A Crown of Scales

@ ashen knight;

Victoria turned to her friend as they headed down to the tournament. "I have no concern for what Nikola may ask for if he does win. You know as well as I that the winner may ask for whatever they wish, but it is unlikely that will receive what they want. That is why we tell them what the prize is before the tournament so they don't go wild in their requests." Victoria shook her head a bit. "And I can guarantee that he will not receive my gem or my hand over winning a silly tournament. Neither I or my father is that foolish. Charlotte, dear, you worry too much about possibilities that simply will not happen."

Victoria then walked up to her father, ascending the stage with him as they were announced. She sat down in the seat besides her father, looking out at the tournament. As per usual, Dain won all of his battles. Though what really surprised her was Nikola, who had came and was doing quite well. And it quickly became quite obvious that he had recognized her, with the smirk he always gave at the end of winning. She always smiled back at him, clearly impressed with what she was seeing. Perhaps he had a chance.

As the break started, many of the nobles gathered around her and her father. Though as they did so, they were careful to not step on the flowers some of the participants had given her before they fought. They had done so in order to try and win her favor before the tournament. The fighters seemed to want her on their side, as if that would help them win. Though Victoria and the nobles seemed to be stuck on Dain, which was made clear through the conversation. She glanced over at one of the nobles, smiling at him. "Lord Hersi, if I did bet, I would put all of my playing money on the nameless one." The king let out a great laugh at hearing his daughter, and then spoke. "Then it is a good thing that you do not, my dear. For it sounds like you would lose my money."

Some of the other nobles chuckled a bit, and Victoria raised her eyebrow at them and her father. "Then it sounds like, father, that you have not been paying attention to our knight finalists. They rarely come out to watch the others compete and yet four of them have made their way to the arena to watch the new one. And none of them seemed any happier when they left." She could see her father getting ready to argue with her, and to probably mention Dain, though Victoria stood up before he could."Though perhaps the best way to tell, is to go see for ourselves. I, for one, would like to see the nameless one. I do believe that it is time for us to visit them anyways."

One of the maids handed Victoria six red ribbons before she headed off of the stage. Only some of the nobles were allowed to come, and it switched every tournament who was allowed (After all they couldn't have a bunch of nobles fill up the knight's tents). Her father and Victoria were in the lead of the small party as they headed to their area. Before they walked in, one of the nobles went in to ensure that the knights were ready (or rather fully clothes for Victoria), and then introduced the the King and the Princess. Victoria walked in after her father, who started to introduce himself and have a small conversation with each knight. Victoria followed after, smiling at who was in front of her, congratulating them and then offering them a token of her favor (which was required of her at every tournament she went in order for the finalists to show their skill and bravery later). When they accepted, which they always did, Victoria tied it to their chainmail and proceeded to speak with them as she waited for her father to carry on.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
Hersi had a good chuckle at her words. A bet on the nameless one? She was reckless, he thought, though he did not say this out loud. Instead he fell in step behind her, by Charlotte as they made their way to the knight's area. He was one of the few and maybe the only one who was allowed to come to the tournaments more often than others - being a tight friend of the King and all, most trusted, most welcomed.

Dain was the second last to be greeted by the King, save the best for last it seemed - though Nikola was not seen anywhere and they decided not to wait around. Dain and the King exchanged their usual words, and the King held quite the favour of the knight. In his shining polished armor, he looked quite the stunning attraction. Dain was by all standards quite handsome. He bowed his head to Victoria. "I hope you are enjoying yourself, your Highness," he mused, allowing her to tie the ribbon and looking at her with all confidence and smugness that his ego allowed.

"What are your thoughts on this nameless one soldier?" The King asked, curious as always - as with other knights. The other four had little to say, but he was sure Dain would speak more. And he was right. Dain straightened and cast a glance at the empty spot where Nikola was meant to be. "Slightly impressive, but his unorthodox ways have no place for a knight's arena. He fights more like a pirate than anyone trained in the art of war. And we all know what happens to those." He smirked, and a received a little laughter from the nobles. "He takes no shield and he wears no armor. Reckless. I dare say even stupid. It is as if he believes he is made of stone. He will be in shock to feel the metal against his skin soon enough. His dancing and prancing will not get him far." There were murmurs of agreement, and Dain looked back to the Princess, "I hope your favor lies with the talented and wise, the winners of course."

[I'll bring Nikola in next, thought Dain and Victoria could do some talk ]

@ ashen knight;

"I have been enjoying myself. This has turned out to be quite an surprising tournament, wouldn't you say so?" Victoria said as she quickly finished off tying the ribbon for Dain. With the way that Dain acted and looked at her, she tried her best to keep her distance from him. Though it was quite difficult to do when certain responsibilities required her to draw near. And, of course, Dain often attended the many tournaments that the castle held. She then took a step back as her father asked about Nikola.

While Victoria was able to take her step back, her father began to ask Dain about Nikola. She was unsurprised by what he had to say. Never had see seen Gain even slightly worried about an enemy, even if he did consider them to be a challenge. It was curious as to how Nikola's confidence and smugness got out of control. Victoria was also unamused with what he had to say, especially when he seemed to question who had her favor. It seemed that Dain thought it was himself. "You should know by now that all the finalists hold my favor, Dain. Even those who do not arrive to receive it." It was what she said often when anyone outside of the group of nobles asked. The nobles were guaranteed to keep their mouth's shut about her tournament preferences since it would only cause discourse among the knights. There had been an incident a few years ago that caused quite a stir, and that was only a rumor.

"Though, I am curious. Are none of you worried about the new arrival?" Victoria asked as she looked down the line of knights. "He has cut through his competition with ease and, at least in my experience, there has never been a newcomer to get to the finalists so quickly without someone knowing who he is. Or do you believe that it will be a quick duel with him now that you have seen how he fights?" The other knights seemed to go quiet as they waited for Dain to respond. He always seemed to have the most to say, and he also was the most assured. Seeing that none of them planned to speak, she looked at Dain.

(That sounds good to me! I wanted to see how Dain acted!)

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

The knights looked at each other when she asked, and then all turned to Dain, letting him do the talking. And he wasn't going to be silent either. He raised his head a little higher and looked the princess straight in the eye. "Do you doubt our abilities? We are some of the best knights of your kingdom, ah, no, the best." Dain raised a brow. This was a quite a bold move of his - to challenge a princess' view, but he wasnt about to have her doubt wash over him and his men. He needed the men to fight and weaken this Nikola should Nikola actually get to him,and then will Dain be able to win him. He had on concern about his own abilities. "If we cannot fight against this newcomer then..." he trailed off, spreading his arms a little. Then we are no good at all in protecting you, were the words he left in the air, quite easy to read. He did not waste breath on them. They were obvious.

"I personally have watched his tricks. I am aware of what is to come."

The flap to the tent was pushed aside and Nikola appeared, though he did not make a scene of entering. Quietly, he slipped behind the group of noblemen, catching only Dain's eye (or so it seemed), and returning to his little space, picking up a long strap and starting to tie it around his wrist for security. He was aware of the group of noble people, but had no idea why they were here. He did not look over to them, nor to the Princess but kept watch over them in the reflection of the silver jug that stood in front of him. He saw every moment, and when they started to turn towards him in what seemed an awkward and unwilling manner -and much to the dislike of Dain - he quickened his pace of wrapping the leather around his wrist. Was he nervous for the fight? No. He was only annoyed the presence of so many eyes in such close proximity, studying him and wondering what to make of him. He did not like being studied. He preferred to be the one doing it instead.

"Well, the last one arrived," Dain snickered softly. "I assume you must go visit him. Though I would not bother. He will not last." He bowed his head in farewell, a hint of dislike towards the newcomer in his eye.

@ ashen knight;

Victoria's eyes narrowed as Dain challenged her rather than simply answer the question. It was quite obvious that she was displeased with how he chose to handle it. She understood what he was saying, but Dain's cockiness was becoming to be too much for Victoria to let slide. He was quickly moving towards seeing her wrath. And while many would say that Victoria was a troublesome princess, none would say that she was easy to truly anger.

Though luckily for the knight, Nikola had chosen that particular moment to walk into the tent. Her father, sensing his daughter's anger, moved to carry on the visiting party. He headed over to Nikola, grinning at him. "Welcome. We are here to congratulate you on becoming a finalist." The king then continued on with his speal, asking questions like what his name was, if he was ready for the next portion and why he didn't bring his shield into battle. The other nobles had also moved on, wanting to learn more about this mysterious figure.

Victoria, on the other hand, looked over at Dain before moving on. "I suppose we will see if it is he who is the first to fall." She said, making it quite clear that Dain had lost her favor for now. Normally Victoria would not have said anything but he crossed a line with her. Victoria did not like being challenged so boldly and rudely by someone who quite clearly did not have the status to do so. Being challenged was quite different when it came from someone with the birthright, and the intellect, to do so. Even the nobles were allowed to challenge the king if there was true concern over a decision, but this was ridiculous.

Once she moved onto Nikola, she gave him a warm smile. She hoped Nikola beat that smug bastard into the ground. "Hello. I have come to give you a token of my favor for being a finalist. It is quite impressive that a newcomer has managed to rise up through the tournament so quickly." Victoria then held out the red ribbon, motioning that she wanted to tie it to his chainmail. "May I?"

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

Too many questions. That was all Nikola could think as he stared at the King in front of him, doing his best not to roll his eyes and look back away. He continued to work on adjusting his leather straps and shirt, and the light short chainmail shirt he wore underneath - the only piece of armour he had on, exposed only by the v-neck of his shirt. It was a light pearl silver colour, quite alluring, and he fancied it for its looks. Like pearls. So many pearls, covering his hide, his weakest point. He answered short and simple, now and then turning away a little to grab another piece and attach it to himself.

When the princess spoke, Nikola couldn't help but watch her and smirk once more, just as he did after each fight. "Impressive? I take it not many achieve such feats." He side-glanced her father, and decided that today he will not reveal of her nighttime adventures. No, not now. "Do the rumors of my prowess satisfy what you have seen yet?" he turned his attention back to her, although the question was both to her and the King and all present. He tugged on his glove. "How many more must I defeat?"

When she extender her arms and attempted to pin the ribbon onto him as she had done with other knights, Nikola moved away from her hands and the ribbon, almost jerking away but executed smoothly - just. "No." he raised his hand and pushed her hand lightly away, daring to even put his hands over hers and close her fist around the ribbon. "I do not wear loose bits of string." He looked at the confused (and some surprised) faces of the nobles behind her. "One extra thing to grab and kill by." He offered her a honeyed smile and let go off her hands. And it was true, for nothing on him was loose. All was tight and secure, with little to grab by. He wore no clunky heavy armour, and that gave him the advantage of speed. Speed to dodge and block the blows.

"Although your favor, Princess, I will take." Nikola tilted his head and raised his voice, resuming his talk to the group that stood in front of him, "Is gold the only thing you offer to the winners of these tournaments? Or is it the only thing Dain ever asked for, and since he always won, you made it a standard? Oh, why do you look at me so? I am only curious."

@ ashen knight;

She was quite pleased by Nikola's decision to keep quiet about the night they had met. While her father would have been unable to do much about it now, it would have gotten her in a bit of trouble. Plus the nobles and her father did not approve when she went to the taverns in town since it was not fitting for her station. It also would have upset the other knights if they knew that the two of them met previously, even more so if they found out that she was the one who asked him to participate. Though she smiled back at Nikola as he smirked at her, still quite enjoying the look he gave her and what it meant. "Well, I suppose in order to satisfy us and the crowd with the crowd, you will need to come in first place. Though our knights are rarely beaten. It should be a difficult task for you."

Victoria was quite surprised when Nikola did not allow her to put the ribbon onto his chainmail. She had never been rejected before by a finalist. Also the fact that he felt comfortable enough to take her hand...but he managed to make it for it by explaining himself and still taking her favor. Victoria then took a step back from Nikola when she was no longer meant to put the ribbon on. The nobles were waiting on how Victoria would react to Nikola doing such a thing, but she looked unfazed but it and continued on to answer his questions.

"Different tournaments offer different prizes. It just so happens that you have entered a tournament where gold is the prize. Though, you will find, that gold as a tournament prize is common throughout most kingdoms. However, we also have a rule here where the winner may ask for a different prize instead of the gold. Though it may be rejected and you will be given the standard prize instead. A win does not guarantee that you get whatever you want. As for Knight Dain, he can tell you what he asks for, or takes for himself, if he wishes to. And I believe that they are looking at you like that because most do not ask these questions until after they have won. Though it sounds like you are quite confident in your skill." Victoria folded her hands together.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
[I'm aware you posted in the other, I'm just only managing one for now o: ]

"First place?" Nikola feigned a look of thoughtfulness. "Yes, indeed. If they are as great as their names say, then there will be a challenge." Nikola smiled, carefree almost, as if these were nothing but words. He did not think they would provide so much challenge that he would fail - only enough for a good battle. He was confident in his own skill, but it was - in the end - a human against a dragon, beast form or not. Dragons had endurance, and strength, and these all passed down onto him - even in this pathetic, weak, form. His only disappointment was that she made no expression visible at his rejection and his taking her hand - though by the shift in air around her, he smelled and sensed she was taken by surprise even if only a little. To that, he smiled knowingly and solely to her. Oh, he'd read her like an open book. Sure, a few pages were stuck together, but mostly, he could sense.

Nikola listened, and briefly imagined the gold to be won. It was not... a lot. It would be a fine addition to his pile and the small warmth in him grew at the mere thought. He wanted to close his eyes and imagine sinking into the mound of gold, shifting until it covered him fully, from snout to tail, over his wings, over his scales. The way it would shimmer with the sweep of his tail, and crunch under his feet. Nikola pulled himself back to reality. "Right." He stepped away too, turning to pick up the last of his accessories, a shoulder pauldron made of thick leather, and tying it firmly down. "Yes, I am confident in my skill. I do not see why you are surprised. I know it because I know its weaknesses and its strengths. I know my limitations."

The horn sounded, signalling the end of the break, and Nikola bowed his head a little but said nothing of a farewell. He did not think he would need to. Surely, he would see her again. And soon.

Charlotte waited for the party to start heading back, and when given the moment slipped closer to Victoria, glancing down at the ribbon in her hand. "It is strange that he refused it. What will you do with it? The tension in there was awful. I think, if it were not for the tournaments rules, the men would have ripped at each others throats already." She laughed softly and nervously.

@ ashen knight;
[It's okay! To be honest I prefer this one over the other currently. ]

Victoria looked down at the ribbon in her hand for a moment. "I am not quite sure what to do with it. No finalists has turned it down before. Though I suppose it can be saved until the next tournament?" She looked over at Charlotte, her eyebrows slightly furrowed at the idea. But suddenly the thought of Nikola being the only one without a ribbon of her favor was bothersome. What if the on lookers caught onto the lack of her favor? Victoria let out a sigh. It was an issue for later.

"And the tension was high in there. Most tournaments are friendlier than this. Though the knights definately feel like they have something to prove against him." Victoria stopped walking, pulling Charlotte slightly to the side so only she could head her. "I would like for one of my knights to win, since it would show strength in our warriors..." Victoria gave a small face. "Though I also want Nikola to smack the smugness and confidence right out of Dain. He is growing too troublesome, challenging me in front of the other knights. And I am quickly losing my patience with him." Victoria hand went into a small fist. Though quickly she managed to calm herself again and continued on to her seat.

"We will just need to wait and see I suppose... I am not sure which outcome is better for me. I did not know the finalists would suddenly become so determined." Victoria said before she walked up the steps and then headed to her seat besides her father. Sitting down, she looked out at the crowd as the tournament was announced once again and two of the finalists came out.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

Charlotte let her friend pull her to the side and looked up at her. "If he wins, it may encourage outsiders to try best the knights." She hesitantly and quietly added, "It may provoke a war by another Kingdom if he wins and walks away. You can't let him go. You may possibly have to hire him, for the safety of your kingdom." She kneaded her hands into her lap, suddenly wishing Nikola was not as great as rumored. The King probably did not recognise this yet, but Charlotte was already thinking of the possibilities. "Of course," She blurted out quickly, "Only if he wins."

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on the party, Nikola was not paired with Dain for the first round. The three matches went by quick. Dain won fair and square, though there was a little scuffle - for these were the best six knights and now the matches were longer. Nikola took a little longer than usual but he too had his opponent on the ground no longer than Dain's match. With his win, the nobles started to quietly and urgently whisper amongst themselves. Those that had bet on the opponent (mostly all) sourly handed over their money. The second round, Nikola was not paired with Dain again, and the two fought their matches separately. Both won, naturally it seemed.

Now it was the last match. The two were forced to take a small parade around the arena. Dain stirred the crowd, getting his usual cheers from his fans. He gloated in their attention, and when he looked to the Princess, he lifted his head a little, as if to say see? I'm their favourite. Nikola on the other hand, did not make eye contact with the crowd. He instead watched Dain, like a hunter circling its prey, waiting to strike. This would be a walk of shame for one of them.

The parade ended soon enough and the two faced off. Nikola hunched forward a little, lightly rubbing the side of his horse's neck. The horse was tense. It sensed his presence, and it did not like it. Too bad. The horn blew, and the two men charged at each other. Dain had abandoned his spear in favour for a longer sword, one longer than Nikola's curved blade. He had learned from the failures of the previous knights. The spear would be the thing Nikola took advantage of. So he threw the advantage away. The first charge was uneventful. The two parted, turned their horses around and eyed each other. Both smirked. They were the only two in this world now. The crowd, the King, the princess, that was all away. It was just them two. And the need to win. They charged again, their swords clanged and the two parted but when they turned around to face off again, the results of this charge were seen. Dain shook his arm and a plate fell away from his body's armor. Nikola raised his head and exposed a cut on his cheek. Close. But of course, that was the pay for not wearing a helmet. The horses grunted, and the two charged for the third time, and as they neared each other, Dain shifted in a small way that seemed unimportant, but Nikola saw it. He felt his eyes widen ever so slightly, but the speed was too fast. He shifted in his seat, letting go off the reins and the spurs, and as his horse raced past Dain, the horse tripped, and flipped forward. Nikola was hurtled forward, diving into the fall, tumbling forward once, flipping over and skidding across the ground in a crouch. His senses strained, finding Dain's location on the other side of the arena. He checked for flying projectiles - found none - and stood. He spat to the side and squared off the other. The horse managed to get up and hobbled off to the side, collected off the arena (free of the dragon on its back).

Dain seemed smug. The crowd had gasped when Nikola's horse fell, and now they were deadly quiet. All eyes were trained on the Arena. The Nobles were silent, and Charlotte was tense. The King was leaning forward in his seat. Would this be it? Dain would win, surely.

Nikola made his way towards the center of the arena, and as Dain started to charge, lifting the sword to have a go at Nikola, Nikola started to run towards him. An eye for an eye. The horse charged to him, Nikola braced himself and as it neared, he made a sharp jerk towards it, sword flashing in the air. Dain saw Nikola's lip curl, and thought he heard an unearthly inhuman snapping snarl - the sound of which was lost as the horse screamed in terror and reared then bucked violently, throwing Dain off. Dain was thrown to the ground, and in his armor he could not flip and tumble well, so he simply rolled along the ground until he managed to come to a stop.

While he rolled, Nikola looked around for a spear to finish it off, but both horses had charged away, and since neither men used the spears, the spears stayed on the horses. Nikola grit his teeth, gripped his sword and chased after Dain - who by that point managed to get up and pull out his own sword to block Nikola's just in time. The two struggled, pushing at each other, until finally one pushed to the side and both ended up having to spring back. They faced each other, and slowly stalked each other in a circle. They came together again, and again, exchanging blows. Nikola was fast with his two curved blades, but Dain had the power behind his double-handed sword. This fight was no longer for a prize. It was a struggle to bring the other down, nothing more. Somewhere between blows, Dain managed to knee Nikola, sending the other to his knees. But only for a few seconds. Nikola blocked the next few blows, ducked one high, grabbed dirt and flung it at Dain's face. The man swore, staggering back and wiping his face. Nikola used the time to get up and collect himself and attack Dain again, striking his sides. Dain blocked them, but clearly faltering in some places and misjudging. Nikola put more power behind his hits now, sweating and growling with effort. Dain lashed out with something, and narrowly missed Nikola's face, the other dodging it with a sharp jerk of his head. It was enough to get back at him, and now Dain was in power, hitting and leading, with Nikola on the defensive. It continued on, both changing positions for an intense minute or two more. Dain had torn off his own helmet to see better, lost a few armour pierces where Nikola had managed to dislodge them. In return, Nikola received a hard blow to the side, and a jarred shoulder. The hit was enough to force him to nearly kneel again, but just before his knee touched the ground, he rushed forward and tackled Dain. The knight staggered back, and Nikola growled The heat in him was overwhelming. He wanted to burst forth from his skin and tear this man (and all the crowd) to pieces. Breathe fire and bring chaos. But no, he could not do that. He needed to beat this man in human form. It would be a greater victory. And so Nikola lunged forward again, striking at Dain's knees, forcing the other to the ground, disarming him and jabbing his sword forth aimed for the neck. The crowd gasped audibly.

The sword stopped a finger's breadth away from Dain's neck. Dain looked up the blade and into Nikola's eyes. He trembled. Eyes. The ribbon eyepatch had dislodged ever so slightly, and from his angle, he saw something horrible. He could not make it out. Nikola pushed the sword closer and Dain automatically closed his eyes.

Defeat.

The crowd was silent. The judge stared on, and when Nikola looked up at him, he mouthed the words but no sound came out. Nikola was not satisfied. He did not get to play with his food. He wanted to shame Dain a little more. And then he smirked. An idea came to him. He jabbed the sword a little closer to Dain's neck, pricking it with the tip. Dain's lips curled in anger. This was too far.

Nikola looked up and rested his eyes on the princess. The judge opened his mouth to announce it officially when suddenly Nikola dropped his sword. "I yield."

The crowd gasped again. Hersi straightened, Charlotte looked surprised.
"He what?" Someone choked out. Nikola smiled, hearing the crowd murmur in confusion. A forfeit? "I yield." He repeated and stepped back. He saw Dain's face turn from shame to fury. Oh yes. Nikola would lose all the money and gold and winnings. He would lose this ranking, and all the effort he went in through would be lost. But his goal in the last moment changed. He could always come for the gold, steal from another village. But to see Dain in shame? Brought down to his knees, to win by default because the one that forced him there forfeited? Now that was real shame. Shame that would haunt Dain more than a victory fair and square. Some would think Nikola stupid, an idiot, for doing so - and he didn't really care. He knew Dain's proud nature and he struck the ego right in the center. And Dain realized it too. The fury in his eyes was more than enough.

Nikola laughed softly, reached up and fixed his eyepatch, turned and - swinging his sword casually - headed away from the center of the arena, towards the exit.

The judge stared, but rules were rules, and shakily he announced, "The winner is Dain, Knight of Agrowin!"

Charlotte breathed out shakily, "Is that a joke?"

@ ashen knight;

For a long moment Victoria, the nobles and even the crowd we're silent as Nikola walked off. Though they soon started to clap hesitantly for Dain. It wasn't its usual hype though. Many were whispering about what had just happened, still trying to figure out who the mystery man was and why he had suddenly forfeited.

Slowly the King stood up like he normally did at the end of a tournament in order to congratulate the winner and end it. And most who knew his usual speech would have already left. Though they stayed around to see what he said on the turn of events. Which was nothing. Though I was clear that the King was displeased by the events and it was easy to tell because his normal, long speech was quite short. "Congratulations on your win Knight Dain. Come to the castle when you are ready to collect your prize. The tournament is now over!" He announced the last sentence loudly before heading out with the noble party quickly.

Victoria quickly got up and headed to the castle with her father and Charlotte. The crowd seemed to linger though as they waited for more to happen. She looked over at Charlotte with wide eyes. The nobles and the king talked about the tournament in front of them and Victoria moved close to her friend and spoke quietly. "Why did he do that?" He whispered, clearly nervous. "It is so much worse that he did that."

The party headed into the throne room and the King looked out of the window at the tournament grounds. Victoria, however, headed up to her throne and sat down away from the others. Dain normally dame straight up to the castle after a win to collect his prize. Though now she was concerned what Dain would do because of the shame. Victoria turned back to Charlotte. "We need to find Nikola." She whispered to her. "We need to convince him to join the knights, without my father knowing that he asked him to.'

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
Charlotte hurried to join Victoria as they walked out. "I think," she said after a moment of thought, "That he did not care for the prize. I believe he wanted to shame and embarrass Dain. It would only make sense as so. To beat him and then step aside and offer the winning place so... publicly. If he wanted to show he admired Dain, he could have given a speech. But that grin on his lips and the laugh... I do not think he was being kindhearted there." She trailed off and hesitantly glanced around. Knowing the rumours and stories she heard about Nikola, she would not be surprised if tomorrow Dain was found dead. Her paranoid was rising, and she fought to calm it.

"How will we find him? How will we convince him? I do not think he would want to join the Knights and one can only do so with the King's bidding and blessing, no? Unless you make him your bodyguard, even if only temporarily..." She trailed off, having muttered the last sentence quietly, knowing it was an extreme and ridiculous idea. It depended on the level of desperation. In her thoughts, he would agree - maybe - to such a job. It meant being around the princess - who wouldn't want to do that? But seeing how he refused the ribbon, Charlotte was not sure anymore. Only the gold and gem around Tori's neck seemed to appeal to him, and even then - he forfeited and gave up the gold all to play with Dain and shame him. Speaking of the knight, Charlotte looked around. He was not here. No doubt nursing his injuries, and wounded pride and ego. Charlotte remembered Dain's face as Nikola held the sword to his throat. Remembered Nikola reaching up to fix his eyepatch. "Do you think Dain saw Nikola's eye?" She wondered.

@ ashen knight;

"I might actually be all well and good that Dain's ego was hurt so publically." Victoria whispered, ensuring that no one else was able to hear them. "Perhaps he will calm down a bit after this fight. And maybe he will stop being so forward with me. It was getting quite out of hand." She definitely would not hate it if Dain did stop his actions with her. He was a great knight, and she appreciated his service but she did not like how he was starting to act towards her.

Victoria then let out a sigh as she gripped onto the side of her throne a bit. "You are right. He would not be willing to join the knights. And I am not even sure that Nikola would take a position as my bodyguard. I also am unsure of how to convince my father that I would need his presence for a short period of time...I suppose unless I did a small political tour around the country? And having him by my side would show that he is not here to upset the balance in the knight's order and anything else." Victoria let out a small hum as she thought about it. "Though I am unsure I would want him by my side to be the only one protecting me. It is not like I trust him or could defend myself against him if he got bored."

Victoria looked back to her friend. "I am sure that I saw his eye. Though it wouldn't be appropriate to ask him such a question when he comes. Unless we were having a more private chat, I wouldn't be able to find out. And I doubt he would be happy to answer such a question after a fight like that."

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

Charlotte watched her friend in thought. "A political tour does sound appealing. And having Nikola at your side will lessen the chance of Dain approaching you so carelessly now. Don't you think?" She smiled a little. There would be evident tension between the two men now, and surely Dain would not go out of his way to spend every second possible around Victoria. Simply out of pure dislike for Nikola. And Nikola wouldn't politely beg Dain to leave. it would be harsher. At least, Charlotte thought so. "There is only one way to find out. Ask him directly. You may need to seek him out first, of course, and you may need to get one-on-one with him to see how he acts when you are alone with him - of course, with guards nearby. Though I think that is dangerous. He isn't known to be very nice, after all. And his manners are most appalling."

Looking surprised when Victoria admitted to seeing his eye, Charlotte couldn't help herself as she leaned in. "What did it look like?" She then realised her forwardness and shied back, covering her mouth, "My deepest apologies, I was too excited. I did not think one would ever see it. Was it... inhuman as they claim it to be?"

She straightened her skirts, "Would you like me to send out a servant to find his whereabouts so that you may meet? Would you like to schedule a meeting time and place?"

@ ashen knight;

[Sorry I had a small miswrite in my last post. I meant to say that Victoria was sure that Dain had seen the eye, not that she did. I'll respond as if your character knows that Victoria saw Dain see it]

Victoria was silent for a long few moments as she thought about what to do. There was a lot that could go wrong with meeting Nikola at this point. Plus if she even asked him to be her bodyguard for a tour...well she had no idea if he would accept. Or if he was trustworthy enough or not. Though it was clear that she had greatly misjudged him with how he treated Dain during the tournament. Having someone not only beat but then move on to hulimate a knight would do her or her country no good too. Though then getting him seen by her side would be good for their country's image. Plus it would be an added bonus to not have Dain follow her around so much for a while. Victoria was positive he would stay away when Nikola was around. She then let out a sigh before turning to Charlotte. "Yes. Send a servant to find him. Ask for a royal meeting with him. If he denies, have the servant send him something nice and then ask again. I am sure that will make him agree to the meeting. When he accepts we will meet him where he wishes too. I don't particularly care as long as some guards come with us. Then I will decide during our meeting whether or not to ask him to be my bodyguard during a tour. I may decide it's not a good idea but I would like to meet him again after the display at the tournament."

"Yes, I am positive that I saw Dain see the eye. There was such a...strange look on his face. To be honest I am rather concerned about what he saw. Though I don't believe that I can get Dain to tell me what he saw after how today went." Victoria let out a sigh before looking over at the door. "And he is taking his time getting here...Normally he comes up immediately to ask for his prize. Though perhaps he won't come at all?"

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
[Ohh ! okay No worries]

The bidding was done as soon as it was uttered. A servant was summoned and Charlotte passed on the instructions to him, and sent him away to find Nikola. Charlotte watched him go, wondering Nikola's answer. He was so unpredictable. "To have a ranger like him as a bodyguard..." she pondered aloud, "I wonder what it will be like." How did they even get into this position? Charlotte wondered - if she hadn't ever pointed him out - would they still meet him, would he participate and shame Dain in the tournament? She did not know. But Charlotte didn't get a chance to say more, for suddenly the doors opened and a rather annoyed looking Dain walked in, followed closely by his usual group of fans and servants.
"Talking about him is like summoning him," She mumbled. He didn't spend long, expertly avoiding everyone, claiming his prize and leaving as fast as he had come. The rest of the party was engrossed in discussing the match. The servant came back to relay information that Nikola had refused a meeting, but after proposing a gift he accepted. The time would be later in the afternoon, and in the attic of a local tavern, the same one where he had met Victoria first. No explanation as to why the meeting was appointed there. Simply come or don't.

But when morning rolled over, the castle was in chaos. At just before lunch time a man rode in on a horse, badly burned and very tired and relayed news that a town of the kingdom, Reima, had been pillaged.
"The dragon," he rasped as they helped him down and gave him water to sip, "It landed on the watchtower and it looked me in the eye and spoke, I swear it - it spoke!, tell them, for what comes - their walls wont save them." The man greedily grasped the water and began to gulp it down. The people around looked at each other, and one man scoffed. "Nonsense!" He said, straightening. "He's delusional. Dragons don't exist. Its a myth and a legend. We supposedly have one up on the mountain, do we see it? No."

"But," Lord Hersi too, stood, and looked at the man, "What else has the fire of a dragon, to melt down stone walls and scorch lands, to vanish into the night and with no trace left in the morning? Our scouts would have seen an army this size to take down Reima."

"A talking dragon, then?" The man challenged, and Lord Hersi shrugged. "We know little - and those that know lot do not survive." He pointedly glanced at the burned man who, having drunk the whole cup, was now closing eyes. He would not make it through the night. Grimly, Hersi turned away and was about to leave, when suddenly the wounded soldier coughed to life again and wheezed, reaching into his shirt. "You don't believe me-" he rasped, and pulled out a small round flat object that shimmered in the light. An arrowhead was half buried into it. "Black iron." He reached up to give it to Hersi, who took it just in time before the man's hand fell and he was no more.

Hersi stepped away and looked at the object in his hand. It looked like a large scale. A dragon's? He caught sight of Victoria then, and hurried over, still holding the scale - now in a napkin - on his open palm. "Your Highness, I am deeply sorry to trouble you - have you seen the King?"

@ ashen knight;

Victoria looked down at the strange object that was in Lord Hersi's hand. It looked like a scale? Was it a scale? It was quite odd in color and seemed a bit large for any reptile that naturally lived in the country. She let out a small sigh before nodding. "Yes. He is currently at lunch. I wouldn't disturb him unless it is important though." Victoria told him before walking away from the lord. She did not have the time or the patience to deal with him. After Reima had been pillaged, things at the castle had been chaotic, which of course meant that her day had been chaotic.

Though Victoria was going to get out for the next hour or so, and on one and nothing was going to stop her. It was important for her to go meet Nikola, and possibly gain him as a bodyguard. With the two pillaging of the towns so close to each other, Victoria was now expected to tour the country and try to figure out the problem to this. It was her responsibility to learn the truth and check on the feeling of the people. So once Victoria fixed her dress and hair a bit, she made her way to the entrance of the castle. Her carriage was already ready for her, and three guards were with her. Victoria moved into the carriage and they headed straight into town.

Once they were outside of the tavern, Victoria told the guards where to stay. One had to be by the carriage and the other two were to come into the tavern with her, but not to sit at the table with and Nikola. They would be fair enough away to not hear a thing. Though close enough to protect her if need be. With the high tensions because Reima, Victoria now had to be more concerned about people fighting her than Nikola doing so. With everything taken care of Victoria walked into the tartan and sat down at the table they were at last time. She then waited for him. Victoria had been sure to come a little early to get the guards set up and to get some time out of the craziness of the castle.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
He had seen them coming from far enough away, seen the soldiers circling her as she stepped out of her carriage. He wanted to scoff, such a princess. What a sight. Every fibre in him screamed to steal her away for laughs, as in stories, but the price to pay would be high. His life was not equal to hers. She was a mere mortal, he was a legendary beast.

A servant relayed the news of her presence and he shrugged it off, sending the messanger back with a reply. The messenger approached the princess nervously, "Your Highness,he insists the attic as his point of arrangement. He says he will not come down into the presence of so many armed, he says he understands that this is a peaceful talk,"

Nikola heard them talk downstairs and smiled lightly, rocking back on his chair. If she refused to come up it would be simple, there would be no talk. But she seemed persistent, enough to send him gold simply to talk. This he assumed she would come up to his attic. A place from which he could escape easily, should the soldiers come at him.

@ ashen knight;

Victoria let out a small sigh, obviously annoyed by the inconvenience. Though in all honesty, she was not concerned about Nikola doing anything to her. "This is a peaceful talk." She said before standing up. "Unless he plans on making it into a problem." Standing up, Victoria then made her way to one of the guards, and grabbed his longsword. Just because Nikola wanted to talk in private, that did not mean she was going to be absolutely stupid about it. Besides her skills with the sword should be enough for her to get back to the guards in case something happened, whether or not it was Nikola causing it.

Walking into the attic, Victoria looked over at Nikola. She walked over to the table, sitting down before setting the sword down on her lap. "Surely you don't mind me bringing the sword up. The people have been a bit tense since the pillaging Reima last night. Besides after seeing your skill yesterday, I am sure you have nothing to fear from my own sword skills." Her voice was more matter of fact sounding, not wanting Nikola to cause an issue because of the sword.

She then folded her hands together, which was a way that royalty showed to others that they meant no harm when weapons were nearby. "I wanted to talk to you after what happened yesterday. I found the whole thing very curious. You obviously would have won, gotten the prize and the proof of your strength. Why did you let Knight Dain win instead?"

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
When she walked in, he didn't stand up nor greet her in any way other than raising a brow and the corner of his lip. Although he eyes the sword, he did not make any face the showed anything but curiosity. "pillaging of Reima?" He closed his eyes for a moment as if remembering where this town was, "What happened? I dare admit I have not heard anything of it."

He put his hands behind his head then and nodded to her sword, "I believe I have nothing to fear from you. I dare say so." He listened as she spoke of yesterday and couldn't help as the smile on his lips grew and grew. "Oh, but I did show my strength. I won. I just let the Knight take the prize. Dain, was it? Hm." He shrugged.

"Simple. I wanted to see what would happen. What you gave me yesterday was satisfaction, satisfaction in legally fighting a knight to near death. Every blow of mine was a step away from slaughter. Don't get me wrong, the gold was tempting, but above my love for gold is my hatred for knights. I despise them with every bit of me." Naturally. A dragon and a knight would never been friends. He looked up at her. "Does that answer your question? Surely you came here for something more than just that."