Duncan smiled at the support coming from the crowd. Hearing his name being chanted gave him a fresh wave of confidence. This time, he felt certain that he would win.
Across from him, Nathaniel sat calmly on his horse.
The two horses moved slowly around one another, their hooves pressing into the earth as they circled. Neither man smiled now. Neither frowned. Their expressions were completely unreadable as they watched each other, waiting for the slightest opening.
Duncan tightened his grip around his sword.
"I hope you know that I don't like to lose," he warned.
Nathaniel's eyes remained fixed on him. "And I don't like to brag about my success."
Duncan raised an eyebrow before smiling.
"Good. Then when I win, you won't have to worry about finding a story to tell."
Nathaniel gave a quiet chuckle. "The story is usually told by the winner, not the loser."
Duncan placed a hand over his chest and pretended to be wounded.
"That hurts."
Nathaniel's smile widened slightly. "But what I'm going to show you will hurt even more."
Duncan's eyes narrowed. "We'll see."
For a few seconds, neither moved then Duncan attacked. His horse surged forward as he swung his sword toward Nathaniel's side.
Nathaniel reacted instantly.
He pulled his horse aside, allowing the blade to cut through empty air, then twisted his body and struck back in the same motion.
CLANG!
Duncan barely raised his sword in time, the force of the impact travelled through his arm. Nathaniel's horse continued forward while Duncan's horse stumbled half a step from the force of the collision.
Duncan quickly steadied himself.
"He's strong." He muttered to himself.
He had expected Nathaniel to be skilled but wasn't expecting this. Nathaniel came again. His sword came down hard.
Duncan raised his own blade.
CLANG!
The impact nearly knocked his sword from his hand but Duncan immediately swung from the side while Nathaniel blocked. The two swords locked together.
For a moment, neither man moved.
Their horses stood close, shifting beneath them as both riders pushed against the other's blade. Duncan gritted his teeth and put all his strength into his arms while Nathaniel barely seemed affected. His expression remained calm.
Duncan's eyes hardened. He pushed harder, while Nathaniel's sword moved only slightly.
"He's stronger than me." He muttered to himself again.
Duncan suddenly released the pressure and pulled his horse backwards, breaking the lock. Nathaniel straightened in his saddle, then he smiled.
Duncan stared at him.
"What is he smiling about?" he muttered under his breath.
Nathaniel attacked again and this time Duncan quickly turned his horse and avoided the strike. Before Nathaniel could recover, Duncan swung his sword upward.
CLANG!
The blade struck Nathaniel's helmet and his head jerked slightly from the impact. A few gasps escaped from the crowd. Duncan pulled his sword back and smiled.
This time, Nathaniel's expression changed, the amusement disappeared from his face, for the first time, there was anger in his eyes.
He charged.
Duncan met him halfway, their swords collided again and again.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
One strike came from the left, the other blocked it. Nathaniel swung downward while Duncan ducked. Duncan attacked his shoulder then Nathaniel raised his shield. The blade struck the shield with a loud crack and Nathaniel countered immediately.
Duncan leaned away, feeling the edge of the blunted sword scrape across his armour. The crowd had gone almost completely silent.
There were no cheers now.
No laughter.
No shouting.
Everyone was watching.
This no longer looked like an ordinary tournament match, It looked personal. Two powerful riders moved around the field, their horses responding to every command as the men exchanged blow after blow.
Maya watched from the stands, her fingers tightening together every time Duncan was struck, whenever Duncan landed a hit on Nathaniel, her heart jumped. She immediately forced herself to look away.
"Why am I reacting like this?" She muttered silently.
She folded her arms across her chest.
"I pray Lord Duncan wins," she whispered.
But her voice trembled slightly.
The duel continued. Minutes passed and both men were beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Duncan's breathing had become heavier. Sweat ran beneath his helmet, and his injured shoulder ached every time he lifted his sword.
Nathaniel was breathing harder too, but he still looked composed, while Duncan's eyes moved briefly toward Nathaniel's horse.
An idea came to him.
If he couldn't overpower Nathaniel directly, perhaps he could unbalance him. His gaze remained fixed on the horse and he shifted his position and swung toward it. Nathaniel immediately noticed and pulled his horse away.
Duncan tried again.
Nathaniel moved away once more, a small smile appeared on Nathaniel's lips.
"You're becoming predictable, Lord Duncan."
Duncan ignored him. He waited, then he tried again, this time, Nathaniel was fully ready when he suddenly charged. Duncan barely had time to raise his sword while Nathaniel's blade struck the side of Duncan's horse's harness with a heavy blow.
The horse reared slightly and let out a loud neigh and Duncan's body jerked violently.
"Whoa!"
He grabbed the reins with one hand while desperately trying to keep his balance with the other. His horse landed awkwardly and stumbled sideways. Duncan tried to regain control, but Nathaniel was already moving. He turned his horse sharply and came around again.
Duncan raised his sword and Nathaniel struck his shield. The impact pushed Duncan backwards in the saddle and his horse stepped sideways. He tried to steady himself, for one brief second, his balance failed him. His foot slipped then he tightened his hands around the reins.
Then Nathaniel struck again this time Duncan lost his hold. His body tipped sideways and he hit the ground hard. A collective gasp swept through the entire field.
Silence followed.
Duncan lay still for a moment, staring up at the sky. His sword had fallen several feet away. Then the announcer's voice thundered across the field.
"And the winner is Duke Nathaniel Clifford of Aerathia!"
Duncan's eyes widened, for a second, he simply stared. He had heard the words and he didn't want to believe them. Slowly he pushed himself up onto one elbow.
The crowd erupted.
"Duke Nathaniel!"
"Duke Nathaniel!"
"Duke Nathaniel!"
The cheers rolled across the tournament grounds. Duncan's face tightened. His jaw clenched as he looked around, only moments earlier, those same people had been shouting his name, now they were celebrating the man who had defeated him.
Nathaniel lifted his sword into the air. His chest rose proudly as he looked around at the cheering crowd, there was no attempt to hide his satisfaction.
He had won and everyone knew it.
Even those who had wanted a Valtheris noble to win could not deny what they had witnessed. Nathaniel had fought brilliantly. He had been patient, powerful and precise.
The crowd's praise was genuine.
King Alexander rose from his seat and applauded while Nathaniel dismounted and walked toward the royal platform. Maya remained seated, staring at him. She should have been happy that the tournament was over.
Instead, her emotions were tangled.
Part of her was impressed by what she had witnessed, another part of her felt strangely disappointed and when she saw Nathaniel smiling proudly, her heart tightened.
She quickly looked away.
Nathaniel reached the royal platform and knelt before King Alexander. The king looked down at him with genuine admiration.
"Duke Nathaniel, you came to Valtheris to stand with us, and now you have defeated some of our finest riders in their own tournament. That was an impressive display of skill."
Nathaniel bowed his head. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
King Alexander smiled.
"You have earned the right to request a reward. So, before all of Valtheris, tell me what you desire."
Nathaniel paused.
"I ask for nothing extravagant, Your Majesty. I would simply like a mansion here in Valtheris, one I may stay in whenever I visit."
King Alexander nodded. "Granted. Your wish is my command."
Nathaniel bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He rose and walked away with a satisfied smile. The tournament continued to be the only thing anyone could talk about, but for Duncan, there was nothing to celebrate. He left the field without waiting for his family and climbed into his carriage, his face hard and his hands clenched tightly.
He could still hear the crowd.
"Duke Nathaniel!"
The words irritated him more than he wanted to admit.
Maya remained silent for most of the journey home. She couldn't stop thinking about the duel. Duncan had fought bravely but Nathaniel had been exceptional. She didn't know whether she felt relieved, disappointed or simply confused. As dawn slowly approached, she finally returned home.
At the guest house, Nathaniel sat comfortably on the sofa while a maid cleaned the small cuts and bruises he had received during the tournament. He leaned back, looking completely pleased with himself.
"I don't think Lord Duncan will forget today anytime soon."
He smiled as Jasmine walked into the room and immediately noticed his expression.
She stopped.
"Hmm. The Duke of Aerathia has defeated Valtheris's finest riders in their own tournament. I suppose that's something worth remembering."
Nathaniel smiled proudly.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
Jasmine shook her head.
"And I suppose you're enjoying yourself."
"Very much."
Nathaniel glanced at his bruised arm. "Especially knowing the look on Duncan's face when he realized he had lost."
Jasmine laughed softly.
"I hope the two of you aren't turning this into something personal. It was a competition, Nathaniel. Nothing more."
Nathaniel shrugged.
"It is nothing more to me. I defeated him. If he chooses to take it personally, that's his problem."
Jasmine studied him for a moment.
"Just don't let your pride turn a tournament into a rivalry."
Nathaniel smiled. "Don't worry about me."
Jasmine sighed. "Fine. I'm going to bed." with that she walked away.
Nathaniel leaned back against the sofa again, the proud smile remained on his face.
****
At Valcrest Mansion, Duncan was nowhere near as calm.
"I was supposed to win that tournament!"
His voice echoed through the room as he grabbed a vase from the table and threw it against the wall.
CRASH!
The vase shattered across the floor. Ruby rushed into the room.
"What happened?"
Duncan turned toward her, still breathing heavily.
"The Duke!"
Ruby frowned. "Duke Nathaniel?"
"Yes!"
"And you're angry because he won?"
"He did it deliberately!"
Ruby looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Duncan, it was a competition. Someone had to lose."
"I should have won."
"You have won in previous years."
Duncan fell silent and Ruby walked toward him.
"Let someone else have the victory this time."
Duncan didn't answer. He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
Ruby sat beside him.
"You fought your best. That's what matters."
Duncan rubbed his aching shoulder.
"I know."
"Then rest."
He nodded. "Yes, Mother."
Ruby smiled gently. "Good."
She stood and left the room. Duncan lay down, but sleep refused to come easily. His body ached from the fight, but the pain wasn't what kept him awake. It was the image of Nathaniel raising his sword while the crowd screamed his name.
"Duke Nathaniel!"
Duncan clenched his jaw as he turned onto his side.
He had lost.
That was difficult enough to accept, but what irritated him even more was seeing Nathaniel standing there so proudly while everyone praised him. Duncan shut his eyes. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself.
He was jealous, not only because Nathaniel had defeated him, but because for one day, the man Duncan had once looked down on had become the centre of everyone's attention, and Duncan hated how much that bothered him.
Eventually, exhaustion overcame his anger. His eyes closed, and he finally drifted into an uneasy sleep.