The Kingdom of Belmar

Chapter 9

I spent the night getting my ear chewed off by Lucinda and watching Charlotte fiddle with her new necklace. The two eventually forgave me for not trying to find them sooner, but only after I explained the whole situation with Ace and the scoundrels from earlier. After that they both began profusely apologizing which was somehow worse than being yelled at. Before bed, Lucinda briefed me on what the knights exam will consist of while Charlotte seemed more curious as to who the handsome stranger I was traveling with was. Perhaps if he's a lower ranking noble that didn't care for social standings, the two could be a suited pair. Charlotte wasn't beautiful like the Ewell's, but she was attractive in her own right, though anyone would be outshined by Ace's appearance.

The next morning I was tired. Not physically, the stamina I've spent all that time accumulating still coursed through my veins, but mentally as the Sonna Festival brought so much stimuli I felt my mind having trouble processing every street we passed. According to Lucinda, the knights exam consists of two rounds of elimination. First, knights will have to run an obstacle course to prove their strength and stamina; the best 50 times will be accepted. From there, the contestants will pair off and be told to have a regulation duel in order to gauge their ability with a sword and in combat. The winners will become official imperial knights, while the eliminated contestants have the opportunity to be approached by other nobles, seeking knights to defend their lands. According to Lucinda, about 500 contestants are participating, and only 25 will actually pass the exam.

Some of the contestants are prisoners, fighting for their freedom, while others are sons of noblemen who know they won't inherit a title. The exam is always overwhelmingly run by men.

Charlotte tried to dress me in a petticoat, the type a lady would wear when her husband was on a hunting trip, because she had strict orders from my mother to make sure I appear ladylike and regal whenever I'm in the eyes of the public. I reminded Charlotte that knights don't wear petticoats to a duel, and that my mother was not here. Before she could object, I threw on a tight pair of trousers, the usual loose blouse I wore whenever I sparred with Garrison, and tied my red curls into a high ponytail at the top of my head. Charlotte chased after me with a coat embroidered with silk and jewels, but I threw Lucinda at her as I ran away screaming about how heavy that jacket looked.

Both my caretakers gave up on any last minute lessons and lectures and eventually walked me to the arena where sports games in the Capital are normally held. The author described the arena as a colosseum type structure, similar to a football stadium, where the audience could watch gladiator style duels, or games of a sport eerily similar to soccer.

We were still a ways away from the stadium before the building came into view, the cheers from the crowd already audible despite the distance. I'm been in front of an audience before, but nothing was ever expected of me. Today, I am to pose as the regal, confident, and powerful Lady Amalie Ewell. A Duke's daughter, almost a Prince's betrothed, and one of the most powerful women of the empire.

We reach the mouth of the stadium and the sound is almost deafening. The general public is welcomed along the front entrance. This is where tickets and merchandise are sold, announcements are made, and where people bid on their favorite candidates to pass the trials. I search for my name, but I don't see a high success prediction next to it. Of course no one would think I'd succeed, I'm the pampered Duke's daughter who only just took up the sword recently. Little did the public know that in my past life, I've trained with a sword for fifteen years before I fell into this world. I promised Thompson that I would return as "Sir Amalie" and that is what I intend to do, no matter what some bidders and a questionable poll think of my ability.

Thinking of Thompson, I remember that I won't just be doing this for my own fate, but to make sure that the rest of the Ewell estate doesn't perish as well. The kind Duke and Duchess, Brother Garrison, all who welcomed me with open arms might be dead in a year if I can't change all of our tragic endings. And I can't exactly allow Thompson to live out a pitiful lonely life. I'll find him a fitting bride, even more amazing than Margarite Hastings, and make sure he gets his happy ending as well.