44 Line between winning and losing

Simon has faced knights throughout the morning in this race called joust so beloved by Prince Colt. The name Colt to distinguish him from his father. After becoming friends he was allowed to use the nickname of the heir to the throne also used by other family members.

Simon walks towards the center of the courtyard after having tasted the beauty of Princess Vivien. She has congratulated her brother too, but in the young baron's head the images are distorted to make it seem like she has only shouted his name. Arrived in position for the beginning of the duel, he remains still to wait for that snail of the prince.

Colt is joking with his sister while Simon thinks "He will be sure to win! See how he laughs. This time I'll show him, I don't care if he's the king's son!"

Once the two are ready in position Simon hears the referee announce the start of the challenge.

For the first two minutes none of the contenders make a single move. Both are assuming thousands of scenarios and combat sequences in their own mind.

From the audience a scream urges them to start.

Shaken by the loud external noise Simon shoots like a spring towards his opponent. The sword ready to ward off the prince's counterattack. The distances are reduced quickly and Colt caught aback starts to hit the friend with small quick shots.

Simon, worried about the prince's skill, blocks every shot with extreme care, trying not to leave any part of the body uncovered as he thinks "If I could use all my skills I would have already landed him. Avoid showing defenseless spaces for his targeted shots leaves me little room for maneuver to attempt some attack."

The shots constantly increase in speed. At first the sounds of the sword blows were distinguishable, the more the duel is prolonged, the more the noise is almost becoming a simple rhythmic melody.

Although seemingly only swords clash, watching closely Simon is struggling to keep his feet safe from the kicks of Colt.

Simon realizes he is constantly losing ground due to the speed increase of the prince. In fact, Colt has much more experience in fencing while he has only his strength and speed.

It is now ten minutes for the boys to exchange blows when Colt slips, leaving Simon with the chance to get out of the defensive position he was in. Two powerful shots loaded with the strength of the shoulder allow Simon to push the opponent back a few meters without being able to overcome the defense.

Recovered the balance, Colt manages to resume the pace of the fight by bringing the situation back to the initial status quo. Simon, tired and with a sore arm, looks anxiously at the battlefield.

The ground is smooth and with no object at hand so the probability of being able to divert the opponent's concentration with tricks is almost nothing.

Having pulled the attention from Colt, however, allows Simon's opponent to lengthen his pace and push the young man to the edge of the duel area. If the boy were to cross the line he would be disqualified for abandonment.

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On the stage the King carefully observes the excellent duel between the two young men. "Neither of them got caught up in the heat, they are thinking carefully about every move. By training together they know the strength of the adversary. My son has an advantage. Our skill is considered one of the most useful in a fight because it can allow you to dodge and even hit in the most precise and effective way possible. Simon is struggling a lot. But if he could have used all his skills, I don't think Colt could have held him up for so long."

Then the usual strange movement on his left catches his attention. The daughter is literally crumbling the chair.

When the young princess saw Simon in trouble, she jumped up, tightly tightening the padding of the chair.

He looks at her but she pretends not to have noticed and lies in her place.

The king laughs. A few years ago he decided to give his daughter in marriage to a noble from Luberistan to reconcile the spirits. Then, after the war, he wondered which neighboring kingdom would be worth making an alliance with a kinship relationship. Now, knowing that in his reign, the chosen one from the Goddess of Fate has appeared, what better way than a marriage to tie him to his family. Obviously he will have to swear loyalty to Colt to avoid problems with the succession but given the friendship between the two there should be no problem.

The best idea is to give one of his daughters in marriage to Simon. Given the link with the younger he had thought of her, maybe in a few years, but seeing how Vivien has reduced the chair, the King is changing his mind while showing off a Machiavellian smile.

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Simon realizes he's on the edge and seeing Vivien jump, he shakes. This time his thoughts are less hopeful and the boy exchanges the scream for an exultance due to the almost victory of his brother.

A disenchanted Simon almost hitting twice before hearing the voice of his friend Desmond screams "Thinking I got beaten by a half-sock like you sends me out of the way!"

Simon proudly squeezes the sword vigorously, rolls on its side and after having risen with a single fluid movement pounces on the prince. This time instead of hitting keeping a certain rhythm, he tries to change attack randomly, leaving Colt open-mouthed.

The assault continues undaunted by reversing the fate of the fight, Simon presses Colt pushing him to the opposite edge of the field.

Colt in difficulty loses concentration and fails to resume the pace nor to guess the moves of the furious opponent.

The blows follow each other until the exhausted prince bends with a knee to the ground under the burst of Simon. The match is over, the referee raises his hand asking to stop the shots.

Simon, after a few moments, manages to slow down.

He turns looking at the referee to confirm the victory of the prince!

Simon upset thinks "How is it possible? I was winning!"

Colt laughing points his finger at one of Simon's feet halfway out of the field line.

Simon screams in despair "I don't believe it! Am I so stupid?!"

Colt hugs him and tries to cheer him up by saying, "Don't worry, you did a great duel. You have learned fencing for only a few months and you have already arrived second in a joust. Let's not talk about the fact that if it were a battlefield you would have cut me in two with your halberd."

Simon, not convinced, answers "I don't know, your skill is scary. I am still terrified that the tip of your sword can strike me at any moment.

The two laugh as they approach the royal box.

The crowd is silent. The unexpected ending left everyone with a little bitter taste.

The king approaches the participants and begins the award ceremony of the first place then smiling, he turns to the family saying "If someone else had arrived first I would have given the kiss of my daughter Vivien as a reward. But I think that between the two finalists the one who won is the least interested in a similar prize."

The girl's cheeks flush as she watches Simon ask Colt what the king was saying.

The afternoon continues with other competitions, shows and music.

Desmond wins the trunk throwing competition while Simon furious at the stupid defeat relaxes listening to a bard ballad.

The King takes the opportunity to get closer to the young man.

"Simon!"

"Majesty."

"I was looking for you, did not you participate in the other challenges? I guess it's hard for you to participate trying to hold back your skills. My fault that I forced you not to use them."

Simon quickly answers "It's absolutely not a problem. I am also convinced that we should not show what I can do with such lightness. Furthermore I am still weak. I have to improve in many other things."

The king graciously adds "It is precisely because of your humility that I like you. Maybe because you were not born strong, you do not feel inferior to someone just for losing but instead you focus on improving. You will have a great future and I would like Olmaria to be part of that future. Once you told me that your mission is to defeat the demons if the heroine fails."

"Right."

"The demons have not yet been seen. Fate is unpredictable, very little is needed to change it. So I wanted to ask you not to abandon your mission but to think about a future here in Olmaria. I believe that alongside my son you could do great things. Now that Luberistan is ours and with the trade by land and sea that is booming, I'm thinking of starting to think in a more aggressive way towards the outside. I would like to expand our territory, have a voice in the diplomacy of the main continent and find allies even far from here."

Simon listens carefully.

"To do that I was thinking of charging you and my son. I would like you two to take this matter to heart. You have the skills and the means to do great things."

Simon moved response "Majesty, I would be honored!"

The convinced king goes on in the speech ignoring the boy "So you will marry with my daughter! You will become part of the family! We will tell all the subjects that here in Olmaria there is the chosen one of the deity of Fate. We will make it the new state religion ... "

Simon alarmed intervenes "Marry? State religion? Can we talk about it a second?"

The king moving away answers "Obviously not! It is the duty of a Baronet to serve the royal family! Even if you could soon become a Duke when Colt is King ... "

Simon watches the king move away while Elza joyfully screams "I will have a kingdom of my own! Fate state religion! I will become very powerful! Now go Simon, conquer the world and make it a better place under my enlightened guide!"

Simon answers perplexed "You scare me as usual. Was not my mission to defeat the demons? Should I conquer the world now? You're not OK…"