The sun hung high in the sky, casting golden hues over the manicured gardens and polished stone of Duke Altair's estate. Laura, Lady Camila, Ambra, and Lune stepped out of the mansion, their eyes adjusting to the afternoon light. They were greeted by the sight of a freshly restored arena, with compressed gravel underfoot.
Grant stood in the middle, a broad grin splitting his face. To his side was Emil, looking exhausted but satisfied. Around them, a handful of estate guards leaned on shovels and rakes, their brows sweaty but their spirits still somehow high.
"Welcome, ladies! Welcome to the new and improved dueling arena!" Grant announced, his voice brimming with excitement. "This is what tireless work gets you, aye!"
Emil, rubbing the small of his back, leaned in and muttered to Grant, "Tireless? More like draining. I didn't expect I would be this worn out from a morning's work."
Grant laughed heartily, clapping Emil on the shoulder. "Ah, but look at what we've accomplished! You've done well, Emil. All of you have!" he said, gesturing toward the guards.
One of the guards nodded, wiping his brow with his sleeve. "We haven't worked this hard in years, Master Grant. I never really expected that repairing an arena and compressing the ground would be something we'd do. But the result speaks for itself."
With a sense of flair, Grant stomped his foot down on the compressed gravel. Not a single cloud of dust rose. "See? Perfectly stable now. No more unfortunate accidents, only skill will decide the outcome!"
Laura looked at Lady Camila. Both had their own drive to spar. The setting sun glinting off the smooth surface of the arena seemed almost like a good omen, only lighting up the atmosphere. Perhaps this was the right moment for a duel.
Lady Camila, seeing Laura's slightly tired expression, stepped onto the arena floor. "Well then, shall we test it out?"
With a nod, she walked toward her spot in the arena.
"As much as I hate to admit it, you've done a good job, Grant," Laura said, taking her position opposite Lady Camila. "But don't wake me up next time."
"You know I will." Grant beamed, "But I'm glad you approve. Anyway, remember to not use any deadly force!"
The guards took their positions, keeping an eye on the proceedings. A mage with healing capabilities ready for anything. Even Ambra was willing to use her healing magic should push come to shove. Emil, his fatigue forgotten for the moment, stood next to Grant, both men filled with anticipation.
"Ladies," Grant's voice filled the air, "begin!"
As Grant's booming voice filled the air, signaling the start of the duel, both girls took a deep breath, eyes locked onto each other. A sense of electricity charged the atmosphere, invisible yet palpable to everyone present.
"Let's see if you can actually fight or if you're just another pampered royal," Laura sneered, gripping her wand tightly.
Lady Camila smirked. "Oh, I'm more than capable, but the real question is, can you hold your own against someone who isn't even an adventurer?"
Laura was the first to move, her wand sweeping through the air in an elegant arc as she chanted, "Venti lacerare!" With a whoosh, ethereal blades of wind emerged, tearing through the air towards Lady Camila.
With deft footwork, Lady Camila sidestepped, her eyes narrowing. "Is that it? My royal garden's breeze is more menacing!"
She murmured, "Fulmen ignis," and a fireball sprung to life in her palm. She hurled it toward Laura, who countered by chanting another incantation, "Venti scutum!"
A swirling whirlwind took shape in front of her, swallowing the fireball into its vortex before dissipating into the air. The guards gasped.
Laura laughed, "A garden breeze just snuffed out your fire, Princess!"
Not wasting a second, Lady Camila charged forward, her now leather-clad form seeming to blend with the ground. She was using her beatdown rush strategy, aiming to close the distance and use her physical strikes to overwhelm Laura.
Laura's eyes widened but she held her ground. She raised her wand high, chanting, "Turbinem concitus!" Small whirlwinds sprang up on the arena, blocking Lady Camila's direct path.
"Your tricks won't stop me!" Camila gritted her teeth, changing her trajectory to navigate around the miniature cyclones. She was agile but the adjustment cost her precious seconds.
Laura pointed her wand at Camila and yelled, "Venti repulsa!" A powerful gust of wind emanated from the tip of her wand, aimed squarely at her charging opponent.
Lady Camila was lifted off her feet and sent tumbling back. She regained her balance with remarkable agility, but the distance between them had increased again. Laura sighed inwardly; her energy was draining fast, but she had at least bought some time.
Lady Camila looked up, "Nice move, but you're just pushing the inevitable."
Laura shot back, "The inevitable is you realizing you're not cut out for this."
Camila clenched her fists, her eyes fiery. "Enough of this," she muttered. She charged again, this time simultaneously chanting, "Fulmen ignis!"
Instead of one, three fireballs spun around her, forming a deadly halo. They raced forward with her, making it impossible for Laura to simply deflect them all.
Laura knew she had to make a choice. She was running low on energy, and her chants were growing slower with her rising fatigue. A split-second decision, and she focused her wand, "Venti ascensus!"
A singular, powerful whirlwind shot up from under Lady Camila, lifting her off the ground and disrupting her fireballs, which exploded harmlessly in the air. Camila landed back on the arena floor, momentarily stunned.
Laura panted, "Your fireballs are about as intimidating as a beginner magician's magic."
Taking the opportunity, Laura mustered her remaining energy for yet another spell. "Venti... gladius!" she chanted, her voice tinged with exhaustion.
A barrage of wind blades, larger and more numerous than before, burst forth. Lady Camila barely had time to react; she braced herself as the wind blades swept over her, leaving shallow but numerous cuts on her arms and torso.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then Lady Camila slumped to her knees, defeated but not broken.
Grant noticed Laura's knees starting to wobble, a clear sign of her exhaustion. Before she could collapse, he yelled, "Enough!" and rushed over to catch her. At the same time, Emil darted to Lady Camila's side, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you hurt, Your Highness?" he asked, examining the scrapes and cuts that marred her arms and torso.
As guards scrambled into the arena, first aid kits in hand, and a magician began to mutter a healing spell, Lady Camila lifted her hand to stop them. "I'm not done yet," she declared, her voice tinged with both fatigue but also fervor.
Laura, steadied by Grant, looked at Lady Camila with a mixture of disbelief and scorn. "You want more?" she spat out. She was sure this pampered royal had never been touched by magic before, and after the blows she'd landed, Laura expected her to surrender.
But Lady Camila was on her feet again, shaky but unbroken. "I haven't had enough yet," she said, locking eyes with Laura.
The words hit Laura like a splash of cold water. She hadn't expected this young noble to have such mettle. Her fingers tightened around her wand, ready to call forth another whirlwind or blade of air.
But Grant, standing beside her, looked down at her with a conflicted expression. "Are you sure you want to continue? There's a point to all of this, you know?"
Laura's fierce glare at Lady Camila wavered. A torrent of thoughts rushed through her mind. What was she trying to prove?
Lady Camila caught the hesitation in Laura's eyes. Her expression morphed from confusion to curiosity as she sensed the internal struggle within Laura.
Finally, Laura sighed and lowered her wand. "I concede. You win... Your Highness."
A collective sigh of relief washed over the spectators. The magician quickly resumed his healing incantations, this time to an audience less strung with tension.
Lady Camila, her eyes still reflecting the adrenaline of the duel, turned to Laura. "Why did you surrender? You could have continued; I saw it in your eyes."
Laura groaned, rolling her eyes as if the question itself was a labor to endure. "Does it matter?"
Grant, sensing the hesitance in Laura's voice, nudged her gently. "Sometimes saying it out loud is the first step to understanding it yourself."
Emil sighed, his eyes meeting Ambra's. She chuckled, sensing the tension but also the difficulty in this awkward moment.
"Fine," Laura spat out, her eyes meeting Lady Camila's. "I apologize for what I said earlier. I was wrong to talk to you like that."
Lady Camila looked genuinely confused, her eyes darting between Laura and Grant as if one of them might provide subtitles to Laura's cryptic message. "Wrong about what?"
The confusion only served to stoke Laura's simmering annoyance. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was trying to make amends—sort of. "I didn't think a pampered royal like you could actually take pain. I thought you'd had it easy your entire life, and that's why you acted so spoiled. But you proved me wrong."
Lady Camila's eyes widened, and she hesitated as if weighing her next words carefully. "You know, not all of us nobles have it as easy as you think. But I get it. On my end I also thought you weren't as capable as you demonstrated. Should you have been able to get even a little more sleep, and replenish more energy, I would've been done for. We were both wrong today."
Laura couldn't help but crack a smile at Lady Camila's earnestness. Maybe, just maybe, they could find some common ground after all. But she wasn't about to admit that out loud. Instead, she tucked her wand back into its holster and turned to leave the arena.
"As much as I'd love to keep this heartfelt chat going," Laura said, her voice thick with sarcasm, "some of us have spells to revise and wounds to lick."
Lady Camila chuckled. "Fair enough. Until our next duel, then?"
Laura paused, considering it. Then, with a final glance back at Lady Camila, she nodded. "Until then."
Grant moved away from the lingering crowd, his eyes falling on Laura who was standing at a distance, silently observing the unfolding interactions. He patted her on the back, startling her a little. "You did well today, especially in doing something you're usually not great at—admitting mistakes."
Laura glanced away, visibly uncomfortable with the praise, but nodded in acknowledgment.
"Thanks for your words earlier. They... helped," Laura finally admitted, turning to look at Grant.
Grant smiled warmly, his eyes meeting hers. "Aye. Good job today, Laura."
Meanwhile, Emil and the magician had finished patching up Lady Camila. But Ambra, who had been silently observing from the side, seemed worried. With her proficiency in holy magic, albeit limited now as a vampire, she wondered if she should offer help. Receiving a nod from Lune, she thought it may be best to help.
Taking slow steps, she approached Lady Camila. "Your Highness, how are you holding up? Are there any scratches left?"
Lady Camila looked surprised to see Ambra approaching her but quickly masked it with a smile. She thought she'd have to go talk to her herself. "Thank you for asking, but the magician has already taken care of everything."
"Ah, that's good to hear." Ambra looked over at Laura and flashed her a thumbs-up, signaling that things were fine.
As Ambra started to move away, considering the exchange complete, Lady Camila's voice stopped her. "Ambra, might we have a private conversation later?"
The sudden change in Lady Camila's demeanor gave Ambra pause. She turned back, her eyes meeting the earnest gaze of the young royal. "Of course, Your Highness. What's on your mind?"
"I'd just like to talk over some things with you if you don't mind." Lady Camila said, her voice tinged with an indescribable emotion. Lady Camila looked earnestly into Ambra's eyes. "Could we meet in the drawing room in a few minutes? I need to change out of these practice clothes."
Ambra hesitated for a moment, studying Lady Camila's face. There was an urgency there that she hadn't seen before, a pressing need that seemed to bypass the already few formalities she held herself accountable to. "Of course, Your Highness, but may I ask—"
"It's really important to me, Ambra. Please." Lady Camila's voice was tinged with a hint of desperation and hope, leaving no room for further questions.
"Alright, Your Highness. I'll be there." Ambra gave a small nod, a sense of foreboding settling in her gut. Lady Camila's uncharacteristic insistence had caught her off guard, making her wonder what could be so important.
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