The Dragon King's Heart

The sun was blazing down on them. Everyone gathered at the training grounds, anticipating the trial by combat that was about to take place. Seeing as her opponent chose to go with light leather armor, Nyx wanted to prove her strength. 

"Nyx! Have you lost your mind?!" Alum exclaimed as Nyx prepared her weapon. 

The leader of the knights has decided she would partake in combat with no protective armor of any form. She was going into the heat of battle with the clothes on her back. 

"Do you not have faith in my abilities?" Nyx snapped back at him as she glared straight at him. 

She knew he had her best interests, but sometimes she wished he would trust her abilities a little more. 

"Of course I do. But that's got nothing to do with how reckless you're being right now," Alum warned. 

He knew how hot-headed she could get. Nyx often rushed into things, most of the time without caring for the consequences. Even if this was an easy fight to win, he still wanted her to be protected, to be safe. 

Alum walked over to the bench, picked up a piece of light armor, and shoved it to Nyx. This time, he was going to put his foot down. 

"Wear it, or I'm not letting you go out there," he said sternly. 

Realizing he meant business, Nyx bit her lip. If her second in command was so adamant about it, it was with good reason. She kept her calm, reviewing the information she had on her opponent. 

She knew Alum had his reservation on this fight. Neither of them had ever seen Lord Ethan in combat before. Neither have they heard about what he could or could not do. But Nyx was determined to prove herself. 

"Alright, alright, I'll wear it," Nyx relented.

She put down her weapon and put on the light leather armor Alum had prepared for her. Moments later, a messenger came to inform her that it was time. With Alum following behind her, she followed the messenger onto the training grounds. 

In the time the two combatants had taken to prepare, the training grounds had been set up with seating areas all around. Most of the nobility had their own special seats and umbrella covers, while the others could only stand around to watch. 

The inequality was glaring and for all to see. As soon as Nyx walked onto the training grounds, she received minimal cheering from the crowd. After all, she was relatively unknown to most. They only knew her to be part of the Crown Princess's order of Knights. 

Nyx searched the entire area for Margaret and Kol. She found them parked away in the corner of the field, watched over by guards. She gave them a reassuring nod which they reciprocated. Nyx tightened the grip on her weapon. She was going to win this fight. 

On the other hand, Lord Ethan made quite the entrance. An orchestra of musicians announced his arrival with blaring trumpets. The nobility cheered him on heartily as he made his grand entrance. 

He waved to the crowds that had gathered with a smile on his face. Nyx rolled her eyes as she folded her arms. 

"How cocky can these nobles be? Egotistical?" she muttered to herself. 

Alum tapped Nyx on her shoulder. She turned around to face him, just as he gave her a pat on the back. 

"All the best Nyx. We're counting on you," he said with a wide smile. 

She knew he was hiding his nervousness behind that facade. Deep down, she was nervous too. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Nyx took in a deep breath of air. She gently tapped on the weapons she had prepared for the battle. 

"I'll make us all proud," she replied with a grin.

An announcer came forward onto the combat field. 

"Combatants, please present to the masses the weapons you've chosen."

Lord Ethan's forte was with a lance. But he decided to go easy on Nyx, so he went with a rapier instead. The thin, light, sharp-pointed weapon was easy to maneuver. It would act almost like an extension of his arm, allowing for swift attacks. 

Nyx presented her choice, dual swords. Each sword was expertly crafted by the royal blacksmiths of Kinshearth. As per her request during the process, the swords had a unique design to them. 

They were concave blades, that had a slight curve on them. 

"Is one sword not enough for you? You need two?" Lord Ethan scoffed when he saw Nyx's blades. 

The nobles laughed at her. Nyx gritted her teeth as she seethed in anger. She tightened the grip on her swords. She knew it was best to keep her mouth shut. But she just couldn't help it. 

"Is one sword really enough for you? Are you sure you don't need a second one? I think you could use the help."

Her rebuttal surprised Lord Ethan. The nobles did not dare laugh, especially after they saw the look on Lord Ethan's face. But Margaret and Alum both had to stifle their laughter. It was a great comeback line!

Just as Ethan was about to speak, Nyx cut him off, "I think there's been enough chatter. Let our weapons do the talking. Let's give the people what they have been waiting for."

Nyx got into her offensive stance. Lord Ethan clenched his jaw. He did not want to stoop down low with any further insults. So, he straightened his back and held his rapier close. It was time for their battle to begin. 

Seeing as both combatants were ready, the announcer blew the horn, signaling the start of the battle. Nyx rushed in first. She lunged at Lord Ethan while yelling out a battle cry. She did not hold back. She swung her sword at him with great force. 

Lord Ethan's lip twitched a little as he swiftly avoided her attack. His opponent was coming at him with brute force, she was playing into his game. Her attacks were spontaneous, making it hard to predict. 

But that did not dishearten him.

"You're too easy to read, there's no challenge to beat you at all," he teased as he swiftly dodged another of Nyx's attacks. 

"If you're so smart, stand still and take on my attack as a real man!" she yelled as she swung her sword again.