Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 19

Caspian stood in front of the mirror, frowning. He was wearing civilian clothes—brown pants, brown boots, and an off-white collared shirt. His bandana was, as always, wrapped around his head, hiding his ears from view, and keeping the bangs of his messy red hair out of his face.

He felt naked. There was no sword strapped to his back. He didn't have any armor on, not even simple chainmail. The feeling of being bereft of any means to defend himself made him uncomfortable, especially when he considered what happened the first time he'd gone into Axium with Christo. The last thing he needed was for Julius to try something again.

It was well into the evening. Caspian could see the setting sun from outside his window. The festival would be starting soon. He had agreed to attend with Christo because the other boy wouldn't stop bugging him about it.

I was going to go anyway, and even if I told him to get lost, it's not like it would have done anything.

"Looking sharp, Caspian," Christo said as he walked into their room.

Much like Caspian, Christo had donned civilian wear—only his roommate's looked infinitely more expensive than his own. The black pants that he wore appeared to be silk, and his doublet was a deep velvet. Underneath the doublet he wore a white silk shirt with flared cuffs, and a small beret the same color as his doublet sat on his head.

"How do I look?" Christo asked with a grin.

"Like a pompous ass," Caspian said immediately.

Christo's shoulder's slumped. "Man... that is just... so harsh."

Caspian clicked his tongue as he and Christo left the room. His roommate recovered quickly and grinned at him.

"What are you smiling about so smugly?" Caspian asked.

"Nothing," Christo said, shaking his head. "I was just thinking about how awesome it is that you and I are gonna be going to the festival. You didn't go to the last one we had."

"I'm only going because Elincia is going to be in the Sorceress Parade."

The Sorceress Parade was where the five most powerful sorceresses stood upon a giant flotilla and waved at all of the pedestrians lining the street. Elincia, as the newest sorceress and the one this entire festival was being held in honor of, would also be on the float. It was basically a method of introducing the newest sorceress to the people.

I really wanted to enjoy the festival with her...

"Speaking of, just how do you feel about Elincia?" Christo asked.

Caspian grunted. "I'm not sure I understand what you're implying."

"I mean: what is she to you?" Christo waved a hand through the air to emphasize his question.

Caspian had an idea of what his stupid roommate was talking about, but he played ignorant for now. "Elincia is my best friend."

"But is that all she is?" Christo pressed.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on, Caspian. Don't give me that. You and Elincia have been practically melded at the hip ever since she arrived. There's no way I can believe you when you say that you and Elincia are just friends."

Caspian would have sighed, but he didn't want to give Christo even that much.

The truth was that Caspian did like Elincia as more than a best friend. She was the single most precious person in his life. If there was a center around which individual people revolved, then she would be his. His entire life, from the moment they'd first met up to now, had been lived for her.