บท 12: Mordhau
Henry and Trenton sat through the rest of the second round and the third semi-final round before there was a break for the finals.
Trenton turned to Henry.
"What are your thoughts so far?"
Henry looked somewhat dazed, and his hand was on the hilt of his sword.
"I think if I had to face even the lowest-ranked knight, he could kill me in one blow," he responded in a quiet tone.
Trenton didn't hold back and laughed loudly.
"No one is knighted without a reason," he explained. "Even money won't buy you knighthood."
"That's reassuring," Henry responded, though he didn't seem entirely convinced.
Each time a knight or apprentice walked by, his nervousness set in further. Without having to look more than once, he knew he was the only peasant around. It would be glaringly obvious when he was in front of an audience of people.
"Trust your skill," Trenton repeated, as he had many times before. "I could win every one of the matches I've seen so far," he said, placing a reassuring shoulder on Henry's shoulder. "And I'm the one who taught you how to wield a sword."
Under normal circumstances, Henry would have thought the red-haired knight in front of him was kidding, but the expression on his face was serious.
"I trust your abilities, sir."
Trenton was satisfied by this response and settled back into the bench, his armor clanking as he did so.
"Does wearing armor all day get uncomfortable?"
The armor on his own body was light and didn't make much of a difference except for bending his arms certain ways. He couldn't imagine wearing a full suit.
"I used to dread wearing armor. It's hot and limits your range of motion," Trenton thoughtfully responded. "You get used to it."
Henry had so many questions he wanted to ask, but he felt that it was best to keep them to himself for the time being. It was the first time he and Trenton had been around each other for such a long time outside of training. He didn't want to annoy him and make him regret his decision to train him.
Trenton could read Henry like a book.
Reading others was a skill he learned in the four years since he became a knight. The younger man was bursting at the seams with curiosity, and he couldn't blame him. They both came from such different worlds.
"We'll talk more when you're warming up," Trenton said. "The final round is about to begin."
Sure enough, someone blew a horn to indicate another round would begin in a few moments, and the two burly knights who had successfully completed the other three rounds walked out from different sides.
They both carried their helmets and waved to the audience.
One of the knights had shaggy brown hair that stopped at his shoulders, and the other one was blonde with his hair straight and cut at his chin. The brown-haired knight was named Maddox, and the blonde one was named Cress.
"Maddox is a distant cousin to Maximus," Trenton explained. "He's one of our own knights."
Henry couldn't help but admire the skill that ran through Maximus's family.
"Cress is from the country of Chemois to the north but came here in hopes of winning King Alfred's favor," Trenton said. "He's part of the Knights of Yttrium, who have recently lost their commander and duke. They are at risk of being taken over by the monsters that reside at their border without a leader to guide them."
Trenton waved his hand as if it were a ridiculous thought.
"There has been tension between the Knights of Hydrogia and the Knights of Yttrium for years," he explained further. "I don't believe the king will risk his own men for it."
Trenton's words quickly ceased when he saw the two competing knights place their helmets over their heads, knowing it was time for them to begin.
Unlike the rounds before this one, there was now an older knight standing off to the side with a large claymore in his hand, the point resting on the ground. He was clearly there to keep an eye on the match and make sure the rules were being followed.
Henry made a mental note to ask who he was later because he seemed to be of high importance.
The two knights tipped their swords toward each other, and their tips bumped as a show of good sportsmanship.
Immediately, both knights walked backward a few steps but kept their swords raised in case the other attacked first.
The atmosphere was intense and each knight had a serious look on their faces as thry stared at each other, silently asking the other one to move first.
They seemed to react at the same moment, with Maddox using a downward slash for his first move and Cress reeling his arm back so that he could come from below. The metal of their swords loudly clashed together.
Having the advantage of gravity on his side, Maddox continued the downward force until Cress had to move his entire body out of the way. He was at risk of being overpowered.
A groan escaped Cress's lips as he dodged. The immense effort he was giving was evident in the noise he made.
As soon as their swords were apart, he tried a sideways slash, but Maddox moved at incredible speed. His fastness reminded Henry of Maximus and it must have been a trait shared in their family.
Cress jumped backward after missing his mark, and their swords clanked against each other a couple of times before Cress became bold once again.
He lunged forward with a yell and swiped his sword upwards from a different direction, hoping to land a blow on Maddox's side.
Maddox quickly brought his sword down and had to hold the top with his palm so that the sword wouldn't swing backward.
Sir Cress almost had him with that one.
They went back and forth for a couple more seconds before their round was over.
Both knights took their helmets off, and Henry could tell they were somewhat out of breath. They had been fighting all morning, and he couldn't imagine the amount of stamina it took to still be in the running.
There was hardly a break before their helmets were back on their heads and their swords were drawn in front of them.
Henry could tell that their swords were starting lower than before. He wondered how much their shoulders must be burning after lifting such large swords for such a long amount of time.
The match started again with a show of good sportsmanship, but it quickly took a turn in comparison to the first round.
Their swords clanked together a few times before being caught in a bind where neither could move.
Maddox was in danger of giving out before he leaped backward and did a surprising thing.
He grabbed the tip of his sword with one hand. Once the blade was secured in both of his hands, he ran forward and brought the hilt of the sword down so hard that Cress's block was easily broken and the guard dug into his trapezius muscle.
At the feeling of Maddox's swords heavy handle, Cress let out a painted scream that haunted Henry to his core. He instantly hoped nothing that bad would happen to him.
The blow shocked Sir Cress enough that he quickly fell backward, and his sword flew from his hands.
"Mordhau," Trenton whispered, his hazel eyes wide and full of shock.
The match was immediately over after such a bold move.
Cress had taken off his helmet and thrown it to the side while Maddox stood proudly and raised his sword above his head.
"Mordhau is nearly impossible to pull off," Trenton explained. "It's effective in close combat but unheard of in a sword competition."
There was amazement in his tone, and Henry couldn't help but stare at the scene unfolding in front of him.
"I'm sure Sir Maximus is happy," Henry said.
Trenton only nodded before standing up.
"That means it's time for the apprentice knights to warm up," he explained. "I wanted you to see who won before we left."
Henry nodded and soon stood up as well. He wasn't looking at Trenton and was surprised when he felt the burly knight's hand on his shoulder, stopping him from walking forward.
"I want you to treat your matches exactly the way these older knights treated theirs," he said in a serious tone. "Fight with the intensity that you're in full armor, and I believe you can win."
Henry wasn't so sure he could win, but he was certainly going to try.
Before he could follow Trenton out of the arena, he turned to look at the celebration going on.
The princess finally stepped away from her tent and started walking down the brick stairs and through the opening of the wall. Her dress was light purple, and everything about her seemed to glisten in the sun. If he hadn't known any better, he'd think she was made of precious jewels.
Henry couldn't help staring as she seemed to move in slow motion. Her wavy blonde hair cascaded down her back, and it was braided on the sides.
Even from a distance, he could see she was decorated in jewels as they sparkled in the sunlight.
When her feet touched the floor of the arena below, Maddox quickly walked forward and kneeled at her feet. He placed the sword at her feet as if he were offering it to her.
As he looked up, she offered him her hand. He pulled off one of his metal gloves and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss on the back of it and giving a small smile.
Henry found it to be strangely intimate and he couldn't look away.
"Henry, hurry up!" Trenton yelled from down the hallway, no longer in view.
Henry snapped back into reality and ran after the knight.
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