Capítulo 13: Warm Ups

Henry shook his head as he trailed behind Trenton.

A knight kissing a princess's hand after winning a swordfight seemed too perfect like it was out of one of his mother's stories.

The words his mother read from a page always seemed so flowery and unrealistic. It made Henry always wonder where she got her information.

Despite his doubt, he allowed the words to wrap around his mind and he daydreamed of a place that seemed much better than reality. However, that reality seemed to be close to the truth as he thought of Sir Maddox kissing the princess's hand.

He didn't want to admit it, but it was fueling him for his upcoming matches. Maybe even an apprentice would be able to kiss the princess's hand. His head was in the clouds at the thought.

He nearly ran into Trenton, who had stopped in the hallway to wait for him.

"We've arrived at the training grounds," Trenton said. "You need to get out of your head."

As they entered the grounds, there were tall brick walls on all sides. It seemed to be a multi-purpose area that connected to the stables. The ground was covered with dirt to accommodate jousting practice. There were wooden posts bound with hay for people to practice their sword strikes. Softer bags of hay in the corner allowed for practicing thrusts with blades as well.

Henry took great care to focus on himself and not worry so much about what others were doing, but he couldn't help sizing up the others who were practicing on the training grounds.

The competitors' ages ranged from 15 to 21 years old, and he wouldn't know with whom he fought until he made it outside. Some of the apprentices looked too young, but at the sight of them swinging their swords, Henry realized age didn't matter here.

It was impossible to tell someone's skill level based on looks alone.

For example, Trenton seemed large and uncoordinated, but he was unbelievably light on his feet and could do anything with his strength. Maximus seemed too skinny to be powerful, but his speed was enough to keep him ahead of nearly anyone. Alix overall seemed too pretty to be a fighter, but his polished skill and quick reactions won him the first place spot.

Henry had to keep his head down and worry only about himself.

Trenton's sword was sheathed at his side, and he couldn't resist brandishing it as Henry began warming up.

He was so used to wielding a blade that it was almost like an extension of his right arm. Every inch of the sword was accounted for as he swung it around.

Due to his large stature, he sometimes carried a claymore as well, but it was impractical if he was only walking around. He wondered if Henry would ever gain enough strength to carry a bigger sword. He had already noticed a good amount of muscle growth in only a month. With proper nutrients, Henry would continue to grow.

Henry finished warming up and asked Trenton if he was willing to spar with him.

Both men faced each other and put the tips of their swords together in a show of good sportsmanship.

They started the spar, and their swords clinked together a few times before Trenton overpowered him with a stronger push.

"Control the tip of your sword or you'll stab yourself," Trenton said.

To test Henry, he did the same maneuver, overpowering the younger man, and he was pleased to say Henry's hand caught the flat side of his sword and pushed it back.

They sparred back and forth for a couple of minutes. Trenton allowed Henry to lead the warm-up and practice whatever he felt he needed to work on the most.

In between one of their matches, Henry couldn't help asking, "Who was the knight overlooking the last match?"

"I'll only answer if you overpower me one more time," Trenton responded.

They held up their swords again and soon Henry was able to jump to the side away from Trenton's overhead strike then swiped his sword to the side with such speed that Trenton was only able to block it with one of his greaves.

"Fine," Trenton relented. "That's Sir Antoine. Commander of the Royal Knights of Peroda. He's the highest-ranked knight in King Alfred's kingdom. Each year he shows up to the competition to see if anyone might be able to join his ranks."

Henry had understood before that there were the Knights of Hydrogia and the Royal Knights of Peroda. Only the royal knights were allowed to do palace work and most of them guarded the walls around the castle.

A servant came into the yard and said the first round would begin shortly.

Both men decided it was time for Henry to line up.

Just as with the Knights bracket, there were sixteen more competitors, with eight going at a time in the first round. Henry, being number 23, was in the first round.

Unlike the knights, there were no helmets for apprentices unless they were on the battlefield, and there was less armor all around.

Henry considered himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to practice wearing his armor before the match. After seeing a few of the younger swordsmen, they looked uncomfortable in their light armor.

As he went to line up, he noticed Trenton staying behind, and he hesitated to keep going forward.

"Don't worry, Henry," Trenton said. "I'll be watching from the sidelines." He added, "It's all up to you now."

None of the other apprentices or apprentice hopefuls had someone staying by their side, and Henry decided now would be a good time to express confidence. He didn't want to be underestimated by the other competitors after having taken his training so seriously.

It was all up to him now. Trenton couldn't help him win a match any more than he already had.

He wanted to know what it was like to kiss a princess's hand. He desired a life where he was no longer a peasant and had a say over his future.

If he was knighted, he and his mother would be set for life. He owed her that much for staying strong for him after his dad's untimely passing.

As the competitors were called out and told which spots they were to start in, Henry confidently strode forward and resisted the urge to look at the princess, or he was going to be easily distracted.

Soon his opponent was in front of him.

He didn't look like he could be older than 16. His light brown hair was cropped short on his head, and he wore an arrogant look on his face.

Henry deduced from his weight that he was upper middle class and had never skipped a meal.

"Don't you seem a bit old to be competing as an apprentice?" the kid asked him.

"Are you worried I'll out-skill you?" Henry shot back.

The kid only scowled and unsheathed his sword as he waited for the match to start.

Henry did the same, not allowing the kid to have any kind of upper hand.

Soon the horn sounded that signified the start of the matches and Henry lifted his sword higher, showing good sportsmanship, wondering if the younger boy would do the same.

Henry wouldn't be surprised if someone thought they were above showing good sportsmanship to a peasant.

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