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the day of the princess' fourteenth birthday wasn't just a celebration, it was a spectacle. royal blue and silver banners rippled in the breeze, decorating the bustling courtyards. musicians played jubilant tunes as nobles paraded into the castle, their colorful attire too vibrant for kinich's eyes. servants darted back and forth, balancing trays of refreshments and decorations, their chatter blending with the excited hum of arriving guests.
kinich hated every second of it.
for weeks leading up to the celebration, the talk of the castle had centered on the grand contest. it was an age-old tradition, a show of strength and skill to honor the princess. every knight and squire from far and wide was invited to compete, and the stakes were higher than ever: a generous sum of mora and, for the victor, the honor of being named the princess' personal knight. and if the winner was still a squire, he would be knighted by the princess herself. though, kinich is unaware of that.
he stood in the shadows of the training yard, the clang of his sword against the dummy a sharp contrast to the cheers echoing from the main hall. sweat trickled down his temple as he struck again, his movements precise and controlled, each swing of his blade drowning out the noise of the festivities.
"kinich!"
he sighed and turned, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. heizou was jogging toward him, the ever-present grin on his face as infuriating as usual.
"what?" kinich muttered, raising his sword again.
heizou leaned against the fence, unbothered by kinich's obvious annoyance. "you're not seriously out here sulking while the whole castle is talking about the contest, are you?"
kinich's grip tightened on the hilt. "i'm not sulking."
"oh, really?" heizou tilted his head, smirking. "then why haven't you signed up? don't tell me you're scared."
kinich's jaw tensed. "it's pointless. let the others make fools of themselves."
the burgundy-haired youth let out a bark of laughter. "pointless? the winner gets knighted by the princess herself. not to mention becoming her personal guard. that's no small thing, kinich."
