Chapter 9: The Duel

It was finally the day of the duel. I'm glad I read all about my brothers tricks and some he might change on me. I was ready to go and saw my siblings and Jay to watch my duel. Thankfully I didn't see my parents. Oh I hope I don't embarrass myself in front of Jay either. Oh sometimes I wish he weren't here.

Finally I saw who we were waiting for. My brother. Then I saw who else was with him. Oh no they came after all. Mom and Dad. "Sigh. Ok lets get this over with." I said out loud. Then Tax had a flag up and said, "Get ready and in your stance. Ready?" We all nodded. "Go!" Then we started sparring. We of course had wooden sticks so we didn't kill or cut each other by accident so basically for safety reasons. I got my brother a few times and everyone was shocked. Everyone was saying that I might win this duel for once. Hey now I'm not a weak little girl anymore. He got me a few times. He knocked me down and I had my stick in his stomach. "The winner is…Shockingly Talia." "Ha….Ha.. Told ya…I'd Win…" "Good job sis. I heard about you training secretly at night. You must have read a lot too?" "Hehe you know me." "OK fine. I will honor our deal. I won't go. Just be careful. At least bring Elsa with you when you go. She can sent us messages to see how you are doing." "Yes Fine. I'll rest for the last two days since I am leaving then. I will be leaving in the morning about 9:00" "Ok we will see you off then." Said Lycan.

So everyone left and I headed to the dungeon. I was going to wait the day before but I wanted to tell him. "Hello Boss. I'm sure you heard by now." "Yes congratulations. Its your first time beating your brother." "Hey not you too. Sigh ok yes it is. Its embarrassing when someone says it out loud. Anyway I made a bet with my brother. Since I won he won't come with us but I had to take my bird with us. I will ride on her while you all take horses when we leave. We will be leaving at 9:00am in 2 days. Don't worry I will rest and keep my strength up." "Ok good. You know the more you train the better stamina and the quicker you heal." "yeah I know that is what my brother said. That is why I train when I can. If I can't during the day I do it at night even if I have to wait until midnight. Well anyway I gotta go. I'll come by tomorrow which is the day before we leave. The knights that are coming are going to be at the meeting too so they can hear what the plan is." "Ok sounds good. See you tomorrow sometime." "Hey before I go, do you have anything to pass the time?" "No not really." "Can you all read and write?" "We can all read. Some of us can write." "I can talk to father about getting your men some books to read. You on strategies." "That would be helpful thanks." "Ok I'll talk to father and see what he says. I'll be back later today if I can get them to you. If I don't come down then I couldn't do it." "OK well we hope to see you later today then." "Yeah see you."

I went to find my father. "Hello father." "Oh the hero returns." "OK Dad you and the castle need to stop being so shocked. I'm not the weak little girl I was back then. You all know it." "Haha Ok ok. So what did you want to talk to me about?" "Oh yeah I almost forgot. You know I will be going on a mission for awhile right?" "Yeah Lycan told me. He also told me the reason for the duel." "Of course he did. Well anyway I have been meeting with the boss about the mission. I was wondering since they are so bored there is there anything we can do to help them pass the time? I mean I'm not buddies with him I just need him right now so we have a truce." "Let me think about it then I will let you know. Go on now. I'm sure you have things to do." "Thanks dad." I left the room and looked at what I wrote down for the plan of course I was in my room when I did this since it was top secret. They only know it's a mission but that is all.

I looked at the plan then though about it for a little bit. I decided to change a thing or two and talk to him about it tomorrow the day before we leave. It was more of a chart and some notes is what I was looking at for the plan.

I decided to take a break and go outside to the garden to walk around. Hopefully I will be alone today. I don't want to face anyone. Luckily it looked like I was the only one. I was so tired I decided to lay on the bench and take a nap.

Someone was looking for Talia and found her passed out on a bench. He ran over to see if she was ok. "Thankfully she is only sleeping." He said in relief. He lifted her up and laid her in his lap trying not to wake her. "She must have been tired or this would have woken her up by now." She was breathing evenly and looked peaceful. "What a lovely day to be in the garden. No wonder you came here for a break." "Hmm. Who is there?" Her eyes were still closed but she was waking up a little bit. "Hey there sleepy head." "Brother?" "Yeah its me." "Hmm. What are you doing here?" "I came looking for you and found you asleep on the bench. Of course I wasn't going to stand so I put your head in my lap like I did when we were kids." "Thanks because of that I had a good sleep. Anyway why were you looking for me?" "Oh I wanted to take you somewhere. I need you to change though. Normal clothes not a dress." "Ok sure." So he helped me up and I went to my room to have the maids help me change into some pants and a shirt/tunic. "Ok brother. I'm ready." "Ok lets go."

While we were walking I said, "Brother I hate people talking about the duel. Its getting tiring. That's why I took a nap. Is there any way I can make them stop?" "Haha why? It really is the first time and the people are proud of you. Don't worry I did not let you win I promise you." "I know that much. I can tell things like that." "Good I'm glad. Good we are almost there." "Oh are we going to the park?" "Yep. You Will see soon." "I have a bad feeling." "Haha don't worry. Its nothing scary." Then we finally got there and everyone said, "SURPRISE!" "Don't tell me this is a party to celebrate my duel with you?" "Of course not. Did you forget it was your birthday as well?" "Oh I guess I did. I've just been so busy. I don't keep track of that stuff." The Evans family was there. They were the ones that put it on then I was told my siblings will be here soon along with jay and my parents. Of Course Tax would be coming with them. His family will be coming as well. So we mingled and they talked about my duel with me again. "Oh come on. Why won't people stop talking about my duel. Is it really that shocking? Its only a duel." "OK you have to tell us what was your secret on beating him?" "Yes I want to know too." Said Lycan. The very man I dueled against. "Hehe wouldn't you like to know brother. Its all in my head and the books. I just happened to read about it and try it out with Tax. I read about the tricks you always pull on me then looked up the ones you might pull on me that you haven't yet. I have to admit that time when you knocked me down hurt a bit. I got you in the end though. It was close. Yeah you sure did." "You got me hard with that stick though sis. I'm going to have a bruise there now." "Hey think about me. I'll have a bruised but for awhile." "Yeah sorry about that." "Its all good. I can take a little pain. So brother your birthday is next month. I'll try to be back in time for that ok?" "Oh don't worry about it sis. Even if you aren't here we can do it when you get back." "Ok sounds good. Now that everyone knows the secret can we please focus on something else? Brother can you please try to get everyone in the castle to stop talking about the duel. Its not only embarrassing its starting to stress me out." "Yeah I'll talk to father." "Thanks." So we mingled about other things than the duel.

Finally I saw Tax Jay, My siblings and my parents. "Hello everyone. Good to see you finally made it." I hugged Jay tight and thanked him for coming. "Aww. Did you miss me that much?" "Hehe yeah maybe a little more." "Ok you two love birds should we eat now?" said Lycan. Everyone laughed. Then I did a random speech and we all ate our lunch. "Oh father. We need to stop the talking about the duel. Talia said it was stressing her out." "OK I'll let everyone know and talk to the village elder about it too." "Thanks father." Then my big sister came over to wish me a happy birthday and gave me a big hug. "Ok sis I can't breathe." "Oh sorry. How old are you now sis?" "None of your business. Plus you should know by now. Anyway." "Hehe I'm only kidding." Onyx joined in the fun. "I know how old she is." "Hey young man. Everyone knows how old I am. I am only playing ok?" "Hey I am a teenager not a 5 year old. Jeeze." "Hehe I know little brother." I ruffled his hair.

Then I went to mingle with Lycan. "SO Lycan. I heard about you and princess Emerald." He hit his head. "SO what did you hear?" "Are you two really talking about engagement?" "Well its not set in stone yet but yeah. Looks like they will be getting a crown prince soon. She was talking about it at the ball when you were sick. She waited for me. Since she is not the crown Princess she can marry any nobitlity she wants. She already knows I am not your blood realitive. Mrs. Evans told her." "Oh I see. She still accepted you right?" "Yeah but that is why they are still talking about it. Her father doesn't like that I am not noble by birth but since I was raised noble that is why he said he will talk to our father about it." "Well that's good. So are they going to take in a couple of boys as well?" "Yes they are. Also I know you know this but the girls aren't blood either that is why she was wondering why he made a big deal out of my bloodline." "Hmm. Could she be hiding something? I have a feeling they are hiding something about their bloodline. Here is what I am thinking so don't pin me on it or blame me ok?" "I will try not to." "Ok good. I'm thinking maybe they want to hide it because she is either a blood daughter of the king or queen and her father or mother could be a commoner or a maid. That is why they are hiding it from the girls if they don't already know about it." "I see. That makes since. So they would be only half noble then. That makes sense I guess if he makes a big deal out of my background." "Brother it will work out I'm sure." "Thanks sis. You and the family have been good to me. You are always there when I need you all." I hugged my brother tight. "Its all good brother. That is what families are for. I'm glad dad found you as a baby. If he didn't you probably would have been raised in the village somewhere and I would have never have met you." "Aww thanks sis." Then he ruffled my hair. "Hey don't mess with the do." "Haha. Ok go mingle with the others its almost time for cake." "Yay! Cake!" "You and sweets I guess it's a girl think." "Hehe." So I went to mingle with Tax his family and the Evans Family.

"Time for cake! Everyone gather around!" said my big sis. I ran over and sat down. They lit a candle that had a 2 and 3. After they sang I closed my eyes and wished in my head that the mission would go well and I would be here for Lycan's birthday. Then I blew out the candles and everyone clapped. I cut the cake and gave everyone a piece. After everyone got a piece I ate the first bite then everyone else ate. I was finally full so I walked around the park with Jay a bit.

"Hey Jay?" "Yes? What is it?" "I shouldn't be saying this but if I die on the mission. I want you to promise me something." "Don't say that. Don't ever say that." "Just hear me out please." "OK just this once." "Thank you. If I die on the mission. I don't want you to be single the rest of your life. Father already considers you all as family so you are welcome to stay there. If you stay there permanently I'm sure dad will give your family their own rooms. I know you Jay. You were thinking you would stay single right?" "I didn't plan on getting married in the first place but then I met you. Then that all changed." "See plans change when you meet the right person. There won't be anyone like me I can promise you that. I am sure you will find the right girl in time. I don't plan on dying myself I just want you to know." "I know you don't. Your are just getting me prepared." "Oh also tomorrow I am going to have a family meeting to be prepared as well. Just in case. I will write a will tonight and put it on my dresser so that the day after tomorrow I will be prepared." "OK lets talk about happy things. Its your day after all." "Yeah your right. Sorry for this doom and gloom stuff." Then we talked about our future what we think it would be like then headed back to the party.

After awhile the party was coming to a close. I was getting tired. The food and cake was gone. I didn't want any presents but they said my presents were in my room in the closet. I rolled my eyes at them. I waved everyone goodbye and I walked with my family and the Evans back home.

After we got home I felt strange. "Hey Jay. When we get inside I think I need to lay down. I feel a little strange." "Are you ok?" "I don't know. You might have to call the doc to be sure. It could be because I ate quiet a bit." "Ok I'll carry you." "That would be best." Lycan and everyone saw and looked worried. I closed my eyes. Jay laid her down and covered her up. He got someone to get a doctor. Talia wasn't looking so good. Her brows furrowed. She sounded like she was in pain. Jay felt her forehead. "Ow. She's hot. I hope the doc comes soon." A few minutes later the doc came in.

The doc checked her condition and looked worried. "It happened again. Just like the ball. She has been poisoned." "What are you serious? Everyone there we have known a long time how can…" Then he stopped and remembered something. He remembered one of the knights acting suspiciously. "Can you help her?" "Yes luckily it's a poison that I can deal with but next time it might not be so someone needs to test her food before she eats it." "Yes sir. Thank you. I'll be right back. I'll tell Lycan what happened and have him and his father take care of that Knight." He went out and told Lycan what was going on and he was shocked. "Ok thanks for telling me I'll find dad.