Sparring Her Heart ⚔️🥀 | Clorivia

01 | The Duel

⚔️🥀

2 years ago

To say I was nervous before dueling Callas is a hyperbole, but I can't say I was calm either. Navia and I were childhood friends, and now I was dueling her father. It was my job after all. I just hope this won't strain my relationship with Navia. Not like we were still friends, but i'd like to stay on good terms with her. One day she will inherit Spina Di Rosula from her father.

So there I was holding my sword, ready to duel Callas. He picked up his sword, and Neuvilette officially started the duel.

"Let the duel begin!" He yelled from his throne.

Standing face to face, we both circled around the arena, waiting for the other to strike first. Callas's hands seemed firm, and not a single drop of sweat on his face. He didn't seem nervous at all, yet he waited for my move. I swung my sword at him, and he dodged ever so slightly, as if he didn't intend to, but his body moved on its own. I expected him to strike at me, but he didn't. So I swung my sword once again, and this time I slightly cut his arm. Red drops of blood ran from his arm. Then I waited for his move, but it never came. After my third strike he finally swung his sword back at me, but his movements were so weak. I looked up at Navia for signs of concern. Then he struck again, and I felt a drop of blood running down my cheek. I'd been so distracted by his lack of enthusiasm and Navia that i'd let him get a blow on me. So I swung at him, and this finally began looking like a duel. Our swords moved faster than the people in the crowd could see. I wasn't getting tired, not at all. He was no match for me. His moves were impressive, yet he'd only managed to get a single hit on me. In all honesty, I was getting bored. My sword had cut Callas at least 3 times, and Neuvilette still hadn't stopped the duel. Callas was still standing, and had no signs of stopping; he was going to fight until death. The look in his eyes told me so, but it was his death he was fighting for. Callas could've easily got more hits on me, but he chose not to. He wanted to die. He wasn't coming out of this duel alive, and I was determined to fulfill his wish. His grip on the sword softened, and my moves got sharper. With every strike his dodging and defense got weaker. He fell to the ground; the tip of my sword barely touching his chest as if it was going to stab him. I heard a scream come from the crowds. I looked up to the direction it came from, and saw Navia.

"Stop the duel!" She cried; she held a thorned rose in her hand. The thorns pinched her fingers, and her index finger was bleeding. I assume she was gonna give the rose to her father after the duel.

Neuvilette did not hear Navia's cries; he wasn't stopping the duel, and that meant there was only one way to finish the duel.

Callas knew what was going to happen next
"Take care of Navia for me, please." He weakly said with a smile on his face.

"I promise.. I promise..." I nodded my head, and whispered those words repeatedly.

I held my sword tightly, and took one last glance at Navia before striking it in his chest.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered to him as I stabbed my sword into his chest.

A blood pool surrounded his body. I stared right into his eyes, but his eyes showed no signs of life. He was dead. I pulled my sword off his chest and threw it to the side.

A horn sounded, it signified the ending of the duel.

"The other duelist has fallen, Clorinde is the winner! A trial won't be necessary though, Callas is dead."

Duels were usually done so people could avoid trial, but if they were dead there was no need for that. People in the crowd started leaving. They seemed unsatisfied with the result, after all, they'd just witnessed someone's death.
And as people were leaving the stands.

A single thorned rose fell from the crowd.

It landed by Callas's right arm. I looked up at the direction the rose had come from, and saw Navia holding her heart with both hands; tears running down her rosy cheeks. She then ran off, and her two body guards followed after her.

By the time everyone in the stands was gone I was still standing on my feet, looking down at Callas. Looking at what i'd just done. At the corner of my eye I saw Navia running across the arena. She was running towards her father, and her two body guards followed behind her. She got down on her knees, and gently held his hand.

"Lady Navia, don't go running off!" Her two bodyguards yelled as they chased after her.

"Father, please don't leave me." She cried, and I just stared down at her. Her bodyguards stood by her side, glaring at me.

I didn't know what to say, nothing I said could comfort her.
I'm sorry for killing your father, I thought of saying, but that wouldn't help at all. No amount of apologies could take back what I did. I thought Navia would never wanna see me again, but to my surprise she got up and hugged me. Her dress was stained by the blood she was laying on, and she dried her tears on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Navia. I had to." I held back my tears.

She didn't say a single word, nor did she mutter anything. There was only sobs to be heard. Her bodyguards watched us hug as if I hadn't just killed her father.