This declaration shocked everyone in the training yard, even causing Jilkan to loosen his grip. This slight loosening allowed the student to break free and march up to Malina and Lukaz.
Looking down at the two, he growled, “Move.” Neither of them flinched in the slightest.
Malina spoke first, looking up at the student. "Oh, and on what grounds do you do that? You can't baselessly challenge someone to a duel.” The Doll knew Malina was right; the academy would never sanction a duel on baseless grounds. It would be a waste of time and needlessly harm the students.
Duels were battles between two mages used typically as a last resort to conflict. It was a simple setting where the best mage would win; when winning, the victor would typically get whatever was previously agreed upon. The practice was very barbaric and entirely uncommon nowadays, with people favoring more diplomatic approaches to problems.
The man turned his gaze from the two looking over their shoulders to stare directly at the The Doll as he answered in a targeted tone, “My name is Darius. Darius Ira, and I have already gotten approval.” After saying this, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment with the academy's official seal on it. Due to the distance The Doll couldnt quite make out the smaller body text but at the bottom she saw a very prominent large signature that read ‘Nero Moris.'
The Doll spoke before thinking, “The headmaster would never sanction this.” She attempted to deliver this in a calm, even tone but noticed a slight quiver in her voice. She was surely right; the headmaster would never allow this. He was one of the few people who knew about her condition; this would be paramount to setting up the Ashencroft line for failure.
Father would be absolutely furious.
Lukaz, also knowing of The Doll's condition, spoke up in defense, "She's right; approving a duel between someone as high-ranking as Lady Ashencroft and a nobody such as yourself would be a humiliation to this academy, the headmaster, and yourself.” His voice came out calm and measured, yet with an undeniable note of condescension.
The condescension in Lukasz's voice caused Darius to turn his gaze away from The Doll and look at him. However, before he could speak, another voice spoke up from the direction of the academy, “Now, Zephyr, I'm sure that Ashencroft can handle herself; she is grown.” The cold commanding voice that sent shivers down her spine was still fresh in The Doll's mind from yesterday. Looking over The Dolls fears were confirmed as she saw Headmaster Moris walking towards the group as the crowd that had gathered cleared the way for him.
Malina narrowed her eyes at the headmaster. “You didn't approve this, right? I'm sure my father would disagree with such a thing, and you wouldn't want to anger him.” Her tone was unusually serious as she said this.
The headmaster dismissively waved his hand and said, “We both know you can't play the father card with me. So yes, I did approve this duel, and there's not much that you can do about it, Regius.” He grinned, saying this as if challenging Malina, trying to provoke her.
Malina gritted her teeth and began to speak, but the headmaster didn't allow it, instead choosing to speak over her. “I assure you this challenge is not baseless, and I'm sure Ira would gladly explain the grounds for it." As he said this, he motioned for Darius to speak.
Rather than immediately talking, Darius reached down the shirt of his uniform and pulled out a silver locket with an engraving that almost made The Doll recoil. Carved into the sleek silver surface was a delphi flower identical to the one she displayed over her uniform. Seeing The Doll's shocked reaction seemed to please Darius as he said, “Let me tell you a story. Eighteen years ago your bastard of a father shared a bed with a woman of minor noble standing while in wedlock, an act forbidden by the laws of Gelun. After committing this sin, he left her with a child. Rather than raising that child, he chose to leave her with this inane locket.” As he said this, he pulled the locket off of his neck, ripping it off with a snap that echoed through the now silent training grounds before continuing to speak. “When the woman eventually gave birth to the child, it was clear to her husband that the child was not his. When her husband realized this, he was fuming with rage and decided to take out this rage on the woman and her chi—" A loud yawn pierced through the tale that Darius was telling, interrupting it completely.
The Dolls eyes turned from Darius to the source of the yawn, who happened to be a very bored-looking Malina who, upon realizing everyone's gaze was now on her, said, “What? He just kept going and going about his boring story.” She then put up one of her hands and began to use it to mimic talking. “My mother cheated on my father with Lord Ashencroft, and then her husband got mad at her and beat us.” She then brought her hands to her eyes and mimicked crying, “Oh woe is me.” She said whilst making obviously fake sniffle noises,
Laughs began to spread throughout the crowd that was watching the Malians act. The Doll sighed yesterday; she probably would have been shocked by Malina's behavior, but now…
Was she already growing used to this immaturity?
Annoyed by the laughing, Darius shouted, “ENOUGH!” He then pointed his finger at Malina, leaving it inches from her forehead. “YOU DO NOT GET TO MOCK ME! YOU HAVE HAD EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU FROM BIRTH.” He then turned around and gestured to the whole crowd, “ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO SUFFER! TO NOT HAVE EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU ON A GOLD PLATTER!” He looked down and lowered his voice. “Not a single person here.”
The Doll felt his words and thought back to when she blacked out in the hallway. That thought, the idea that not a single person truly understood you or cared for you. It was almost relatable; perhaps he wasn't too different from her.
The Doll shook her head.
No, that's not right; she was grateful to have everything planned out for her. It didn't matter if nobody understood her or if nobody cared what she wanted. Because in the end it was all planned out for her.
It was all planned out for her.
After Darius finished his outburst, the training grounds became so quiet the only noise that could be heard was his heavy breathing. Just as it seemed Darius had managed to bring silence upon the whole crowd, Malina rolled her eyes and shrugged, "We've all had it tough in our own ways, but you don't see us throwing a fit about it like a child.” After saying this, she turned around and smiled at The Doll as if this conversation were already over, the duel seemingly having already left her mind.
Darius disagreed, a fact that was made evidently clear when he raised his fist up and began to bring it down on the back of Malina's head. Time seemed to slow down as the fist moved towards Malina's head. The Doll attempted to shout a warning, but her mouth moved too slowly, and the words didn't quite come out. In the periphery of her vision, she could see Lukaz attempting to move and intervene, but there was no chance he would make it in time. Jilkan moved to run towards the two, but despite his speed, he wouldn't arrive in time either.
Just as it seemed the princess would be struck and there was nothing that could be done to prevent it, a beam of light that consisted of so many colors that The Doll couldn't see blazed past the face of Darius and cut through the time that seemed to have slowed.
The sheer force of the beam no wider than a gold coin caused Darius to lose balance and miss his attempted strike on the princess.
Silence.
A silence filled the training grounds that was louder than any of the previous moments of silence.
Whispers.
Quickly following the silence was a series of whispers talking about what just happened in barely hushed tones. A familiar situation for The Doll. But it did feel oddly nice to have the whispers not directed at her for once.
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Like back in Father's court,
No, she didn't want to think about that. She couldn't even imagine thinking about that. That beam of light The Doll figured was likely rainbow. There wasn't a doubt in her mind what that was. A beam that contained that much power could only be one thing.
Piercnium.
This was the second pinnacle of magic, The Doll, and now everyone present had seen Malina use and she did it so effortlessly. Piercnium was the ultimate attack, an attack that didn't even require a chant or introduction to use. However, it was also an attack that few could use, and those who could use it were never able to stand long after.
Malina turned around with an aggressive flourish of her skirt that added even more gravitas to her after the show. “You should be thanking me. If your fist touched me, my father would have you executed the next day.” She then put up a single finger, and a ball of piercnium appeared on the tip of it. “I hate when idiots fight and hate fighting even more myself. But know if I wanted you dead, it wouldn't be a fight." She then giggled and waved the piercnium away effortlessly. “Now let's forget about this silly duel thing.” Darius gritted his teeth in rage.
A slow clap came from the crowd, and a cold voice spoke, "Wow, what an impressive display of power, Regius. However, the decision of this duel isn't quite yours to decide. You see, this fellow student of the academy has grounds to challenge Ashencroft here to a duel.” The Doll turned her gaze and saw Headmaster Moris motion to Darius as he said this, who stood too stunned to speak.
Sighing at his silence, the headmaster continued, “That locket of his is proof that he's a child of Lord Ashencroft, and bastard or not, he has the right to challenge Ashencroft for the right to the throne. Ashcroft is under no obligation to accept, of course, but that would be quite humiliating.” His smile grew wider as he spoke, “I mean, refusing a duel from a bastard, denying him the chance to claim his birthright, well now, that would just be unbecoming of the Ashencroft line and, dare I say, the land of Gelun. Ashencroft blood does run through his veins.” He turned his gaze to The Doll and narrowed his eyes, knowing that he had her trapped.
The only question was, why?
Why did he want to force her into a duel knowing that she couldn't use magic?
Regardless of his motives, The Doll needed to figure out what the correct answer was. Darius, seemingly embroiled by the headmaster's words, said something that The Doll didn't register. Malina began arguing with both of them, exchanging frivolous arguments. The crowd also began growing louder, a mix of barely concealed whispers turning into loud talking.
There was so much noise, yet all of it seemed to fade when it reached The Doll's ears as she stood in thought. The headmaster was right; she couldn't decline this duel. It would be far too unbecoming for her own image and would stain the Ashencroft house. Father would surely punish her if she brought such shame on the family.
However, she couldn't accept the duel because she couldn't win the duel. Attempting to fight somebody using magic while you are not was foolish endeavor the Doll would not partake in. When she inevitably lost the duel, it would bring even more shame on the Ashencroft line, and Father would punish her.
Perhaps it was right to decline then?
It seemed to be the better of the two options; the embarrassment would surely fade with due time. A father's punishment likely wouldn't be too severe; he may even understand that this was the only option for The Doll. The only option for a worthless heir that couldn't even use magic.
But was that really the only option?
There was always a right option; she chose to follow her planned future because it was the right option. She went to Dreadwood because it was the right option for her. She chose to befriend Malina because it was the right option. There was always a right option, an option that would cause the least problems.
An option that would allow this conundrum to harmlessly pass her by.
The problem was that the duel was currently a matter of the Ashencroft lines' standing; a bastard was already an embarrassment to a noble family. A further embarrassment would be a member of a major noble family refusing to duel a bastard of lower standing.
But what if it wasn't a matter of Ashencroft pride?
If The Doll shifted the expectation of dueling onto somebody else of lower standing, then that person would beat Darius, and she would be under no expectation to humor him. But it had to be somebody who she knew was both strong enough to defeat Darius and had a reasonable excuse to have the burden shifted to them.
Somebody who would be insulted at the notion of somebody even challenging The Doll.
Her eyes shifted up, landing on the man standing next to Malina who was arguing with the headmaster and Darius.
Lukaz.
The Doll wasted no time speaking up immediately. "I'd gladly accept your challenge, Darius.” Her words caused all gazes to settle back on her.
Lukaz looked shocked.
Darius looked pleased.
Malina looked confused.
And Moris, his expression didn't shift in the slightest; it was like he expected this.
The Doll didn't stop speaking; she couldn't afford to give up any ground. “However, I think it's only fitting that you prove you're strong enough to face me. We wouldn't want any unfortunate accidents coming to you; you are, after all, still of lower standing.”
Darius's head tilted, looking at The Doll with confusion evident in his eyes. "That's ridiculous! I have more than enough proof in the fact that I have Ashencroft blood.” His voice trembled in anger at the mere prospect he wasn't worthy.
The Doll suppressed the urge to step back in fear as she responded, “Of course I didn't mean to insult you. Insulting one's honor is something that I would never even dream of.” She put her hands up as she said this and quickly darted her eyes to Lukaz, hoping that he would catch on.
It seemed he did, as the look of confusion on his face quickly shifted, and he began to speak, “On the subject of honor, I do find it quite insulting you choose to so blatantly disrespect me, lowborn." The venom in his voice was so evident The Doll could tell that despite the acting, there was a hint of truth to the words he spoke.
Darius looked down, already enraged by The Doll's previous comment. “What are you trying to say, Zephyr?” He asked the question, coming off more as a threat than a question.
Lukaz put on an uncharacteristically smug grin as he continued to speak. “I just find it demeaning that you would choose to challenge my fiancee without even considering me. It is my duty to protect her, no?” Then with one final push, he added on, “But I suppose a bastard like you wouldn't care for such noble traditions.” He shrugged in a way that mimicked Malina's earlier shrug.
Darius reached out and picked Lukaz up by his uniform, lifting him off the ground so he now lay at the same eye level. “Very well, how's this sound? I'll publicly destroy your spoiled ass.” Malina giggled, but Darius seemed to be far too focused on Lukaz to notice. "And then after I've properly humiliated you, I'll move on to your fiancée." He pulled Lukaz even closer. “How does that sound for your noble traditions, brat?" His grip seemed to grow even tighter on Lukazs's uniform.
Rather than give Darius the response he was clearly looking for, Lukaz kept a neutral expression and simply said, “Sounds splendid. Now if you don't mind, could you let me go? I do find your presence rather repulsive.” The Doll silently sighed in relief.
Darius roughly threw Lukaz away and stormed into the crowd, allowing them to clear a path for him as he marched out of the training grounds. Lukaz caught himself before falling, making the rough push into a semi-graceful landing.
The Doll wanted to accept this as a victory, but she couldn't.
It's not as though she did anything.
But she did do all she was capable of.
She did everything a doll like her could do to push the responsibility onto others.
She looked over to the headmaster, who stood there calmly, not a single change in his expression. He brought his hands together to make a loud clap that caught everyone's attention. "Well, the duel shall commence in three days when we break from classes. We will prepare the academy's dueling grounds for the occasion.” He then paused and narrowed his gaze, focusing on only The Doll, the first change in expression The Doll had seen in this encounter. “Now everyone is dismissed.” After saying this, he released his hands, and the crowd began to disperse.
When the crowd dispersed, it was rather immediate chaos, with the crowd that had grown rather large struggling against each other to quickly get wherever they planned to go. It was actually rather strange The Doll didn't notice the crowd being this large.
It was strange.
She looked for Malina or Lila but found herself unable to locate the girl, likely due to the three of them being on the shorter side. She figured both Malina and Lukaz could handle themselves, but she did feel bad for Lila, imagining that she likely was struggling in such a large crowd but decided it was best to find her own way out.
As The Doll pushed her way through the crowd, she suddenly heard a cold voice whisper in her ear, “Zephyr will lose.” She quickly turned around only to see a mass of people pushing against each other.
It didn't matter, though she hardly needed to see the person to recognize the source of that voice.
There wasn't a doubt in her mind that was the headmaster.
What was his game?
As The Doll thought about these questions, she felt a hand grip her wrist from the side and tightly pull her.