The day has finally arrived, the day of the tournament. Despite Sebastian’s best efforts, I slept for a total of about three hours last night. Sebastian was distraught when he came into my room in the early hours of the morning and saw me still awake. It was only after he lit a fire that I was finally able to sleep. I still can’t sleep in a dark room.    

  

Although the temporary arena is small, it is full to the brim, with people standing when they can’t find seats. It seems all of Sir Uri’s Red Knights have come to see the show, and not all of them look particularly friendly as they glance in my direction. Some seem merely curious, others amused, but there is a significant portion of the crowd that must have been present at the ball, or at least heard the rumours, and are looking at me with disapproving glances. I have proven myself to be an outspoken woman who is not afraid of making a scene and is keen to stick her nose where it ‘doesn’t belong’; many people are not huge fans of my new personality. It doesn’t help that today, instead of wearing a dress, I have chosen to wear an outfit styled after the uniform of the palace guards. Sebastian nearly fainted when he saw it. I smile a little to myself, staring down the various disapproving looks I am receiving. Suck it up, I’m not changing back now, and I have plans for today.   

  

‘Your highness, I don’t think it’s wise to stare like that.’ Sebastian whispers to me nervously. He is currently standing next to the makeshift throne I am sitting on, two having been made and positioned opposite each other across the fighting square, providing me with a perfect view. I pat his arm lightly, feeling his nervousness, knowing he is worried. I glance at Evangeline, who is sitting beside me in a much smaller chair. It was difficult getting them to provide a chair for Evangeline, impossible to get one for Sebastian as well, so he is standing.   

  

‘Do not fret, Sebastian, they are all bark but no bite.’  

  

‘But with the rumours currently spreading...’  

  

‘Sebastian,’ I cut him off before he can continue the same words he has been repeating for the past two weeks, ‘everything will be fine. Trust me.’ He meets my gaze and after a few seconds nods. His mothering and fretting have increased after the event at the ball. I feel guilty, but what is done is done. I turn to check on Evangeline. Although it would’ve been better to leave her in the palace and not subject her to such an ominous crowd, I don’t want to risk leaving her alone with the king unaccounted for. Amelinne is not there to protect her, and there is no one else I trust, so she is here with me. Despite my worries, she smiles at me and places her hand in mine. I was unaware that I even had my hand out, but once she does it makes me feel immediately calmer.   

  

‘You need not worry, Forbes, I will not let anything untoward happen.’ Duke Virfain speaks quietly from their position behind Evangeline. They are also standing, having refused a seat, and I appreciate it. I am surrounded on all sides by allies. I feel like a fortress.   

  

There is one gaze that is bothering me, however, and that is Giddeon Rasiel. He was already here when I arrived with my party, sitting to the left of my seat with his sister beside him and his knights behind. Ever since I arrived Giddeon has not been able to take his eyes off me. Well, not me to be exact. He has not been able to take his eyes off Evangeline. With all the other things on my mind, I completely forgot about the actual plot of the story (what very little of it there actually is); Giddeon and Evangeline’s love story. Giddeon is described as falling in love with Evangeline at first sight, and it is strange seeing it happen. One thing I have suddenly realised, watching Evangeline and seeing her complete non-reaction, is that the story never actually states how Evangeline feels about Giddeon. It is always assumed that she feels the same way, but it's a webcomic with very little space for character introspection. There is never a moment when the author lets us know what any of the characters are actually feeling. From what I can see now, Evangeline is nothing but uncomfortable when she realises Giddeon is staring at her like a dog would a bone. And she’s not the only one. Duke Virfain notices almost as soon as I do, and their shoulders have been tense ever since. It seems we share the strange urge to keep Evangeline safe.   

  

A wave of murmurs spreads through the crowds of people as Crown Prince Hayden makes his way across the training grounds and enters the temporary arena. He does not head to his own throne opposite mine, instead taking a detour and stopping beside me. His knights follow behind him, a dedicated force from the Red Knights and a handful of palace guards. When our eyes meet, he smiles.   

  

‘Morning, sister.’ From where I am sat, I am currently elevated and I have to look down at him. How perfect.   

  

‘Morning, brother.’ I say the last word with a certain edge, purposefully choosing not to call him Prince. Hayden’s mouth twitches slightly, but his poker face otherwise remains.   

  

‘It is not too late to change your mind, sister. The crowd will not be too disappointed.’ There is a wave of murmurs and half-hidden laughter that makes its way through the crowd. It seems Prince Hayden is feeling himself. I say nothing. ‘We never spoke about what I would gain, should your... ‘woman knight’ succeed.’ The way he says those two words makes me want to hit him, but I keep my cool, feeling an anxious Sebastian fretting beside me. I glance over at Duke Virfain, who rather than angry appears to simply be confused. Throughout the fortnight of planning, we met a few times for tea. They explained how knighthoods work in the north, and how people of all genders are welcome and judged using various tests for various skills. The duke simply cannot understand why an individual would not want the best talent, no matter what.   

  

‘And what is it you would like, brother?’ Prince Hayden smiles.   

  

‘Perhaps an apology? A statement admitting certain... incompetencies.’ His knights laugh at this. Ha ha, how very funny, I have a vagina, and therefore I can’t hold a sword. I smile.   

  

‘I will do whatever you ask, brother. But in response, I will also raise the stakes, seeing how you have done so last minute.’ Prince Hayden’s face hardens slightly.   

  

‘Whatever else could you want, sister?’   

  

‘If Amelinne wins, she receives a knightage. And so may any other woman who passes the necessary exams.’ I make a pantomime of being in deep thought. ‘Actually, I want it opened to everyone, regardless of gender, status, or class.’ Oh, how marvelous it is to see the look on Prince Hayden’s face.   

  

‘That seems unfair.’ I force my face into a mock frown.   

  

‘But if you are able to change the stakes so late, brother, I should be able to do so as well.’ And then, for added effect, I tilt my head to the side a little. ‘Are you not confident in your knight? You assured me you would choose the strongest member of your knighthood, surely you don’t believe my lowly ‘woman knight’ can beat him.’ When your masculinity is this fragile, it’s too easy to wind someone up. Prince Hayden’s face is stony, but he manages eventually to laugh as if remembering that he is dealing with women, dealing with a sister, not a brother.   

  

‘Very well, sister. But if you lose, no woman will be allowed to enter the palace as a guard.’ Well, that sucks. And that is a lot of pressure to put on Amelinne. But I’ve seen her fight. Duke Virfain has been her fight. They assured me she is one of the most powerful and skilled knights they have ever seen. I lift my head and square my shoulders.   

  

‘Of course, brother.’   

  

With a flourish, the prince turns and walks to his own throne, settling into his seat as his knights take their positions around him. The crowd settles and a hush falls over everyone.   

  

‘Do not fear, your highness.’ Duke Virfain leans down to whisper. With them this close I can smell the scent of vanilla that I now associate with them. ‘Amelinne will win.’ I nod.   

  

‘I know.’ I know. I am confident. Despite my heart hammering away in my chest, my sweaty palms, and my inability to sleep last night, I am confident. There is a lot on the line, but I trust Amelinne’s ability.   

  

There is a sound from somewhere, a kind of horn used to announce the start of official tournaments amongst the knights, and Amelinne and her competitor enter the arena. They are both dressed in light leather armour with no helmets. Amelinne is tall and her blonde hair is in long braids down her back. In her hand is the new blade I gifted her, chosen with the help of Duke Virfain’s careful eye. The competitor is a large, stocky man who is still an inch or two shorter than Amelinne. I watch his eyes register the slight difference in height and physique and then realise that difference is not in his favour, and a shiver of pure pleasure goes down my spine. The weeks I have spent watching Amelinne train have taught me that stature is not everything; skill can allow the smallest person to topple the largest. But I have seen boxing matches and I know how much of a fight happens in the mind. To have this competitor shaken is a small victory before the fight has even begun.  

  

The competitor and Amelinne meet in the middle of the arena. They bow to each other, and then Prince Hayden rises from his seat.   

  

‘Today is a tournament between two parties. Sir Ruden shall represent the dignity and honour of myself, the Crown Prince,’ there are cheers at this, and Prince Hayden smiles, ‘and Amelinne shall represent the dignity and honour of Princess Lyra, the challenger.’ This is followed by silence. ‘If the challenger is victorious, then knighthoods will be opened to all individuals, regardless of gender, status, or class. If the challenger fails,’ and at this, Prince Hayden smiles again, ‘no woman will be allowed as a member of the palace guard.’  

  

Another murmur makes its way through the crowd, louder this time. This event has been labeled a tournament, so most spectators would expect a cash sum, or a title, to be the prize. Bargains and bets are for duels. It is unusual, but so are many of the things happening today.   

  

‘Normal rules of combat apply. The fight does not end until one party yields or is unable to continue.’ Prince Hayden looks at me, awaiting my nod of confirmation. Once given, the prince yells ‘Begin!’, and so it begins.   

  

The fight lasts longer than most people expected. I’m grateful I have spent the last few weeks watching the guards train and fight. Without that experience, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with this battle. The speed at which the two of them move is almost impossible to follow. Within a few minutes, the competitor has a large black eye and a gash across his right cheek. Amelinne is unscathed.   

  

The fight is completely one-sided. Amelinne is swift and ruthless, and no movement is wasted, no effort unnecessary. The competitor cannot even touch her, let alone leave an injury. But he will not give it. It takes only a few minutes for the outcome of the fight to become obvious, but the competitor is a worthy one and he refuses to go without a sufficient fight. Amelinne leaves a large gash on his arm; he doesn’t yield. She cuts the back of his knee; he doesn’t yield. She jabs her sword into his foot, removing two of his smallest toes. I can see them from where I am sitting, brushed to the side of the fighting square covered in sand. There is a lot more blood than I was expecting, and I am struggling to stomach it. But still, although he is now limping, the competitor doesn’t yield.   

  

The fight lasts for half an hour. They both begin to tire, the competitor more so than Amelinne, but the tiredness makes her uncharacteristically clumsy. She leaves her side unprotected, and the competitor manages to leave a large gash near her ribs. But it is not a clumsy move. It is a trap. As he pulls in close and nicks her side, Amelinne brings her elbow down hard on his face, simultaneously standing on his foot. He stumbles and falls. Before she can close in, the competitor raises his hand.   

  

‘I yield.’ He says it quietly, so quietly it seems as if he hasn’t said it. The crowd is silent. I’m silent. Then he repeats it. ‘I yield!’ This time he says the words loudly, a hand covering his face.  

  

The silence persists. I do not know what to do or what to say. I was not expecting such a decisive, humiliating defeat. There is no applause. There are only looks of shock, looks of confusion, and even some looks of disgust.  

  

'She has won,' says Duke Virfain quietly in my ear, 'do not leave her there alone.'  

  

I get up from my makeshift throne and walk across the fighting square to stand by Amelinne’s side. She is barely sweating, but the wound at her side is bleeding badly. Not wanting to prolong this any longer than necessary, I turn to the crowd.   

  

‘This is a clear victory, and this victory sets a precedent. To ensure this precedent is understood, I declare that I, Princess Lyra Venvaris, will be establishing a new order of knighthood. In honour of Lady Amelinne, they shall be the Golden Knights, and they will be the most skilled knights in all the kingdom, regardless of who they are.’ With those last five words, I turn my gaze to Prince Hayden. It is as if someone carved his face from stone. There is no emotion there, not even anger or shock. He is a prince who just lost a significant wager; his poker face is second to none.   

  

‘In addition,’ I raise my voice further, ‘I declare that I, a princess of Lycium, shall learn swordsmanship as my brothers have done. For today, Lady Amelinne has proven that while a man may lack sense, a woman lacks nothing.’ That’s left a mark. Prince Hayden’s face turns sour in an instant. I turn to Amelinne. Despite the bleeding, she is standing tall and strong. Although she is not a woman of many words, I've learned how to read her expressions in detail. There is pride and dignity on her face, in her shoulders, and as I reach out to my hand, it is in her grip as she clasps my arm and I clasp hers. What I asked of her was more than I should have. It was reckless and dangerous, and when I challenge things in the future, I will do it with more care. These are real people, real lives, and I will treat them as such from now on. But she did it. And she did it so easily that I want to laugh. But I don’t. I smile, and in return, Amelinne smiles at me for the first time since I’ve known her.   

  

No one claps or cheers as Amelinne leaves the arena or as the competitor is carried out by two knights. No one moves or says anything, looking to Prince Hayden to know how to react. But he says nothing. He simply gets up and leaves.   

  

It seems a lowly ‘woman knight’ has bested him.   

  

•  

After the tournament, there is a small banquet for the soldiers and knights. Prince Hayden was supposed to announce the official result at this event, but he hasn’t shown his face since my various declarations and so I was forced to make the announcement myself. The mood of the event is a little confused. No one was expecting Amelinne to win, and therefore no one is aware of what happens now. A woman has never been a knight, and there are over thirty women who have passed the knighthood exams and are currently working as guards in the palace. It will require some work on my side, but I plan to bring these women into my own personal knighthood, assuming they will swear an oath to a princess like me. If not, Duke Virfain has promised to take any promising knights back to the North when they return.   

  

I am currently loitering around the edge of the event, trying to get a feel for the atmosphere and everyone’s reactions. It’s not unexpected, but a simple tournament won’t be enough to change long-held beliefs. It may have won Amelinne her knighthood, but it will be an uphill journey from here.   

  

‘Your highness, I have prepared some tea,’ Sebastian appears at my side as if by magic. Now that the tournament is over, he has calmed down a little. Having him close by makes it easier to relax despite the hostile glances I’m receiving. He gestures towards a tree at the edge of the banquet, under which is a table with two seats. Evangeline is sitting in one, but she is alone. Amelinne is resting and receiving treatment after the tournament, not wanting to attend any kind of large gathering or celebration. Duke Virfain disappeared shortly after the tournament finished. There’s a lot to do if they want to leave the capital in the next few days as planned.   

  

I nod to Sebastian. But as I begin to head over to Evangeline, someone else beats me to it; Giddeon Rasiel. My footsteps begin to quicken. I watch him as he bows and helps himself to my seat. Evangeline’s face seems emotionless from where I am, but I can feel the dread rising in my stomach. Scenes from the original story run through my mind and I begin to see them in a new light. Did Evangeline ever agree? Did she ever consent? Giddeon was a relentless, arrogant bastard in the original story. If she ever said no, would Giddeon or the author even listen?  

  

I take a moment to compose myself before I walk up behind Giddeon, looking down at him over his shoulder.   

  

‘What a pleasure it is to see you again, Duke Rasiel.’ He doesn’t seem surprised by my appearance. In fact, he smiles.   

  

‘Princess Lyra, yes, a pleasure indeed. I was introducing myself to the lady.’ He waves his hand in Evangeline’s direction. I fake a look of concern.   

  

‘You introduced yourself to my very close friend, Lady Whitecrest, without a chaperone present?’ I emphasise the word lady. Although I know Evangeline is not fond of the title, where Giddeon is concerned it is necessary. It will entitle her to a certain level of respect, despite the fact Giddeon is unlikely to pay any attention to that sort of thing. Pointing out the lack of a chaperone is also likely useless. Over here, in the shade of this tree at the edge of the small banquet, we are too far away from everyone for me to use etiquette as a way of keeping him in line. To make matters worse, the people here are not my biggest fans. Most are likely to turn a blind eye if Giddeon insults me or Evangeline.   

  

‘My apologies, your highness. I was so... spellbound by the lady’s beauty that I forgot my manners.’ And before I can say anything, Giddeon takes Evangeline’s hand and places a kiss on the back of it. Evangeline’s face is expressionless. ‘Lady Whitecrest, was it? I am Duke Rasiel of the west. It is a shame we were not able to meet at the recent royal ball.’   

  

‘I was unable to attend the most recent royal ball, your grace,’ answers Evangeline.  

  

‘Really?’ Giddeon smiles, the kind of smile that sends shivers down your spine. ‘That is very strange. I have it on good authority that you were in fact at the royal ball, Lady Whitecrest, as a guest of Earl Whitmore, no less.’ Evangeline opens her mouth as if to speak, but no words come out. Giddeon watches her closely, before turning his gaze to me. ‘Why would your close friend lie about such a thing, your highness?’   

  

How much does he know? Why is he bringing this up now? With no one else here I have no allies and no way out of this situation if it escalates. My heart starts beating hard and fast in my chest and it suddenly becomes very difficult to breathe. For fuck’s sake, please God not now. I need to be able to think, and I am not the only one at stake anymore. Deep breaths. Sebastian is standing next to me, and I can see him tapping his finger rhythmically on his arm. I don’t know how he can tell, but I thank God he can, thank God he is on my side, and I try to match my breathing to his taps before I speak.   

  

‘You must be mistaken, Duke Rasiel. Lady Whitecrest was not in the capital during the ball, so it is not possible that she was seen at the ball. I had her run errands for me in the south the week the ball took place.’ Giddeon meets my gaze. I do not move, and I do not look away despite the deafening sound of my own heart.   

  

‘Interesting.’ He leans back in his chair, returning his gaze back to Evangeline. I don’t like the way he looks at her. Evangeline is very still, and she is staring down at the table. ‘There were so many beautiful ladies there it is possible there was some confusion, such a gift for his majesty.’ Giddeon stares at Evangeline, emphasising the word on purpose. She flinches as he says it, and that tells Giddeon everything he needs to know. He gets up from his seat and moves as if to leave, stopping next to Evangeline and tracing her arm with his finger. I grab his wrist without thinking, my grip very tight.   

  

‘Don’t touch her.’ Giddeon smiles and I want to slap him.   

  

‘Careful now. We don’t want anyone seeing the princess behave like a wild dog.’ The disgust is clear on my face. He is parroting the words I used to threaten him at the ball back at me in what is clearly a threat of his own. He leans in close to my face, lowering his voice to a whisper. ‘She is beautiful. I wonder how the king would feel knowing she has been taken away from him?’   

  

I can’t even look at him. I loosen my grip but as soon as I release his wrist, he grabs mine, pulling it down harshly and at an odd angle.   

  

‘All this talk of a royal dowry had me thinking. There must be something I can do to make my offer more... compelling.’ He looks at Evangeline again. ‘Perhaps I should simply take her for myself.’ I yank my wrist out of his grip, the element of surprise allowing me to get away with only a minor injury.  

  

‘It is not wise to threaten the royal family, Duke Rasiel.’ Giddeon laughs, quite literally in my face.   

  

‘You are not the royal family, princess. You are a young girl with a violent reputation whose father wants nothing more than to sweep you under the rug. You are lucky I even accepted the offer of your hand.’ I shake my head.   

  

‘You are mistaken. I have not accepted, and I never will.’   

  

‘You will be mine.’ He spits the words into my face. ‘If I want it, she will be mine.’ He jerks his head in Evangeline’s direction. ‘You may be able to corner me at a public ball, but that won’t work here. Who do you think your father will listen to?’   

  

‘We both know the king does not have the final say in these decisions.’ Giddeon smiles again.   

  

‘Yes, we do.’ He purposefully looks over my shoulder, at the crowd of soldiers and knights loitering and socialising behind me. ‘And what a remarkable thing you have done, humiliating him in front of his personal knighthood and guards.’ I freeze. I didn’t think of this. Of course, I didn’t. I had no idea Giddeon would threaten me like this. I had no idea he would even attend the tournament, but now it makes sense. My victory was also his victory. It wouldn’t surprise me if he has already been whispering in Prince Hayden’s ear about the difficulties I will continue to inflict upon him unless I am taken out of the palace.   

  

‘What do you want?’  

  

‘Accept my dowry.’   

  

‘Sister, what is going on?’ I have never been more relieved to hear Rakan’s voice. With both speed and grace, Giddeon takes a few steps away from me and replaces his look of disgust with a friendly smile. It is terrifying how quickly he changes.   

  

‘Greetings, your highness. I came to offer my congratulations to her highness when I discovered she was suffering terribly from the heat.’ I cannot see Rakan from where he is standing behind me, and with my heart beating double time and fear coursing through my veins I am unable to move. There are a few moments of silence, and I can literally hear the cogs turning in Rakan’s head.   

  

‘You were stood awfully close to my sister, Duke Rasiel, if she was suffering from the heat as you say.’ He pauses for a moment. ‘And on such a mild afternoon.’ Rakan takes a few steps closer until he is standing beside me and then offers me his arm. I take it gladly and I manage to get my heartbeat under control. Rakan is slightly taller than me, and he lowers his head to get a closer look at my face, lowering his voice as he does. ‘Are you well, sister?’   

  

I take a few moments. Giddeon is watching me closely. He looks at me, then, seemingly nonchalant, looks at Evangeline. Then he smiles innocently. Finally, I nod.   

  

‘Yes, brother, I am well.’   

  

‘I am glad to hear that, your highness. Knowing you are well, I offer my congratulations again and leave you in the care of his highness.’ Giddeon bows, the picture of innocence, before walking back to join the soldiers and knights enjoying the banquet.  

  

As he leaves, I feel the panic begin to settle in. But there is a fire as well, an angry flame that makes it difficult to keep myself in check. I turn to face Rakan and see Lord Aster standing a few steps behind him. His face is stony, a look of condemnation in his eyes. Standing as he is beneath the shade of the tree, the shadows cast on his face make him look threatening. I know what that look means. He knows I am in over my head, and in being so have dragged everyone connected to me into the deep end with me. If I’m unable to pull myself out of this, Rakan will surely drown with me. I look at Evangeline and I can see she is scared. I can still hear Sebastian tapping his finger. These are real people with real lives. Truthfully, the author is partly to blame. How could I have known that Giddeon would react in such a way when he gladly abandoned Lyra towards the middle of the original story?   

  

Something hits me. He wants the throne, that much is obvious. Which means when he abandoned Lyra, he must have found another method to enter his name into the line of succession. Lyra was no longer useful to him, so he got rid of her. Giddeon never fought for her in the original story because Lyra was always so busy fighting for him. There was never the risk of the engagement being broken off. Even a little bit of thought would have made this obvious, but I didn’t think, I just acted. Things need to change, but I must keep these people safe. This isn’t like my old life. My well-being was mine and mine alone. Not anymore.   

  

‘Sister, are you really okay?’ I nod as Rakan repeats the question.  

  

‘Yes, brother. Truly, I’m fine.’ I don’t want to look at Lord Aster, but it seems I don’t have a choice as he steps around Rakan to face me.  

  

‘It is an honour to see you again, your highness. Might I say, you look beautiful today.’ Lord Aster's sickly sweet compliments make me feel uncomfortable, particularly coupled with the look in his eyes he is failing to suppress. He bows but I don’t offer him my hand. Rakan frowns but I shake my head. I’ve had enough. I want to leave. I want to take Rakan, Evangeline, and Sebastian somewhere safe and not have to wade through veiled threats delivered by Gideon or Lord Aster.  

  

‘Your highness.’ A man approaches the table from the opposite side of me. Panic freezes me in place when I notice there is no one between him and Evangeline. But then I realise he is wearing a palace uniform, an attendant's uniform with the king’s exclusive crest at that, and I relax. He bows as he addresses me.   

  

‘The king has summoned you.’ And the panic returns. I turn to Rakan, ignoring the look I know will be on Lord Aster’s face. Rakan nods, placing his hand on mine as it rests on his arm.  

  

‘I shall refresh myself first before I see his majesty.’ I take a few steps before the attendant hesitantly tries to stop me.  

  

‘M-my apologies, your highness. His Majesty said it is most urgent.’ The attendant looks nervously at Rakan. ‘He insisted the princess come alone.’   

  

‘That is not…’ I hold up my hand, stopping Rakan’s protests. I hold my breath, trying not to freak out, specifically trying not to freak out at this attendant who has done nothing wrong other than be given the unfortunate task to deliver ridiculous orders. Eventually, I sigh.  

  

‘Do not direct your anger at the messenger, brother. I will be fine. Sebastian, please.’ I let go of Rakan’s arm and instead take Sebastian’s, turning to speak to the attendant. ‘The king cannot object to me bringing my personal attendant.’ I phrase it as a statement, making it clear I will not be leaving without Sebastian. He is still tapping his finger rhythmically, now on my hand. It’s calming and I’m grateful for it.  

  

The attendant nods, and Sebastian and I move to follow him. Before we leave, I turn to Evangeline.  

  

‘Stay with my brother.’ Then I turn to Rakan. ‘Take her to Lady Amelinne.’ Rakan nods.   

  

With that, I head towards the king’s study.