The Duel for Respect

"Lady, how do you feel?" Nanny asked.

It had been a week since I returned, but the scene kept dancing in front of me. It was still so vivid, as if those people would come to me and pierce their swords inside me again, killing me once again.

"I'm all good," I smiled.

"But still, if you feel bad, you could always tell us. I'm not sure if the Marquis can express how he feels toward you, but the way he tried for once, I hope you both talk with each other more often," she said.

"Yeah, I will take your concern and try to make it work," I said.

If it were the old Bernice, she would have just smiled recklessly and said, "What are you talking about? Father, be concerned towards me? Nanny, you must be joking."

Yeah, that is the old me until I saw Father smiling for me for the very first time when I was getting married to Alexavier Agnes, as if he knew what I wanted even though I never opened my mouth and expressed it at all.

I was still looking outside when my eye fell on the knight practicing on the ground. I felt a deep urge growing into my skin. It was so fast, as if it were telling Bernice, "Go pick up the sword and learn with them. That is what you were made for." But I kept on suppressing it until a moment hit me severely. When a knight fell to the surface all covered in soil while he was sweating, he still had the urge to pick up the sword and let his opponent have a taste of defeat.

Can I do it?

If I try, can I feel the same way he is feeling right now?

"Nanny."

"I'm going to the practice ground!" I shouted, letting her know.

But I know if she reaches me before I reach the ground, she will stop me. She will again say this is not what a woman should do, but let the men handle the hard work. But this time I'm not stopping, no matter what she says. I only know I need to pick up the sword.

"Lady!!!!" I can hear her screaming already, but before she could hold on to me, I was already on the ground in front of so many knights who were not wearing any shirts.

I felt a bit shy. I had never seen anyone without a shirt.

"Ah, Lady, you should have informed us if you were coming," one of them said while turning his back toward me.

I can see the other knights have even worse situations. They couldn't turn toward me, nor did they turn their backs toward me, but kept on standing in front of me, covering their chests while their cheeks and ears were already so red.

"I'm here to learn to be a swordsman," I said.

Finally, they looked up.

"Lady, what are you?" Nanny had already reached us.

"What are you saying, Lady? Did I hear right? Do you want to learn swordsmanship? Or are you pranking us?" one of them said. It was the same guy who turned his back on me.

"What? Do I have issues learning swordsmanship?" I asked.

I could hear his giggles. It burned my skin. Just how dare he look down on me? My pupils went darker.

"Lady, I think you are pranking us," he couldn't hold on to his laughter. I could see the other knight making a sad expression for me, as if they felt bad about me being humiliated by a mere knight who holds a lower rank than me.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Xylon Aynar, my lady," he said.

"Let's spar," I said.

I think nothing at all was said. I didn't want to get looked down on anymore. Whenever I kept hearing the same thing, I kept seeing the duke's face. Yeah, it was he, my husband, who made me feel like this. As if I were nothing more than sh*t in his eyes.

"Lady, you could have gotten hurt," those other Knights seemed worried about me.

"Yeah, lady, it is not child's play. You should return," Xylon said.

"No, let's spar."

"I'm not saying that the fight will end with one's life, but if one could be able to make the other drop their sword, then the battle will end. And the person who did it will be declared the winner." I stated what I thought.

"Okay, if you have already made up your mind," he said while the other knight handed me a real sword.

Yeah, till now I had only seen Excalibur holding a wooden sword, so that is what I saw many times, but this time the sword was real. It was not an exaggeration, but it was still made of metal. But it was less than the sword my father wears on his waist.

"So shall we start, my lady?" he asked.

I gripped the end of the sword, but it was too thick for me to hold on too tight. The sword kept slipping through my palm. I don't know if it was because I was sweaty or the sword weight was too much for me, but yeah, it was slipping, and I could barely hold it.

"Lady, are you giving up?" he made fun of me again.

"Sir Xylon, this mocking will buy lots of trouble for you," I said, finally holding the sword properly.

My palm hurt. But still, I ran toward him, clashing my sword with his, making such a loud sound that it blasted my ear.

"You will lose," he said with confidence, seeing my struggling expression.

"Don't be so assured, Sir Xylon," I said while trying to push myself backward, but I got pushed instead.

Somehow, I gripped the surface with my feet. I was standing barefoot. Sands were poking me underneath, but for some reason, my sword didn't fall on the surface because of the control I had over it.

"Just missed," he said with a grin.

I hate this.