Chapter 13: Battles before War

The flower of Earl et Kaiser, the great young knight that had achieved more in the daybreak of her life than many managed in their twilights. That very great young knight had been invited today as the chief guest and a judge for the Imperial Swordsmanship Competition.

What an honor it was. For one so young to not just be called as a guest in such a prestigious competition, but also for one with such prestige to be considered worthy of being a guest in such a prestigious competition. If one raised her status with the empire, the other with its owners.

Yet.

Even though her seat was one where anyone else would be blossoming like a hibiscus that had just seen the sun, the very guest, the one called a flower, was as reactive as an unwanted weed.

"Lady Kristine," called Kalyufis, her fellow judge and great senior. He leaned closer to her at the judge's panel and worded his query. "Perhaps, are you feeling unwell?"

"Dinner date."

"Pardon?"

That's right! Honor be damned to the underworld and may prestige drown itself in a tiny pail of water, the only thing that resounded in Kristine's head was the Dinner Date she had scheduled for tonight!

For the first time in her entire twenty years of life, she had received a chance to talk with her object of affection.

"Amazing! What do the judges feel about this grand battle?" The emcees shouted.

"Dinner date," she thought.

"Judge Kristine et Kaiser, I invite you to present this award to the second place, Jhongo." The emcees asked.

"Dinner Date…" she advised.

"And now, before the closing, would our guest of honor please say a few words?" The emcees demanded.

And.

"Dinner date!" She proclaimed!

The Imperial Swordsmanship Competition for all its honor was a blur in the grand knight's mind as she quickly left the venue the moment her duties ended. The other judges and nobles tried to get her attention, but Reley swooped in at the perfect time and had her excused.

In no time at all, Kristine found herself in front of the lodgings arranged for her. Property the Earl held not in Poseidonia, but no two meters in all the empire were bereft of his pride. Knowing the habits of his daughter, who cared for naught but her sword and her knights, he had sent dozens of his best servants with her to ensure she stand up to her looks.

And Kristine was grateful.

She strode into her condo and her maids came fluttering about.

"My lady!"

"You're already here. May I bring you some refreshments—"

"You all," Kristine muttered, her voice low. She bit her lips and lowered her gaze. How the evening sun's rays spilled inside the rooms and lightened the opulent furniture, saddled with the finest of craftsmanship, a hint of its orange glow sent shudders up the knight's head.

The time was nearing.

It was nearing by every passing minute.

"I need… an urgent favor."

Knightly as she was, commanding her maids was not something she could make herself do.

The maids, never having seen their master look so downcast, tightened their fists in determination.

"We'll do anything, my lady."

"We'll put our lives on the line."

Kristine nodded meekly.

"I… need to get ready for a dinner appointment."

A dinner appointment was making their master act as if she had just sacrificed her firstborn to Demeter? Preposterous.

"Just who could it be…" one asked.

"That…" Kristine lowered her head further. Her maids were in grand luck that they couldn't see her face and assumed her to be in fear, for right now they wouldn't be able to tell her reddened face apart from the setting sun. "It's with… Lord Isaac of Athenus—"

"Hah!"

"Athenus—"

Flames lit ablaze in the maids' chests. Now, with the sun and their lady, even the fire in their hearts was red. All the servants of the noble Earldom of Kaiser valued it more than their lives.

And now, their pride and their joy, their young lady was to meet with their greatest of enemies? The same man who was hailed as the second coming of Adonis?

Surely.

Both that man and his entire county would use this chance to insult and vitiate their master. Never, they would never stand for such an evil ploy.

"When… my lady?" Rose, the head of the maids and the one who had seen Kristine since she was but a bud, asked.

"Three hours…"

The maids took in a deep breath.

"All units!" Rose commanded. "To battle stations!"

"Aye aye, mam!"

"Eh?"

***

"Young master, are you alright?" Joel barged into his master's room without a knock. "The steward informed me you have been wearing shirts for the last two hours and may have gone mad."

"Behead him," Isaac answered, removing his shirt for the seventy-fourth time and picking up the next one. He didn't have time to bother with such things. His brows had already contracted by three millimeters! He was in deep peril.

"Joel, do that later. Tell me, have the preparations been made?"

Joel grinned a nasty grin. Even when facing his prey, the young master's voice was as monotonous as ever.

"It's done, word for word, per your liking."

Isaac nodded. He put on the coat and gazed in the mirror.

"Well then," he said, turning away from his closet and toward the door. "It's time."

"Hahaha…"

"… maybe these cufflinks can be changed."

Ok, not yet, but it was about to be time soon.