In the Spotlight
“Well, if you’re that keen to get whipped, Nostrils…” Your voice trails off and you take a slow sip from the glass of wine that you had been holding. The hall falls deathly silent. There is a stifled giggle or two buried underneath a flood of disapproving glares. Farland has his face in his palm.
Count Nostrus Algonquin’s nostrils flare widely, an effect made all the more pronounced by his habit of holding his nose high up in the air. “What did you just call me?” he says coldly.
“Why, are we not on enough terms to call each other by familiar nicknames, my dear Count? After all, you did ask me, friend-to-friend, to provide you and everyone else here with some friendly entertainment. I’ve just started.” With a dashing grin, you drain the last of the wine and set the glass down. “Regarding the show, however… I have a better idea. Why don’t you take part, Nostrils?”
“Me?” Nostrus sneers nasally. “With the likes of you? Well, I am halfway competent in magic, but it is not my forte. It would not be a fair show, Trider.”
“You can tickle me with a sword if you want to. I don’t think I’m too shabby at using one.”
“You’re saying you want to fight without spells?”
“A very astute observation, Count, I must say. I’m glad you got that.”
Your dry sarcasm appears to be lost on Nostrus's wide, floppy ears. He eyes you, as if trying to peer past your big hat and flowing coat to see your physique underneath, attempting to gauge his chances of victory. Then, he shakes his head. “Dueling the likes of you would be uncouth and beneath me. Getting all sweaty with you? A total waste of my time. But if you are keen to have a little fight yet cowardly enough to avoid Lord Elmont, you may engage a person of my choosing.” He gives a little smirk, as if he quite expected this result. “Let’s see… Wisteria, my dear, would you be so kind as to help me out here?”
The guests murmur in surprise. A few seconds later, a pretty young woman, her long flowing auburn hair the colour of autumn leaves, steps out of the crowd. Her sharp features are twisted in a slight frown as she strides over to Nostrus. She is tall, taller than him despite his use of high-heeled boots, and her physique is that of a trained fighter. Only sparing you the briefest nod, she says quietly, “Do not drag me into this business, Nostrus.”
“Your uncle would agree with me, my darling fiancée,” he smiles unpleasantly, causing her to glance at Duke Hargreave and sigh. “Come now, it’s just a little swordplay. You like doing that, don’t you? It’s just a little fun for everyone involved!”
Resigned, the woman turns to you and introduces herself stiffly. “I am Wisteria Brescia, Knight-Captain of the Azurelion. If you do not mind, we may have a short duel, a test of our skill in weapons.” She bears a very reluctant air, although she shows no signs of backing down.
“That would be nice, but I prefer not to fight pretty women if I can help it,” you say.
Her blue eyes flash angrily. “That is a worthy insult as cause for a real duel, Sir Trider.”
“No, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you’re incompetent or anything.” You try for a winning grin. “I just think beautiful flowers are meant to be treasured, not trampled.”
"O-Oh." To your surprise, where this line had usually earned you laughs and jeers before, this time the woman blushes, as if caught entirely off guard.
“Stop your flippant words, Trider,” growls Nostrus suddenly.
“You tasked me with entertainment, Count Nostrils. Don’t chide me for providing it,” you reply smoothly. “Now, since you are sending out a representative, it is only fair if I send out my own, no?”
“Too cowardly to step forth yourself?”
“No, no. A match between myself and the beautiful captain here would be too exciting for this hall to handle. Clothes would be ripped, passions – for battle – inflamed! We should save that for a much grander occasion. For now, I am afraid the guests here will have to make do with him.” You clap Arlin’s back and push him forward – he had been keeping quiet, trying not to attract attention, and now he stumbles to the front, finding that the eyes of everyone in the room are firmly pinned on him, and his face freezes up.
“W-What?”
“You’ll fight her, Arlin,” you say, smiling at the dumbstruck boy.
“I might not agree with this whole ‘entertainment’ business, but being underestimated does not sit well with me either,” says Wisteria, frowning sternly.
“Oh, being underestimated doesn’t sit well with Arlin either!” You say cheerfully, while Arlin shakes his head vigorously as if to say that being underestimated suits him perfectly fine. “He’ll be a good match for you, I promise.”
The crowd begins to murmur restlessly. “Sending a kid out to fight in his stead?” “What sort of a man is he?” “Well, I’m not sure this mockery is going to win him any fans…”
“Let’s up the entertainment value a bit more, shall we?” Nostrus calls out confidently, raising his voice. He appears to be emboldened by the crowd's response. “Why don’t we have a bet on this match? A friendly one. If your boy wins the match… let us see… well then, I shall strip down to my underpants and run a jig around the palace!”
The crowd laughs and claps their hands.
“And if I win,” he continues matter-of-factly, “you can do the same.”
You had been about to propose a bet, but it looks like the sniveling count has beat you to it. The consequences, however, seem just a bit risky…
***
A. You accept his bet.
1. You accept his terms, too. Changing the terms means that he would likely respond in turn.
2. You ask for a date with his fiancée instead.
3. You ask for Nostrus to adopt Nostrils as his nickname.
4. You ask for other terms. (open to suggestion)
B. You reject any bets.
***
Arlin looks up at you, bewildered at the sudden task ahead of him. “Why am I doing this, Master?”
You clap his shoulders firmly and say: “This is part of growing up. To be more precise, this is the part where you find out that sometimes fate conspires to drive you into the spotlight whether you like it or not, and it is then that you find out what sort of person you are and how you deal with it.”
“You know… that’s actually pretty insightful coming from you, Master,” he blurts out in surprise. “Oh. Sorry. Anyway, I can’t do this. I can’t beat a Knight-Captain of the kingdom!” Arlin looks over at Wisteria, who is making some practice swings with a wooden sword. Her form is good.
“Believe in yourself, kid,” you say encouragingly.
“You’re really something, Trider,” chuckles Alexander. “Making a kid fight one of the best swordswomen in the country. He’s not going to win, you know that?”
“I believe in him,” you nod. Of course, you say that, but…
***
A. You quietly cast a spell on Arlin in advance and hope that no one notices or cares.
1. Physwall: an easy enough spell that will increase his physical defense slightly. Also hard to notice if they aren’t looking out for it.
2. Mage’s Armor: Rather noticeable, but perhaps you can pass it off as Arlin’s own skill.
3. Greater Forceshield: The effect might be a bit blatant if Arlin gets hit, but unless Wisteria has a sword technique that hits more than five times in a single instant, this should ensure his victory.
4. Battle Premonition: Should be undetectable and highly effective, but not only is Arlin unused to it, you would have to do some last minute modifications with possibly unpredictable results to have it work on a target that is not yourself too.
B. You decide to actually believe in Arlin and not cast any spells in advance.