By the time winter came, the crown prince would occasionally kiss my cheek. It was as if he thought he was allowed to do just that.
Our appearance soon caught the attention of the people around us and before long, the story reached the ears of the king.
It has been a little more than half a year since that replacement noon passed.
A few days had passed since the new year began.
When his office hours were over and I was telling the crown prince in his office where to put away the calendar year control documents, the King appeared without knocking.
The crown prince and I were then opening the bottom drawer of the cabinet, crouching down and peering just inside.
A low voice came from behind us, “What are you doing, Ulysses?” and we rushed to our feet.
“We were just cleaning up, Father.”
The king glared at me.
“Why is the Kingsguard magician inside? I thought the rule was to stay in the corridor.”
“I asked her to help me. I'm sorry.”
When the crown prince apologized, the king's face clouded further. No doubt, his mood had worsened.
“I have been hearing strange stories lately. Crown prince, you're getting along well with a Kingsguard magician.”
“It's not a strange story. It's true.”
What a thing to say!
I backed away in surprise and moved away from the crown prince to deny what he had just said.
The king turned and revealed his anger.
“You're only weak because of your broken heart with the saint. Wake up.”
“Rather, I woke up.”
The crown prince strode up to me and took my hand. The act of the two of us holding hands in front of the king was embarrassing, awkward, and irresistible. I tried to shake it off gently, but I was entangled.
The king shook his head repeatedly from side to side and said, “I don't approve. And, of all people, it's this Kingsguard magician,” the king said before leaving the room. The king's pride was hurt by my grandstanding at the award ceremony.
“I have offended His Majesty, I hope he's all right.”
“Don't worry. –Or have you grown to dislike my face?”
To tell the truth, the memory of the second crown prince when Gideon was in control was too strong and I still have some resistance to being directed with passionate feelings like this.
Even when he touches me, I cannot honestly rejoice.
Still, the crown prince doesn't let go of our joined hands and a little bit of sweetness returns to his brown eyes. The corners of his beautiful mouth slowly turn up awkwardly and a small smile appears.
Yes, that's right.
I loved this gentle laugh.
Even though he has the same appearance, his gestures are totally different from the crown prince before he was replaced.
“Liesel, my feelings for you are the same. My feelings haven't changed.”
“But I can't help it if the king doesn't approve.”
“I'll make him admit it, just wait a little longer.”
It was the same line I had heard one day. But this time, since the saint is no longer with us, I might as well wait.
It's April, the month when the flowers along the streets of Leia begin to turn lively colors.
The once-every-four-years big event has arrived in the capital.
It is the jousting tournament held in front of the king.
In a vast field on the outskirts of the city, special bleachers are set up and a wooden fence surrounds the center of the arena. Around the venue, colorful tents are lined up in piles.
All the tents were erected by the jousting contestants, who would change there with the help of their attendants. They must be heavily armed in case they fall off their horses or get speared.
Everyone was looking forward to the first national sporting event in four years.
Ticket holders sat in the bleachers and spectators rushed around the fence.
Drinks and sweets vendors weaved their way among the spectators.
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The king and his ministers had their own seats and were scheduled to watch the games for three days, from the first day until all the games were over.
Unfortunately, the crown prince, who had recently taken over official duties from the king and had been busy with his own duties, stayed behind at the palace instead of watching the games.
The tournament began with the King grandly announcing the opening of the tournament and the children of the nobles were divided into two teams and clashed simultaneously in a mass match.
The king was watching from the high bleachers, but I went to the tent to watch the group matches.
Mac was competing in this tournament's one-on-one jousts.
Regardless of family rank, those with the best skills compete in Leia's joust, and they are the best in the kingdom.
I run through a forest of dozens of tents in search of Mac's tent. The tops of the conical roofs of the tents are dominated by the flags of the respective family crests.
Mac's birthplace has no family crest, so he had been told that he would fly the flag of the province of Schelln.
Spotting a yellow and red flag with an eagle spreading its wings, I jumped into the tent.
“Liesel! You came? I heard His Highness is staying at the palace.”
It was Cynthia who turned to me in surprise.
She was kneeling in front of Mac, who was standing in the middle of the tent with his arms outstretched, helping him get dressed.
“It's my best friend's big day, so they gave me the day off. I'll help!”
“I'm so glad you're here. It's so hard to get ready.”
Jousting was in the tournament. They had to be armed to avoid injuries because they had to play many matches in order to win. It was different from the matches at the Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
You can qualify in two ways. Either you pay a surprisingly high entry fee or you win a regional tournament. Mac, of course, did the latter and qualified on merit.
Mack was wearing a quilted undercoat over a thick shirt. On top of that, he put on chainmail which covered his entire body.
Cynthia and I worked together to put on more plate armor on top of the chain mail. With knee pads and shin pads attached, Mack's whole body was now bulging with clothes.
“It's hard when you're fully armed. Once he gets on the horse and loses his posture, he is so heavy that he will have no choice but to fall off the horse.”
“You're not allowed to use magic, so be careful.”
“If I'm about to fall off, will you help me with your wind magic?”
“You want to get disqualified!”
In past matches, some people have died after being stabbed in the neck by a spear that entered a gap in their protective gear.
We carefully adjust Mack's armor so that there are no gaps.
Finally, when he puts on his long surcoat, he also puts a quilted cap on his head. A metal helmet is then placed over it, and a full-fledged knight is ready. The lower half of the helmet had many holes for breathing, and there was a narrow gap between the top and the bottom, which was used for visibility.
In a match, he would hold a wooden shield in his left hand and a spear in his right.
“It's done. Mac, you look so cool!”
“You've got to win your first match!”
“Thank you. I'm not just going to win my first match, I'm going to go all the way to the end and win the championship, so watch me.”
Cynthia and I laughed at Mack's continued bravado.
The first match of the first round is the son of some local lord, but the one who is likely to play in the second round is a knight of the Kingsguard, who is famous for his great skills. The first obstacle would be there.
The thought of it made my heart palpitate.
“Oh, I'm getting nervous…”
“What do you mean you're nervous? Liesel…”
I've always loved watching Joust. But when my friends are competing, I realize that it's not enough to enjoy it.
I'm so worried about Mac getting hurt or losing that my stomach feels like it's going to burst out of my mouth.
“Ah, Mac, be really careful. Make sure you have a clear view. It's hard to see when you're riding a horse.”
“Liesel, I'm a sensible person, you know.”
Mack is not at all delicate as he smiles while saying such a thing.
I think that's his strength.
Chapter end
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