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As they got closer to the arena, the noise levels grew. Because of the Elders’ ruling, Claire hadn’t been able to interact with the rest of the Fae. Kallan and Kieran had left the house most nights to talk to the others and help build their trust in Claire but she had no idea if that was working or not. From the sound of the noise, everyone here decided to turn out for this.
The stone columns came into view as they walked through the empty village and her cousins led them in between two. Kieran led her friends off to the side and Desmond and Everett squeezed her hands before joining them. Malcolm squeezed her hip softly and she half-turned to smile weakly at him before he too joined the others.
She faced the Elders with Kallan at her side and Puck’s comforting weight on her shoulder. She scanned the crowd briefly confirming that it did look like every person in the Fae lands showed up for this. Even Friednar sat in one of the top stands, leaning forward on his walking stick. He gave Claire a wink and she hid her smile.
The gathered Fae reminded her of her coronation ceremony in the Elven Forest. The Elves had looked at her with the same mixture of hope and caution even though the Fae were harder to read. Hopefully, she could prove her worth to them all today so she could get the help they needed. If the Fae decided not to help, they not only would have to face the Council alone with significantly less resources but also the last time the Realm hadn’t been united, it resulted in a years long war.
The crowd hushed as Elder Milam stood. Nerves tore through Claire’s stomach making her thankful she hadn’t eaten breakfast despite Malcolm’s urging. Despite the pangs, she stood tall, refusing to show weakness in front of the Fae. Everything had to go perfectly today. If she didn’t pass the Traditio, the Fae would not give any support or aid against the Council. Without the Fae’s help and more importantly their knowledge as her father’s people, Claire worried they wouldn’t be able to beat the Council. Especially since Winona was convinced her father had something that would help her.
It wasn’t as if Claire and her Triad and friends would stop fighting if that was the case, but the likelihood of this plunging into another Great War weighed heavy on her mind even as her chin remained high.
“Greetings, my people,” Elder Milam said, his voice ringing out and drawing all eyes to him. His use of ‘my people’ felt intentional, as if designed to make Claire feel like an outsider.
“We have a contender for the Traditio,” he continued, gesturing towards Claire. “Arielle Clarissa Mayfaire, daughter of Winona and Erick contends in this Traditio for our help to the outside world.” His tone was clear as whisperings started in the crowd. He was very against helping anyone outside the Fae. That did not bode well for them, maybe even if she did win.
“The Traditio is composed of three trials,” Elder Milam explained. Claire suspected that most of the Fae gathered here knew this information so she wasn’t sure if it was for her benefit or just to hear himself talk. “Combat, Justice, and Magic, the three elements of any good ruler. The contender must pass all three trials as determined by the Elders and myself.” He gestured towards the rest of the Elders on the dais next to him. “The contender must perform the tasks without any outside help or interference.”
He looked pointedly at Puck on Claire’s shoulder. Puck dug his claws into Claire’s shoulder, stubbornly pinning the Elder with his golden glare. Her familiar didn’t seem to appreciate the Elder’s tone anymore than Claire did. Claire lifted her hand and stroked his side softly before urging him off her shoulder through their bond. He didn’t turn his head from the Elder and Claire pushed further, she really didn’t need him making a scene defending her honor. He puffed up, extending his wings and looking very menacing for such a small creature. Without taking his eyes off the Elders, he launched himself from Claire’s shoulder and glided towards Everett.
Once he had landed on Everett’s shoulder, Elder Milam raised his hands. Claire felt the magic being cast but before she could react, a shimmery white dome cut her Triad and friends off from the rest of the arena.
Kallan caught Claire’s arm when she moved towards the dome, magic lashing out of her center at the threat to her mates and friends. “They’re safe,” Kallan said quickly, as if sensing he didn’t have a lot of time to contain her before her magic ripped free. “It’s just a magic preventing barrier. It’s standard for a Fae’s friends and family members during the Traditio.”
“You could have warned me,” Claire hissed at him out of the side of her mouth as her eyes stayed locked on the barrier. The magic had settled and the shimmery white magic faded to a transparent shimmer. Her friends looked pissed with Bethany throwing her arms and ranting wildly. Her Triad’s reactions worried her the most. She had never seen them so close to exploding.
She went to soothe them down their bonds and her own eyes widened in panic as she realized she couldn’t feel them. Desmond must have read her face as his own eyes widened. Anger flashed in them and he turned to say something to Malcolm and Everett who looked equally pissed but settled. Desmond gave her a smile although Claire could tell it was forced. Whatever magic that created the barrier cut off her bonds as well. She didn’t know of any magic that could do that but maybe it was because they hadn’t fully cemented them yet. Either way, they seemed safe for right now, if not pissed, so they could deal with it later. Now the pressure was on.
Claire nodded once at Kallan to show him she had her shit together and he squeezed her elbow softly before releasing it. “Combat first,” he murmured to her. “Remember what we discussed.”
Claire bit her lip and nodded slightly to show she heard him. The twins had spent the last few days during training drilling Claire on who her potential opponents would be and what their fighting styles were. It would be a duel style but with no direct magic attacks. Magic could be used to aid one’s fighting style but could not be sent directly at an opponent.
Kallan left and joined Kieran at the side of the arena. They were interestingly not included in the magic-preventing barrier. Did that mean the Elders didn’t think that they would help her out even though they were family? Did that mean that the help they gave over the last week wasn’t actually help at all. With being cut off from her Triad, friends and familiar, Claire was feeling more than a little off kilter as she drew her daggers.
The crowd broke out in mutterings and whispers as the gems in the daggers caught and reflected the light. She held them proudly out in front of her showing them off. Whether Elder Milam liked it or not, she was at the very least a princess here and a Queen of her mother’s people. She could do this. She hoped.
Her first opponent entered the arena. Claire couldn’t remember his name but remembered him from her cousins’ lessons by the scar that ran across his jaw. He was built a lot like Malcolm and if it wasn’t for his pointed ears and sharp facial features, Claire could easily mistake him for a dragon warrior. From what her cousins said, he fought like one too. Powerful blows but that made him slower. Her small size and speed would be key here. Kallan had warned her against taking a direct blow from him at any point even with her Energy skills to absorb it.
There were no cheers from the crowd as he entered. Claire nodded to him and he nodded back as they both did the customary half bow before a duel before dropping into their fighting stances. When the bell dinged, signaling the start of the match, he lunged at her with a sideways sweep of his longsword.
Claire ducked under and lunged outward with the Fae dagger, aiming for his ribs and tearing his shirt as the tip of the dagger caught the fabric. He recovered quickly, placing distance between them before coming at her with a series of slices and blows. Claire struggled to keep her feet as she deflected and parried the best she could. She gritted her teeth as her bones jarred and ground together from the effort. She wouldn’t be able to take many more of these powerful blows. She would have to end this quickly.
They broke apart and circled each other for a few moments. Claire tried to rack her brain with all of her training over the last year. She needed to put him down and fast but ideally without killing him and without a direct blow of magic or she would be disqualified. That last part was going to be hard as her magic was still dancing in her center from its reaction to the barrier around her family. Energy was going to be the best way to go. And to gather enough of that and quickly she was going to have to do the one thing that Kallan warned her not to do, take a direct blow from the large Fae and disperse it through her daggers to incapacitate him.
He lunged at her, tired of waiting for her to make a move. She engaged, darting in to slice at his ribs and darting back out before he could retaliate. She waited for the perfect moment, allowing him to back her into what he thought was the perfect corner. She pretended to stumble backwards, going down to one knee. He reacted instantly, raising his arms above him for a powerful downwards blow while she ‘tried to regain her balance.’
She brought the daggers above her head in a cross position and prepared herself for the impact. Even sucking the Energy out of the blow, her bones still ached with the effort. It felt like her arms ground into her shoulders and the grating of her bones made her wince.
She sucked as much Energy out of the force as she dared to. Pivoting on one knee, she sliced at his thigh with the Fae dagger while she kept the Elven dagger charged with Energy, close to her body as she spun.
Finishing the circle on her knee, she pushed off her back leg, aiming the Elven dagger towards the pommel of his sword. She couldn’t deliver the Energy at any point of his body without violating the rules of the match but the pommel was a safe hit. Like she predicted, the warrior saw the blow coming and released his sword to avoid getting his fingers sliced off.
The sword clattered to the ground, the noise of the metal ringing out against the stone as Claire scrambled to her feet. Before the warrior could recover and lunge to grab the sword, Claire shifted both daggers to one hand and practiced a neat trick her cousins had been teaching her. Holding her hand out in front of her, palm facing the ground, she called the sword. The metal affinity yielded easily to her call and the pommel of the sword hit her palm with a soft thud. She closed her fingers and raised the tip of the sword to the warrior’s throat, freezing him in place.
The arena was dead silent. The Fae warrior opened his hands, holding them up in the surrender position as he backed away and gave her a half bow, respect glimmering in his eyes. Claire took a deep breath, releasing the extra Energy and trying to settle her magic now that there was no immediate threat.
A bell dinged, signaling the end of the match. Claire lowered the sword, shifting her grip and offering it back to the warrior. “Good match,” she said with a small smile.
“Good match,” he echoed her, giving her another half bow as he accepted the sword and turned to stride out of the arena.
