to me. Have you spoken with him yet?"
"So, you already know." Ildegard fidgeted with her fingers, glancing down. "Yes... I'm supposed to leave with you in three days."
Escoffier's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… agreed?"
Ildegard nodded, but her chest tightened, and she felt the familiar burn in her throat, "I'm sorry, but I-I'll talk later," she said quickly, barely holding back the nausea that coursed through her systems.
Escoffier stood still, watching Ildegard's small, retreating figure fade from view. His heart weighed heavy with the truth he couldn't share. That morning, he hadn't been absent by chance as he had been out, discreetly silencing the rumors of an affair, per the King's order. The whispers had started to spread, threatening to tarnish the family's reputation. Darius had made it clear that nothing could reach the Imperium. For the sake of the royal name, the rumors had to be snuffed out.
The king had paid a considerable sum to ensure the public's silence. Though the attendant should have felt relief knowing the situation was handled, it gnawed at him. The family's name might be intact, but at what cost to Ildegard? Her father's motives had been more about protecting his power than protecting her.
—————◇—————
Ildegard stepped out of the bathroom, her face pale from quietly emptying her stomach. She had made sure to keep silent. No one could know. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before returning to the dining hall.
To her relief, the table had already been cleared, sparing her the discomfort of facing the untouched food. She wasn't in the mood to eat anymore, anyway. As she turned to leave, Lanceir called out to her from the balcony. She hesitated, but noticed their father had already retired to his chambers.
Taking a moment to gather herself, she walked toward the balcony, unsure of what her brother wanted to say but certain it would be better without Darius watching.
"Tell me, Ilya. Has father forced you or anything? You can be honest with me," Lanceir's eyes pleaded, his voice low as he searched her gaze with any hesitation.
Ildegard's heart clenched at the thought of lying to her brother, but she forced a smile and shook her head, "No, Lanceir. I agreed to go, not just because it will benefit our family.. although I've thought about that too. But I'm not against marrying the Crown Prince and I wasn't forced."
Her words felt hollow, and she wondered if Lanceir could sense it. If, by chance, he ever discovered the full truth, Ildegard had no doubt he would stand against their father without hesitation. That much she knew for certain. But what terrified her more was the consequence that it would get him killed.
"Ilya, are you happy with this decision?"
"Yes.."
"That's all I needed to hear, Ilya," Lanceir squeezed his sister's hands in his, seeking comfort in the warmth of her company.
—————◇—————
Swords clashed violently, the sharp ring of steel on steel echoing through the air. A few enthusiastic cheer from the crowd erupts.
On the left stood the Knight Commander, Garrick of the Glory Arena, his sword gripped tightly in both hands, muscles tense as he carefully surveyed each movement of his opponent.
On the right, poised and calm, was a woman with white hair. But not just any woman.. This was Dame Grand Cross, Daenaerys Bailefore, a legend in her own right.
Just like Honors of Chevaliers, the Glory Arena is where knights of the Grucaelum Kingdom train. In Ophis Rephis, even Knights have rankings of their own.
The highest possible rank to attain is Knight Grand Cross and Dame Grand Cross. Each kingdom has one of both. They lead the knights, and are the most powerful guardians of the Kingdom.
For Grucaelum, the Bailefore twins took this title almost instantly. As knights in training, the both of them were well known as inseparable duos, and that they rivalled each other.
Faralad Bailefore stood at a distance, his eyes narrowed as he carefully observed the fight unfolding before him. It all started when Garrick had the audacity to question the abilities of the Dame Grand Cross. In his arrogance, he assumed that because Daenaerys was a woman, she could not possibly match his strength. It was a foolish assumption, one that Faralad knew his sister would soon correct. He wondered if his decision to promote this man to his position now was even proper.
"If you would just stand down and apologize, I will drop this matter like it never happened," Daenaerys lowered her sword, trying to reason with the Knight Commander.
"I've done nothing wrong and therefore have nothing to apologize to," Garrick took his stance, "I am just proving what I believe is true."
"So you also believe that the Empress has bad judgment? Are you not aware that the Grand Cross are bestowed the title only through the validation of her majesty?" Daenaerys raised a brow, her tone seemed to tease him and yet it remained sharp.
Garrick did not show any signs of backing down, making Daenaerys sigh exasperatedly as she takes her position, "Very well."
Garrick lunged forward, his blade striking the ground with intent of putting the full weight of his body behind the blow. His plan was to use his bigger size to throw Daenaerys off guard, believing her small frame would crumble under the blow. But when their swords met, he was more than proven wrong.
Daenaerys parried without hesitation, her blade deflecting his confidently. Instead of merely blocking, Daenaerys used his strength against himself, letting his sword glide through her own with a loud screech, blade brushing against blade. The movement was deceptively fluid, directing its attack out of the way, causing the blade to get buried to the side, where it hit the ground harmlessly. It should have been perfectly clear that Daenaerys held the outcome of this battle on the tip of her fingers.
Garrick gritted his teeth, yanking his sword from the earth with a growl of frustration. As he bent low, his leg shot out and aimed at Daenaerys. She blocked it with her sword, but the impact caused her to stumble backwards. Sensing an opening, Garrick didn't waste a moment as his sword redirected upward to test her reaction time.
Unfortunately for Garrick, Daenaerys had already anticipated it. With a simple sidestep, she evaded his blade, the way she moved was too fast for the Knight commander to anticipate. Garrick attempted to redirect his attack, but the Dame moved like water, slipping beneath his arm with a speed that left him overextended. Her foot hooked behind his, and with a simple sweep, she sent the Knight Commander crashing forward.
Garrick's face was caught between shock and embarrassment when his face met the ground with a thud. He pushed himself, and when his gaze landed upwards, his face not only met the dirt, but the tip of Daenaery's glistening blade.
Loud cheers erupted once more, echoing through the Glory Arena as the squires regarded the dame with respect. With a flick of her wrist, Daenaerys tossed her sword aside, its clatter barely audible over the roar of the trainees. A soft smile danced on her lips as she extended her hand to the fallen Knight Commander.
Garrick felt the heat of embarrassment rising to his cheeks, but before he could dwell on it, he grasped her hand.
"It's my loss. I apologize for.. earlier, Dame." Garrick wiped her face and patted his clothes.
"It's all good commander, although you should probably start grovelling in front of my brother," Daenaerys laughs awkwardly, pointing to the direction of her brother who was impatiently patting his arm while they were crossed.
Garrick started sweating nervously.
"Garrick. You are much too lucky that my sister has given you a chance to redeem yourself," Faralad glared at him, "Disrespecting my sister is also disrespecting me and our authority. Did I make the wrong decision to promote you? You embarrassed yourself in front of the trainees instead of setting up a proper example as a Knight Commander. Don't make me regret my decision."
Garrick stood frozen, speechless and disappointed, watching as Faralad moved to his sister's side. Without a word, Faralad took Daenaerys' hand, dragging her away from the arena for a while.
"Are you okay, Dae?" Faralad muttered under his breath as they stepped inside the castle's entrance. His concern was evident in the tight grip of his hand. He was not worried wether she was hurt. He heard a bunch of times how Dae would receive the same discrimination against her position, and he knew how sensitive Daenaerys could be sometimes.
"Yes, Far, I'm alright," Daenaerys chuckled softly, allowing herself to be led inside.
Faralad suddenly paused, turning to face her with a heavy sigh, "Dae, listen, I'm temporarily being stationed in Agammemnon for observation."
"What?" Daenaerys's eyes widened in shock, her voice catching in her throat. She looked down, trying to make sense of it, "How come I wasn't told? Why is it only you?"
"They requested me specifically because our princess is set to be engaged to the crown prince there. I won't be inside the palace much, but they've asked me to keep an eye on things. You'll need to stay and manage the Glory Arena while I'm away."
"So... you're basically her bodyguard?" Daenaerys sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Yeah, pretty much," Faralad responded with a faint smile, ruffling her hair. "I'm sorry this was so sudden. The decision came down only an hour before I found you brawling with Garrick. And... you should know, Dae, I'll be staying there indefinitely."
Daenaerys clenched the hem of her shirt, frustration bubbling up inside her. "This is too much to process, Far... But I wish you a safe journey. I'll be waiting for you to return."
Faralad pulled her into a tight hug before stepping away, his presence a little more distant as he headed off to finalize his orders.
☆☆☆