Page 42 of Throne Off Course

Sebastian crossed the room, plucking two fencing foils from their display on the wall. “Well, I’ve decided we need some entertainment. And you need to do something other than stare at her from across the room like a lovesick Victorian poet.”

Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sebastian, I swear—”

“Oh, come on. It’ll be fun,” Sebastian interrupted breezily, testing the weight of one foil in his hand. “Besides, nothing captures a woman’s attention quite like a duel. It’s dramatic, it’s romantic—it’s exactly what this boring party needs.”

Alexander’s gaze flicked to the doorway. Emilia was visiblethrough it, still talking to Lavinia and Allegra, completely unaware that Sebastian was currently orchestrating some ridiculous plot.

Alexander arched an unimpressed brow. “What, exactly, would we be dueling over?”

Sebastian flashed his most infuriating smirk. “I don’t know, it doesn’t matter. I’ll make something up—something appropriately scandalous.”

Before Alexander could argue, Sebastian swept out of the study and straight into the center of the party, his voice carrying effortlessly over the music.

“Ladies and gentlemen, an important matter has come to my attention—one that can only be settled in the time-honored tradition of spectacle and unnecessary dramatics!”

A murmur of intrigued excitement rippled through the crowd as conversations halted and all eyes turned to Sebastian.

Alexander closed his eyes briefly, exhaling through his nose.

Sebastian, ever the orchestrator of chaos, tossed a fencing foil toward him. “Let the games begin!”

Alexander caught it with the reflexes of a man who had long ago resigned himself to Sebastian’s antics. A flicker of amusement crossed his face—just enough to betray that he was, at least a little bit, enjoying this.

“You are insufferable,” Alexander said flatly, testing the weight of the foil.

Sebastian smirked. “So I hear. En garde.”

The duel began in earnest, both men circling each other with exaggerated footwork, their dramatic swipes and parries sending delighted murmurs through the crowd.

The spectacle quickly escalated into something out of a perioddrama, complete with playful taunts and near-acrobatic maneuvers. Guests pressed back against the walls, creating an impromptu arena in the center of the living room.

Sebastian, grinning wildly, called out, “I see you’ve been practicing.”

Alexander effortlessly dodged a thrust. “I can see you haven’t.”

Across the room, Emilia pushed through the crowd for a better view, her expression shifting from confusion to fascination as she watched the two men fence.

The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. The duel culminated in a final flourish—Alexander swiftly disarming Sebastian with a deft maneuver, sending his foil clattering across the floor. The ladies in the crowd practically swooned. Sebastian clutched his chest in mock agony, staggering back as if mortally wounded.

Alexander, ever composed, rolled his eyes, handed the foil back to Sebastian, and turned—only to find Emilia watching from the front of the crowd, arms crossed, amusement flickering across her features.

“Satisfied?” he asked dryly.

Emilia, fighting a laugh, took a slow sip of her drink. “Oh, immensely,” she said, grinning. “Though I have to ask—how did you know you wouldn’t actually skewer each other?”

Alexander smiled, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Because we used to fence all the time in school. Sebastian used to be a lot better at it.”

Sebastian, still dramatically draped over the couch, groaned. “I’m still better. I just—” He waved a lazy hand. “—allow my guests to win. It’s called hospitality.”

Emilia gave Alexander a playful look . “Maybe he did let you win.”

Alexander snorted. “No, trust me, he never passes up the chance to show off.”

Sebastian got up. “Well, obviously. What else is the point of having talent?”

Emilia laughed outright, shaking her head. “This is the most absurd thing I’ve ever witnessed.”

Alexander’s gaze lingered on her for half a second longer than it should have. “Stick around,” he murmured. “It only gets worse.”