Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 29

Elincia was tired. Sleep had not come easily last night. She'd spent most of the night crying, and the rest of it had been spent staring listlessly at the ceiling until exhaustion had claimed her.

I still can't believe Lady Sylvia would say all of that. Does she really believe it?

Her mind had been plagued, caught within a constant loop. She kept going over the argument that she'd had with Sylvia, her first one ever. It figured that their first disagreement would be over Caspian.

Lady Sylvia wasn't a large purveyor of love. She would often say that love was an unnecessary emotion that bred conflict as surely as hatred did. Elincia always had other things on her mind, so she'd never taken those words at face value before, but now she was forced to realize the truth.

How can I even face her anymore?

Elincia didn't know what she would do when she saw Lady Sylvia again. How would she respond? She still felt angry over what Lady Sylvia had told her, about how she was being forcibly restricted from seeing Caspian. At the same time, Lady Sylvia had given her a home—even if she'd not been present for most of Elincia's life. She didn't want to be angry at her.

What should I do?

A knock came at the door. The knock was followed by a voice.

"Elincia? You in there?"

It was Lady Erica's voice!

Sitting up in her bed, Elincia quickly tried to make herself presentable. "C-come in!"

The door opened and Lady Erica waltzed into the room. Tiffania wasn't with her this time. She strolled up to Elincia's bed and looked down at the girl, pausing.

"You look awful," she said at last.

"I feel awful," Elincia admitted.

"Care to share what happened with me?"

Elincia hesitated at the offer. She did want to speak with someone about what happened last night, but by "someone," she actually meant "Caspian." While she did like Lady Erica well enough, she wasn't comfortable telling the woman about what happened between her and Lady Sylvia.

And yet, it's not like I can talk to Caspian about this, she thought bitterly.

Without anyone else to speak with, Elincia told Lady Erica about the previous nights argument. By the time she'd finished speaking, the other sorceress wore a smile that seeped with amusement like a broken sieve leaked water.

"Well, now, isn't that interesting," she murmured.

"Um, Lady Erica?" Elincia was beginning to regret saying anything.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, dear," Lady Erica said in a dismissive tone. "I won't say a word about what you told me. In fact, I am going to help you."

"Help me how?" asked a curious Elincia.

Lady Erica's bright, beatific smile sent chills down Elincia's spine.

"Why, I'm going to let you see your dear Caspie, ufufufu."

Somehow, I get the feeling that Lady Erica is only helping me because she knows it will upset Lady Sylvia, Elincia thought herself.

Oddly enough, that thought didn't bother her very much.

***

The Sorceress's Knight Tournament was only two weeks away. This was done to give the foreign competitors time to settle into their new accommodations, and to experience the new culture before the tournament began.