Chapter 15: The youngest knight
All around the capital a buzz could be heard. The young ladies of the capital all began to talk about the return of Pays De Abrutis' youngest and most famous knight. The extremely handsome Sir Charles de Évreux, a gifted genius of the sword and lance. He had been knighted and sent to the frontier to earn merits and to pick up actual battle experience at only age seventeen. Now age nineteen he was returning to the capital to continue his education at Academy de L'échec as a first-year student. He was born as a commoner but earned his own fief by age eighteen and now held the title of Baron.
The Inn closest to the Academy was a popular place for the students to go for food and drink, both before and after classes, not just because it was close, but also because the food was good but cheap. Not all of the nobles who attended the school were wealthy. After a while, it also became known as a place to see pretty girls. That was the main reason Sir Charles de Évreux rode the extra ten miles to spend the night there instead of stopping just outside of the capital. The next morning he was the first one in the commons area, taking his time to eat and watch as people started to fill the room.
"I heard that Sir Charles de Évreux is extremely tall and handsome." A cute freckled redheaded girl said to her friend, a taller brunette with a more mature kind of beauty.
The taller girl shrugged and said, "Handsome, is handsome, you see men like that all over at the Academy. What I am most impressed with, is his becoming a full knight at age seventeen. My brother didn't become knighted until he was twenty-four!"
A girl at another table leaned over and spoke to them, "I heard that he spent a tour at the frontier already and already earned the King's medal as well as his own fief!"
Sir Charles de Évreux who was sitting in the back gave a snort and then got up to pay his bill, his knight's uniform with the King's medal was obvious for all to see. He turned and winked at the three girls as he left.
Sir Charles de Évreux decided to explore the campus on his own instead of dealing with a student leader or a member of the faculty. He had very little interest in the classrooms or the library, but the training grounds would be like a familiar oasis of comfort so he started out there. It was still early, so there shouldn't be anyone there yet. Surprisingly he found a beautiful young lady quietly swinging a heavy wooden sword through a practice routine. He smiled and took a wooden sword for himself and did his own stretching routine before approaching the girl.
Rather than announce himself, he decided to test the girl and find out the level of sword they were teaching at the Academy. He wondered if the young lords and ladies here would even be able to help him break a sweat. He rapidly moved in front of the girl and unleashed a barrage of savage attacks to interrupt her training routine. The girl didn't even flinch and met his attacks with a flurry of defensive moves. Sir Évreux pressed her further only to find that she not only defended, but she also started to press the attack to him. He found himself going all out and still being pushed back on the defensive. The next thing he knew his hand was empty and a wooden sword was pressed against the bottom of his chin.
He swallowed hard and said, "Mercy, m'lady. It seems I was looking down upon the swordsmanship taught at the Academy."
She giggled and said, "You were if you would have been facing Maddy or Claude just now you never would have had a chance."
He gave her a deep bow and said, "Sir Charles de Évreux, Baron of Évreux."
She gave him a curtsy and said, "Lady Alicia de Foix." She went right back to her training routine.
"Might I ask, which knight teaches the swordsmanship you that have been using?" He asked as he watched her train.
She continued her practice and said, "Our teacher is Sir Roger, but he only teaches the basics, I am partnered with Madeline Celeste d'Aumont who was taught by Sir Vergy, I had to learn more sword outside of the training taught here from Lord Claude de Rouvroy because Maddy is too vicious and I was tired of taking home bruises each day."
"Then Lord Rouvroy and Lady d'Aumont are the two top swordsmen at the Academy?" He asked looking very excited.
She shook her head and then said, "No, they can't even last a move against the top sword. That's Lord Guy de Montfort. Lord Montfort was injured by Prince Wolter von Plettenberg of Wütendes Menschenreich."
He sucked in a breath and said, "I have heard that Prince Plettenberg has inhuman speed and strength, more like a beast than a man. Knights who have been caught unaware were tricked into friendly spars only to take life-threatening blows." He thought for a while and then asked, "What sort of swordsman is Lord Montfort?"
"Claude said that he is unfathomable." She stated as she swung her sword.
He picked up his own wooden sword, removed his knight's uniform jacket and started to train seriously. He realized that coming to the Academy wasn't just going to be interesting, it would be essential.
As they practiced, he noticed that Lady Foix moved a little further away subtly. He took a step in her direction and then she asked, "Would you like me to show you where the men's bath is located?"
He laughed and said, "Bath? I had my bath last week. I don't want to get sick, you know."
*****
Olivier sat with Guy and looked at one of the books Madeline left behind, "She really reads these books?" He frowned and tossed it aside, "A pretty girl like her should have a few novels, something entertaining. All of these books are simply meant to be reference materials, not light reading." He smiled at Guy and said, "So, did you ask her?"
Guy said, "Olivier, you talk too much, must you visit so often?"
He laughed and said, "The crown prince of your kingdom comes to sit with you and you dislike it? Other nobles would cut off their own leg for this treatment. Bask in my royal glow, young lord."
Guy moaned and then said, "She told me to ask her after I am well. She thinks I am delusional."
Olivier laughed and flicked Guy on the nose, "That is your own fault. You told her to have Alicia duel von Plettenberg when you were drugged."
Guy closed his eyes and said, "Ah, I see, that makes sense then."
"So my brother Andre left with von Plettenberg. My mother arranged a new engagement for him with von Plettenberg's sister." Olivier said as he started to nibble on a snack plate left for Guy.
"Is she pretty?" Guy asked.
Olivier laughed and said, "Imagine Wolter with a dress and lipstick, also, with one eyebrow."
"Andre agreed to that?" Guy looked shocked.
"He didn't have a choice. Your father and Duke Aumont pressured Duke Taillefer into backing me. Once three of the great houses were against Andre, father had to move." Olivier smiled and then said, "It turned out that Duchess d'Aumont and mother are old friends as well."
Guy laid back and smiled, "Well, hopefully, that will be the end of that." He looked out the window and said, "What else could possibly go wrong?"
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