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The Steward and the liegehound worked their way from one end of the gymnasium to the other. She sicked him on his prey. She called him to her hand to attack the lure in her grasp. They wrestled his prey to the ground together and faced the enemy of their imagination in fighting formation.
With the crowd, Cassia watched the display of power and beauty in breathless silence.
The vision of fangs, fur, and black Stand regalia came to a standstill with Knight on his belly at Kadi’s feet, gnawing the lure.
“Oedann.”She knelt beside him and rested a hand on his head.
Cassia thought the crowd’s reaction would shake the granite walls.
“This night will live forever in history.” Lyta’s face was shining. “Let every competitor now stand with us on the dais.”
Kadi, Mak, and Lyros stood shoulder to shoulder before their mentor. Lio descended from his seat, and he and Cassia took their places side by side. Knight heeled beautifully next to her, as if he took part in Hesperine tournaments every day.
Argyros and Javed joined them on the dais, and Javed took Kadi’s arm. Argyros stood with Lyta with an air of ancient ritual and held a long box for her, which she opened.
She drew out an olive wreath and smiled at Cassia’s hound. “For Knight, a transcendent symbol of peace.”
Knight let her place the wreath around his neck like a collar.
Then Lyta lifted a laurel wreath from the box. “The Tenebran symbol of victory. For you, Lady Cassia.”
Cassia gazed in astonishment upon the unprecedented prize. No woman had ever won the laurel wreath at a Tenebran tournament. She had never seen any female wear the crown of victory, except in symbolic temple frescoes of the goddess Angara.
Cassia bowed her head and let the Guardian of Orthros crown her with a laurel wreath before Hesperine and Tenebran warriors.
“Deukalion,” Lyta continued fondly, “diplomat in spirit and warrior at heart, let both of us commend your dedication. For you, the rose foliage of effort.”
Argyros handed her a stem of rose leaves, which she placed upon Lio’s breast in a slit sewn into his athletic robes. He bowed, his expression as sanguine as if she had crowned him tonight’s champion.
She took two pristine white rose blooms from the box and turned to Mak and Lyros. “Let all behold my pride in you. For my sons, the white roses of sustained excellence.”
They puffed out their chests and let her place the flowers there.
At last she halted before Kadi. Argyros smiled expectantly as his Grace took their daughter’s prize from his trove. When Kadi saw the branch of thorns in her mother’s hands, her eyes widened.
Lyta placed the stem of rose thorns upon Arkadia’s chest. “For you, Master of the Stand, the thorns of highest achievement.”
“I have not received the thorns since I earned my mastery,” Kadi said huskily.
“You have been at your peak,” her mother praised her. “When your best is already perfect, I can only reward it with the white bloom. But tonight, you found a way to best perfection. You have surpassed your previous excellence and earned the thorns.”
Cassia followed Lio’s lead and turned with him and the others to face the embassy. The Hesperines bowed, and she gave a curtsy.
It seemed Tenebran pride got the better even of her detractors. The embassy almost unanimously applauded her, cheering as if they hoped to outdo the Hesperines. Only the Cordians were silent.
“Countrymen,” Cassia called to them, “victory awaits you! Will you not show our hosts the honor and valor of Tenebra? Will you let me answer Orthros’s challenge alone?”
CHALLENGE
Lio waited beside Cassiato see what the results of all this night’s endeavors would be. He didn’t breathe, listening to the lords and knights consult among themselves.
“Face the heretics in battle!” Master Gorgos urged.
“Not I.” Lord Adrogan shook his head. “I won’t let a female drag me around the gymnasium at the end of a lure!”
“You will let yourself be outdone by a girl and a dog?” puffed Master Gorgos.
“This could be a trap,” Benedict cautioned. “What if the potion is a ruse? It’s too dangerous.”
