The Chronicle of Aurelia Aurelius

Chapter 54 A Deep Layer of Grandeur Sparring

As everyone made their way to the palace grounds, the Queen and her entourage were announced by the master of ceremonies. The crowd erupted in cheers as they made their way to their designated seats. Unlike the Queen, the dukes' names weren't announced by the master of ceremonies. They graciously followed behind, taking their seats without any need for introduction. When I noticed the designated area for the dukes, some people were already seated there. As for my family's area, Adel, Felix, and Livia were already present, standing beside the seats. They greeted us warmly as we approached. I realised that the nobles' seating was divided by vassals and their liege. The seats around the Royal Family were occupied by some of their vassals, and I spotted a familiar face—Lady Clara. In contrast, our family's area stood out, with no vassals around our seats, leaving a noticeable gap with empty seats that could have accommodated five or ten people. These seats should have been occupied by the Claudi Family, but Lady Octavi's parents were at home, and she herself was participating in the upcoming sparring.

The master of ceremonies announced the beginning of the event, outlining the series of events, with the finale being the sparring between Lady Octavi and Lord Kaeso. The first event was a speech by the Queen. Similar to her previous speech, the Queen used my name and my family name to emphasise the importance of unity and loyalty among the noble families. While this speech meant little to the public, it was a significant issue for the nobles.

The Queen concluded her speech with, "May our unity be as strong as the steel of our swords, and may our loyalty be unwavering like the stone walls of ours." The crowd erupted into applause, eager for the sparring match to begin.

The master of ceremonies then announced the first match, a jousting competition. The grounds had no barrier between the jousting knights, showcasing the skill of each knight in handling their horse with speed and control. Each knight, assisted by their squires, prepared their horses and donned their helmets as the final touch. They raised their lances, ready for the impending clash. The crowd waited in anticipation for the master of ceremonies to give the signal. When the signal was given, the knights charged towards each other with thundering hooves, creating an exhilarating atmosphere for the spectators. The clash of lances echoed through the grounds, captivating everyone's attention—though it was clear that the nobles were less impressed. After several intense clashes, one knight emerged victorious, eliciting a roar of cheers from the crowd. The defeated knight graciously accepted his loss, bowing to his opponent in a show of respect.

With that, the master of ceremonies announced the next event: melee combat. Initially, I thought it would be a duel, but it turned out to be group combat. The melee involved multiple knights fighting simultaneously alongside their squires. Some knights were on horseback, while others fought on foot. The master of ceremonies explained the goal of the combat: to unhorse or defeat the commander of the opposing team. The crowd erupted in excitement as the melee began, with swords clashing and shields blocking. The knights displayed great skill and strategy as they fought to unhorse the opposing commander. As the combat continued, some knights were knocked out, prompting their squires to drag them out of the fray. Finally, after a fierce battle, one knight emerged victorious by successfully unhorsing the opposing commander. The crowd cheered as the victor raised his sword in triumph. However, despite the crowd's enthusiasm, the nobles remained unimpressed, and even my parents showed little interest.

As the melee combat ended, the master of ceremonies announced the next event: foot combat, culminating in the grand finale sparring match. The foot combat consisted of three rounds: the first between the pupils of the palace academy, the second between knights from the Blue Order, and the final between Lady Octavi and Lord Kaeso. Foot combat differed from melee in that real, sharp swords were used, unlike the blunted ceremonial swords used in the melee.