Later on that day, Regan was wandering aimlessly around, thinking of what she was going to do tomorrow. She couldn't back down, couldn't surrender. If she'd do that, he'd mock her for her whole life, she knew. But the more she thought about it, the more panicked she was.
She had asked a servant about where the courtyard was. The servant led her there. The courtyard was much far away from the castle. It was a large, open space, surrounded by perimeter walls. They had an arched layer and were made of stone, with towers at each corner.
The courtyard had four tall monoliths at each cardinal direction, each one carved in different creatures: an eagle, a griffin, a serpent, and a dragon. The pavement was made of stone and other than that, there was nothing else.
And it was scary how she was going to fight him there, since except for the monoliths, there weren't other places to hide. Yes, she could hide behind the castle's walls, but she'd look like a coward. The fight was supposed to be brave and honorable.
However, as she walked in the courtyard, she couldn't shake the thoughts about him.
Maybe he was right. Maybe she did have feelings for him. It was bad, terrible even. But it was there. She couldn't deny it. She hated him, she wanted to hurt him, but at the same time... She didn't know. It was all so confusing.
And the worst, how could she have this fight when all she could think about was how he caressed her face that morning, how he was so gentle with her? She told her mother about all this because she couldn't keep it to herself, she needed someone to understand.
Her mother was against that duel thing. She was worried and all, but Regan couldn't back down now. If she did that, he'd haunt her for the rest of her life. It was better to get this over with, she thought. But what if she lost? He'd keep saying that she had feelings for him and that she should be with him. She couldn't let that happen. She'd find a way to beat him, to make sure he'd never say that again.
She turned back to her chamber, her mother was there, waiting for her.
"Sweetie, you don't have to do this. I think it's stupid. It doesn't make any sense. What feelings do you talk about? I understand you're upset, but it's not worth it. Please, don't do this." Her mother's voice was pleading, but Regan couldn't help and feel a little annoyed.
"Mom, I didn't say I have feelings for him. He's our enemy after all. I'm not a fool, I know that. But I have to do this, for our honor. Maybe if I defeat him.... We'll finally be free."
Octavia shook her head, "But he would never accept defeat. He'd never let you win. And would you ever kill him?"
Regan went silent. No, she couldn't kill him. She didn't want that. But maybe, she could put him in prison. Maybe, there was a way to get rid of him without killing him.
"Mom, I don't know. I just have to find a way to beat him. I can't lose. I can't let him win." She didn't want to lose her mother and her pride, "Because if I surrender or lose, he's going to gloat and say that I have feelings for him and that I should be with him. I can't let that happen."
Her mother sighed and held her hand, "Then you must do whatever it takes, but be careful, my love. Please." Octavia leaned forward and kissed Regan's forehead, "He might be lying to you. What if he won't fight alone? What if he brings others with him?"
Regan frowned. "I've thought about that. I'll just have to be ready for anything, I guess." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I'll find a way to win. Even if he cheats, I'll find a way to beat him." Her mother nodded, a worried look on her face.
Octavia stood up from the bed and took a dagger hidden in a closet. The dagger was sharp and cold as ice. "Just in case," she whispered. She handed the dagger to Regan, who took it with a shaky hand.
"Thank you, mom."
Regan knew that he had said 'no weapons', but what if he lied? What if he brought one with him anyway? She couldn't risk it. She had her sword but it'd be too obvious if she just showed up with that. And her mother gave her this dagger, she could use that as a backup plan. She placed it under the bed's pillow, hiding it from view.
The rest of the night passed in her worries. She was worried about how she was going to fight him, how she would react if he insulted her again, and what she would do if he actually brought someone else with him. She barely slept, tossing and turning the whole night. Her mother noticed and tried to soothe her by holding her close. Regan ended up getting hungry and eating breakfast before she knew it.
The sun rays were just starting to peek through the windows as Regan went to the kitchen again, her heart racing with fear and determination. She ended up eating again, trying to fill energy since she didn't even sleep well.
The whole night, his words echoed in her mind and all she thought about was how she could defeat him. After she ate, her mother gave her some strong, thick clothes that were made of leather. "They'll help protect you," she said. Regan found herself sweating already as she put them on. She wasn't sure if it was because of the layers of clothes or the nervousness that was building up inside her.
Her mom escorted her to the courtyard, where the duel was supposed to take place. It was still early, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, casting a warm glow on the stone walls and the monoliths. The wind was blowing, but it was still warm, making Regan sweat even more in her thick leather clothes.
She tried to calm herself down and her mother gave her some drink to help her calm down her nerves. The drink had the taste of chocolate milk but her mother said it was something that she couldn't even remember. She took a sip and felt it eased her throat, slowly making her feel more relaxed. But she could still feel the tension in her muscles, the worry in her gut.
She looked around, no sight of him at all. Maybe, but maybe, he decided to postpone or just not show up. A glimmer of hope filled her chest, but it was quickly replaced by doubt as she knew that he was too arrogant to back down from a challenge. The courtyard was empty, her mother standing there beside her, trying to comfort her.
"Sweetie, you know you can decline this. You don't have to care what he says. Even if he mocks you around, it doesn't matter. Your safety is the most important."
But even as Regan heard her mother's words, she couldn't back down. Everything he'd say, made her madly affected. She couldn't just ignore it and move on. She had to show that she was stronger an
"Good morning, ladies," came the familiar voice from behind them. Regan turned around to see him standing there, his blue eyes shining in the morning light. He was dressed in his finery, looking every bit the lord he was. It was as if day by day, he became more handsome, more confident, more unbearable. She forced herself not to react as he approached them, that mischievous smirk on his face.
"Sirius, you should reconsider this," Octavia said with her wary voice, "because if you hurt my daughter, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life." Her words were sharp and cold as ice.
Sirius only chuckled, "Ah, Octavia. I see you're worried. But Regan accepted the duel. And now, we'll finally see who's stronger. As for you, I'm not a fool to let you intervene. I'll cast a shield, so no other outsiders will be in. You can watch from there," he pointed to the surrounding wall.
"And what if you harm her? She's my daughter, I won't just let you get away with it!" Octavia growled, clenching her jaw.
Sirius just smirked in response, "Now, now, Octavia. Let's not be hasty. I'm sure Regan can take care of herself. And if she can't, well... she wouldn't have taken this challenge." He turned to Regan, his smirk widening. "Are you ready?"
"I am," she snapped, her heart racing. She couldn't believe she was actually going to go through with this. But she tried to collect herself. After all, she had fought with him with swords as well. At that time, it was more impulsive and she hadn't had much anxiety. This time, her stomach was full with butterflies. She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Let's do this."
Her mother nodded, her expression solemn. "Be careful, Regan," she warned, giving her a tight hug before stepping back. Sirius turned to face the other direction, waiting for her to take her stance. The courtyard was empty, the only sound the rustling of the wind through the trees and the birds chirping. The sun was rising more now, casting a warm glow over the ground as they faced each other.
Sirius cast a spell, and a burst of energy washed around them. The energy turned into a large, swirling white mass that covered them. It meant that their duel would be protected from outside interference. She couldn't see anything outside, and she couldn't see her mother as well.
He smirked at Regan, "Well, Princess. It's not like I'm forcing you to do this. You can surrender and accept that you're head over heels for me. Or we can do this the hard way. You know, it's not a crime to accept your feelings."
Regan glared at him, her hands shaking with anger and determination. "I'd rather die in this duel than be head over heels for you. You're stupid and arrogant. You're not worth my time and I don't feel anything for you." She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, as she prepared to face him.
Sirius laughed genuinely. "Alright, alright. That's even better for me. I've always loved fighting with you."
Regan gritted her teeth, her blood boiling already, "Shut up! Now asre you going to fight or not?"
"Well," he drawled, "now you may not know but sorcerers have some tricks upon their sleeves. And if that means having some muddy friends that'll sneak up on you, I won't hesitate to use them."
Her eyes narrowed and she almost laughed. "Muddy friends? What the heck does that mean?"
"You'll see," he said with a sly grin. "Now, let's begin." And with that, he raised his hand into a fist, chanting something she had no idea of.
The ground began to shake and now she noticed that there was also mud into the pavement.
"Muddy friends?" she muttered, feeling a trickle of fear creep down her spine.
The mud from the ground began to flow and form into large, slimy creature, reaching out to grab her. "What the-" she yelled, jumping backwards as the muddy hands clutched at the air where she'd been standing. "You bastard! That's cheating!"
Sirius only smirked, "That's just a spell. It's not cheating. And if you were more efficient, you'd have done some tricks like that as well."
"You fucking liar!" she growled. The muddy creatures kept coming, clawing at her from all sides. She dodged and rolled, trying to find an opening. She cast a spell, calling a shield to protect herself. Then, she used her fire powers as a laser to strike at the muddy creatures, burning them away. But more kept coming, seemingly endless.
Sirius laughed, "Oh, I see you're rejecting them. Is that how you treat your admirers? They paid good gold to see you, you know."
More mud creatures emerged, coming at her, but she managed to keep her distance, using her shield and fire magic to defend herself. The mud began to splatter against the shield, leaving her dirty and smeared.
As the duel went on, she realized that Sirius was indeed playing dirty. The muddy creatures kept coming at her from every angle, and she could feel herself growing more and more frustrated. She hid behind the monoliths but they were too distant, so it was no use.
"That's not fair!" Regan snarled, "That's not a fair fight. You're not fighting directly against me!" But the muddy creatures kept coming, relentless and disgusting. She had to find a way to stop them, to focus on Sirius. She concentrated on him, trying to will the mud away, but it didn't seem to work.
Sirius grinned, seeing her frustration. "Oh, that's just the beginning, my dear. You think this is all I've got? I've always been the master of witchcraft. You're powerful, I'll give you that. But it's you who dragged things at this point. Now, let me show you something."
With a wave of his hand, he revealed a swirling vortex of mud in the center. It began to spin faster and faster, drawing in loose earth from around them. "What do you think of that?" he taunted. "Now it's time for the real fun to begin."
As the vortex spun, it created a current of mud flowing to Regan. She quickly responded, using her fire powers to break it down. As for the muddy monsters, she called some fiery chains on them and dragged them back to Sirius, forcing him to defend himself. The mud splattered on him and her, making them even more disgusted.
"You're cheating!" she yelled, her voice raw with anger. "You think you can win like that?"
Sirius merely laughed, unfazed. "Ah, you're learning. But that's not enough. You see, that happens when you think all you feel for me is hatred. You end up being bound by your own emotions. You need to open your heart, Regan. You need to see that I'm not lying about being with you."
His words stung her, but she refused to let him see that. She focused on the vortex, trying to control the flow of mud. But then, she realized that it'd be better to just hit him instead. It was him who was controlling these muddy creatures after all. With a burst of speed, she aimed a powerful fireball at Sirius, but he easily deflected it with a flick of his wrist.
"Nice try, Princess. But you should try something more precise," he taunted.
Regan growled under her breath, the rage fueling her magic. She struck the fiery chains at him, making them wrap around Sirius's arms. Then, she aimed her fireball again, this time with all her focus and anger. The fireball connected, slamming into Sirius and sending him flying back. He coughed, trying to regain his composure as the muddy hands dissipated. She had him now, she thought, preparing another fireball.
But before she could launch it, Sirius surprised her. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a blast of fire at her. It hit her square in the chest, sending her flying backwards. She coughed, breathlessly.
Instead of standing up, she struck him again with her fire, while sitting up on the ground. He responded with the same intensity, just that his fire was blue and hers was red. Neither of them was willing to back down or break the cycle. The air grew heavy with smoke and heat as they continued to exchange blows.
The mud creatures, meanwhile, had disappeared, their elemental master no longer needing them. They watched the fight from a distance, some of them cheering for Sirius, some for Regan. The air grew hotter and hotter as the exchange became more intense, and the ground beneath them began to steam. Sirius's blue fire clenched against Regan's red, like two sides of the same coin.
Regan tried to think of something to make him back down. But she was afraid to use only one hand to keep her fire going. He was using only one hand instead, and it was strange how he wasn't trying to cast another spell with his free hand. The fire's light was so palpable that she couldn't see him that well.
She began to move closer, trying to put his fire out. But the pressure was heavy and the air was dense with smoke. She couldn't properly breathe and she could feel herself growing tired. Maybe she just needed a break.
"You should surrender, Sirius!" she yelled, "You're no match for that!"
She heard his voice piercing through the dense air, "Oh, don't try to negotiate now. That's how it's supposed to be, Regan. Fire against fire. The one which lasts longer wins. And eventually, one of us will do. And I'm afraid, it'll be me."
His words only fueled Regan's rage more. It seemed as if she got another boost of energy. Gathering her strength, she pushed even more fire at him, sending a powerful blast. He sensed and shot back, clashing their powers together.
The impact was so strong that it sent them both flying backwards, several meters apart. They landed hard on the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. The fire between them was dying down, however the ground was still burning at some spots and the air was dense with smoke and heat.
Sirius gained composure quickly and approached Regan, who was still sitting the ground, dizzy. He offered her a hand.
"You know, Regan.... It doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to die," he said, his voice hoarse from the exertion. However, he knew that even if it came to that, he wouldn't let her die. "I don't want you to. You can be my partner, my equal. We can rule the empire together, you and I. Only together."