Pages 18 and 19
“You two are dismissed,” the King said.
Iyana and Keldf walked out and to the room where the live-in
seamstress was.
“I’ll wait outside, since I know how embarrassing it can be to
get clothes measured for you,” Iyana said, leaving Keldf in the seamstress’
room.
The seamstress made Keldf stand in his smallclothes as she got
the measurements.
“You have some really nasty bruises,” she remarked. “How
did you get them...uh...”
“Keldf,” he finished. “And I got my bruises by accidentally
getting in the way of Prince Floans’ foot. How clumsy of me.”
He made the last sentence drip with sarcasm.
“You, too, huh?” She lifted up her left sleeve to reveal
a bruise all over her upper arm. “I was washing the floor in my section
and he kicked me for being in the way, though I was not. I have two
jobs, you know, so I can support my two children. It’s a good thing
I’m right-handed, though, huh?”
“Children?” She looked way too young to be a mother.
“I’m a widow. I have been for about a year now. Leeshun’s
six and his little sister, Kaite, is three now. My husband was killed
in a duel, I think. I wasn’t there, though, so I only go by the horrifying
stories I’ve heard. Not that I’m too upset. At least he died
honorably, you know what I mean?”
“Your husband wasn’t Karlen Strueno, was he?”
“No... Why?”
“All right.” He was very relieved. He didn’t want
to be responsible for widowing someone, even if it was honorable combat.
“Never mind.”
The seamstress stood up. “Well, I’m done. Come back
about an hour before the banquet and ask for Dillia; I might not be in
here, but my kids’ll five you your suit.”
“Thank you, Dillia.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Keldf put his clothes back on and then walked out. “Iyana,”
he said while they were walking back. “I’m glad you did not decide
to marry Prince Floans.”
“Why?”
Well, there were two answers to that question, but he was sure
she already knew one. “Well, one of the two reasons is that I’m not
the only one who’s been beaten by that prince. I get the impression
that he does whatever he wants to people and they don’t fight back.”
“Well, he’s a very powerful prince, Keldf. Who’s going
to try and stop him?” She seemed to understand the second reason.
“Somebody needs to, though.”
“He will be at the banquet tonight, you know.”
“Then he is doomed as well.” Keldf stopped and face Iyana,
holding her shoulders. The guards drew their swords. “Iyana,
you must let me have a sword, if even only for tonight. This banquet
my prove to be the end of the war, and I have a feeling the victory flag
will not carry Solinka’s mascot. I must protect you any way I can,
and believe me, this banquet was doomed the very moment it was thought
of. Many people will die, Iyana. I have to try to protect you.”
Iyana gestured for the guards to put their swords away.
“We can go to the armory right now and get you a sword. You should
probably have one anyway, since you’re my body guard. Not that it
really seems that way since we already have two guards with us every moment
of the day.” She nodded to the guards and they began walking again,
this time taking a left instead of the right turn they would have made
to Iyana’s room.
When they came to the armory, many knights in training (KITs)
were there, picking out their weapons for the sparring lesson Keldf guessed
they were having today.
“Knight-Captain Lisson,” Iyana addressed.
“Well, hello, Princess Iyana. What may I do for you?
Would this nice man like to sign up for training?”
Keldf recognized this man. They had practiced together
nearly every day in the practice yard, but why did the man not recognize
him?
“Uh, no, Sir Lisson. He would like a sword.”
The knight looked him up and down. “Do you know how to
handle a sword?”
“Yes, Sir Knight. We have dueled many times in the practice
yard, or do you not remember?”
The knight squinted at Keldf. “Keldf?” he asked in astonishment.
He nodded.
“Ah ha ! Why didn’t you say so, my boy? Of
course you can have a sword!” The knight clapped Keldf on the back.
“You two know each other?” Iyana asked.
“Yeah,” the knight replied. “He’s come to visit and practice
nearly every day for--oh I don’t remember. How long?”<br>
“Almost three months,” he supplied.
“This one should have been a knight!” Lisson sounded half
proud, half disappointed. “He’s quite good.” He led Keldf into
the swords’ aisle with Iyana following; the two guards stayed behind because
of the Knight-Captain’s fond attitude towards Keldf. “Choose one,
Keldf. You can have any of them.”
He chose a plain sword that was just the right weight.
He knew this because he had used it many times. “I always had my
eye on this one.”
“I’d really like it if you came to show some of these boys the
formations so they can do them correctly, Keldf,” Lisson said. “If
that’s all right with you, Princess Iyana, of course.”
She smiled and patted Keldf’s shoulder. “Go on; I’ll watch.”
He smiled and followed Lisson to the practice yard. Nothing
gave him more of a rush than practicing the movements. Well, nothing
until Iyana.
“All right! Everybody halt!” Lisson shouted to all the
KITs in the practice yard. They all stopped immediately and lined
up shoulder to shoulder in a sort of semi-circle. “This is Keldf.
He is a very good swordsman and I have asked him to demonstrate some of
the movements so you can get it in your heads what I am asking for all
those times I yell at you!”
Lisson named the formation and Keldf presented with the best
of his ability, despite his aching bruises. After about three formations,
however, he had to take off his shirt because of the heat.
